had been left not onely uncapable to do ought in their own defence in the mid'st of thy many mischievous accusations but also insensible of any hurâ— at all or of who it was that hurt them with the sharp Aâ—rows which our of the same Devils Bow with T.D. in his thou shootest at Randome at them in that thy Divine piece of lying Divination Art thou not in this one of those to whom the Wo is Isa. 29.1516 That seek deep to hide their Counsel from the Lord whose works are in the dark and they say who seeth us and who knoweth us whose turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the Potters clay Art thou not herein as like one of the old Bastardly Broods viz. the Ammâ—nites and Ashdodites Zach. 9.6 that were adversaries to the True Israel of God yea as like Samballat and Tobia as ever thou canst look who with the rest of their Co-conspiratours against the Lords work that of the builders of Ierusalem that removed the Babylonish Rubbish in order to the Repairing of Breaches the Restoring the Pure Primitive Truth the building of the Old Wastes out of the Ruines and dejoâ—ations and the laying the foundations of many Generations Isa. 58 said much what to the same tune as thou dost of the Quaâ—ers Neh 3. II. They shall not know neither see till we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease sure thou wast doubtful of being cal'd to accâ—unt by the Quakers and conscious to thy self of thy own uncapablenesse to clear thy self in thy false accusations of them as denyers despisers sleighters of Gods Word and the Scriptures c. hadst thou floured them so sowlly and charged them so falsly in English as thou dost in Latine and therefore as the Laws made for English people to be Ordered judged and Tryed by that the Lawers may prey the more perfectly upon their purses are laid up out of poor peoples sight in obscure terms long Scroles and Latine screel scrawls so thou chosest to be a Barbarian to the Quakers as they seem to be to thy self who art lost so far in Hebrew Greek and Latin as not to know plain English and to talk to thy Barbarous Brotherhood against them in a Language they as thou thoughest understand not rather then to talk to them in a known tongue about that enmity to the Word of God and the Scripture which thou inditest them at your High Commission as guilty of But very unjustly for As blindly as thou Judgest we deny and carelesly forget the Scriptures because we like Sheep are silent in the light and not whining for it among the Swine that seed no higher then on the empty husk yet we have not so foregone it but that according to Christs promise to such as are in the Spirit Iohn 14. upon new occasion what ever we have read in it of the mind of Christ of old is by that Spirit brought a new to our remembrance and we know so much by it that even it now the word it speaks of is put into their mouths as their chiefest strength shall be excellently useful and used by both the Tongues and Pens of very Babes and Sucklings to still and stop the mouths of such Adversaries to the Truth and the Light and the Letter also as thou yet art who talkest utterly against the Scripture in thy talking for it and pluckest it down while thou Placest it above the Light and by all thy Proof less provings of the Letter to be as the light it pleads for and thou against onely is a self evidencing Light and Power hast in Truth proved thy own undertakings in that behalf to be a piteous plain self evidencing piece of great weaknesse and greater darknesse and many more uses are to be made of the Letter yet as well as to beat the abusers of the Scripture and the livers besides it with their own Weapon of which more anon in its place and if we knew it not in the Light as we do yet from the very Letter we are well aware that the burthen of base born Moab is near to come upon him and the Night wherein Aâ— of Moab must be cut off and brought to silence and the Night wherein Kiâ— of Moab is to be cut off and brought to silence and that the time is near to come wherein as the Saints are now silent in Light before him who keepeth their feet that they do not slide so the wicked whose way is a slipery places in the dark will be driven on till they fall therein and shall at last be silent in darknesse for ever and bowl within themselves but no more so loudly against the Light for by strength shall no man Prevail Isa. 51.1 I Sam. 2. 21. Nevertheless we must give you loosers leave to talk up your talk for whether we will or no talk ye will yet a while so long as your tongues are your own untamed and without the bridle which while they are though ye seem to be Religious as thou I.O. dost yet all your Religion is but vain and though in the Light we know what we know yet from the Letter ye will be thinking your think and thrusting out your idle thoughts too till your hands be tied against the true Light and its Friends of which ye make a mear mocking stock among your selves and must mightily then when ye are got as ye suppose out of sight divining Lyes together in your Lattine Divinity Disputations and out of the Cup of your own Imaginations sit tipling to each other in the dark when ye are drunken as drunâ—erds with your own wisdom as with sweet wine and folden together as thorns thinking no hands can touch or take you to thrust you away then ye lye in Lattin together at ease as in a Bed wherein ye take your fill of Lies which ye love till ye be utterly burnt with fire in your place and be devoured as stubble fully drie 2 Sam 23.6 7. Nah. 1.9.10 Nor worse nor better then thus is the Case with thee I.O. and those Sons of Belial that wonder after thee nor is it any otherwise with thee and thy wondrous Work which thy own heart head and hands have not only wrought and wrote but brought forth also into the world against the Quakers wherein but especially in that last Fourfold Latine Fardel which thy Two former Flim-flams falling into one with it flows with them in one floud of folly and falshood wherein hoping having lap 't thy self close up in the Fig leaves of that little learning and Logick that is used therein thou liest hid out of the sight of the Quakers whose light thou deemest not large enough to lay hold on thee in that Syllogistical Siege thou there layest and those Logical lurking holes in which thou lyest in a learned Leagure against them thou adventurest more securely then thou durst well do in thy smooth English Sermons to ease thy self of thy
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
like had before Christ was crucified though in regard of inability to beare the sudden abolâ—tion thereof by permission more then commission practised after as circumcision and vowes and shavings and some other Rite and Ceremonies were in which case if any now will needs uâ—e them I meddle not to forbid though he that is in the spirit and substance and not the letter of them is not out of them but in them more truly then he that is in them outwardly according to the letter and not in the spirit for they are the Iewes the circumcision the Christians the baptiz'd ones the Suppers with the Lord the partakers of his Table who open when Christ knocks and let him in that he may Sup with them and they with him who rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh and worship God in the spirit and are Jewes in heart and spirit not letter onely when they of the letter are but the Concision that say they are Iewes Christians Baptists Communicants with God children of God but lye and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan the end of which foresaid outward Commandments is love out of a pure heart a good conscience faith unfained which who serve in are the servants of God and who swerve from and turn aside into â—angling about the other and are zealous in teaching up the Law understand neither themselves nor what they say nor doe nor whereof they affirme and are but of the Gentiles that dwell in the outward Court which is given to them who tread down the holy Citty nor in the inward Temple nor of them that worship therein not to be counted thereunto but left out and not measured when the measuring line goeth out upon it to build and rear it up again in the latter dayes So then though I deny all the Ordinances Traditions and Doctrines Wayes and Worships of men innovated and impos'd at their wills as praecepts of God yet I deny not the due use of any thing that ever was in meer outside service required and appointed of God himself when performed in its proper place and season from a right Principle of inward power to the right end which they lead and tend to viz. Christ Iesus the head the body of those shadows the Image of God begotten and born not after the Law of a Carnal Commandment but after the Power of an endless life after which Image when men witness themselves to be truly created in righteousness and holiness of truth they will see how these pass away as to the use thereof as the Moon in a morning waxes pale and dies out as to its shining any more before the Sun as the lesser which must give way to the greater glory which lesser things while men busie themselves in and boast of crying the Temple of the Lord are these the Tythes Offerings New-moons the Sabbaths the solemn Assemblies the Sacrifices the Circumcision the Passeover the Baptism the Supper the Services the Ordinances of the Lord are these neglecting the weightier matters the washing and circumcising their hearts to the Lord the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh putting away the evil of their doings from before Gods eyes not minding but forgetting breaking the everlasting visible life way righteousness kingdom House Temple Gospel Glory Covenant which the Letter lays down as that which all these Ceremonies so call'd of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from their standing but for a time and all these meer Temporals do but tend to the Lord loaths all that which was even of his own requiring the more men load him with it that love not-the other and says he required it not he spake not of it he would have none of it he could not away with it his delight is not so much in it as in obeying his saul hates it he is weary to bear it 't is the offering of Swines blood 't is the cutting off a Dogs neck 't is as acceptable to him as if one slew a man 't is the blessing of an Idol 't is but a trusting in lying words when trusted in 't is an apron of fig-leaves 't is a covering of Idols 't is a righteousness that shall not profit him 't is a refuge of lyes which the hail shall sweep away 't is a hiding place which the storm shall overflow by which shall be trodden down even all you that are hidden in it 't is a Covenant and agreement with death and hell the Drunkards of Ephraim make which must be disannul'd and not stand 't is a bed shorter then that a man can stretch himself on it 't is a covering too narrow for a man to wrap himself in it 't is a House on the sand and not on the Rock of Ages the fall of which on the head of the builders will be great when the wind of the Lords Spirit comes to blow upon it 't is flesh that must wither then as the grass and the flower of it 't is Ashur and Jareb that can't cure Israels wounds 't is Pharoah the broken reed that runs into the hand of the leaners thereon 't is the Egyptians and their horses which are men and flesh not God nor Spirit 't is the many mountains in which salvation is hoped for in vain 't is not the right Rest to the soul 't is the polluted rest which who ever is in and first or last ariseth not above and departs not out of it will destroy him with a sore destruction 't is iniquity 't is dung which God will spread upon mens faces who live like Swine yet will wallow in it even the dung and iniquity of their solemn meetings How untrue then thy Testimony is of my saying I was above Ordinances who am one that am under Water-Baptism being once baptized as the Sprinklers of Infants never were if there were any ground of glorying in or any stress to be put upon that and have also used Bread and wine till Christ who now cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in myriads of his Saints came in me as few Parish Preachers do that prattle for that Supper though Christ be not yet come in them as he will ere long come nigh to judgement I suppose all save such Simplerous as either will see or at least seem to see nothing save what their Seers see may more easily discern then be ignorant But suppose it were all as true that 's here told by you three Thomasses would it follow at all from hence that I probably comply with the Pope and his faction or would it not rather free me among all save such as if they cannot by Hooke will needs have it so by Crooke from all suspition of such complyance more then such as cry out for Ordinances with the Pope yea more for meere mans Ordinances too then for Gods viz. that of sprinkling and Ordinances for Tribes and maintenance as his Priests do Is 't not a far clearer consequence to
while we witnesse not the same done by him in our selves we cannot call those works OURS to justification more truly then Papists can who beleive as well as Protestants what he there did though they never look to do the like Quae non fecimus ipsi non ea nostra voco What he did in that person and not OVRS is his only yet and not OVRS but if we speak of what we do not only in our own persons but our own wills power and wisdom abstract from him and the leadings of his Light and Spirit I say Quae sic fecimus ipsi haec ego nostra voco these I call truly and only OVRS and so doth the Scripture Rom. 10.3.4 Phil. 3.9 and as for what OVR persons do in his light according to his will in the true movings of his Spirit and by no other but his own Power Quae nos fecimus ipsi sic ea nostra voco these being partly ours though principally his I have a liberty from the Lord truly enough to denominate by that name of OVRS yet as 't is fit he should have the perheminence as to the name who is not the cheif Actor but the only Author of them I rather chuse mostly to call them His though done in and by us and so again Quae nos fecimus ipsi vix ea nostra voco So there are 1. good work which are only Christs and not OVRS and and by these he deservedly stood justified in the sight of God in his own person which if he had not done and had he sinned he could not have done he could never have bin a high Priest able to justify others or sufficient to save to the uttermost such as come to God by him for such a high Priest it became us to have who is holy harmless undefiled and seperate from sinners himself or else he could never seperate sin from us Heb. 7.26.27.28 2. Again their are good works so called which are only OVRS and not Christs and such are all the best that we work without him of our selves even all our own Righteousnesse and Righteousnesses which are as an unclean thing as a menstruâ—us Rag Isa. 64.6 as dung and losse and not gain nor any way profitable to save or deliver Isa. 57.12.13 Phil. 3.4.10.10 And by these though done in mans willings and runnings in a way of outward conformity to the letter of the Law shall no flesh ever be justified any more then Paul was for these are not Christs all whose works are meritorious and acceptable to God and deserving no Condemnation that I know of and consequently deserving iustification before God but mans own Righteousnesse as that of the Iewes was Rom. 9 32.10.3.2.3 and Pauls was till he came to the Light though for want of coming to the Light T.D. in his dark minde saith Paul had no righteousnesse that was not Christs p 22. is meritorious of no more acceptance then Cains Sacrifice had which was iustly and deservedly rejected because its the evill doer still that does that good which God what ere the sinner calls it accounteth evill 3. Again there are good works which in different respects are called truly enough both Christs and OVRS viz. OVRS as done in and by Our persons Christs as done only by his power in us and by these last call them as ye will Christs as done by him in OVR persons or OVRS as done by us in his power is the justification of all that ever were or shall be justified both deserved and effected and not by what he did without them in that single person that once liv'd and dyed at Ierusalem while the same righteousnesse was and is not by that same power of his fulfilled within themselves and so 1 st detesting all that as Rotten Rags that 's done by meer man without Christ and disowning it utterly as giving no influence to mans justification both honouring and duly owning all that righteousnesse that was wrought by Christ without man as perfect pretious glorious acceptable to God unspeakably usefull to us and truly meritorious at least to his own justification that he might become as elâ—e he could not a meet Mediatour for man this 3d. and last I own only as the meritorious and perfectly effectual cause of mans justification and howbeit T.D. is so blind as to deny our satisfaction by that righteousnesse whereof Christ is the Author p. 23. and to beleive that he that holds justification by this righteousnesse of Christ that 's wrought in the Saints by his Spirit cannot be saved p. 38. For he owns this sentence there for truth viz. that any man that holds that principle of being justified by a righteousnesse within us living and dying iâ— that principle cannot be saved Yet I not only say but see so much and hope as great a Malefactor as T.D. p. 54. makes me for it to make any save such as seeing will not see to see the same that he cannot be saved who holds it not but looks for Salvation in that Gospel which T.D. Preaches of a Iustification by a Christ onely without him and that he may fill up his floutings at it and compleat his cursing of it in the same Phrase he scâ—â—fingly renders my speaking this Truth in at the Dispute p. 28. I say again to all People That Gospel which T.D. and his fellows Preach of Salvation by Christ without them without the Revelation of Christ and his Righteousness within them will not bring men to Heaven Indeed People it will not And this is that I am to have the second Talking with T.D. about before I come again to I.O. viz. this point of Iustification whether it which we say is by Christs Righteousness and Good Works alone and not any thing that is done by us simply as of our selves be by the Righteousness of Christ without us onely as T.D. saith it is or by that which he performs in us also by the samâ— Power as we affirm it In the Prosecution of which matter which way soever the cause should seem to go in the Consciences of such as are considerate yet to the eye of every ordinary Observer of him T.Ds. weaknesses and absurdities are so gross and obvious that he that Runs may Reâ—d them sundry of which I shall give the Reader a taste of as I go along that he may know how to Relish him in the Rest. Hear then O ye deaf look and see ye blind Believers and Admirers of T.D. and his applauded Pamphlet how he to turn his own Terms to G. W. p. 24. upon himself interferes and cuts one leg against another and is not sensible of it and how he contradicts and confounds himself and that so closely cunningly and curiously that neither himself nor any of those who look like himself without their eyes can see it though to all others I confess 't is easie to be or rather hard not to be discern'd T. D. Tells the world that the Terms of the Question were
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
whom they also as Paul and others did witnesse speaking living working labouring in them comming into them as they open to him supping with them manifesting himselfe to them as they keep his Commandements when not to the world that break them making his abode with them dwelling in them by faith walking in them as they in him formed in them being in them that are in the faith and not reprobate as concerning the faith as some are who dream they have it the hope of glory even Christ Iesus the Son of God the seed of Abraham according to the flesh risen from the dead and alive for ever the second man the Lord from heaven the quickning spirit that shewed himselfe to his disciples comming in where they were the dores being shut appearing to them in what fâ—â—m he would vanishing out of their sight at what time he pleased Christ the wisdome of God the power of God the word of God the righteousnesse of God the sanctification and salvation of God the Image of God the true vine of the Branches the dore of the Sheep the light of the World and by his light in them the judge and condemnation of all that hate it and perfect Saviour of all that come to God by him and to him in it the same that ever he was yesterday to day and for ever the selfe same and not another no changling but numerically the same to them that see him as the woâ—ld does not who are commenting on him but cannot comprehend him guessing at but cannot kâ—n him naming themselves after him but are no kin to him not divided but individually one not one without us and a different thing in us as T.D. dictates â—aying two things are called Christ his person and his operations in us p. 23. but one without us and that same one in us seen to be but one and the same without them and one and the same in them by the single eye of them that are being joyned to him 1 Cor. 6. one and the same spirit in him though â—eeming two Christs to the doubleey that never yet saw clearly any true Christ for he that imagines any more then one Christ knowes not aright that one that is but what ere he thinks unlesse it be some false ones in truth hath truly â—een just none at all And as I own no other Christ but that one by whom life comes to all that beleive in his light so I own the life to come by that one Christ not as withouâ— us but as comming within us and contrarily to T.D. at the dispute who as he truly relates it to his own fuller shame p. 22. being asked by G.W. whether we are not iustified by Christ with in us answered no but by Christ without us which Christ to make but one of him still whom T.D. by his Metonymy Metamorphosyes into two things expressed by that one name his person and operations as without or while without and not come into them is no more to them who when he comes in them are his Saints then he is to all them who are without him in the World whose condemnation he is by his light because they yet beleive not in it that he in whom is life whose life is the light of men by it might come into them and make them partakers of the life Ioh. 12. But as he comes in and men behold he now cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in myriads of his holy ones Jud. 14. to convince all the ungodly of their ungodly deeds and the hard speeches that ungodly sinners have spoken against him so is he made not only their Sanctification to cleanse and make them meet for the pure Lord to look upon with delight as vessels of honour sitted for him to take pleasure in but also even so and no otherwise then so as within and bringing forth his own Image and righteousnesse within them is he their righteousnesse to justification so as to enright and entitle them to the gracious acceptance in the sight of the Lord which by his own holy presence and holy spirit and holy operations in them he hath firstâ— fitted them for And as by him else not as without us but us within us â—o by that obedience and those good works of Righteousness both active and passive of himselfe not as without us only as is blindly beleived by our blind guides and their beleivers but as within us wrought and performed doth he really become our righteousnesse to the iustification of us in Gods sight and an Entitler of us to the inheritance and a Sanctifier and sitter of us for it and also we the righteousnesse of God in him for though whatever he did and endured without in that body that liv'd and dyed at Ierusalem was as truly meritorioâ—s of perfect obedience as to the ends in order to which it was yeilded being the fulfilling of the Law and of all the Types Shadows and Sacrifices that went before him and that whereby he left us an example that should follow his steps c. Yet if the blood of that immaculate Lamb and the suffering and the sacrifice of himselfe by which he purges away sin and that righteousnesse and those perfect good works and holy spirituall operations of his be not witnessed neerer to us in time and place then 1600. years since at Ierusalem viz. within us now as 1 Ioh. 1.7 It avails us not to our salvation And howbeit this true transposition of purifying before pardoning of mens forgoing sin by Christs power in them before Gods forgiving and forgetting it runs in a clear crosse line to your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Cart before the Horse who set iustification from the guilt before sanctification from the filth of sin expecting and accounting among your selves without the Lord while he is silent and before the bill of your accounts be brought in by him ye are iust and pure and holy and good in the sight of God when it s nothing lesse upon the account of somewhat done by another that never knew the workers of iniquity so well as to entitle them to an entrance into Gods bosome in their iniquities as if all scores were quitted between God and you and your sins blotted out 1600 yeares at least before they were by you done and by his witnesse in you as with a Pen of Iron and point of a Diamond written down by Christ and the works of his spirit within yet I absolutely assert that ye can be no further justified then in such measure as ye are sanctified before God nor yet any sooner in order of either time or nature as you speak I am not ignorant of your ordinary School distinctions positions namely that bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur justificatum dant non us ad regnum but only aptitudinem regnandâ— c. That good works go not before in the person that is to be iustified but follow only in persons
Christs Righteousness received from him and wrought by him in us So then the snare is broken and I am escaped which yet is whole enough to hold T. D. fast enough who set it who while I for whom 't was set am set at liberty by himself cannot with all his struggling strain his own neck out of the string whereinto he hath slipt it unawares Sic ves non vohis fertis Aratra Bâ—ves Further yet much more is to be said in proof of it that our being first led by the Spirit of Christ into the Righteousness of his working in us is Antecedent to our Iustification as a meritorious cause of it though considering how slenderly T. D. slides away from what was at the Dispute urged to that purpose even as he sets it down in his own Relation of it p. 15 16. to his own best advantage there were no great need of more if all wereas wise as some are silly to see the strength of what was urged but some are silly and some are willing rather then to own troublesome truths to wink against it and to seem more silly then they are whereupon when I have Examined the inefficacy of T. Ds. returns to it and turned them home in their native nakedness to the shame of him who sent them out I may not unlikely urge somewhat more 1. To this Argument from Gal. 5.18 They who are led of the Spirit are not under the Law therefore being led of the Spirit is a meritorious cause of not being under the Law and so consequently of Iustification or Non-Condemnation by it Thou T.D. Rep'yest That I am very silly myself or take my hearers to be so thinking this to be a proof of my former consequence or that there is any consequence in this Argument whereas first this Argument is urged not so much in proof of my former consequence as entail'd on that but as entire and absolute within it self for as to the proof of the former consequence viz. Contrariorum contraria est Ratio therefore as evil deserve Condemnation so good works Non-Condemnation in proof of which thou sillily sayeth I should have proâ—â— that there 's Par. Ratio for had I prosecuted that I should have proved that there 's Contraria Barro for the merit of the ones and of the other as I have told thee above I say as to that former consequence it had been sufficiently proved before by telling you but that in such a crowd of conference as ye were in among your selves it could not be heeded that as Condemnation and Non-Condemnation of Iustification were Contraries so good works which I said were not those of our own working without Christ for I oft said not by works of Righteousness we have wrong hâ—â— but what Christs works in and by us none of which are imperfect but all truly good and evil works are truly Contraries and so of contrary desert the one being all as truly good as the other truly evils and as for thy saying I am either silly or take my hâ—â—â—ers sâ—toâ— in that I think there 's any consequence in the Argument from Gal. â— 18 I say I did not take my heedless hearers so silly thus but I now take some of them an â—thy self for one to be much more silly then I did at the Dispute not onely by reason of sundry other remarkably silly passages that are in thy Printed Relation thereof but also in that thou thinkest there is no consequence in that Argument for verily wert thou but as solid as thou art silly in this matter or couldst thou but look an inch or two beyond that 18th verse whereon the Argument is grounded thou might'st see of thy self that which is of force sufficient to prove the seâ—â—et for shewing in the verses between the works of the flesh which the Spirit leads out of and the fruits and works of the Spirit which the Spirit leads such into as follow it the Apostle v. 23 adils this viz. against such there is no Law i. e. such works of the Spirit as Love Ioy Peace Goodness Meekness Temperance and such Persons as are by the Spirit led out of the work of the flesh adultery uncleanness laferviousness hatred wrath envyings drunkenness revellings c. and into the other whence to the proving of the Sequel of that Argument in which thou sillity sayest there 's no no consequence I argue If such as are led by the Spirit out of evill into good works are thereupon deservedly not under the Law then their being led by the Spirit who are led by it from under it is the deserving or meritorius cause of their nor being under the Law and so of Iustification But verum prius ergo posterius The Minor which unless thou wilt deny thy Principles its like thou wilt deny is thus proved Those against whom deservedly there is no Law are thereupon deservedly from under the condemning power of it for such is the Râ—gour of the Law that who ere deserves the Condemnation of it till they come not to deserve it first or last shall assuredly feel it But there is no Law deservedly against such as 〈◊〉 not after the flesh into evil but after the Spirit into good works therefore according to that also Rom. 8.1 deservedly no Condemnation For indeed those and no other what ere ye deem to the contrary being deluded by the Devil to the deceiving of your own Souls are truly in Christ Iesus then those that are led by the Spirit which who is led by is led out of evil for it leads into nothing but good those onely are in the Spirit and all the rest in the 〈◊〉 which follow the flesh in its lustings against the Spirit and so under the Law and câ—â—e thought they name the Name of Christ and after him call themselves Christians while they are not departed from iniquity much more while they plead for its continuance under the name of their infiâ—miâ—ies of necessity while they abide in the body yea those and none else are Christs though millions more may conceit themselves his so as to be interessed into the blessings of Peace Life and Iustification by him and Abrahams Seed and heirs according to the Promise and sons of God that are led by the Spirit of God into good works out of evil to live and walk in the Spirit out of the flâ—sh and the fâ—uits thereof out of vain glory envy hypocrisie and all deceit and if any think he is Christs or any other men are Christs so far as to stand justified before God in him before he be sanctified or while he is guilty of such gross evils as David was defil'd with while he was wallowing in the Mire of that matter of Vriah as T. D. guesses David and all Saints are by which name he paints them out as well while they are in such a nasty pickle as when they are wash of impure the Righteousness of Christ without him to himself or
as Iustified by Christ will appear approved at last but he whom the Lord commendeth which is no man of sin that I know of which David himself stood condemed in 2 Cor. 10 17 18. So having snaptasunder one of the two strings to his Bow by which T. D. strove to shoot back to us that Arrow and Shast which was sharp in his and in the heart of all the enemies to justification by the Spirit of grace and life within us from 1 Cor. 6.11 which pretended to no great strength it self being a string made but of a meer may be or perhaps for justified by the Spirit if not otherwise may be meant quoth he of the Spirits Application I come to try the strength of his other string which is patcht up of no better then such a poor peice of Toe too as peradventure or perhaps for when we say with Paul in the Text the Saints are washed sanctified and justified all one and the same way viz. in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of God and his grace and holy operations in us T. D. who confesses he chose to out-word us see his Epistle and is never to seek for something or other to say though his aliquid is ever nihil sayes thus I might say that perhaps the clause should be referr'd to Sanctification which is in a more appropriate manner attributed to the Spirits efficiency as if the Order of the words had been but ye are sanctifyed by the Spirit of our God Rep. Then it seemes justification must go look its efficient somewhere else and must have no share with washing and sanctification in the Spirits holy workings in the Saints it must be in the Name of God only and the other onely by the Spirit as if the Name and Spirit of God were such Heterogeneous matters that what 's done by one cant be said to be done by the other and as if Paul had mistooke himself in the placing of his words and had been by the infallible Spirit misguided misplacing of them so that when he should have said ye are justified onely in the Name of the Lord and onely wash't and sanctified by the Spirit of God confusedly crouds these effects all under one cause and sayes ye are not onely washt and sanctified but ye are justified also in the name of the Lord and by the Spirit of our God I do not wonder thou purst in this with perhaps only for hadst thou absolutely affirmed it for a positive truth thou hadst of a truth lyed thy self into a very laughing stock to the lowest capacity in the Country by thy talk of so transcendently untrue a transposition T. D. But such traspositions are not without instance in the Scripture quoth T.D. as Math. 7.6 give not that which is holy to Dogs nor cast ye your Pearls before Swine least they trample them under their feet and turn again and rent where turn again and rent you is joyned to the Dogs quoth he for as Swine ds trample under their feet so Dogs do fly upon a man and tear him down Rep. We know well enough its the property of Dogs and I Swine to turn and teaâ— and â—rample when Pearls and holy things are held out to them having paid pretty well for the experimentall learning of it we have since we began to tell the pretious Truth and hold out such a holy thing as inhaerent holynesse is to such an unholy seed as your selves are â— but I am yâ—t to learn that these these ill qualities of turning tearing trampling do not all 3. jointly agree to both or either of these Creatures severally considered yea all of them as much to one as to the other For as Dogs turn and tear so do Swine and as Swine trample under their feet what thâ—y tear so do Dogs or else the Scripture which is very unlike to T. D's Scripture about it is in this case utterly unlike it self for it tells us of the Gentiles which in oppsition to the children are called the Dogs Math. 15.24 which are without the holy Citty or any Right to enter there Rev. 22.14.15 Though in their anger envy canina utentes facundia they grin like a Dog and go round about it Psal. to whom yet the outward Court of the Temple externall forms worships observations ordinances and name of Christians is given that they tread or trample the holy Citty under feet Rev. 11.1.2 No marveil therefore the Cat winkt when both her eyes were out and that T.D. durst not speak his mind out positively nor point blank neither one way nor another in answer to our Argument from that Scripture 1 Cor. 6.11 but only by perhaâ—â—es Seeing he was so blinded by it that he saw nothing what to return directly and downrightly to it and since he puts it off to us with no more force then perhaps it is so or perhaps so as he sayes 't is though I have said much more for satisfactions sake to such as seek the truth yet to such as seek nothing more then how they may cavill against it and turn it off from taking hold on either their own hearts or the hearts of others I need do no more then put it all back upon T. D. again with per-haps it is so or so as I say 't is against him it being a generall generall received Maxime among all Schoolmen that an argument that flyes in ones face with no more force then forte ita requires to be no more forcibly refel'd then with forte non Yea forte ita semper sat bene solvitur per forte non Thus I have at last made a clear end with T. D. as to this matter of justification having to the undeceiving of such as by his misty makings out of our meanings in it have much mistaken me and the Qua. as Poâ—ish about it shewed plainly which way we hold it and how it is according to the Scripture of grace and not of works 1 our works properly and onely so call'd and yet not of grace onely but of works also 1 such as Christ and his Spirit only works only in us which the Spirit in a sense subordinate to himself who is the master-workman to whom onely and Gods grace in freely giving us such an alsufficicent Assistant to do his will the glory of all belongeth is pleas'd also but more sparingly to entitle by the the Term of Ours Isa. 26. So that had it been as true as if T.D. and his witnesses together with him p. 58. be to be credited before himself alone 't is false that I disputed justification in those Terms of by our good works as he says p. 14. yet if by our works we speak of those that God Christ and the Spirit work in us it can in no wise follow from thence any more then it doth from all his other piteâ—â—s Premises whereby he improves himself to prove me so that I am a rank Papist nor so much as it followes from
present Seers gain-getting Priests false Prophets and foolish People But alas poor man thou art far enough from the New Testament or Covenant yet which is a Gospel a Covenant of Light which thou art so far from that thou fightest against it thou thinkest thy Judgement is over past and the Old Testament a thing that thou hast learned long ago but thou art not come so near to the sharp Paedagogy of it yet as thou must do so far art thou from the glorious Liberties of the New Thy words are true enough the Word under the New comes in a way of more Liberty and Glory but it s no newes to hear High Priests speak Truths which themselves know not thou art at best but an Old Testament Talker of the New and one that 's come truly yet under the Tuition of neither As for the New the Word comes under it in Liberty and Glory but not to Old Testament Spirits Doctors Scribes and Pharisees they see not clearly so much as Moses face much lesse the Glory of God in the face of Iesus Condemnation is yet to come from Christ himself first to such as these as well as from Moses Iohn yea Christ himsâ—lf whose friendliness to Publicans and Sinners as a Physitian was found fault with by such Friday fasting Pharisees as this Age is filled with as much as Iohns Austerenesse was found in Iohns rough Spirit Camels hair Garment and astonishing Appearance to them that went about to Murder him in his inward Ministry and Testimony within themselves and then they said of him too as of Iohn Thou hast a Devil Ioh 8. Ah poor Nursing Fathers and Mothers Vniversally Erring Vniversity Seducers poor seducing Priests and seduced People notwithstanding the Glorious Liberty and Gloriousnesse of the Gospel Times that ye are glorying in in a Dream that ye live under ye must most assuredly find a Condemning Iudging Terrifying fiery flaming Law laying hold on your Consciences and finding you out and the Sword of the Lord entering into your Souls and the Wrath of the Lord rending your very heart-strings a sunder and dread terrour and trembling surprizing you Hypocritical sinners in Sion before ever ye shall come to know the true Liberty or Glory of the Gospel which is the Image and Glory of God brought forth among you yea judgement is already laid to the line and Rigeteousnesse to the Plummet and the Hail is falling that will sweep away your Refuges of Lyes and the storm that will overflow your hiding places and break and disinable your supposed Covenant and Agreement with Death and Hell as if your judgement were passed over by the Lord and none of that could come near you and your Bed will be found too short for you to rest on and your Covering too narrow to wrap your selves in from the Wrath of God the power of whose wrathful displeasure shall make your Mount Sier shake like Sinai before ever ye come near to the sight of that glorious Rest that the Saints ly down in on Mount Sion Now as to that other new found Phrase of Fanaticks These Fanaticks the Fanaticks of this time our Fanaticks Fanatical Quakers Fanatical Souls Fanatical Enthusiasts Fanatical Knaves Fanatical Anti-scripturists and under which ever and anon yea so oft that I may say Ferè numquam non thou soamest out as thy fellows do that froth filth and falshood which floats about in thy foolish vain Spirit against the Quakers in gross as against a furious distracted mad crack-brain'd kind of men that for so those Terms signifie as used by thee pretend to Visions Revelations Illuminations Inspirations the Spirit of Prophesie and such like but are Reapse stark besides themselves and bereft of their very wits and senses As new a nick-Name as 't is to this Age this is no other then what all the Prophets of God were entertained with in the several seasons wherein God sent them out by the many false Prophets that were Coaetaneous with them and therefore nibil novi no new business to such as are not blind He is but meanly skill'd in the Scriptures who hath not yet learn'd from thence That the Prophets by whom God spake and by whose Ministry be muâ—tiplied Visions and used Similitudes as Hos. 12.10 were ever counted Deceivers as the snare of a Fowler in all their wayes that the true Prophet was a fool and the spiritual man or man of the spirit Mad Hos. 9.7 8. and hatred alwayes in the House of his God And that Gods People by meer profession rose up against them as against an Enemy and as now the same Generation of Holy Hypocrites do both in Old England and in New pull'd off their Robes and their Garments from them to whip and scourge them sometimes as Seditious and Disturbers that passe by securely as men most averse from War and streitned the spirit of the Lord saying Prophesie not so such as Prophesied in his Name and Power and putting them to shame if they did when if a man would walk in the wind of his own Invention and Lye falsly and Prophesie to them of â—elly Ohear of Wine and of strong Drink even he should be own'd a Prophet by that People Mic 2.8 9 10 11. And that Ioshua the true High Priest and his fellows even Christ and the Children that God had given him were as men wondred at were set as signes to be spoken against even to the house of Jacob from whom he hid his face and their peepers and mutterers out of their own familiar spirits to the unbelieving Despisers that wonder and perish for signes and for wonders from the Lord of Host that dwelleth in Mount Sion Isa. 8.17 18. Zach. 3.8 Luke 2.34 Act. 13.40 41. Yea I. O. hath read his own Book ore but by the halves if he do not learn this Lesson out of it himself pag. 58 59 61 62. that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or divinely inspired men whose Doctrine was to have been received as from God who sent them and in whose Name they spake though but Herdsmen and of mean Occupation were yet generally rejected upon innumerable prejudices that attended the Truth they spake arising from the personal infirmities and supposed Interests of them that delivered it as Amos 7. Ier. 43.2 3. Ioh 9.29 Act. 24.5 and that what with these things and chiefly the Peoples being so eminently perplexed with false Prophets both as to their number and subtilty that they could not well discern aright between Gods Word and that which was only pretended so to be and so became guilty of unbelief and rebellion against God not submitting to what they spake in his Name it alwayes so sell out that scarce any Prophet that spake in the Name of God had any Approbation from the Church of dead stones in whose dayes he spake Matth. 5.12.21.33 to 38 Act. 7.52 Thus much I.O. may learn from these words which are mostly his own that it was alwayes so heretofore and
of the Scriptures but say only in words of truth and sobernesse that they are not to be so exceedingly Adored and Idolized by men as theyâ—â—re by you who make them little lesse then All in all things to the Church the Papists speak much in disparagement of the Scriptures in which we say they do but blasphemously babble against them viz. That they are inferrior to the Humane Traditions of their Church or at least to the unerring breast of their Ghostly holy Father without whom opening and authorizing them they are of no more use nor authority then Aesops Fables and such like Reply 3. Whereas thou art ashamed to Relate the horrid foolish Titles of the Quakers Books in proof of their blasphemies against the Scriptures I believe that 's true indeed though all the rest are palpable Lyes for if thou shouldest Relate the Titles of the Quakers Books in proof of the Truth of this thy Charge of them which is utterly false then thy Lye which is plain enough already would be seen more plainly then it is for in all the Titles of the Quakers Books that ever I read who have read Ten times more of them I believe then thou hast done as I have seen Christ only exalted on the Throne and the Scripture owned in its place so I never saw and am perswaded also thou never hast seen any thing Written by the Quakers that borders on the foresaid Iewes and Papists blasphemings of the Holy Scriptures and therefore as I cannot much marvel at it that thou art ashamed to do it so I do not much blame thee that it doth so much shame thee as thou sayest to Relate the most foolish of them If it were true there was malice enough in thee I.O. to provoke thee to have instanced some Particulars in proof of this parcel of Scandal to the fuller shame of the Quakers whom to scandalize what thou canst is thy chief design and to have named those blasphemers and their Books but pudet referre sayest thou I am ashamed to Relate c. Thou art loath to be too punctual in thy Proof lest it proving too short of thy Charge the stain thou wouldest have stuck upon the Truths Friends should be stricken back upon thy self and the Lye come to lye at thy own door for if sounded out too loudly and distinctly it might Eccho and rebound home again to thee the Author and so redound to thy dishonour so thou fold'st thy self like the Serpent whose seed thou art in indefinite complexes or at least lapest thy self up in Universals and darest not lay thy self out at length nor grow too far into Particulars for dolus later in universalibus quae nunquam bene sentiuntur nisi ex particularibus suis as Deceit lyes most securely and keeps best hid in Universals which are not clearly perceived but by the Particulars in which they exist so by being beheld in the said Particulars both they and the Lyes that lye often in them undiscerned come more unavoidably to be discryed Reply 4. Whereas thou saiest thou thinkest meet to set down our Opinion as Collected out of our own Books and Speeches and accordingly dost declare what we hold as concerning the Scriptures thou most plainly Confutest thy self as to the Lyes thou tellest of us for thy self acknowledgest of us that we own that the Scriptures do contain a true Declaration of the Will and Mind of God proceeding from the spirit of Christ inspiring the Writers that thus far we are right and that we stand to this Confession without any renouncing it only that we would have wholly rejected the Scriptures without doubt but that things have not fell out according as we could wish do deny them to be the ordinary inalterable perfect and standing Rule of Gods Worship and our Obedience without the Revelations of the spirit and such like And this sayest thou is the summe of these mens Iudgements c. Which if it be where 's the wicked Blasphemy all this while wherewith thou Chargest us For there 's none as shall appear in the worst of this which yet thou settest down as gathered out of the Quakers Books and Speeches which thou sayest bear blasphemous Titles against the Scriptures but pudet referre I blush to set them down must answer all These things I O. do convict thee of telling many notorious Lyes against the Quakers even too many for a man to tell that calls himself a Minister of Christ and D. D. though not all by very many which thou tellest in thy Book some of which lyes yet left they should not be loud enough ' to come under every ordinary Readers Observation if told but once are either expresly or implicitly two or three times over related J. O. The Jewes Papists and Quakers differ among themselves it so falls out that they who in all other matters are most different in Opinion conspire altogether in this blasphemy viz. against the Scriptures The Papists and Enthusiastical Fanaticks do perpetually War against each other they mutually devote each other to destruction They are not acted by the same Reasons but those for their Traditions these for their Enthusiasms and Revelations Contending tooth and nail and so like Sampsons Foxes with their Tayles turned to each other bringing fire-brands on the Churches Bread-Corn they all attempt together very friendly to thrust down the holy Scripture from its Place The Papists do earnestly endeavour to detrude the Scripture out of its proper Place in the Church our Fanaticks tread in the same foot-steps with them into which wickednesse those among the Papists that are called the Spiritually have led them the way And elsewhere thou Reckon'st us up among the rest as Enemies of Gods Word and haters of the Scriptures Reply 1. Howbeit I. O. thou who in thy Epistle pretendest it to be thy aim and intention in thy Discourse to discover the Reproach that is cast by many upon the Scripture to its disparagement and to vindicate it therefrom dost as in most things else wherein thou bend'st at us discharge thy Bow at a venture so as at Random to rank us as joynt Abettors with them in grosse in that one grosse and common Cause of Caluminating Vilifying Decrying Denying the Scriptures among Atheists Pagans New Testament Contemning Iewes Papists and the whole Rabble of Rude Reproachers thereof whether in Whole or Part as if we were if not the Ring leaders yet at least the Rere-ward of the Ragged-Regiment of Anti-scripturists of what ever sort yet in this thou hast most grosly abused us and thy self also by thy false Accusing and Belying of us to the world in that Particular and must most assuredly come into Condemnation in â—he Judgement for Condemning the Generation of the Just for however thou mis-reportest of us to the causing of many to mistake us yet of a truth we are no such manner of People as thou wouldest make men believe we are but such as shall manifest our selves
your opposite Expositions and that in such very places which to any save such light haters as standing in their own light cannot see Wood for Trees are as plain as the Nose on a mans face If to claw it and call it Lydium lapidem a true undeceivable fixt sure and inalterable standing Touchstone and disown those as dishonourers of it who in words compare it to a Nose of Wax a Lesbyan Rule and yet in your own Works so to make it by bending and bowing it every one to his own blind Invention so as to cause it to stand Nine wayes at once and to propound not only how possibly but also how facile it is to wrest it into as many various Lections by the advantage of the Hebrew Character as can be in the most flexible Writing in the World or any Critick can invent as thou I.O. teachest in thy Epistle If to play Legerdemaine with it so as in a presence of valuing It to say great matters of it and then to depresse it so as to unsay them again and then to run the Rounds and say them again as thou I.O. often dost If to boyse it up into that honourable Title of the Living Word of God and again to hurle it down into that more temperate Term which yet ye will not endure others to Term it by of a Dead Letter and yet to go round again Horrendo percussis scotomate after that to say its Living and no where said to be Dead If to deal so worthily with it as to affirm it to be perfect as to its own end and fall out with such as deny it so to be as no Quakers do that I know of and then from the same Hand-writing that before affirmed it to deal so unworthily with it as to deny it so to be as if I.O. doth not my Eyes are out but if he do he will surely say his own were not well open when he did so If to say its profitable to its end and that its end is to make men perfect and yet to say no man is made perfect in this World in which only the Scripture is confessed to be of use nor till the world to come where it s granted to be of no use cannot profit at all If thus to tosse it to and again like a Tennis Ball in a confused self-contradictory kind of talk sometimes telling the Truth about it sometimes belying it sometimes giving both it and the Lyar himself the Lye who so belyed it sometimes yea often lying against and alwayes living beside the holy Truth and Doctrine itself declared by it If to exceed in setting forth its self evidencing Excellency in avouching its Divine Authority and Power to Command men in the Name of God as his Word and yet never to come under the Power of its Commands so as yield Obedience thereunto If to call it your Rule and yet never submit to be ruled by it If both to overvalue and to undervalue to lift up and cast down to honour and dishonour it be truly indeed to value exalt and honour the Scriptures If all the particulars above enumerated and many more of the same sort that might be instanced in by Induction be in heart word and deed so to do then I shall yield the Scripture to be as much so valued honoured and exalted in this ever-Reforming never-Reforming Nation of England as among Papists or any other Nation whatsoever and by our self separating sensual literal Antiscriptural Anti-spiritual high Notional Professors as well as by the best National Protestants that are therein and by I.O. himself and his Reverend Fellow Students if they study and value it at the same rates with himself as much as any I know Finally If this be very highly to value it to be alwayes charging challenging and calling out for the Allowance of large and liberal Maintenance Augmentation of Means by all means possible out of all mens possibilities for the Ministers not of the Spirit but of the Letter only as those of mens making are who steal words enough from thence cut of which together with what of their own they patch them up with into one or two hours piece of work in a week to pick out a Living by And if that be to value it or esteem it or prize it or rate it high or set much by it or make much of it to sell every Sermon so stole and made but on some one verse of it and yet some make so much of one verse as to make many Sermons on it stretching it out for ease-sake to hold out the running of many Glasses for 20 shillings a Sermon and more Money and to have and to hold some Hundreds at least one Hundred of pounds for at most one hundred of Sermons I say if this be to make much of the Scripture there is more made of it in one year by our Divines and Doctors of Divinity amongst whom I.O. was once none of the last nor least as to valuing and making much of it then ever was by all the Quakers in the World since that Nick-Name began who yet if to make much of it be to live in the Light as the Letter itself exhorts to do do make more of it that way in a year then all those Priests and Prophets that preach it for Hire and Divine out of it for Money or ever have done since the World began or ever will do while it hath a being So that howbeit thou I.O. in thy hostile mind representest the Quakers as hostes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enemies and haters of the Scriptures there 's no such matter for if they be haters of it that hate to be reproved by it and cannot endure the sound Doctrine delivered in it which is according to Godlinesse the Letter hath no such haters of it as the very Ministers of the Letter are who are ever enmity against the Life Light and Spirit it calls to walk in And if they may be said to love it who are livers according to it the very Letter itself hath no such true lovers of it as the Quakers who are in thy blind zeal hated by thee as haters of it for living that Life it calls for As to thy Tale of our striving to thrust the Scripture from its own place in the Church of God it s as true a Tale as its fellow false ones for though we set Christ and his inward Light living Word and Life-giving Spirit only on the Throne in the Church yet we own and establish the Scripture which is but the meer Letter in its proper place wherein it is to stand since it had its being as so from the other as subservient and subordinate to the other which are its betters and its elders and not as such a Dominus fac Iotum as thou makest it as if those that gave being to it must now come under it so as to stand barely at the Bar before it to be tryed
guide and a Light to Davids Paths was not the outward Letter only of Moses Law for Moses Scriptures and Writings and Davids too did only Testifie of it Deut 30. 14. 18. Rom. 10.8 Psal. 119. 9105 But the Word that was nigh in the Heart which David had and hid also within him that he might not sin against God Psal. 119. 11. yea no lesse then a Canon that had its compleat Consignation and Bounding for all Truth which was the same then as it is now substanâ—ially to be Tryed by when no more then Moses Five were extant so long before it was enlarged into such a Volume as now the Bible is by adding to the Old Word were the Letter that Word of God that 's the standing Measure I know not what to make of all these Additions to the Word if the Letter be the Word which have been made from Moses downward to this day but matter of Plagues Woes and Reproofs to the Adders of their Writings to the First Writings but this I can say to the Excuse of such as call Moses Five only a compleat Canon and in compleat Authority as a Standard and a Rule and the Word of God and such like full well may Five or any one Book of Moses or any one Chapter or one Verse never so small in either his or any other Prophets Scripture be so when if wee l believe I. O. when he Lyes every Tittle and Iota of any of these outward Writings is not only Part of the Word but The Word of the Great God as Pag. 168.169 Yea every Apex of it equally Divine and as immediately from God as the Voice wherewith or whereby he spake to or in the Prophets and is therefore accompanied with the same Authority i.e. as the whole is both in it self and unto us Pag. 27. so then every Tittle is no lesse then a compleatly constituted Canon and the whole is no more then so And further as to the New Testament as ye call the Letter of it as there is not the least Evidence that any such thing as the specifying of what and whose Scriptures or Writings the Canon should consist of and what not so can any of you that stand up so stifly for your fancied stable Standard shew us where any Order is given out by Christ or his Apostles to such as should succeed them to take Care to gather up their Writings and Judge and try which of them they thought fit and which not to own as their Rule and Iudge and accordingly digrading the rest to Canonize such as liked them best to submit themselves to the Tryal and Iurisdiction of into the high Names and Authority of the Word of God the Iudge the Rule the standing Canon both to them and all the world and all after Ages of it to the Worlds end Doth 2 Tim 3.13.14 twice at least cited by I O. for fear of failing viz. Ex. 3. S 26.31 prove it And doth 2 Tim. 2.2 which is without either heed or wit urged and by heedlesse I. O. as well as others quoted though mis-quoted in the Margin of Pag. 166. to that purpose prove in the least any such matter If it do then say I am a Dunce if not then see whether they are fit to be Doctors or Teachers in Divinity that by reason of the beam in their eyes cannot behold but divine so darkly besides a businesse that is as clearly contrary to what their brain conceives about it as if it were written with a Sun beam For the words of Paul to Timothy are these viz. The things that thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be Able to Teach others also And in the other place these But Evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived and so they do at this day for all their scufling for the Scripture but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Whence it is by many that would look upon themselves as wronged if not looked upon as learned as hastily concluded as the places are hand-over head alledged That Paul bids Timothy take the Scripture first committed to him by himself and commit it downwards to faithful men that must commit and continue it downwards still to others and so successively to the worlds end as a Common Continual Permanent perpetually remaining Canon and only Standard for all Nations and Spirits Gods and Mans and Doctrines true and false to stand or fall by from thenceforth even for ever Which what a crooked Consequence it is who but Ignoramus can be ignorant whenas if the Scripture had been the subject spoken of there by Paul either it had extended no further then to his own Scripture to Timothy which is but a petty Portion and poor Pittance of Pauls Epistles or if to all the rest of his Epistles then it had been conclusive of that to Laodicea and his first to Corinth and Ephesus which have no being in your Bibles which you say Contains all your Canon and are by T. D. excluded from any Claim to it but in very deed there 's no such thing at all as the Scripture or outward Text there either talkt on or intended but the things Timothy had learn't and heard from Paul by word of mouth as well as writing which though I own to be Truths and Doctrines and things which are evermore according to the Scripture the Spirit from which that was never contradicting it self yet were another thing then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Writing or Scripture it self Paul sayes not those Scriptures which thou hadst of me c. commit to faithful men to make a Standard of but those Doctrines Truths which thou hast heard of me commit and those Truths were concerning the Light which Paul was sent to turn men to and not the Letter for he sayes God made him and the rest Ministers not of the Letter but of the Spirit Act. 26.18 2 Cor. 3.6 And the Gift of God within Timothy which he bids him stir up 2 Tim. 1.5 Neither did Paul go up and down testifying to the Scriptures as a Standard and telling men which should be the Touchstone and which Scriptures not but the things which were Witnessed to there testifying no other things Quod Essentiam to be believed or done then what were written in and spoken by the Law and the Prophets Acts 24. 14. 26. 22. And those things Timothy heard learned and was assured of from Pauls both Words and Writings As also the things the Thessalonians 2 Thess. 2.15 had delivered to them partly by Pauls Preachings and partly by his Epistles and were accordingly to stand fast and continue in but they were not the bare Bible it self or Writings or Scriptures themselves which were not then by Paul or any bundled up and carried about in a Book to take a Text and Talk out of
for Money as Ministers do now adayes And if I. O. insist upon the next words viz. 2 Tim. 3.15 which place mentions the Holy Scriptures and is mentioned I know not how many times over in I. O's Book in proof of that which it in no wise evinces and must be more plainly spoken to by me in due place Rep. I Confess that next Verse doth mention the Scriptures but more against then to J. O's purpose and more disproves then proves what he draws from the other yea it assures us that it was not the Scriptures in any wise meant in the 14. Verse for Paul saith to Timothy That from a Child he had known the Holy Scriptures i.e. of the Old Testament for those of the New were not as yet Canonized nor All Written if any of them were at all Written in Timothies Nonage but the Things he had heard and learned of Paul and was bid to continue in and commit to other faithful men to Teach were such as he had come into the Knowledge and Assurance of after he was taken by Paul Acts 16.1 2 3. to Travel with him which was not till he was grown past a Child If that Expression Knowing of whom thou hast learned Vers. 14. be granted to relate to Paul which yet for ought you Literatists are able to gain say may rather relate to the Lord himself by the Gift of whose Grace i e the Light and Spirit in him Timothy was and yet according to the Scriptures taught both more lately 1 Tim. â— 14 and from a Child So that neither of these two Texts teach any such matter as any of the outward Text of the New Testament Scriptures being either Canonized by the Apostles in their dayes or ordered by them to be stated as a Standard in the Councels of succeeding Ages And whatever men did de facto that way in the Second or Third Centuries the Antiquity whereof as venerable as it is to some Anti-Scriptural and Anti-Spiritual Antiquaries is with us but Novelty and Superstition if it appear not to descend de Iure from the first yet we Quary still quo Iure by what Authority from God Christ or the Apostles the Synods and Men that so Authorized and Canonized what Scriptures seemed to them as Challenging so high a Title and Office as the Word of God Rule Foundation Canon Standard and such like secluding other Writings as Holy as these were Authorized or Commanded so to do themselves Neverthelesse how weakly doth I O. Confessing first That it doth not appear that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the several Writers of the Scriptures of the New Testament and the same say I of the first Manuscripts of the Old which were burnt and lost and scambled away before Ezraes Sâ—nydrim if the Consignation and Bounding of the Canon thereof was done by him and his Companions as I.O. sayes were ever gathered into one Volume there being now no one Church to keep them for the rest and that the Epistles though immediately transcribed for the use of other Churches Col. 4.16 as I. O. thinks at least all were because some were were doubtlesse kept in the several Churches whereto they were directed which Confession if true as sure enough it is clears it that the Original Copies were never viewed together in one Bulk by any Councel or Synod whereby to put it into a Capacity to Iudge and Determine of their fitnesse to make a Canon of but only mens Copies of the Original which but that every man will think his Think and I.O. think as well as may be of it yet who can assuredly insallibly uncontroleably tell as I O. sometimes though sometimes again he will seem but to Think so undertakes to do in his grand Assertion that they answer the first Original in every Tittle and Iota I say before-hand Confessing all this how weakly doth I.O. Assert with Confidence his Thoughts in this as a point of Faith Pag. 166 167. that from those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were quickly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transcribed Copies given out to faithful men whilst the infallible Spirit continued yet his guidance in an extraordinary manner alluding to 2 Tim. 2.2 as his only Proof thereof out of which Original Copies or rather Copies of the Originals so Transcribed for the Originals themselves never came together to be considered of by any Councel this supposed Canon was Composed by the Annexing of the Revelation to the rest by I O. said to be finally Compleated Paâ— 28. God quoth he doth Command the close of the immediate Revelation of his Will to be Written in a Book Rev. 1 â—â— And so gives out the whole of his Mâ—nd and Councel to us in Writing as a stedfast Relief against all Confusion Darknesse Vncertainty c. Reply As if all Canonical certainty were no where but in a Written Letter then which in regard of its liablenesse to be altered easily many wayes by lewd Criticks whom I. O. Teaches to do it Pag. 21 22 23 24 25. As also by meer mis-Transcriptions mis-Translations misâ—Constructions nothing is more uncertain to make a Standard of unlesse it be the unutterably erring Breast or Head of that Harlot that Rides the Beast and the unwritten Traditions that are Traducâ—d ad infinitum from the same 2. As if the Light and Spirit that shines and breaths in the Hearts of all but most brightly and powerfully in the Hearts of such as heed it were not more infallibly self evidencing and certainly and stedfastly demonstrative of the Mind and Will of God when looked on in its naked Native lustre then when beheld thorow the vail of a Letter which while Moses put over his face the Children of Israel could never see certainly nor distinctly discern nor look stedfastly to the end of that which is abolished but were blind in their minds as our Ministers of the Letter are at this day upon whose hearts the vail is untaken away and ever will be till according to the Call of the Letter they turn to the Light within that comes from and leads to the Lord himself Christ Iesus that Spirit in whom only the vail is done away 2 Cor. 3. Per totum 3. As if the truest and most infallible Demonstration were Non ex veris prioribus certioribus notioribus causis internis Scripturae but Ex fallibilibus flexibilibus posterioribus obscurioribus effectis not by the internal Causes the Truth and the Word it self the Scripture came from which are before it more certain and known then it save to such as are willingly ignorant of them but by the Scripture which is but Effectus per emanationem the Effect that externally flowes from it flexible fallible as alterable at Criticks Wiâ—ls and unavoidably by mens weaknesse in Transcribing Translating Expounding c. at a Nose of Wax a Lesbian Rule more obscure yea obscurity iâ—leâ—f in the most plain Places to the Seers that search it not in the Light and
in his Age Assistant to Paulus Fagius in his noble Promotion of the Hebrew Tongue Capellus whom he calls a learned man and a Protestant Io. Prideaux who is before I.O. Luther the renownedst Reformer in his time as ever Europe had Zwinglius and others So he no way doubts but that as we enjoy them they were Compleated no higher upwards then Esdras his time by the men of the Great Congregation guided by the infallible direction of the Spirit of God which was after all the Old Testament was written a thousand years after some of it and so pag. 211. 220. See also pag. 247. 259. where he sayes The Jewes generally believe the Points as Old as from Moses on Mount Sinai or at least quoth he from Ezra so he is in doubts not denying but that they as to their knowledge and use received a great Reviving by the Massorites and Gemarists I. O. That the Word of God i.e. Scripture hath been hitherto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to its litteral sense and reading the acknowledged Touchstone of all Expositions render this now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what have we remaining firm and unshaken pag. 219. See more pag. 217. 218. of Uncertainty Reply The Light Spirit Word it self and the Kingdom and things thereof which cannot be shaken but must remain when the worldly kingdom of worldly Priests and their Foundation and their rich Possession of Letter and Hebrew Points and all their Religion Faith Worship House Bottom and whole Building and Fabrick that stands thereon and the old Heaven and Earth and all the Works of man that are therein and their Writings and Tomes and Talmuds c. ut alibi and such like in which I O. is exercised in his Second Tale of a Tub and Sea and Land and all Nations Formalists and their Forms Professors and their Professions Doctors in Divinity and their false Dreames and Divinations and not only Popes Cardinals Mount-Seniors Monks Friars Iesuites and all that Rabble of Rabbies and Deans and Chapters Arch-Bishops Deacons Deans and their Officials Parsons Vicars Curats and all manner of spiritual Persons of that spawn but also all sorts of those narrow mouth'd Bottles that have none of the new Wine in them and are as long in letting out as in getting in what they have of their old Wisdom as well within Vniversity Liberties as without and all Masters and Prebends and Deans of Colledges and their Christs Churches and all their beggarly Elements must be on fire about their ears and melt away with fervent heat and be burnt up and shaken down as leaves from the Fig-tree by the mighty Wind of the Lords Spirit that now blowes upon all flesh that it withers and is as the Grasse and its Flower and utterly like a Cottage which after much reeling to and fro must be removed for ever and for ever I.O. Thou sayest pag. 221. That thou hadst rather all the Works like to the Biblia Polyglotta which yet thou acknowledgest the great usefulnesse of and art Thankful Owen for it were out of the World then that this one Opinion of the Novelty of the Hebrew Points espoused to that great work Epist. pag. 17 18 19. should be received with the Consequences that unavoidably attend it Reply The Consequences that unavoidably attend the receiving of Truth are dangerous to thee but of no other then good concernment to such as dwell not in the Scriptural Skirts meer literal Suburbs of it as thou dost who being without the Salvation it self which God appoints to his for Walls and Bulwarks startest at the newes of every storm and the shaking of every Leaf but in the holy City and in the substance of the Truth it self The Cup of trembling must be taken out of their hands and put into the hands of thee and thine that have hated and afflicted them and Rid over them and said Bow down thy back that we may go over and they have laid their backs as the street for you while in your wrath and fury you have passed over them I. O. Thou sayest pag. 216. That by this conceit of the Novelty of the Hebrew Punctation the Adversaries Hope with Abimilecks Servants to stop the the Wells or Fountains from whence ye should Draw your Souls Refreshments Reply Poor Souls Poor Wells and Fountains Poor Refreshments if ye go down no deeper then the Letters to draw your Water for they are but the broken Cisterns which ye follow that with the totter'd Buckets of your own Brains that hold not the water of Life The Letter doth but declare of the fountain of living waters which ye have forsaken viz. God himself Christ and the Spirit the fountain shut up and sealed to you yet indeed Cant. 4. 12. but set open to the House of David and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleannesse Zach. 13. 1. The Well of Salvation out of which they that inhabit Sion in the midst of whom the holy One of Israel is now great do with joy draw Water out of whose bellyes flow Rivers of Living Waters which 't is out of the Reach and past the Strength of the Philistims to stop any longer for there 's now Rehoboth or room yea the Water thence given whilst your Euphrates is drying up is as a Well of Water springing up in them to eternal Life I.O. That give this liberty to the audacious Curiosity of men priding themselves in their Critical Abilities and we shall quickly find out what woful state and condition the Truth of the Scripture will be brought unto and if hundreds of words were as 't is said by Capellins the Critical Conjectures of the Jewes what security have we of the Mind of God as truly represented to us seeing that its supposed that some of the Words in the Margent were sometimes in the Line and if it he supposed as 't is that there are innumerabl◠other Places of the like nature standing in need of amendments what a door would be opened unto curious Pragratical Wits to overturn all the certainty of the Truth of the Scripture every one may see pag. 308. Reply Every one may see therefore what Certainty and Security ye are in while ye stand on no bottom but a broken Letter And how wilt thou help the case with all thy prate or hinder Pragmatical Wits from using their Critical Abilities that way Who shall ponere obicem put a stop to them and impose upon all others his Thoughts that things are so or so Shall I.O. who in so many places Confesses he gives men but his Thoughts nay doth nos I.O. Confesse pag. 217 218. that none must give a Rule to the rest the door is open'd man and thou canst not shut it even an effectual door for the Sheep to enter the fold by even him who is the Light as well as the Door opened whereby to see into the uncertainty of your torter'd Transcripts much more ten fold more totterred and untrue Translations much
more twenty fold more to and fro Expositions so that though Truth is where it was before the Letter was among them that love it and security and certainty no where but there where it is only and ever was and will be viz. in the Light and Spirit and among the livers there but not among the Talkers of it that are Livers and Walkers after the flâ—sh I O. Thou sayest pag. 294. That let the Points be taken out of the way and let men lay aside that advantage they have from them and it will quickly appear what devious wayes all sorts of such Persons will run scarce a Chapter or a Verse it may be or a Word nor a Line would be left free from Perplexing contradicting Conjectures the words being altogether innumerable whose significations may be varied by an Arbitrary supplying of the Points for who shall give a Rule to the rest what end of fruitlesse Contests what various and pernicious Senses to contend about yea to expect Agreement is fond and foolish and this gives but an humane fallible perswasion that the Readings fixt on by each is according to the mind of God Besides who shall secure us against the Luxurant Spirits of these dayes who are bold on all advantages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to break in upon every thing that 's Holy and Sacred that they will not by their Huckstering utterly corrupt the Word of God i.e. Scripture how easie is it to see the dangerous Consequents of contending for various Lections Reply Is your Word of God possible to be utterly corrupted ours is not Is your Foundation Rule c. so rotten such a Nose of Wax how easie is it then to sore-see that it must melt afore the fire of the Spirit And of what dangerous Consequence is it for you to stand on no surer ground then that which is so easie to be changed for does thy Perplexing Prate make it the lesse alterable or free it from mens Perplexing contradicting Conjectures while thou objects but thy Conjectures to theirs none of which must Rule the roast or be a Rule to the rest and doth your Interpretation which is variable both Rerum and Verborum were your Transcripts never so steady give any more then meer fallible perswasion that your Readings and Sense which is all the People have is right Ah poor men who labour in the fire and weary your selves for very vanity in screel-scrawls about your Scripture while by the Spirit the Earth is filling with the knowledge of Gods Glory without such absolute necessity of the Letter as the Waters cover the Sea I. O. Thou sayest pag. 211. That the Points are of importance to the right understanding of the Word of God Reply Ah poor People as well as poor Priests too if it be so not one among a thousand of the one nor one among twenty of the other being capable to read Hebrew either with Pricks or without I trow which way must these come to the understanding of Gods Word from the Rabbies mouths or Gods own For my part I am far from believing such necessity of Points to understand Scripture by seeing 'tis as to the Substantials of saving Truth rendered pretty well into plain English that poor â—eople that with honest hearts read it may see how to be honest much more to understand the Word of God it self which is not the Scripture which yet I. O. intends by that term of the Word But on that which is uttered in every heart from his own mouth out of which Wisdom it self sayes Prov. 2. there comes Knowledge Wisdom and Vnderstanding there shall I wait with thousands more that are there waiting and noâ— upon the Dreaming Doctors while they divine out their meer Dreams Thoughts and Opinions about their Poâ—nts and Punctaâ—ions Besides Riddle me this I.O. if thou canst Whether the Scripture were never rightly read nor understood by Holy men that did read it in the Spirit without Points before Ezraes dayes from which only thou traducest thine own Orignal of the Points which thou makest of such importance to a right understanding of the Scriptures I.O. Thou sayest pag. 252. That to be driven out of such a Rich Possession as the Hebrew Punctation upon meer Conjectures and Surmises thou canst not willingly give way nor Consent Reply Poor man Is that thy rich Possession that so much benefit comes by as thou sayest pag. 267 the chiefest Treasure the Church of God hath for many years enjoyed as thou sayest pag. 163. the Inheritance which even every Tittle and Letter of which as thou sayest pag. 176. many Millions have looked on as Theirs with such high account that for the whole Worâ—d â—ther would not be deprived of it Do the Riches the Ornaments the Excellencies the Enjoyments which thou art so extraordinarily afraid to be Kobbed Spoyled Plundered Driven out Deprived of that your Consolation seems so much to consist in that who so does not so much as totally bereave you of or nullifie but only under-value so as barely to Novellifie and deny the Antiquity and Necessity thereof does no lesse then utterly stop the very Wells and Fountains from whence ye should draw all your Souls refreshment as thou sayest pag. 216. Do they I say stand in such Counters and Pins Pins heads Points Point Tags Childish Toyes and Trash as these Indeed when I was a Chiâ—d I did as a Child thought as a Child spake as a Child understood as a Child but when I became a Man I put away these Childish things which yet University Doctors are very deeply doting on to this day Like Boyes that ly brawling about Bawbles which they prize above and will not part with for far more serious precious matters blessing themselves more in a Bag of Cherry-stones and fearing more to lose caring to keep them then wise men do theirs whose Riches lyes in that which can't be lost So doth I.O. busie himself with fear and much trembling about these perishing Points Vowels Accents about his Cametz's and Patack's Tsere's and Segols Chiricks and Cholems Sheva's and Sciurech's Athnach's Kibbutz's and Cametz Catuph's hoping he is rich and encreased with Goods and hath need of nothing while he enjoyes them thinking within himself Populus me sibilet at mihi plaudo Ipse domi simulac numinos contemplor in arcâ Not knowing that for all this being out of and against the true Light he is poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked whose Poverty I pitty more then I prize such uncertain Riches of which I may say as the Poet Formidare malos fures incendia servos Ne se compilent fugientes hoc Iuvat Horum Semper Ego optârim pauterrimus esse bonorum Howbeit I.O. Possession being eleven points of the twelve that thou wilt not part with it willingly I cannot much blame thee considering how 't is with thee upon thy Principles 't is a rich Possession indeed in one sense as poor as 't is
high unjust Adorations of it and as for the holy Truth that 's declared in it I have bought and paid so dear for that that no lesse then All that I had in the world of what sort soever lust pleasure honour riches or righteousnesse of mine is gone for the sake of it and to have all that ever I lost for it I would not sell it again yet All the Tittles and Letters Accents Iota's and Points which I. O. counts his such a rich possession p. 252. that are in All the Hebrew Bibles and Greek Testaments I have and I have more than one of each sort any one shall have of me for five pound and lesse money and the Books themselves to boot and that is lesse then the whole world and yet I shall hope to enjoy not a Tittle the lesse of the word of Truth that is therein told if I sincerely attend to the light the Letter calls to though I should never neither buy nor so much as look into any outward Copy of the Original Text more while I live And whereas I. O. sayes p. 163. somewhat sutably to what he sayes here that the Church of God doth now and hath for many ages enjoyed the Copies of the Original Languages as her chiefest Treasure I say that is one of the chiefest untruths that have been told yet among those many that he hath Treated out of that whole Treasury of Tales and vaÌ„in thoughts that are in his heart out of the abundance of which evil Treasury his mouth speaketh and pen bringeth forth evil things for though the Churches of mans constituting of which I. O. is yet a member and the Ministers of mens making at the Vniversities do now rejoyce in Transcripts Copies of the Hebrew and Greek Texts and Iota's and Points and Tittles and such like Toyes and Trappings and fruitlesse furniture as their chiefest Treasure rich possession and inheritance which they glory and blesse themselves in for the whole world will not he deprived of knowing that they must be deprived of all their worldly excellencies if they come once to part with them and do cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that all Truth tumbles to the ground if any jot and Tittle of their Original Texts and Hebrew punctation fail and they see no way to be delivered from utter uncertainty in and about all sacred Truth Ep. p. 25. in such wise as the Antichristian Churches did in darker times behind us and do still in the dark places of their several habitations count old mouldy Latine masse books and new moulded Engâ—ish Liturgies Letanies and Scottish Directories meliori â—ute of a little better mould yet then the other two a thousand fold before the best of which yet I prefer the Scripture Directory whether in its Original Transcripts or but Translations their chief spiritual treasure crying out that all true faith worship Church Word of God Religion and all is like to be utterly lost if these be taken away till the Remove of which Religion was never rightly found Yet the Church of God which is now the some that it was in substance before any Scripture at all was in rerum natura both ever did and doth still count Christ the Light and Life of whom the Letter onely Testifies her chiefest Ioy and Treasure Luk. 1.57 Joh. 8 56 and not the outward Text that doth but talk of him much lesse the meer Accidental Adventitious parts thereof quae possunt vel adesse vel abesse sine Scripturae interitu which as the whole Scripture it self may be either present or absent from without the corruption of the substantial Truth or word But whose Treasure the Scripture is or is not it 's little yea nothing to I. O's purpose to prove a non-mis transcription of the Scripture we see I. O. and many millions more make much of and more ado about every Tittle and lota of the Text then they need do at this day and yet with a non obstante to all that the variety of Lections are a thousand times twice told in Transcripts and Translations and if we will believe I. O. p. 16. frequent insinuations of an infinite number more are yet to be collected Arg. the Eighth as to the old Testament in particular is the care of Ezra and his companions in restoring the Scripture to its purity when it had met with the greatest tryal that ever it underwent in this world considering the paucity of Copies then extant Rep. Ezra and his companions care was as great no doubt as mans could well be in that case but ultra posse non est esse they could do no more then they could do as to the restoring the purity of the Scripture when corrupted and that 's Questionable whether they restored it so perfectly as not to leave out some Tittles or Iota's yea and whole Books too because they could not find them witnesse all those forenamed whole Prophecies that are wanting but what if their endeavours had succeeded so as to set all to rights as perfectly and exactly to a Tittle as 't was at first giving our might it not as likely and much more be corrupted vitiated altered in points Tittles and Iota's between Ezraes dayes and now through the many Tumbles Catastrophes Revolutions and greater changes of times and things then that of the Babylonish Captivity that have happened then in the dayes of its so long steady standing while it was reserved within the bounds and confines of the Iewish Church onely and yet here thou intimatest it to have been then exceedingly charged depraved and defective or else how could Ezra and his fellows be said to restore it to its purity thou art very hard put to it for a proof of the present integrity and purity of the Hebrew Text to a Tittle that goest two thousand years backward asserting that it was restored to its purity then and thence concluding that it stands as entire to a Tittle now as then it did thou mightst as well have gone a little higher and argued thus from before Ezra viz. the Hebrew Text was at first written by the Holy Penmen Moses David Isaiah and the other Prophets truly and according to the mind of the Spirit therefore it stands so entihe 〈◊〉 this day but thou seeing for all the Iewes great care to keep it thou makest such an Argument of it was much corrupted before Ezra therefore beginnest thy account of its integrity to a Tittle no higher then him in whose dayes thou deemest it was de novo most perfectly rectified ad amussim reckoning rashly as thou mostly dost and in no wise considering that thou hast no more but much lesse security against its alteration from Ezra downward to this day not knowing what heedlesse hands of carelesse Scribes it hath since come under then there was from Ezra â—â—â—ards from the time of its most pure giying out in which juncture yet it so fell out that as that which they found of it
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
Apostles and Prophets it self which was not their writings for these were not their foundation nor were given to be ours for if they were then they had been built upon themselves and we are to be upon them which is absurd to say for neither their own preachings nor writings were their own foundation which they were built on nor are we to build onely upon them but both they and we upon that which all holy men were built on from the beginning before any writing was at all viz. Christ Iesus the light the corner stone which the blind builders refuse on whom whoever builds and believes if he never come to read one Tittle of any outward writing shall assuredly never be ashamed In this one grant then thou hast given both the Qua. and all others thou contendest with no lesse then the very cause thou contendest for viz. that the Scripture or Letter is infallibly the infallible word of God and every Letter Tittle and Iota of it also one Iot or Tittle of which can no sooner fail then Heaven and Earth can passe away and that every Iota and Tittle that was in the outward Letter as at first given forth from God by inspiration is preserved to this very day without corruption and remains in the Copies preserved till now for the use of his Church that the whole Scripture entire as given out from God without any losse is preserved in the Original Copies yet remaining yea in them all is every Letter and Tittle For this is the cause thou hast taken in hand in which thou wilt find when once thou awakest that thou hast hold on the wrong end of the staffe and these and much more of the like sort are thy own words and absolute assertions about it up and down in thy Book T. 1. c. 1. S. 14. T. 12. e. 2. S. 7. 9. which if they cannot be made good so high thou runnest but that there be any corruption to be supposed in your present Original Copies and various Lections though it be granted by Capellus and others that the saving Doctrine remaines sound as to matters of moment yet this shall not satisfie nor afford thee relief enough but thou wilt needs give up all thy cause as lost even further then thy own opponents would have thee confessing and professing that all your Doctrine is corrupt not continuing entire no means of its discovery nor of its recovery from a lost condition no means of rectifying it or determining any thing about it see T. 1. c. 1. S. 16.17 yea so as to yeild your selves to be at such a losse as not to know what ground ye stand on yea in thy Dedicatory Epistle pag. 25. lay but these two together first that the Points are the invention of the Tiberian Massorites which by all thy proofs to the contrary thou leavest as uncertain as thou foundst it and little lesse then yeild'st that it 's but uncertain 2 That its lawful to gather various Lections c. and then sayest thou for my part I must needs cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tell me where I must stand as not seeing any means of being delivered from utter uncertainty in and about all sacred Truth and so thou goest on desuing to be instructed by such as see through the deâ—adiations that are likely to ensue on these principles as one that tremblest to think what will be the desperate consequences of imagining alterations in the Points Tittles and Iotaes of your Originals Ep. ded p. 19. now what the issue will be we leave to God though some know it yet thou are too weak to bear the sense of it without amazement being bottomed no better then upon a quavering bogge if it should be told thee yet know it thou wilt when it comes to passe or if thou canst bear it take it now Fiat justuis aut pereat mundus the issue as dreadfull as it seems to thee who aâ—t in fearlesse dangers of greater mischiefs and but dangerless fears of this present object thou so startlest at will assuredly be no worse then this as I said above viz. that while Theeves will fall out True men will come by their good again if all the Divines in the world be in such digladiations as to draw their daggers against each other about it yet the light from which your whole Letter came will be turned to when the Letter is found to be but a fallible uncertain Rule as falsified by mens mis-transcriptions and mis-translations which light is certo certius vera verius if ought can be so even no lesse then infallibility and certainty it self and that very Equity and Truth it self which the Letter teaches and doth but tend to and for my part sink thou and thy fearful fellows boreling Priests and wrangling Lawyers that live altogether on mens lusts trespasses and sins of which when the world comes to the light and by it to be led into love honesty and peace as there will be no need so it will be wiser then to be fooled into a feeding of you for feeding them in their fightings I say sink ye whether ye will and your Quick sandy foundadations together with you till both your selves and them be swallowed up by that greater glory of the light it self now arising again upon the world though they will nor see it I know some that stand so fast in this juncture wherein the old heaven and earth shakes in order to its removing as to see thousands fall besides them and thousands at their right hand yet be out of fear of the fearful fall of the Hypocrites coming nigh them And as it hath never repented me hitherto to see that people that were Priestbewildred and hampered in Latine Letanies English Liturgies divine Scottish Directoryes falling off from their Priests and Scribes to the search of Scriptures so it will never repent either my self or many thousands more that are turned to a true attendance to the light of Christ having witnessed that weaknesse of the Letter it self to save the soules of men which the Letter it self also bears witnesse to Rom. 8 2. to see men fall according to the councel of the Scripture in that behalf Gal. 5.16 such a tall is in truth not from but to the Scriptures from the Scripture it self to the holy Spirit Neverthelesse were I one that did close never so cordially with thee in thy cause about the Scripture yet could I not commend but most condemne the Course in which thou commend'st it to us for as if it were not forward enough te fall of it self thou hastenest to handle it down with thy own hand writing while thou grantest the very first Transcribers of the Scripture to be fallible and also to have erred and failed though it were but in Points Tittles and Iotaes and in no lesse they could fail if they fail'd at all for is they were fallible and what they wrote were falsified in the least then at least thy
beleef and acknowledgement of the truth habitually and were thereby inabled to declare it and from thence did declare it accordingly as in the wisdome of the Spirit they saw it serviceable and as by it they were moved so to do I am not ignorant that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divinely inspired and as so infallible and acted born carried by the holy Spirit in what they spake and wrote about which matters what a mighty marvelling and hideous ditty and wonderful deal of Do doth J.O. make in his muddy minde of which since he is so amazed that any such matter should be so much as pretended to in those dayes I may likely speak more particularly in another place But what of all this because they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moved by the holy Spirit in what they did will it therefore follow they were meerly passive in their work without any such active obedience as was in the light required of them and without any exercise at all save such as was passive of their rational faculties therein without being inabled by any habitual light c. or use of their own understanding wisdome memories or the like in any writings of what they so wrote as if they actively entred no more than stocks and stones into the services they were set on work in surely though they were instruments and organs into which the Word was brought by the Spirit as they waited on the Lord for the revelation and manifestation of it to them yet they were living organs and instruments not only 〈◊〉 to the natural but also to that supernatural or spiritual life of God the things of which they wrote and declared and so were as it were subordinate efficients and inferiour Agents concurring by the use and exercise of their reason and rational faculties which grace and the Spirit of God perfects heightens and delivers from the defects therein contracted by transgression and doth not destroy And howbeit I deny not still but that the Prophets that pend any Scripture were passive as I said before in the reception of the minde of God manifested to them in the light so far as the receiver of a gift is to the giver from whom he can command nor have nothing unless it be given him and were no otherwise active than as beggars who are not to be chusers waiting at the door of wisdom and on God in the light within to see what he will give and in order to the obtaining it yet when the light and word was given out they were so far active so all are not whereupon many go without it as waiters are when they receive what is given and also far active as according to the measure of the gift of grace or knowledge received when the Spirit moved them so to do to go forth and minister either by preaching or writing or what way they found their call to serve in some one way some another and every individual sometimes one way sometimer another as Paul said Rom. 12.6 7. Having gifts differing according to the grace given whether prophesis let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith i.e. each his own proportion and measure not as you Divines who have a common Analogy of faith or stock of unsavoury Divinity among you according to which ye Minister or Ministry let us wait on our Ministring or he that teacheth on teaching or exhorteth on exhortation c. which things whether done by voice or writing is all one they were not to do but as the Spirit moved or acted them yet in both were they not only acted by the Spirit but subordinately active with him in those several ministrations as good stewards of the manifold grace of God speaking ministring whether in speech or Scripture as the Oracles of God in all faithfulness which is required in stewards 1 Cor. 4.1 2. 1 Pet. 4.10 11. who though it is their Master that doth all supremely by them and acts by them and speaks and writes and manages all affairs by their Ministration as the Spirit of the Father doth in his Saints and Children yet by his power and the gift of his grace received in the juncture and very period of receiving of which they were passive they concurred actively in the work of writing as the Saints do in the working out of their own salvation when God hath once wrought in them to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2.13 14. so that of the most immediate Writers of the Scriptures from the mouth of God it might be said as it is of all Saints Licetnec per se operantur nec aequaliter co-operantur yet aliqualiter saltèm etiam activè concurrunt cum causa operante they wrought and wrote neither wholly of themselves nor equally with the Spirit yet even actually concurred with him in the act of writing so as a pen or musical instrument doth not which is not subjectum capax a subject capable to act or move actively in the works of man any more than a stone can concur actively to the throwing of it self And being though but organs or instruments as thou sayest the Prophets were into whom the words they wrote were brought yet sith living organs or instruments alive to God by participation of his divine nature to the things of that life and nature they were consequently active organs and instruments and subordinate Agents and efficients and as well willingly acting as acted therein in the day of Gods power wherein his people are a willing people as dead organs and instruments cannot be For sith vita est Actus corporis organici quatenus organicum life of every kinde is no less than an Act or operative power of every thing that hath it to act or work such actions as are agreeable to its nature the life of God in such as by the light of Christ in whom is the life and whose life is the light of men Joh. 1.2 3. Joh. 12. are led and born thereunto is an Act or spiritual operative power to do and perform such actions as are suitable to man before he dyed by transgression and according to the will of God revealed as posita anima in corpore organico quâ tali sequitur vita posita vitâ sequitur operatio motio c. naturalis so posito spiritu in animâ recipiente sequitur vita actio spiritualis So the holy men that wrote the Scripture as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. inspired and moved by the holy Spirit which brought the truth unto them he pressed them to write were not according to J. O's vain figment of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acted and hurried like some stone thrown or pen handled which is meerly and only passive in what is done but acted as all Saints are in their measures to that of writing his truth or any
and doth God reveal the hidden mysteries of the Gospel any way but by his Spirit to his Saints which searcheth all things even the deep things of God and doth any know the things of God but the Spirit of God and the spiritual men who in it and not by the letter which letter the world hath yet hath not the other have minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2.9 to the end And in that of Peter coted by thee is there the least hint of the Scriptures or of the Prophets searching the Scriptures or of any signification of the things they ministred to others in their writings by the Scriptures but only by the Spirit And as for Daniel it is true he understood by the books of Jeremiah the cerâ—ain number of seventy years how long the Captivity should last but what of that num ex puris particularibus aliquid sequitâ—â— universale Wilt thou argue from one to all much more wilt thou infer from thence that neither Daniel nor any other Prophets understood their own writings but by the Scriptures of the other Prophets which is the absurdity thou assertest And as for Davids saying Through thy Precepts I get understanding Hast thou got no more understanding yet then to beleeve that the Precepts Statutes â—udgements Laws Commandments Testimonies Word Ordinances Wayes Truth Name one or other of which names is either in the singular or in the plural number used in every individual verse excepting two throughout that long 119. Psalm consisting of an 176. verses no other thing is meant but the outward letter writing or Scripture of Moses five books very little more than which was extant in Davids dayes wherein the ten words which God wrote with his own hand and a few more Ceremonious matters were recorded by the hand of Moses Is not the Commandement or Word or Law of God as the letter speaks the Lamp or Light that the letter only speaks of Psal. 19.7 c. 119.105 Prov 6.23 And if all the other Prophets that succeeded Moses studied the writingâ— of Moses and one another in order to the knowledge of their own Prophetical writings without which they understood them not savingly as thou sillily sayest yet I wonder what other Prophets writingâ— Moses himself who was one of the Prophets not excepted by thee searched and studied that he might get a saving understanding of that truth that was penn'd by himself sith as thou thinkest at least there were no Scriptures extant before him for Enochs Prophesies have no standing in your Standard I wonder Quae colliquia cum Angelis vel ficta velfacta quis enthusiasmus quis afflatus caelestis aut reapse vis mali spiritus did suggest these fantasms into thy fancy Ex. 1. Ex. S. â—8 thou hast little need to detest the Qua. as Enthusiasis that entertainest and utterest to the world as undoubted truths such Amick Enthusiasmes as these Sundry other such shallow furmises and suppositions are very positively propounded and set down by thee in thy first Chapter of thy first Treatise which I shall let pass here some of which may possibly be touch't on elsewhere But this may suffice to give a taste of that untruth which thy two Treatises are under-propt with whereby from the falsenesse faultinesse foolishnesse and unsoundness of thy ground-work and foundation and from the brittleness of thy Basis so thou call'st p. 1.28.30 this Original part of thy Book concerning the Divine Original and immediate manner of the Scriptures coming forth from God to us the reasonable Reader may read aforehand what a Come-down Castle the rest of thy Babylonish Building is like to be for howbeit I grant that the Word of God and the holy truth in its first coming forth from God to the holy Pen-men that heard his voice and so wrote it as moved by him was of an immediate Divine original in which respect it is said no Prophesie of the Scripture is of private Interpretation or to be counted no more upon than a private mans wriâ—ing which writes of his own head as thou dost the figment and imagination of whose heart fancies thoughts are the fountain of all that is uttered but as that which holy men of God were moved to write and the outward Scripture it self may be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. penned by men as they were inspired by God or the fruit and effect of no self-afflation but according to the motion or inflation of the holy Spirit yet that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou makest such a deal of work about as the Original of the Copies of the Original of the Scripture and their coming forth from God was not so immediately from God to those that lived when they were first given out much less to us now as thou imaginest in thy vain mind who dotest that every Apex of that Text is equally Divine and as immediately from God to us as the very voice of God in the Prophets was to them without the least mixture or interveniency of any mediums or wayes obnoxious to fallibility or capable of giving change or alteration to the least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or syllable thereof pag. 10.30.153 for that came from God at first excepting the Decalogue and that little to Belshazzar which ye have now but remote Copies of not without the interveniency medium and way of mans hand-writing which is it were as being infallibly guided by the Spirit obnoxious to no fallibility yet as it comes to you who own that and no other to be your inalterable Standard it s far from coming immediately from God sith it is not without the interveniency of the hands of welnigh innumerable unknown Transcribers the very first and best of whom were so far from non-obnoxiousness to fallibility that thou thy self sayest pag. 167. that neither all nor any of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallible or divinely inspired so that it was impossible for them to mistake and that religious care and diligence in their works with a due reverence of him with whom they had to do is all thou ascribest to them and p. 10. that the wisdome truth integrity knowledge and memory of the best of all men is obnoxious 〈◊〉 fallibility and also that it s known they did fail Neither if the Question were about the Autographae or first Manuscripts that were far more immediate then thy far fetcht Apographae or modern Copies are howbeit thy main business is about the magnifying thy confestedly mistranscribed Transcripts and fallible Copies and not the other which being acknowledged by thee to be lost perished and mouldred out of the world nemo post homines natos aequè ac tu delerasse censendus esset si pro scripturis ipsis scriptis hisce argumentare statueris thy dotage would justly be deemed of a deeper die than any mans to argue for them if he be a fool of al fool that fightâ— for the non-corruptibility of what is long since corrupted but I say were thy
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 proofs by me urged against thee are elsewhere discovered thou rouzest up thy self into a new proposal of thy Question in these Terms p. 28. viz. Whether the Hooks commonly called the Old and New Testament were appointed by God for a standing Rule of faith and life which I denying the Books to be thou repliest on this wise viz Now you have spit out your venome which I knew you were big with and I will say to you as the Apostle if any man bring any other Gospel then what we have received let him be accursed To which when I replied I am sure the Gospel you preach will never bring men to heaven Thou relatest thy self replying thus viz. Then friends you hear his acknowledgement and how well he deserves the curse denounced against him By all which passages the Reade may observe these things 1. That thou judgest the Scriptures to be not only the standing Rule of faith and life but also to be the Gospel 2. That there is no other Gospel designed by God as the standing Rules then the Scriptures 3. That he that owns any thing else besides the Scriptures to be the Rule or the Gospel and he that denies the Gospel the Ministers of the letter preach which is but the Letter and the Scripture to be unable to bring men to heaven though I intended by those words viz. the Gospel you preach the false Doctrine and unholy matter ye hold forth when ye deny the Light and plead a necessity of sinning in this life and hold men to be justified and guiltless while under the guilt of Murder and Adultery and damn it as a Doctrine of Devils to affirm any perfect purging from sin in this world and such like and not the Scriptures which ye are far enough from preaching truly the very letter of is big with and spits out venome against the Scriptures and brings another Gospel then that ye have received and to be held accursed and well deserves the curse denounced against him by the Apostle Gal. 1.8 And in all these matters thou art coincident with I.O. who in substance asserts with thee the very same alluding to the self-same place Gal. 1. in proof of the Scriptures to be the Gospel and the only perfect rule of faith and worship Ex. 3. s. 26. Rep. But alas poor simple silly unlearned and ignorant men ye may curse them that bring another Gospel then that ye have received indeed who never at all yet received the true Gospel which the Galatians received from Paul who was not a Minister of the Letter to shew which is all your Gospel but of the spirit and of the light which only while the dead letter cannot do it saves and brings to heaven and gives the Life which Light and spirit is the old Gospel which we bring and minister to men while you for your meer Letters sake alter and despise it I say ye may curse in Pauls words but Pauls Curse will come upon you which being causelesly denounced against us by you cannot come on us Now before I come to urge any new Arguments against the Scripture or Letters being in the Authority of the only standing Rule as both T.D. p. 16. of his second Toy and I.O. p. 18. assert it to be concluding that there is no other Rule or measure of judging and determining any thing about the saving Doctrine of the Gospel but the Writing the Scriptures I shall take some account of some of T. D's and I. O's weak rushy kinde of reasonings by way of Answer to such Arguments as are urged by us against their reasonless suppositions in that behalf Beginning first with T. D's Jejune Replies to what Reasons were rendred by us to him against his Dream that there is no other standing Rule of faith and life but the Scriptures and so proceeding to an Examination of his and I. O's excentrick exhibitions of the Scriptures being the only Rule thereof interchangeably as I see occasion The first Argument urged against thee T.D. at the third Publick Dispute as thy self relatest it in p. 28 29. of thy first Pamphlet to prove the Scripture not the only Rule of faith and life was this Arg. 1. If there be another standing Rule then the Scripture is not it But there is another standing Rule therefore the Scripture is not it The minor thou deniest and sayest expresly that there is no other standing Rule but the Scripture which minor my proof of which thou rendrest as weakly as well as thou canst I proved in these very terms viz. If the Scripture it self sends us to another viz. the spirit as our Rule then it self is not the onely Rule But it self doth so therefore it self is not it The minor of this being denied by thee was proved thus That which the Scripture bids us walk in by after or according to that it sends to but the Scripture it self bids us walk in by a fur or according to the spirit therefore the Scripture sends us to another besides it self as our Rule and consequently is not it self the only standing Rule of faith and life in proof of this minor Gal. 5.16 was cited and some other Scriptures which thou leavest out whether as one loath to tell too much of that truth that makes against thee or no I will leave to thy conscience and not say but some may likely think so for all that as namely Gal. 6.16 besides I know not whether I instanced in any other which I shall here take that leave which in that confused crowd of conference thou strovest as thou sayest thy self to out-word us by for fear of being confuted thou wouldest not then grant me to urge by way of addition at this present viz. Rom. 8.1 4 5 13. Phil. 3.15 and to open as I see occasion in order to the service of that Truth I am now pleading against thee Nevertheless it were not for the Truths sake that it may more fully appear there is little need to say any thing more to thee than thou thy self hast set down in thy Reply to that Text viz. This I say walk in or rather to or according to the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dative case which without the preposition's is elsewhere Engliâ—ht by or according to viz. Gal. 6.16 Phil. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many as walk according to this Rule let us walk by the same Rule is so jejune and wretched and poor and miserably blinde and naked being no other then this viz. that phrase doth denote the priniple not the rule of our obedience in that place where if by principle thou intendest the Foundation which the word principles is sometimes used as synonomous unto then thou quite overthrowest I.O. and helpest me against him however but that is no news for beside that each of you often
contradicts himself ye are for all your siding to vindicate the same Points of false Doctrine against the Qua. so frequently sound contradicting each other that in order to the consutation of you both a man may finde contradiction enough either in each of your Writings within themselves or in the Writing of one of you unto the other and so 't is in this case for I.O. owns no other Principle or Foundation of discovery of Divine Truth then the Scriptures for the Faith to stand on p. 18. But thou ownest the Spirit to be the Principle of obedience 2. If the phrase denotes the Principle only and not the Rule as it does not for it denotes both yet the other places mentioned do denote more expresly the Light and Spirit and not the Letter to be the Rule which said Light and Spirit that is the Power of God to say the truth is both the Principle upon which all true Faith is founded and is to stand 1 Cor 2.5 in the movings of which obedience is to be acted and also the Rule according to which as it moves leads guides directs impowers and no otherwise all things that are at all are to be both done and believed And no less do all those phrases however denote viz Rom. 8. 1.4.5.13 Who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit then a being taught led guided ruled directed by as well as moved acted and enabled from the Spirit so or so to believe or do for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Praeposition though join'd with the Genitive signifies contra against as Gal. 5. The flesh lusteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the Spirit yet with the accusative is secundum after according to so that the Light and Spirit of Christ within is not onely the Foundation upon which the Principle from which but also that in which the Standard Measure Guide and Rule of direction by after or according to which the Saints are to walk believe and do whatever they do in order to their pleasing of God and standing uncondemned in his sight And no less then so doth Phil. 3.16 import where Paul to the Saints at Philippi with the Bishop and Deacons according to their several statures and degrees of growth in the Light and Spirit of Christ wishes all that were perfect as every one is that is faithful to his own measure to be so minded as himself yet leaving every one to believe and judge by his own measure of Light not binding any one to his till God himself should reveal things as he knew them to those that were yet otherwise minded Neverthelesse quoth he whereunto we have already attained let us walk or steere our course by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Which same Rule or same thing that he wills all though their measures of Light may be different to mind and walk by He that shall dream it to be the Letter of the Scripture without and not the inward Light Grace and Spirit of Christ a measure and manifestation of which is according to the measure of the gift of Christ distributing to every one severally as he will to some more some less some one some two yet to every one one talent at least given to every man to profit withall to improve trade with and thrive by Matth. 25.15 Rom. 12.3.6 1 Cor. 12. 7.11 Eph. 4.7 8. compared with Psal. 68.18 Gifts to the Rebellious also 1 Pet. 4.10 11. I shall deem him to be more deservedly denominated a Doter then a Doctor in Divinity or a true Teacher of the things of God and the Gospel seeing the so-call'd Scripture-Rule or Canon so much counted on as that no other neither inward light nor Word nor Revelations of the Spirit Post completum ejus Canonem as J.O. sayes are at all to be admitted to the Name Title Honour and Authority of a Rule to the Church according to J. O's and T. D's Principles was not yet bounded nor compleated nor come to its full Coronation Canonization Consecration and Consignation by any Clerical Convocation of Divines as it did afterwards while Paul wrote thus to the Philippians there being more of his own and other holy men's Writings penned after this besides the Revelation of John which J.O. on his own head p. 18. calls the Close of the immediate Revelation of Gods will in that way of Writing And whether the Philippians had seen any Scripture at all much lesse any of the Books ye call the New-Testament more then this that Paul now wrote when he wrote this to them unless it may be conjectured from Ph. 3.1 that he himself wrote to them before to the same purpose as now and therefore sayes to write the same things to you is safe for you is questionable and more then J.O. and T.D. with both their heads laid together are able to prove therefore the same Rule he bids them all walk by according to their respective measures and the same thing he bids them mind was not the Scripture but the Light and Spirit which having reveal'd something to them would as they walked perfectly by the Rule thereof reveal all things to them in due time that he knew and they were ignorant of For though the Rule appointed design'd and authoriz'd by God for all men to mind as one man and to walk by from the beginning of the World to this day is but one i. e. the Light Word and Spirit in the heart and conscience yet the Degrees in which it is dispenced are different and every one that is found faithful in the improvement of what is committed to him be it little or more is crowned with the just account of Faithfulness V prightnesse and Perfection and title to the joy and right to have more committed to him Yea as if any man walk up to what he hath already attained to the understanding of the same shall have more abundance If any will do his will saith Christ i.e. so far as he knows the same shall know of the Doctrines that are taught whether they are of God or whether the Teachers thereof speak of themselve Joh. 7.15.16 Such shall discern and distinguish and see and grow into the Spirit of Iudgement and of a sound mind and into a cleare sight of the mind of God who manifests himself to such as he does not to the world who receive not the Spirit of Truth which he gives to all in some measure to convince them of sin righteousnesse and judgement and so to guide them out of sin but that some resist him but to such as own truth as receive him and love and come to the Light which â—evil ones hate loving flesh and darknesse more then it because it reproves their ill deeds that their deeds may be manifested more and more and come to be wrought in God he leads into all truth while such proud Pharisaical Praters as Vniversity-bred Schollars stubborn Students and rebellious Rabbies Scripture-searching
Scribes that keep scribling and preaching and disputing all their dayes as if they did delight to know Gods wayes enquiring after the Ordinances of Iustice in order as they pretend to the knowledge of what is to be done and yet in what they know naturally as brute beasts by a habit of reading Chapter and Verse as as a Horse that is versed in a way to the Pasture he is used to run in in those very things they corrupt themselves saying to God when he tells them any troublesome truth Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes â—â—taining the truth in unrighteousness that is told them within by the Light of God himself in their own hearts not receiving the love of it that they may be saved having pleasure in unrighteousness and no pleasure in the Truth such shall have at last that they have taken away from them and in the just Iudgement of God be blasted and blinded and given over to strong delusion to believe lyes that they may be damned Nevertheless not as a Principle onely but as a Rule of obedience to such as truly love her the Light within the Spirit of God the Word nigh in the heart and Wisdom not onely with but without the Letter ever was is and will be profitable to direct Eccl. 10 10. And no less then this that the Spirit is the standing Rule of Faith and Life to the Church as well as the Principle thereof doth that Gal. 6.8.16 evince where the Apostle having spoken so much before in ch 5. and the â— verse of this 6. of the lustings of the spirit against the flesh or evil spirit in us that lusteth to envy of walking according to the Spirit living according to the Spirit being led by the Spirit of sowing to the Spirit the crop of which is the fruit of the Spirit the everlasting life the new Creature while the Crop reaped from the fulfilling the lustings of the flesh is more and more Works of the flesh and corruption to death and condemnation at least adds by way of encouragement that the walkers by the Spirit might not not be weary of well doing thus much viz. that so many as walk according to this Rule which Rule is not the Scripture as the Divines and Doctors citing that place as J. O. does twice over at least viz. Ex. 3. S. 26. Ex. 4 S. 22. to that purpose do ignorantly divine but the Spirit the walking in and after which is so often hinted at above and the Light within which and not the Letter without makes manifest both the Works of the flesh and darknesse and the Fruits of the Spirit and the light For the Letter indeed doth declare that the works of the Flesh and the fruits of the Spirit are manifest but it declares also that that which doth manifest them both is the Light by which also they were manifested before the Letter was Which Letter likewise doth de jure declare what is to be done and not done but onely the Light de facto what is done and what is not done of the Mind and Will of God thereby inwardly nigh more immediately revealed and declared as 't is ad extra onely and more mediately and afar off by the Letter For all things that are reproved or approved are as so made manifest by the Light the Letter came from And whatsoever doth primarily and principally make manifest good and evil right and wrong crooked and straight truth and falshood simplicity and deceit it self and darkness it self and all false spirits sound Doctrine and seducing is that Light and Spirit which comes from God and shines more or lesse in all mens hearts This as it is the Principle as J.O. foolishly affirms the Letter only is p. 18. or means of discovery so it and not the Writing only as he there blindly writes is also the Rule or measure of judging and determining about the saving Doctrine of the Gospel this is as the Light of the outward world is in it the discovery of it self and of all things else in their proper appearances This is certum Rectum Regula quae est mensura sui obliqui Hitherto are we sent this and not the Letter as I.O. childishly asserts p. 57. is asserted to be the Rule and Standard the Touchstone of all speaking whatsoever that must speak alone for it selfe and try the speaking of all but it selfe yea it s own also By all which it is evident how the Light and Spirit is designed by God to be the unchangeable standing-Rule of Faith and Life and the Churches Directory in all Divine Doctrines to be believed and practised and not the Letter of the Scripture at least not the Letter onely which is the matter very stifly affirmed and stickled for by J.O. and T.D. the latter of which stands up to vindicate it in these terms see T. D ' second Pamphlet p. 16. that the Scriptures are the Word of God and the Rule of Faith and Life and that there is no other standing-Rule but the Scriptures The former in these If every man's private Light so he floutingly calls that particular measure of that publike Light of Christ which is one and the same in all be the Rule of yeilding obedience unto God then so many men so many Rules but the Divine Canon is but onely one and that the holy Scripture is that only Rule is abundantly shewn quoth J.O. before In proof of which saying the Rule is but one J.O. quotes that Gal. 6.16 which speakes not of the Scripture at all And Eph. 3.16 which speaks expresly of the Spirit of God as the next verse does of Christ the Word which we confess is the Rule but neither the one nor the other of the Scripture Isa. S. 20. which speaks of the Law and Testimony which are the Light and Spirit as I shall shew anon For this place is three times at least alluded to by J.O. to the like little purpose and not the Letter of the Scripture Obj. And if any say But is not the Sripture profitable to direct yea for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse able to make wise to salvacion to make a man of God perfect thorowly furnished or as the word is perfected into all good works according to 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. and so to be the onely Rule Canon Standard Touch-stone in all cases Rep. This place is insisted upon or quoted three or four times by I. O. To whom I say howbeit there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy Scriptures as I have said elsewhere that are not written with Ink and Pen nor ingraven in stones but with the Finger and Spirit of the living God upon the fleshly Tables of mens hearts which make such as Timothy was who knew that spirit in himself spoke of Iob 32.8 and that inward Writing and inspiration of the Almighty that onely giveth the understanding which are most profitable for Doctrine Correction
Reproof Instruction in Righteousness and without any outward Scripture to perfect the man of God fit and furnish him as no outward Scriptures can possibly do without these for any much less for every good work which inward Scripture in which holy men read the Gospel before 't was ever written outwardly with Ink and Pen foreseeing that God would justifie the Gentiles through Faith in Christ the Light preached the Gospel four hundred years before your Scripture Canon or Rule ad extra was ever written Howbeit I say There is a Scripture ad intra that ye read little in testified to and talk't of by your external Text ye onely talk for 2 Cor. 3. Yet to J. O. I grant the outward Scripture and that in its integrity so far as free from corruption by mis-transcription and mis-translation to be holy just good useful and profitable for all the things specified in the Text of Paul to Timothy when read and understood in that Light Wisdom and Spirit that gave it out by those holy men which onely knows the Mystery of its own minde and meaning therein and reveals it ' also to Babes and simple honest hearts that come at ' fools to it looking to the Lord alone for wisdome out of whose mouth comes that knowledge and understanding whereby the Scripture is seen as to the spirituality and substance of it when the plain things of it are hid from the wise and prudent that furfeit with their own conceited science and lean to their own Animal understanding and in that give their several senses and sentences on it for the natural or as the word is 1 Cor. 2.14 15 16. the Animal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God not the hidden wisdome of God which none of the Princes of this world know 1 Cor. 2.6 7 8. c. which in a mystry or meer Riddle to their degenerate reason is uttered in the very outward Scripture neither can the animal man by his wisdome from beneath for all his bitter envying and strife within himself against all that oppose him wherein he glories and lyes against the truth the fruit of which envy is confusion and every evil work which wisdome is but earthly sensual Animal devillisbly deceitful Jam. 3.14 15 16 17 18. know the things of God for they are spiritually discerned and by the spiritual man only that discerns and judges all and is falsely judged by all though truly discerned by none that are beneath him The outward Scripture I say is profitable to such as Timothy was to men of God to make them who are wise in the Spirit wiser and wiser through their faith in the light to their own and others salvation and to furnish such a Minister as Timothy was who knows when and being in the Spirit how and how far forth to use it for every good work in his Ministry And such as are full of might and power first by the Spirit of the Lord upon them as Micah was Mic. 3. and as Apollo was are mighty also in the Scripture and furnished mightily to confound the Scripture-searching Scribes and all gain-sayers of the Light as they were in their times So that we deny not the Scriptures ad extra to be many wayes useful profitable in their place and time where they are to be read as they are not in so much as the tenth part of the world and where they are read in the light by them who live in that Light that gave them forth which are not the hundreth part of those that usually read and search them but will all this prove them to be what I.O. and T.D. contend so stiffly to have them be viz. in that high Authority of the Rule nay the only most perfect standing Rule of all true belief and holy life before the very light and spirit of God they had their very original supreme being from thorow the hands of holy men as but subordinate instruments in their first purity as writings except that little that was pend by God himself which we now have not which Scriptures yet as to the being they now have are handed to us from no higher principle then the transcription of meer fallible and as I.O. sayes un-inspired men Ab sit imaginatio let the thoughts hereof be far from us that the Scripture is the only Rule for if we should grant it to be so far as truly transcribed in the Copies of the Original a Rule at all or a secondary Rule which name of Rule is more than it any where calls it self by yet the prime most perfect Rule it is not much less is it the only Rule to the Church or any men and though we are as forward as any on a due account to own the profitablenss of the very letter as it declares of the words of truth and uprightness and the Doctrine that is according unto godliness and to own its great usefulness as to the purposes premised and so affirm that the dead letter so far as not depraved from its primitive purity doth as truly answer and hold proportion with the light and living word as the shadow doth with the substance the life-less picture with the living person it represents and as the voice which is Imago verbi the Image of the Word with the Word it is the Image of or the Eccho which is the Image of the voice doth with the voice it answers to insomuch that as Quae conveniunt in aliquo tertio santidem what holds measure or weight and keeps correspondency or proportion with a third thing that agrees with the standard or sealed Canon agrees also with the standard it self so whose life squares truly and substantially with the letter convenes with the light and spirit it imediately issued out from and he that lives and speaks perfectly and adaequately according to the Scripture so far speaks and lives according to and not besides the light and spirit which the letter requires man to live beleeve and walk in and by as neither doth or can he erre from the letter if he had never heard read or seen it who answers the measure of the light and spirit that is lent him to live by yet for all this as T.D. gives this reason for his untrue imagination why this part of the inspired Scripture you have only is the only Rule and not any Sermons or private religious discourses which have the same common ends with the Scriptures no nor yet any other writings but those ye have if we could prove and produce as assuredly we shall anon any legitimate ones of Divine inspiration though otherwise as useful and profitable as those ye have and agreeing therewith viz. because God did not give order quoth he for the one as he did thinks he for the other and there is no other Scripture appointed of God to be a Rule of faith and manners but what is bound up in the Bible and where he appointed that we
must take account of you by and by for besides such inspiration to make a Rule is necessary Gods appointment of a writing to that end saith he God thought that sufficient which we have therefore we can look upon no more with such regard at we do upon that See T. D's first Pamphlet p. 26 27.43,44 and of his second Pamphlet p. 17 18. The difference quoth he is in Gods arbitrary dispensation so do I give this reason of our true assertion that howbeit the Scripture is profitable and may be useful and called as by it self yet it no where is a Rule as it agree's with the light and spirit where it is not adulterated by mans mistransciptions mistranslations misconstructions Yet the Canon or most perfect and only standing Rule it is not because God did never Authorize or appoint it so to be but to retort back to T.D. in his own vain phrase thought the measure of his light and spirit every one hath from himself sufficient to make a standard of besides whose inspiration of the said Scripture to make a Rule is necessary Gods appointment of a Writing to such an end the difference lyes in God arbitrary dispensation as well as in the excellent preheminence of the Spirit and Light above the Letter who would have that to be the Rule Canon Standard Touchstone which was so from the beginning of the world two thousand years afore the letter was even to this day even the Spirit then which there can be no other designed by him to that end if I. O's words be true Ex. 4. s. 22. who saith Vnicus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinus the Divine Canon or Rule is but one not more then which also there is no other mentioned in the Scripture by that name of the Rule but the Light and Spirit as I have shewed above out of those places where the Rule is spoken of and if there be let I.O. or T.D. assign where and hereupon as he saith in the other case so conclude I here in this we can look upon none but the Light and Spirit upon no letter with such regard as the only Rule as we do upon that So then notwithstanding T. D's impertinent unimportant utterly untrue Reply to this Argument That we are to walk by is our Rule but the Spirit is that the Scripture sayes we are to walk by Gal. 5.16 therefore the Spirit is the Rule which Reply runs viz. that phrase denotes the principle not the Rule of our obedience in that place the Argument stands firm over the head of it for though it betoken the principle also yet not only nor exclusively of the Rule but rather the Rule more evidently and much more eminently than the other yea that the Spirit is the principle of all true obedience is professed positively by us who own nothing to be truly done in way of true obedience unto God nor the letter but what is done from the principle power motion assistance and ability of the Spirit of God or that is done without the Spirits in-dwelling yet in that place considered together with the rest above cited it is most clear that the Apostle speaks of the Spirit principally as of the Rule by which we are to walk and the word walk imports no less than the act of proceeding or going on and not the principle original or primum mobile as I may say from which we are to begin to act and move in way of obedience unto God But as unanswerable as T. D's answer is to our Argument yet it serves us very well to prove him a self-contradicter as he and I.O. also are in multitudes of more matters besides and in that it is as answerable as may to his wonted self for let but any reasonable Reader observe as it follows p. 29. of his first Pamphlet what T.D. sayes next of all to this passage of the Spirits being the principle that is the original or beginning of our obedience from which as being the primum movens and Auxilians beforehand moving and assisting we are after to obey and he shall see how he overthrows it himself in his own most immediately ensuing speech for howbeit he sayes the Spirit is the principle of our obedience which is as much as to say that in which we first walk whose assistance must be antecedent to our true walking according to the letter which is not denied by us yet when we say the same with him he unsayes his own saying again rather then he will side with us for whereas I said as his own self there relates that the Spirit is antecedent to the letter so that none tan walk in the letter till they walk in the spirit he replies thus viz. The spirit is subsequent to the letter in respect of the assistance and ability which he gives to obedience and whereas you affirm quoth he That none can walk in the letter till they walk in the spirit if walking in the spirit be meant of special assistance which is as much as to say if by that phrase of walking in the Spirit you mean the Spirits being the prinriple of our obedience t is false for many walk in many things according to the letter without the spirits in dwelling as Paul while a Pharisee was touching the righteousness of the Law blameless Psa. 3.6 in which beside the rounds he runs in and the contradiction to himself above T.D. sayes false for though none walk according to the letter in truth and as to the spiritual obedience it calls for without the Spirits in-being and assistance and power as the Principle from which they must so walk for howbeit Paul walked according to the righteousness of the Law interpreted in sensu Pharisaico according to the Pharisees outside glosses on it who saw not into the marrow mystery and spirituality of it and was zealous of God as to the literal observation of many things yet till the Law which is the light and spiritual came to him who was in his carnal condition and shewed him sin in the lust of which Christ expounds the Law Matth. 5 he kept not the Tetter as to the spiritual import and true intent and utmost meaning of the spirit and minde Christ exprest therein to the spiritual understanding though not to the natural but abstained only from outward grosse acts of sin and in his blind zeal persecuted the Church as ye in your wild-braind zial do at this day The Spirit is the principle from which we are to walke and with ut which we cannot walke according to the letter yet to go round again many walk according to the letter without the Spirits in-dwelling So pervenire ad summum nisi ex principiis nemo potest Pervenire ad summm sine principiis aliquis potest This is the summe of T.Ds. Doctrine Besides if the Spirit be the principle only that men begin to beleeve and obey from and not the Rule according to which they go on in
of which no inward Light or Spirit or new Revelations about the faith and Divine worship of the Saints are either to be expected or admitted it lyes more in the negative then the positive or affirmative consisting for more largely of disproofs such as they are of any inward Light Spirit or spiritual Revelation to be at all then of proofs of the Letter or Scripture yet some pedling ones are puzled out to such a purpose to be altogether and alone the Rule of faith holy life and divine worship He professes to prove the inward Spirit or Light the Qua. plead for not to be the Rule and that the Scripture or Letter is so two wayes first Authoritative or by the Scripture it self 2. Rationative or by a Rational way of Argumentation But though I own the Authority and veracity of the Scripture so far that if I.O. could produce any place of the Bible as he pretends to do many wherein the Scriptures do ascribe to themselves the Honor Authority and Title of the onely perfect Rule either in terminis or by any such due deduction as is not more duely deniable then so much as probale to a prudent man indeed I should truly submit to one such testimony being perswaded that the Scriptures are writings of truth where not altered and not adulterated by mens mistakings and mistranscribings yet the Scriptures being wrested besides all sense and reason by J.O. and the Theologians he adhears to to that end I deny his proofs to be either Athoratative or Rational The testimonies he urges the Authority of to prove the Text to be in the Authority of the only Rule he casts into four Classes the first sort of which consist of such places as expresse as he sayes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel per immediatam cousequentiam perfectionem hanc Scripturis ascribunt do expresly verbatim or else by immediate consequence ascribe such a perfection as of the only Rule to the Scriptures The second such as expresly reject all Additions to the Text and Word of God whatever The third such as contain the examples of Christ and the Apostles trying and commanding to try all things by the Scriptures The fourth such as commend the holy Scriptures to all Religious uses Of the first sort he impannels eleven in all not being able it seems to pick out a whole Jury to serve his turn howbeit I acknowledge these if they would as freely as he forcibly would have them pass their verdict for him to be enough being all of them good and true witnesses in another case then he calls them for they stand all together in Ex. 3. s. 26. viz. Joh. 2. ult 2 Tim. 3 13 14 15 16. Psal. 19.18 Luke 1.3 4. Luke 16.29 Act. 1.1 Rom. 10 17. Eph. 2.19 20. 2 Pet. 1.19 2 Cor. 3.24 Gal. 6 16. Of the second seven viz. Deut. 4.2.12.32 Rev. 22 18. Gal. 1.8 Mat. 15.6 1 Cor. 4.6 Isa. S. 20. Of the third four viz. Luke 16.28 29 30 Act 17.11.21 Act. 18.24.28 Act. 26.22 with intimation of very many more commonly cited as he saith to that purpose Of the fourth seven viz. Joh. 1.7 Deut 28.58 Luke 24 27. Joh. 5.39 Rom. 15.4 Phil. 3.1 1 Joh. 1.4 It may do well to take some notice of them at least and hear their evidence I shall draw them up into the form of an Argument and then we shall see what expressnes in them or immediate consequence there is from them to the Scriptures being the only Rule Arg. John sayes Jesus did more signs then are written in his Book or History of him but what he wrote was that men might beleeve that Jesus is the Son of God and beleeving might have life through his Name David that the Law of God is perfect converting the soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the Statutes of the Lord pure enlightning the eyes Luke that it seemed good to him also seeing some others had taken in hand such a worke having had perfect understanding from the first of the things Iesus did and taught to write an orderly Declaration thereof to Theopilus whether a particular person so called or any lover of God who can tell for so is the name by interpretation that he might know the certainty of the things wherein he by which it seems rather to have been some eminent man had been before in part informed and Christ said Men must hear Moses and the Prophets or else will not be perswaded to repent if one rise to them from the dead Peter that the Saints have a more sure word of Prophesie to which they do well that they take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place till the day dawn and the day star arise in their hearts Paul to the Romans That faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God To the Corinthians that the minds of the Jews were blinded for until this day the vail remaineth on their hearts untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament which vail is taken away in Christ. To the Galathians that as many as walk according to this Rule peace shall be on them and Gods Israel To Timothy that evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived willing him to continue in the things he had learned and been assured of knowing of whom he had learnt them and that from a childe he had known the holy Scriptures which were able to make him wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Iesut that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine Reproof Correction Iastruction in Righteousness that the man of God might be perfect throughly furnished to all good works To the Ephesians that they were no more strangers and forrainerâ— but fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone God forbids to adde to his Word he commandeth and threatens to adde Plagues to them that so do Paul sayes Let him be accuâ—sed who ever brings another Gospel then that he had preached to the Galathians though the Apostles themselves or an Angel from heaven Christ asked the Pharisees Why they made Gods Commands void by their Traditions Paul sayes He in a figure transferred to himself and to Apollo the things that he had wrote to Corinth that none of them might think of either of them above that which he wrote of them as meerly Ministers by whom they beleeved and not be as they were very apt to be puâ—t up for one of them against the other and glorying in man God bids seek not to Wizzards that peep and mutier but to himself his Law and Testimony The Berean searched the Scriptures daily whether the things were so or no the Apostles preached Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures and as mightily confounded the Jews proving thereby that Jesus was Christ.
and sure then either the greatest miracle that ever was or immediate voice that ever God himself spake by from heaven and to be the sole Rule and determiner of all Doctrines whether they be Truths or but cunningly devised fables which two Texts together with Isa. 8.20 how little they evince any such matter and what is meant in them by Moses and the Prophets and by that sure World of Prophesie which thou and thy fellows foolishly affirm to be the Scriptures I shall God willing take occasion to examine anon Three of thy main inartificial Arguments as thou truly callest them p. 50 51 52 56. or Testimonies to thy untruth being by the head and shoulders without either sense or reason wrested from them Again it is true the Bereans did search the Scriptures whether the things were so as the Apostles spake who spake nothing but summarily substantially the same which Moses and the Prophets did say should come but what though they did so of their own accord and their searching was succesful and useful also to the fortifying of the faith they had in the World of Truth which they received readily not as the word of man but of God not as fables but as truth it coming to them as to the Thessalonians not in word only but in power and the holy Spirit and in much assurance 1 Thes. 1.5 must it needs follow therefore that the Scriptures were their only Rule of determining the Doctrines whether they were truths or fables the Word of God or the word of man and that their faith and owning that truth was à priori first originally and immediately founded as thou preachest all faith and repentance must be page 58.64 on the Scriptures so that if they had not first searched the Scriptures and there found a congruity of the things with the old Writing they neither would nor could have beleeved or received the truth thus thou and most of thy faternity foolishly fancy but look again and ye will finde it far otherwise for howbeit they searched the Scriptures and did commendably and nobly therein and were commended as more noble in that then they of Thessalonica who yet are commended as noble excellent and exemplary as the other in receiving the Word in much affliction with joy as Gods and not mans word though it seems not so serious in searching the Scriptures as these 1 Thess. 1.5 6 7 8. and were not a little confirmed in their faith begotten before yet they first received the Word with all readiness of minde as hundreds do at ths day as preacht to them by word of mouth from the Apostles the witness of God being reached and answering to the truth of it in their hearts in which they were noble as Thessalonica was yet more noble by how much they were unwearied and uncessans in seeking to be more and more gradually and groundedly growing in fuller assurance of the truth as many are at this day who first beleeving and receiving the Word with joy and readiness do not sleight as ye suppose but à posteriori being in the faith Timothy more seriously and singly then your selves see into the Scriptures that being already brought into the things the Scriptures write of through patience and comfort thereof have hope according to that other Scripture of thy coating Rom. 15.4 as yourselves cannot have any more then the Scribes who stand studying and sraping with your own Animal understandings before ye are ceme to walk in the Light and Spirit they witness too and came from But what 's all this more then just nothing at all to prove the Scripture to be the only standing Rule of Faith and Life which is asserted of it to the evincing it to be the Word Nay if your eyes were in your head ye might see of your selves O ye Studentall more than truly Prudential searchers of the Scriptures that the Word the Apostles preached and the Scripture which we confess truly testifies thereof are two distinct things and in no wise one and same individual as ye would make them if ye look no farther then the present Text in hand for in that he sayes they received THE WORD with all readiness of minde and searched the SCRIPTVRE whether the things were so it imports to any but the blind searchers of the Scripture that the word they received was one thing and the Scripture they searched about the truth of it was another Again it is true and not to be denied but Apollo an eloquent Iew was from his being well versed therein before he came to own the Light mighty in the Scripture and learned in the Letter so as mightily to confound the Gospel gain saying Iews thereby when once he came to obey it himself though yet there was a tradesman and his wife further grounded in the Gospel and learned in the light than himself who was beyond them in the Letter of whom he was not ashamed as our Vniversities Literatists are at this day to learn of women that know more of Gospel mysteries than they do to stoop to be instructed in the way of God more perfectly but how little this proves the Scripture to be the only standing Rule for which end I.O. cites it he that is blinde cannot see but others cannot chuse when as he that was so well skilled in the Scripture had that been the only Rule that he could have instructed Aquila and Priscilla about the Letter with which suo sejugulaus gladio he slew the Letter-learned Iews as it were with their own sword was not so clear in his understanding of the Truth Way Gospel Spirit Word and Light of God which is indeed the only standing inalterable Rule for ever as it ever was but that he had need to be Regulated and Rectified therein by such as in meer Scripture all knowledge were as inferiour as they were superior to him in spiritual understanding Moreover what makes it to the proof of the Scripture to be the only standing Rule exclusively of the Light and Spirit that Paul sayes to write the same things to the Philippians by which its questionable whether he 〈…〉 something to them before which is lost and not bound up in your Bibles nor canoniz'd into your Canon was safe for them As much as if he had said nothing at all for nothing at all is that to I. O's purpose nor yet that of Iohn saying These things I write unto you that your joy may be full which J O. cites to the same end And true it is Christ expounded the Scriptures to his Disciples as he did also his own Parables that he uttered by word of mouth amongst them and the mixt multitude togeâ—her and opened their understandings also as he does theirs that walk in his light that they might understand them but where is the immediate cogent consequence from hence to the conscience of any that the Letter or Scripture is the onely most perfect standing Rule of all Faith Truth holy life
that shall say the Horn-book is per saltum perfect to this end that without need of reading or learning any other books a person may by it alone become capable immediately of Commenâ—ing Dr. in Divinity shall by my consent be counted as ridiculous silly and senseless as such as side with J. O s. sayings are who say of the Scripture or Letter alone exclusively of the Spirit and Light within it calls to walk in that by it men may have the Life it gives the Life it is the only most perfect standing Rule of faith and life yea is so perfect and absoluâ—â— in all respects that there is no need of any other Revelation by the Spirit or Light within to instruct us in the knowledge of God and our duty to this end that we may obtaine eternal life yea all these means of knewing God and his will are uncertain dangerous unprofitable in no wise necessary and therefore to be rejected and detested as Fanatick figment For the foresaid honâ—urer of the Horn-book in his Hyperbolical adoration of it would be as contrary to common sense and reason as I.O. and T.D. in their absolute admirations of the Scripture and abominations of the Spirit and Light within for its sake are both to sense and reason and the common Testimony of the Scripture it self also which testifies every where concerning the Old Testament or Letter which I confess to be profitable perfect and absolutely able to the ends and uses of Gods appointment as a Typical testimony of those things which were to be spoken after that is weake imperfect and unprofitable as to that end for which I O. asserts it per salium to be so absolutely able powerful and perfect to that is to say to salvation and eternal life for it faith that it is the Light and Spirit that give the life and the liberty from the lust and sin to which the mother that is under the Old Testament or Letter of the Law is yet in bondage with her children and that the Old Testament or Letter lyes only in eatings and drinkings and diverse Baptisms and carnal Ordinance imposed only till the time of Reformation Heb. 9 10 in weakè and beggerly rudiments or elements of the world unto which who having once begun in the Spirit are tuâ—ned aside to are foolish and bewitched and disobedient to the Truth and do but think in vain to be made perfect by the flesh and desire again to be in bondage and know not yet Christ formed in them but know him only outwardly and after the flesh Gal. 1.3.4.9 19. 2 Cor. 5.16 18. are Iews outwardly only not truly nor inwardly nor circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands which is that of the heart in the Spirit not of letter whose praise is not of men but of God but Concis'd and conformâ—d according to the outward bodily exercises found in the letter loving the praise of men more than the praise of God and according to the law of a carnal Commandement not the inward worship of God in Spirit nor after the power of that endless life the light leads to That the law of the Letter which had but the shadow of good things and not the very image of the things themselves could never make the corners thereunto perfâ—ct as pertaining to the conscience Heb 9.9.10.11 That the Old Testament was faulty and failing and defective whereupon Gâ—d made a new one that could bring to life as it could not for if there had been a Law which could have given life verily righteousness should have come by it Gal. 3.21 for if it had been faultless or perfect or could have made perfect or given life there had been no occasion for the second Heb. 8.7 8. That there is a disanulling of the Commandement going before which was attendance to an outward letter because of the weakness and unprofitablness thereof because it could make nothing perfect but only was the ushering in of a better Hope even of the Light and Spirit by which we may draw nigh to God who is Light Heb. 7.16 18 19. and with whom no Letter lauder that lives beside the light the mystery of the Letter also can have any fellowship at al. And lastly as to thy saying that every Testament if it be but mans is perfect so that when once confirmed none may disanul or addâ— to it I answer no perfect Testament is to be dianulled when confirmed and in full force as it is only by the death of the Testator but that shews thy assertion to be false who sayeâ— that every Testament is perfect inasmuch as the Old Testament or Letter was disanulled which secundum te could not have been if it had been perfect and so omnibus numeris absolute as thou sayest in regard of the weakness unprofitableness of it to bring to life and for the the faultiness and imperfection of the first God himself whose Testament it was dedicated with the blood of Bulls Goats Lambs and Calves for the time then being only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as intended for a while only 't was called a Ceremony takes it away that he might establish the second Heb. 7.18 19.8 7 8 9. that is perfect to the giving of the life which is ignorantly asserted by thee of the Letter for the Letter that was perfect to its own end as a shadow was altogether imperfect thereunto And that nothing is to be added to any Testament once come in full force and vertue by the death of the Testator as all Testaments do then and never till then for Heb. 9.16 17. where a Testament is there must of necessity also be the death of the Testator for a Testament is of force after men be dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the Testator liveth This I freely grant as a truth but utterly overturns all thou contendest for which that is the Books of the Apostles and Evangelists which were all written after Christ the Testators death ' are the New Testament which how they can possibly be if thy own Position be true as it is that to a Testament if but mans when confirmed as it only and alwayes is by the Testators death much more God's New Testament after once confirmed by the Death of Christ the Testator as it was before one letter of that Scripture thou callest the New Testament as written nothing must be added thereto let all who are not void of judgement judge For if the writings of the Apostles and Evangelâ—sts which were all added and penned after Christs death the Testator of it by whose death it came into full force and strength be the New Testament an outward literal Declaration of which New Testament I know it is as the Writings of Moses and the Prophets also are both which are but the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Old Testament that in an external way declares the New with this difference only that the writing before Christ declared
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
uncontroleablely as he doth even to blinde and obstinate persisting in it for Ex. 3. s. 40. where hee infers the Qua. urging against his Letters being the only most perfect Rule on the behalf of the Spirit hee sayes thus J Oj. Ob Scriptuâ—a est litera mortua spiritus vivificat quis literae mortua nisi ipsâ— fiâ— mortuus adhaerere velit the Scripture is a dead letter it s the spirit that quickneth who but he that 's dead himself will look for life from a dead letter Rep. Falsissima est ista assertio scriptura est verbam Dei quod vivum est efficax neque uspiam litera esse mortua dicitur occidit quidem sed ido viva est That is a most false Assertion the scripture is that Word of God which is living and powerful Heb. 4.12 Neither is the Letter any where at all said to bee dead Reply Verumne Itane Ocyus adsit huc aliquis is it so I.O. that the Letter is no where called dead what no where nec clam nec cum scrobe nusquam hic tamen infodiam Some honest body come hither a little and let us dig up and dive a little deeper into I.Os. own Divinity doings to see if wee cannot finde it so called there by his own self if that be the same I.O. as no doubt it is that wrote the two English Treatises and the blinde Latine Theses about Scriptures in his own book for the Bible which may be cogent to him however in the 237. page thereof vici vidi ipse libelle I finde I.O. himself saying thus of the Letter yea and of the Word too and that is more I dare say then any Qua. dare say that they are both dead without the Spirit as living perfect in all respects efficacious to accomplish all as the Scripture was Ex. 3. s. 28 29. so that there is no need of any other revelation by the Spirit and Light within but those all are uncertain vain useless detestable c. Now t is without the Spirit a dead letter yea the Word is so too with I.O. as if the Word of God and Christ which is Spirit and life was sometimes dis-joyned from the Spirit Take it in his own terms then Reader lest thou think I wrong him all this while The Jews enjoyed the Letter of the Scripture as they do at this day yea they receive it with the honour and veneration due to God Their possession of it is not accompanied with the administration of the Spirit without which as we see in the instance of themselves the Word is a dead letter of no efficacy for the good of souls They have the Letter amongst them as sometimes they had the Ark in battel against the Philistines for their further ruine Here needs no more illustration of this palpable contradiction â—hâ—t I.O. gives to himself t were to suppose men that read his book to be Idiots to shew it more to their sight then it shews it self so with his own in operâ— langâ— obrepsit somnus I shall quit it here but not acquit it quite till he acquits the truth he quarrels with Only as to his occidit quidem ideo viva est the Letter kills for this he cannot deny being the Letters testimony of it self only he concludes as he is wont to do the clean contrary way therefore its living I 1. deny his consequence for many things are said to kill as dead instruments used by living Agents as a Knife a Dagger a Sword which when they have so done as in that subordinate way of an instrument cannot quicken though I own the Letter as healable and honourable an instrument as any is in the hands of men when they are used and moved to use it as an instrument in the hands of God yet as dead a thing as applied by the stealers of it in these times as it was in the mouthes of the old Theevish Prophets of whom God said They shall not profit people at all Jer. 23. And as to I Os. labouring to lick himself whole of this with his litera occidit quatenus litera legis est ab Evangelio seperata quatenus à spiritu verâ— sensu voluntatis Dei destituuntur qui literae adhaerent quae judaeorum conditio fuit contra quoâ— eo loci disputat Apostolus The Letter kills as 't is the letter of the Law and separate from the Gospel and as they are destitute of the Spirit and true sense of Gods will who adhere to the Letter which was the Jews condition against whom the Apostle there disputes Rep. I say Mutato nomine de te fabula c. the self-same is to be said of your selves against whom we dispute since your condition is the same with that of the Iews if once ye would savingly come to see it for liâ—era legis the letter of the Law is but the Old Testament still and not the Gospel and the New which is spirit and life and a life-giving Light to them that according to the call thereof will take heed to the light for life and while you not taking heed to the light for life adhere to the Letter so as yee doe when receiving it with veneration due to God yee fight against the light and spirit within for the sake of it of the Spirit and true discerning of the minde and will of God declared in the Letter and revealed in the light ye are ignorant taliter if not totaliter and as uttely destitute as were the Iews And now as to that Text which remains yet with one more to bee touched on viz. Psal 119.105 Thy Word is a light to my feet and a lamp to my paths which thou also appliest to the Letter as the light and lamp there spoken of and upon that account from that and many more as little to thy purpose and as much to ours as that is lettest out thy minde into a long peece of dark prate about the Letters being the most glorious light in the world as if it were that in Ioh. 3 19. which is not the Letter but the measure of the light come from Christ into all mens consciences almost throughout the fourth Chapter of thy first Treatise I must here have a little parley with thee about that and the other places thou producest which are all parallel with it against thy self and so hasten on what I can towards an end as one more grieved sick and weary in my spirit to see thy confusions then by the power of God upon me bearing me up under the else unsupportable burden of it I am in either body or spirit with confounding them Those other Texts are Iob 24. They are of those that rebel against the light they know not the way nor abide in the paths thereof Psal. 19.8 9. The Commandement of the Lord is pure in lightning the eyes Psal. 119.130 The entrance of thy words giveth light Prov. 6.23 The Commandement is a lamp and
Peter Paul and the holy men of old wherein is written and transcribed their Witness or Testimony for Iesus which they were moved by his holy Spirit to give out and hold forth whether by word of mouth or writing but the Epistle of Christ written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart yea the testimony of Jesus is no less than the Spirit of Prophesie it self Rev. 19.10 and not the writing thou so writest for in which men do but write it and write of it as is shewed above This verbum lumen internum the Word and Light within is that which those that reject it are in that place of Iob 24.13 hinted at by thee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lights Rebels men resisting the Authority which they cannot but be convinced of and not the present letter or letters of the Scripture as thou dotest p. 74. before the writing of one letter or tittle of which outward letter this inward light was though he that lives not by the light lives not by the letter neither which came from it and excepting where men have sould it with the dirt of their mis-transcriptions and mis-translations agrees with it I wonder how much of that Scripture thou so super-eminently adorest and wouldest have the preheminence in prating for it was written when that in Iob was wâ—iâ—ing against which men could be said to Rebel tell me if thou canst and in so doing thou perhaps mâ—yest tell thy self that that was a light within and not a letter without which they then were said to rebel against which letter without as much as thou seemest to wonder at the Qua. for holding the light within in authority equal to it they are not ashamed to set the light above and to say that it is non ejusdem Authoritatis cum Scriptura sea majoris Authoritatis quam Scriptura not in as much but in more Authority then the Scripture neither will all thy Scripture-admiring scrape adde so many cubits to the statute of it as among any but such stocks as stick at nothing but without streining swallow all down for truth that thou tellst them is so to state it in any equality with the light it came from And that the Word we are sent to in Isa. 8. is the living Word and not the dead letter nor mens dead senses thereon interpreting it according to their own private familiar spirits muttering out their own meanings and imposing on people their own cloudy cogitations thereon as Cogent Canons is evident for he calls them off from the dead to the living when they say unto you Seek to them that have familiar spirits and Wizards that peep and mutter should not A people seek to their God for the living to the dead to the Law to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because the morning light is not to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it s more truly rendred then thus there 's no lightin them which mis-translation many not knowing the Hebrew and many knowing it not heeding make no little ado against the lights being in all men and to as little purpose for it s no light to him and not no light in him and we know a light may be in a room under a bushel and so not shine out unto it And that by Moses and the Prophets to which Christ directs as the most effectual means of bringing men to repentance and that all faith and repentance is immediately to be grounded on is not meant their meer outward writing it evident for all men that need repentance have not that yea if the Scripture it seâ—f and that alone be that men are sent to by which the Doctrines to beleeved must be tried whether they be truths of God or fables and upon which all faith and repentance must be grounded what must become of those twenties to one in the world to whom God never vouchsafed so much as a sight of those their Writings if thy Divination from hence I.O. be as true as 't is sure enough to some its but a dream one of these things must be true as concerning such viz. either I. They need no faith nor repentance as they do or 2. They must be accepted with God and saved without either faith or repentance as they cannot or 3. Both beleeve and repent without any ground at all for the doing of either and so build a castle in the aire without any foundation or bottome which how impossible it is or how well it would stand if it were possible so to build it an Idiot may imagine or 4 perish and be damned for ever by and from the living God for not doing that which they had never any ground at all given them from God whereupon to do it and so absit blasphemia be cursed for ever for not acting what they were never put into any capacity to act and absit tibi Domine ne tale quippiam facias exercendo Pharonis tyrannidem absit tibi an non Iudex totiusterrae exerceresjus be sorely beaten for not making as great a tale of brick without any straw at all as would have been expected from them if they had had straw enough and be punisht for not effecting impossibilities But thy faith about that Scripture being but the festisious fruit of thy own fancy and thy Divination from it but the divinity of a divine that dreameth we need not in the dark iun upon any of these ragged Rocks having a more sure way then any of these in the light made so plain before us that unless we chuse so to do as some do we cannot split our selves upon them for as all men having sinned need faith and repentance so they have a more effectual means of bringing them to repentance and a more immediate ground to build their faith and repentance on then the naked outward Writings of Moses and the Prophets which thou here makest the ground of all faith and repentance not mentioning the Apostles as if thou hadst forgot them whose writings thou makest a joynt peece of the foundation in other places p. 33 34. or then the meer outward writings of the Apostles either together with them and that ground is no other but the self-same which the writings of all these bear one joint Testimony unto viz. the measure of Gods grace in every ones heart that teacheth to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts such as will learn of it and io live soberly justly and godly in this present world appearing to all men to that end bringing salvation along with it to such as submit to be taught by it 2 Tit. 1.17.14 called the riches of Gods goodness Rom. 2. which such as thou art despise to their own ruine not knowing it s given to lead to repentance the Law Light Doctrine Truth Spirit Word Writing and Testimony of God himself in the heart and conscience
another that as the most must needs be false so 't is enough to confound and amaze mens minds they are so many to meddle to finde which is true among their meanings and to set a man out of his own senses to set himself so several are they to seek out their several senses on the Scriptures many bumbling Volumes larger then the Bible it self being written or some one Text of Sripture Is it for want of power or efficacy in the Letter Yea that is one reason for howbeit I.O. sayes It is absolutely called the power of God and effectual to salvation yet to his own confutation I. O sayes the Letter is dead and without the Spirit of no efficacy for the good of souls But another and that not the least is because they live in Rebellion against the light which while they turn not to though Moses is read and the Prophets also and all the Letter or Old Testament yet the Vail remaineth over Moses and the Prophets faces and as over the Iewes over the heart of these Christians also which Vail is done away only in Christ and in turning to his Light and the Spirit within their minds are blinded being off from the Light so that they know neither Christ nor Moses nor the Voyces of the Prophets that are so often read which through ignorance they fulfill as the Iews did in condemning Christ and putting him to open shame in his Light Doctrine and Disciples Nevertheless if their heart shall yet turn to the Lord that Spirit and to his Light which is within that vail shall be taken away and they shall see with open face behold the glory of God and be changed into his Image be led indeed to that true Repentance that is never to be repented of but if they continue in their unbeleef in the Light and their hearturn not to the Lord in and by the Light in the time and space that is given them for that Repentance yet at least the face of the covering that is now cast over all people and the vail that is yet spread over all Nations shall be so far removed and destroyed at last that there shall be repentance enough to no purpose when it is too late when the Gulph is once fixed and Abraham is seen by these rich worldlings and Belly-gods afar or and Lazarus in his bosome when every eye that look's for him shall see him who now cometh in the Clouds and they also that have pierced him and all Kindreds of the earth that are no kin to him shall wail because of him Even so AMEN The Fourth Apologeticall and Expostulatory Exercitation CHAP. I. NOw to proceed in way of answer to I. O's Arguments for the Scriptures and Letter and Book and Bible and Texts and outward Writings of Moses and the Prophets as the onely Rule in alterable Standard now compleated Canon Touchstone of all Truth to which since its close and consignation after Iohn had written no new Revelations Writings or Scriptures of the old Truth as from the old Spirit of it are to be added no immediate manifestations inspirations motions missions from God as of old to be expected or if pretended to be admitted or owned but to be damned down as Delusion Fanaticism Enthusiasm Quakerism Diabolism vain uncertain unprofitable fancy figment detestable meraae tenebrae caecitas fines salutares quod attinet as to salvation meere darknesse and blindnesse it self and what not that 's naught Seeing it is so as abovesaid that all these false Prophets and Divines can prevail no further then to tangle and hamper and hinder men and to hide the truth by that hideous heap of unharmoneous Heterogeneous Heterodox more then Orthodox volumes of Divinity and to smoother darken confound and drive men away from the naked truth and draw them off from the Scriptures themselves that are plain and cleare to honest and plain-hearted men by their Smoak and Clouds and Circumferences and by that boundlesse bottomlesse incomprehensible chafly Chaos of their contradictory and confused Commentaryes with which the world is now burdened even beyond what it can well bear and contain sith I say there 's none to guide these poor erring lost perishing and as yet more deformed then reformed Nations into the life of God and power of godlinesse from which they are alienated because of the blindnesse of their hearts among all the Sons whom they have brought forth Isa. 51.18 Neither any that can take them by the hand and lead them in the true way of eternall life of all the Sons whom they have brought up at their Vniversities who sit together with them under the shaddow of death notwithstanding all their Tumbling ore of so many Tames about the Scripture is it then for want of true Prophets or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men divinely inspired and sent of God to call people to Repentance and to turn them to that light of God within that leads to Repentance by voice and writing to them as them elves have had the true way thereof manifested in them by the light as themselves being taught of God have learned and practiced it and are moved of the holy Spirit to preach and presse the practice of it upon others according to the scope of the Scriptures No! For there are many in England at this very day speaking reproving writing and prophecyâ—ng from the same light and by the same Spirit that the Scriptures came forth from and as themselves have received and heard from the voice and mouth of God and seen felt and handled of the word of life as the Prophets Amos 7. and the Messengers and Ministers of God and Christ of old Act. 26.16 17 18. 1 Ioh. 1.1 2 3 4 c. The Spirit of the Lord is not more straitned in these days from blowing where it lists then it was in the dayes of old howbeit because it lists not much as it never did to blow upon or inspire the learned Scribes Hypocritical Pharisees chief Priests aspiring Rabbies Divinity Doctors Proud Diotrepheses preheminence loving Praters hireling Preachers Fawning prudentiall Parasites Politicall Polliticians and such like but mostly upon a meaner sort of men as to outward account these wise men are most hardly brought to beleive it to be so and so as said the Priests Scribes Pharisees Rabbies and Doctors of old of Moses and the Prophets we own them know them and their Scriptures which yet they knew not nor the power of God We are their Disciples wee 'l stick to their writings that 's our compleat Canon our stable Standard our immutable measure to which nothing must be added and of Christ and his in the dayes of his flesh we know God spake to Moses as for this fellow and his fellows we know not whence he is and whence they are they are of the Devill have a Devill and are mad Why hear ye them they speak blasphemous words against Moses and the Law and this place the holy Temple and
earth and sate on the many waters peoples multitudes nations and tongues with whom both Kings and inhabiters of the earth being drunk intoxicated with the wines of her wisdom have committed fornication run a whoring from the wisdom of God divided and dividing the people that profess the name of Christ without his nature respectively into three PPParts Rev. 16.14.19 Rev. 2.20 21 22 23. Rev. 17.1.2.15.18 viz. 1. Pope and his carnall crue of Cardinals Mount Seniors Priests Iesuits Monks Friars of all sorts and all the other sorts of his spirituall men and women which are enough to weary one to read much more to reckon them all up in writing 2. Arch-Prelates Prelates Deanes under which name I.O. was lately the onely man in England till removed that stood denominated whose Popish Traditionall Title was Dean of Christ-church in Oxford an Officer that Christ never instituted in any Church that he constituted Deans and Chapters and all that hang on that Hirarchy in the fall of whose Spirituall Courts Tithes went down too as to the way of Recovery of them by any law from any that are not free to pay them if our wise Statesmen who sate at the Stern once had been made willing in their time to see what they saw before their fun was setting 3. Presbyters Parsons Vicars Curats and all manner of spirituall persons and their Officials Clerks Sextons c. depending still together with some that were once Independents as none of Christs but nationall messengers for nationall stipends Which said three swarms of Locusts who love the dark smoak they came out of more than the light which dispels it have covered over the whole European â—â—â—th and more too in all corners of it and have what they could withheld the wind of Gods spirit from blowing upon the earth that themselves might eat up the good things thereof and none of Christs spiritual ones appear to hinder them Rev. 7.19.3 But also even among those that truly pretend to it such as pretend falsely to the foresaid inspiration yet do not thou dream that because among these by Gods permission as a snare rained down on Ps. 11.6 and a stumbling-block laid in the way of the wicked that are disobedient Ier. 6.21 1 Pet. 2.8 there arise some false Prophets therefore God himself hath no Time ones for if he hath as so sure as thou hast clothes on thy back he hath many more than thou art yet aware of thou wilt get little by that fond conceit fith as thy self truly sayest Those whom God 〈◊〉 send are to be received on the same 〈◊〉 on which the other are to be refuse i.e. n paine of Damnation Neither deceive thy selfe so far I.O. any more as to make and imagine it such an unwonted wonderfull impossible matter as in a manner thou dost that even in these dayes men and women too should as of old they were be moved and inspired both to speake and write by the holy Spirit howbeit 't is true there are times of Gods going away and returning to his place withdrawing hiding himself his face in a little wrath for their forsakings of him from his own seed as it hath fell out for ages and generations together even 1260. years at least wherein all the inward Temple worship and worshippers therein lay wast and trodden down by the Gentiles or Nations that have had it given them so to do to glory in that name of Christians without any true Christianity and in literall formes and observations of externall Ordinances according to the letter which they have not kept to neither but abominably corrupted themselves in the use thereof and made void by their own tradition without either of those two witnesses the Word and Spirit which have been much more then the letter abused and depressed into so low a condition as to speak low out of the ground and whisper out of the dust and bear their Testimony fiting in Sackcloth regarded and attended to but by a few to which yet God is now giving power again to open their mouths and to devour their enemies and to burn up all that hurt them and to smite the earth and the dwellers in it that rejoyce and make merry over them with all Plagues as often as they will yet thereis a time of his returning to his own again and of being found of them that seek him and of his appearing to all those that love and wait for his appearing to their joy though the shame of their adversaries and of bringing forth the blind that have eyes and the deaf that have eares and of opening the eye of the blind and unstopping the eare of the deaf and causing the waters to break out in the Wildernesse and streams in the desert of pouring of floods upon the dry ground and making the thirsty Land springs of water and of speaking himselfe not so sparingly as before and of pouring out his Spirit on his Sons nad daughters Servants and handmaids that they shall prophesie and of revealing himself in Visions and of the heavens dropping down their dew and of preparing himself as the morning to meet such as follow on to know him that they may live in his sight Though therefore I.O. as little believes this as one of the Lords of King Ioram did Elishas Prophesie of so great plenty in Samaria after the wofull famine that came by the Syrians siege when an Asses head was sold for 41. and the fourth part of a kab of Doves dung for 55. and may come to see it with his eyes but not eat thereof because he saith as that Lord if the Lord make windowes in heaven can this be 2 Kings 7.1 2 17 18 19 20. yet such plenty of the Spirit of God shall be given out to them that believe in the light that out of their bellies shall flow rivers of living water and the spirit shall be a well of water springing up into eternall life and there shall be a measure of fine flower for a shekell and two measures of barly for a shekell and preaching and prophesying by the Spirits motions and writing by his inspirations shall be as good cheap as a measure of wheat for a penny and three measures of barly for a penny Rev. 6.6 and abundance of oyle and wine yea new wine that is now in the cluster which must no more be spoyled nor hurt nor destroyed by neither the great nor the little Foxes but we will be to them that hurt or hinder the tender grapes thereof for a blessing assuredly is in it Cant. 2.15 Isa. 65.8 Rev. 6.6 then shall the Asses heads be priz'd no more so high nor the Doves dung be sold so deare nor the chaff that hath been sold for wheat be so costly as it hath been nor any outward Excellencies which are but excrement with the spirit and the spouse who prize the Doves innocency above all that nor fleshly wisdome which is foolishnesse with God be
because men began to dote one upon another and to set up Idols and Images in their minds of good writings that were written for another end by the Spirits motion Histories Letters Epistles and instead of the Law of the Spirit of Life and Light which is by Christ Iesus to magnifie the outward Letter and make it Honourable which is but mens wiâ—nesse for God and to run a whoring after it from Gods own Witnesse even his Light and Spirit in the Conscience Must the Spirit be bound now by thee to read his minde to men in a book of mens writing at first by his own Guidance and of fallible mens mistanscribing from the hands one of another through so many ages or else he must be silent not manifest his mind at all He must read his old Sermons it seems but he must not preach new ones he may read in the Letter what he did reveale but must come forth in no new Revelations now of the old thing nor preach immediately in mens minds any more as he had done from the beginning of the world to that time and inspired immediately whom he pleased Is not this to muzle him up as the Bâ—shops were wont to doe the Parish Curates lest too much Truth should come forth and as they do where the Pope hath most to do at this day so that they may read not too much Scripture neither for therein I confesse the case is a little altered for the better in England but old mouldy Mass books and Forms of Service in Latine of their own setting out in which there is here a little and there a little sprinkling of some Scriptures mostly out of the Psalms which they most corrupt and make certain Sing songs out of or if there be any Homilies read it s a mighty matter but as those the Friars make are worth little and some of them worse then naught so as bad as they be there is few Sermons to be heard throughout the Popedome and as they allow men to read Writings of their own setting out but not preach nor speak in any other order method manner or form of words then as they find there so thou wilt allow the Spirit to speak to men in and by that letter he caused once to be written he may read his mind in mens hearts by that or have it read by mens mouths one to another if he will but no preaching now by himself within or by his immediate inspiration by men without nor writing neither but it must come to the touchstone of what he bade Paul Peter or others to write before which whoso shall presume to say it is of God or from God immediatly at all though it do agree never so much with that as all that is of God and from him doth and cursed be he that speaks contrary to what was of old written rightly understood or shall say 't is Truth before our time-serving Tryers have tryed it by that who understand it not themselves much lesse are fit to try Doctrines by it let him be dealt with according to the foresaid provision against Delusion made of old in the night time while men slept in that behalf But is God and Christ and the Spirit so sparing towards his people and so niggardly in dispensing Truth in revealing his Righteousnesse which he is now bringing neere and in shewing his Salvation which now is not to tarry to them that long for it and have long lookt for it according to his promise as those narrow headed niggardly hearted Nothings and Novices are whose work is all along as dumb as they are from opening their mouths otherwise to bark and bite them back again that having left off to linger any longer at their lips and as well to feed from their mouthes as to feed or put into them make more hast then they would have them from the depths of Hell and Darknesse towards Heaven Gods high and holy Hill Nay verily he sayes to his servants Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it and stands ready to make good that blessing he hath pronounced to such as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse viz. that they shall be from himself who only reveales it no lesse then filled with it Thus liberal the Lord and his Spirit is Yet these are the doings of the Churle whose instruments are evil and of the vile person who yeâ— would fain be lookt upon as liberall too as he hath been by such as saw him not in darker times nor discerned how he fed himself and not the flock and minded his own matters even to make meat for his own belly of them more then to make meat enough for the sheep in that dark and cloudy day Ezek. 24.8 9 10 11 12 c. But the hour cometh and now is wherein a Man even a shepheard whom he knows not shall reign in righteousnesse and be as Rivers of waters in a dry place and as the shadow of a great rock in a weaâ—y land wherein the deaf shall hear the words of the book which are sealed from the back-side Admirer the eyes of the blinde shall see out of obscurity and out of darknesse the eyes of such as seeing will see shall be no more so dimme as they have been and the eares of such as hear must hearken unto him the heart also of the rash or hasty that without heed have run they know not whether shall understand knowledge and the tongue of the stammerers be ready to speak plainly they also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learne Doctrine Then the vile person shall no more be called liberall nor the Churle said to be bountiful for the vile person will work villany and his heart will work iniquity to practise hypocrisie and to utter errour against the Lord to make empty the soul of the hungry and to cause the drink of the thirsty to faile the instruments also of the Churl are evil he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poore with lying words even when the needy steaketh right things but the liberall deviseth liberall things and by liberall things shall he stand In that day the burden of the insolent Antichristian Assyrian that hath so straightly besieged the people of God that dwell in Sion and cut off from them so far as God would suffer him he stay the staft the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water shall remove from off Sions shoulders and his yoke from off her neck yea that yoke shall be destroyed because of the anoynting Isa. 10.27 for the spirit shall be poured out upon them that wait for it from on high and the liberall soul shall be made faâ— and he that watereth shall be watered also himself and the wildernesse shall be a fruitfull field in which judgement and righteousnesse shall remain and the works of righteousnesse shall be peace and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for ever and
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
same rule thereof Phil. 3. Galat. 6 Walk they not in the same spirit walk they not in the same steps which that Spirit of God in them treads out for them Have they not that Spirit of Christ And if any man have it not for his Guide Leader Governour in all he doth as well as his Comforter is he Christs He that hath it not dwelling in him infallibly directing divinely inspiring him is he Christs Do not all that are in Christ Iesus to whom there is no condemnation all save such as go condemned in themselves to whom there is nothing but condemnation from God walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Do they not live in the Spirit walk in the Spirit pray in the Spirit sing in the Spirit serve in the Spirit and not in the Letter minister every one as of the ability God giveth from the Spirit not barely from the Letter And so though they may use the very words that are Letter and be well read in the Letter and quote the Letter as Christ did and the Prophets and Apostles did the outward writings one of another and by the Spirit be guided to utter the same words verbatim See Isa. 2. Mic. 4. and be mightier in the Letter then those that are Ministers of no more then the Letter yet are Ministers not of the Letter but the Spirit Are they as well as the Spirit is in them not in the Flesh but in the Spirit Are not all that are not in the night and in the darknesse and the children thereof but the children of the day of the light which is the Lords day in in the Spirit Rev. 1.10 Do they not by the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body Are they after the flesh Come they not by walking in the Spirit not to fulfill the lusts of the Flesh but to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Doth not the Spirit of God in them I ust against the flesh Doth not the law of the spirit of Life which is by Christ Jesus deliver them that follow it from the law of Sin and Death that they were once captivated by Doth not the Spirit quicken and give them life Doth it not help their infirmities pray in them with sighs and greanes and because they know not how to aske any thing as they ought doth it not make intercession for them according to God Are they not born of the Spirit and after the Spirit Doth not the Spirit of God bear witnesse to their spirit that are his children that they are so Doth it not reveale the great things of God and by that revelation make them know the things that are freely given them of God Is it not the unction from the holy one whereby they know all the things the Anoynting which was the Canon or Rule of the Saints from the beginning before any Letter was which is truth and is no lye which if they quench not grieve not let it not but let it abide and remain in them will teach them infallibly of all things so that they shall not need that any man teach them and which they abiding in the Doctrine or teaching of do not erre as the wicked world thinks they do but continue in the Son and in the Father Are they not led by it from under the Law and out of the Letter up into the life which the Letter speaks of but it self onely giveth out of the works of the flesh which in and by the light are manifest into the fruits that it self brings forth Doth it not bring all things to the remembrance of such as are led by it as all the Sons of God are that ever Christ spake Doth it not guide all such into all truth and onely into truth and not into any falshood delusion or deceit Doth it not take of Christs and shew it unto them Doth God do all this first or last more or less for all his people and doth none of all this amount to so much as the motion of the Spirit or divine inspiration Are there no spirituall men now in the world and is not every spiritual man a Prophet or more then a Prophet for though all in the Church are not Prophets on such a score and in so high a rank as thou reckonest on i.e. such as have witnessed a sending forth abroad on some service to others the service of some lying yet nearer home and in present reference onely to themselves some like the Sons of the Prophets at Iericho and Bethel 2 Kings 2.2 Kings 6. being yet under the Schoolmaster that leads to Christ in their nonage going as it were to schoole not at Athens nor yet at Oxford nor Cambridge where the Schools are not like that of theirs neither is the waiting in order to the Ministry like that of the Sons of the Prophets at Iericho but rather like that of those to whom it was said tarry at Iericho till your beards be growne which injunction many of our Iunior Academicall Students do not keep neither for howbeit Barbá non facit Philosophâ—m nec cucullus Monachum much lesse do either of these make Ministrum Christi yet severall of them if a good Living can be had before do not abide so long as till they be Masters of either beard or hood but are ready to run out with the shells on their heads and to hasten into their humane work of Prophesie before that time But at Bethel i.e. the house of the Lord waiting at the gates of wisdome it self and watching daily at the posts of her house taking councel at the mouth of God out of which onely cometh knowledge and understanding learning of him in silence with all subjection to his will as in the light it is manifest concerning themselves first in the particular purging their own persons first from youthfull and noysom lusts that they may go forth if the Lord please to send them and say go as Vessels of honour sanctified and fitted for the Masters use and prepared to every good work tarrying at Ierusalem till they he indued with power from on high till of carnall Babes in Christ as they are at first walking as other men having a remainder of strife and such divisions as are seen in children they may proceed Men indeed skilfull in the work of righteousnesse having their senses exercised to discern both good and evil and commence Masters not of Arts but over their own hearts and spiritual or Prophets which are intimated to be all one by the Apostle in the same Epistle wherein he saith some are yet but babes and in a measure carnal and all are not yet spiritual nor Prophets 1 Corinth 3.1 2,3 1 Corinth 12.29 1 Cor. 4.37 yet all to covet the gift of Prophecy as the best of Spirituall Gifts yet inferiour in excellency to that way of love Though then I say all be not Prophets yet all spiritual ones are prophets or more then Prophets and
repentance and if need be to expound the Scripture unto them according to the true mind of Christ exprest therein which these Theopneustoi only have and not the most excellent and expert of their Expositors who have it not by pure Revelation from the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.10.15 16. for there are true Prophets abroad that are truly moved in what they speak and write by the Spirit of the Lord though I. O. saith they are not as well as false who are not moved of the Spirit when they say they are there are pneumaticoi and agioi Theou anthropoi upo tou agiou pneumatos pheromenci spiritual and holy men of God carried out by the holy Spirit as of old as Amos and other Prophets were who are able to manifest more of the mind of God and open the old Scripture and give out more of the true meaning thereof by writing and preaching in an houre being in the Light and Wisdome of that Spirit of God which gave it forth then is opened truly by the worldly-wise and spiritually-dim-sighted-Divines in all those vast Volumes that they vent out of their own infinite inventions and in all the Sermons that such Simonists from the supposed spiritual gifts they have got with their own money and give out again by way of sale to the people for their money throughout the year yea there 's more truth told and more of the riches of Christ and of the hidden mysteries of the Gospel that have as of old been kept secret again since the dayes of Apostacy from the Apostolical ministration brought to light in this iuncture and much more will be in the day that 's yet but dawning by some one Sheep of Christ that went astray after the hollow voice of selfish Shepherds who served and fed themselves under a seeming shew of serving and feeding the Flock but is now returned to hear the Voice of the great Shepherd and Over-seer of Souls then by ninety and nine of thoâ—eforesaid hireling Shepherds that never yet went astray from themselves or the serving of themselves since they began to be other mens Masters and their own servants to this day there are I say sundry such spiritually inspired ones not a few of which are moved and sent of the Lord as his Messengers and Scribes both by writing and word of mouth to warn a wicked seed of Serpents and Generation of Vipers to repent and bring forth fruits worthy of amendment of life and to flee from the wrath that is now neer to come upon them as on children of disobedience to the Light of God in their own consciences who lay the Lords Axe to every stout Oak of Bashan and tall Cedar of Lebanon and every tree that 's lofty and lifted up to the root of every fruitless fig-tree that hath long cumbred the ground since the Lord hath spared it in hopes of fruit and is yet covered with no other covering then Adam and Eve made to themselves when they had sinned even the broad fig-leaves of fair forms good words sacred shews ample appearances Cains Sacrifices Esau's tears fleshly Israels formal fastings proud Pharises misfigured faces hypocrites holinesses painted pretences as little possession as much profession as little walking in as much talking of Truth Bible beautifying letter landing Anti-Scriptural Scripture defending discourses without that Life of Holiness Power of Godliness and fruits of Righteousness it calls for There are several who with Habakknk Ch. 2.1 are got upon their watch Tower hearkning to what God saith in them who have found nothing to answer when the Lord hath risen up to visit them and when they have been reproved by him Iob 31. but have sat speechle sand ashamed in silence before him bearing his indignation because they have sinned against him and have had their filth purg'd away by the Spirit of Iudgement and burning and felt woe within themselves as men undone of unclean lips and dwelling among people of unclean lips at the sight of the King the Lord of Hosts whose iniquity hath been taken away and their sin purged by the touching of their lips with a live coal from the Altar to whom as they have waited for it the Vision hath come at the time appointed and hath not tarried who having tasted of the cup of trembling within themselves Hab. 3. and known the terrour of the Lord as all the Prophets and true Apostles did before they were sent of the Lords Errand to perswade others 2 Cor. 5. and having seen the Son of man coming in his Kingdome in righteousness to judge the world and all the people with equity have since been sent among such as hate them that reprove in the gates and make men offenders for a word from the Lord to sound an Alarum to cry aloud and not spare but lift up their voice as a Trumpet telling the people that seem to delight in approaching to God and seek him daily asking of him the Ordinances of Iustice and not for saking the outward Ordinance of their God but are frequent in fasting and afflicting their Souls and hanging down their heads like a bull-rush for a day and calling out Lord give us light for we are in the dark direct us in thy truth lead and guide us in right paths and such like as if they did delight to know Gods wayes as a Nation that did righteousness telling such I say that they may fast long enough and yet God take no knowledge of it and find no pleasure in their fasts so long as in and after their fasts they find their own pleasure and live in strife and debate and sue Christs sheep at the Law for Tythes and not only tear off the Fleece from their backs but flea their very skins and flesh from their bones and smite with the fist of wickedness and that this is not at all to fast to the Lord nor the way to have their voice to be heard on high while their hands are full of blood and their singers defiled with blood and their lips speak lies and their tongues mutter perversenesse proudly contemptuously and disdainfully against the righteous and they hatch Cockatrice Eggs and weave the Spiders web and make such Laws as intangle the innocent which venemous creatures can crawl over and escape out of That the Fast which God hath chosen is to loose the bands of wickedness to let the oppressed Israel or just Seed of God go Free from the house of Bondage into which that spirit of Pharoah hath brought them and to undo the heavy burden and break every yoke within and without c. which doing their light shall break forth as the morning and their health shall spring forth speedily and they shall call and the Lord will answer and say Here am I when they cry and he will guide them himself continually by his light from himself in their own hearts and their light shall rise out of obscurity and their darkness be as the noon-day otherwise
good and Gods divine Attributes are things of God and the Spirit or else neither I nor those who wrote the Scripture neither know what the things of God and the Spirit are for they tell us that our duties of Love Ioy Peace Meekness Long suffering Temperance Patience and such like are the fruits of the Spirit and that not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh in the sins of adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness hatred wrath strife envy drunkenness revellings and such like works of it is the fruit effect and issue of walking in the Spirit and if these Love c. be not things of the Spirit excuse me if I say the Spirit which moved them to write that Gal. 5. knew not his own things himself and if ye say that Gods Divine Attributes Mercy Iustice Iudgements Truth Holiness are none of his things excuse me also if I favour not foolish fancies so far as to spend time pains and paper to prove they are to them which is so clear that 't were as idle a thing to make clearer then it is as 't were to light a candle to shew a blind man qui ad sâ—lem caecutire vult that the Sun shines And that the light doth manifest not only sins and duties but the said Divine Attributes also as we have had T.Ds. witness against him so let us take I. Os. testimony against himself too and then we shall be pretty well as to that Which I.O. preaches it out in print in two Tongues lest one should not be loud enough in English thus p. 42.43.45.46.47 by the innate light of Nature so he calls it and principles of the Consciences of men that indispensible moral obedience which he requireth of us his creatures subject to his Law is made known by the Light that God hath indelibly implanted in the minds of men accompanied with a moral instinct of good and evil seconded by that self-judgement which he hath placed in us in reference to his own over us doth he reveal himself to the sons of men the Voice of God in Nature so he calls it declares it self to be from God by its own Light and Authority there 's no need to convince a man by substantial witnesses that what his conscience speaks it speaks from God whether it bear testimony to the Being Righteousness Power Omniscience or Holiness of God himself or whether it call for that moral obedience which is eternally and indispensably due to him and so shews forth the work of the Law in the heart c. Those common notions are in laid in the natures of men by the hand of God to this end that they may make a Revelation of him as to the purposes mentioned and are able to plead their own Divine Original Mark of Divine Original here in-laid by Gods hand yet anon flowing ex principis naturae without the least strength or assistance from without and in Latine Ex. 4. S. 14. Non tantum multae Coinat Ennâ—iai c. Englished thus Not only many common notions and principles of Truth abide fixed in the understanding by the efficacie of which men may discern some divine things and discern between good and evil but also by the help of the Conscience take heed to themselves as concerning many duties with respect had to the Iudgement of God which they know they are liable to Moreover this Light in all at years of understanding by the consideration of the works of God Creation and Providence manifesting his Eternal Power and Godhead and in some by the Word preached may be improved and confirmed but how far this Light can direct stir up and provoke mens minds to yield obedience to God and they by it be left without excuse it pertains not to this place more precisely to discuss One of the main things pertaining to this point about the Light to be discussed among the rest yet I. O. I believe was afraid to thrust his fingers too far into the fire here for fear lest prâ—ying too narrowly how far the efficacy of this Light extends he should being forced to see somwhat that he is loath to see both looâ—e his cause and open his conscience too wide and therefore would wade no further there I need not open it to him that is not defective in his naturals how in all this as if not more abundantly then T. D. in that above I. O. confesses and witnesses to the truth of the first part of my minor Proposition viz. that the Light in the Conscience of all as heeded gives the knowledge of those things of God and his Spirit which the Spirit of God only knows searches and shews and reveals to such as wait in his Light to have the mind of Christ manifested in them therein which the natural man by a natural light cannot so know and diâ—cern Only Ob. If it be objected those are the deep things of God there spoken of 1 Cor. 2. which your Light in the Conscience of all is too shallow to search out yea the glorious things of the Gospel it self the mystery of which T.D. who knows it not yet himself for want of turning to it sayes by that Light within All know not and the natural man discerns not Answ. That the natural man which is he that leans to the Letter and his own understanding and looks not to the Lord in his own Light and Spirit in the heart as spiritual men do and in the doing of which men of natural become more and more spiritual de facto discerns no otherwise then naturally not savingly and spiritually I still grant but a non esse ad non posse still nil valet Our question is how far that Light heeded avails that way which I affirm is so far that according to the measure of it in men and their attendance to it it leads gradually as the Light and Spirit and anointing of God is said to do such as abide in it as it in them into all truth the knowledge of the very deep things of God and the Gospel a dim shallow sight of which it gives to such as turn to the least beam of it in them E. G. the Iudgements of God are one of the deep things of God thy Iudgements are a great deep Rom. 11.33 His Judgements and the wayes of it and Wisdome of God therein are a depth O the depthâ—hewr unsâ—archable his Iudgements his wayes past finding out No natural man by the improvement of his natural understanding in reading the Letter can know them Israel did not who had the Iudgements and the Statutes in the Letter for want of looking to the Light and Spirit any more excepting the few spiritual ones and children of the Light that were ever hated among them nay nor so much as many Heathens that had and heeded the Law or Light in the Conscience yet had no Law in the Letter but were more sottish stupid fearless of God ignorant and prophane then the Heathen among whom the
or accuse according as the Consâ—ience thereby enlightned bears inward witness both of the Ius and the fact and that the moral instinct of good and evil that is within by that is seconded by a self-judgement i. e. an inward justifying clearing and acquitting as it s answered or else a terrifying and condemning as it s transgrest This therefore is another argument of the common Lights sufficiency to save from condemnation such as walk by it from which I may conclude it Arg. 16. That which can and doth excuse its observers does not only serve to restrain sin and to leave he transgressors of it without excuse but also save from condemnation but the Law in the heats of Heathens excuses it observers witness Rom. 2.15 from which place ye are fain all to confess the same where it s said That by the work of the Law which the Heathen shewed written in their hearts their inward thoughts not only accuse but excuse yea very Ethnicks are not left without Plea or excuse by it if it be not sufficient to save as is shewed above asd as T. D. confesses page 40. 1 Pamp. We may suppose quoth he the Heathen might say had we known of a remedy we would have made use of it therefore it not only leaves without excuse when men violate it but saves from condemnation such as obey it That 's a strange unheard of kind of Law that kills as well its keepers as its breakers or that takes vengeance on the violaters of it and cannot keep the keepers of it from the vengeance of it neither yet T. D. sayes page 5. 2 Pamp. The Light condemns the Heathen when they disâ—bâ—y it but cannot save them though they do obey it indeed he adds without Christ and so say I too but that Light is in them from Christ and so if it save them as it does if they obey it it saves them not without him for it s he that saves them by it but our Diviners Divine enough to the contrary to the utter confutation of themselves in this when by their own confession the common Light in the Conscience they more commonly then properly call Natural doth not only accuse such as go from it but also excuse such as keep to and walk by it within themselves for is not Iustification non-condemnation absolution and consequently Salvation from guilt and wrath where excusation is as well as guilt wrath and condemnation where accusation and no excuse Is it possible there should be any condemnation where no transgression but an answering to the Law lent men to live by for sin as before is but the transgression of the Law or Light that every one hath and as where no Law is so where no breach is of the Law where it is there 's no transgression and where the Conscience gives a good answer and the heart by the Light in it that shews Ius and Factum condemns not doth God condemn is there not acceptance boldness and confidence toward him as there is fear terrour wrath and condemnation from God where it doth condemn yea your selves confess it yet the Law in the heart the Light is sufficient to accuse yea and excuse well and ill doing respectively but not to save justifie or give life say our light treacherous Prophets dark Divines and lifeless Leaders Ob. The Letter kills cannot give life Rep. True but why is it but because it s desobeyed and cannot give ability to any to do what it requires The Law or Light and Gospel and All kills such as transgress it I say the Gospel it self condemns but whom is it none but such as hate and take not heed to it that thereby they may come from under the curse and death into the life it calls for else it being the power of God to the Salvation of such as believe in it Life should be by the Light one way more then it could come by by the Letter for the Letter could keep them that keep it from the Curse denounced in it to the breakers of it yet cannot give any an ability to keep it But the light is not only able to acquit justifie clear absolve secure and save from wrath all such as believe in and obey it but al o to enable such as look to it and impower them more and more to obey and walk by it and consequently by the letter which cannot be transgressed by such as abide in the light all such as singly come to it and continue waiting on the Lord in it Object The Law cannot give life if it could righteousness should be by the Law Gal. 5.21 Rep. True the Law in the letter the Old Testament which he there speaks of as in opposition to the New which is the Gospel the Light and Spirit cannot in regard of the weakness of flesh to fulfil it and its weakness to enable any to the fulfilling of it for the Righteousness declared and required therein must be performed or else it utters nothing but accusation and cursing and yet to perform that Righteousness the letter can no wise impower But the Law which is the light in the Spirit that is and comes from Christ into the Conscience is the Law of Life forasmuch as howbeit it taketh vengeance en mens inventions and ministers first judgement and condemnation to the transgressors for transgression and wrath on the evil doer and his evil deeds yet when it hath condemned sin in the flesh wherein it is committed so long till it hath condemned it out of the flesh and brought forth judgement in thâ—se that wait on it unto victory over the sin that is judged it ministers the righteousness and the peace and the liberty from the sin and the Life of God it self it requires calls for and through the Judgement leads too and then justifies those whom it hath this way enabled to perform it In both which respects though the Law of the letter is not so yet the Law of the Spirit of Life which is the Light in Christ and in us from him sith it both 1. enables the followers of it to fulfil it and 2. secures from wrath and condemnation the fulfillers of it who e're they are Iew or Geâ—tile such as have the letter without or have it not that obey it it is not sufficient only to accuse the rebels against it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and condemn them within themselves but also as utterly insufficient to save and bring to life utcunque ei attendentes such as never so punctually observe and perform it as our Preachers prate it is altogether even every way sufficient to save to the utmost all such as come to God by Christ from whom it comes and to Christ in it According to Rom. 8.1,2,3,4 There is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit For thâ— Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the
Law of sin and death For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Thus then it is evident that the Law of God which is not the letter of it but the light is powerfull and sufficient to save save only that men turn from and transgresse it and that it is universal and in all men is as evident out of Rom. 2.13 14. where it is said that those ye call Heathen who have not the outward literal copy of it do shew the work of the Law written in their hearts which wâ—rk of the Law T. D. who yet grants the Law it self to be spiritual in his meer natural understanding calls natural as if the work of the Law of God which is Spiritual and perfect were not spiritual as the Law it self is which work or effect of the Law Psalm 19.7 8 9. is said to be the conversion of the sâ—ul rejoycing the heart enlightning the eyes cleansing purifying c. and not only the shewing of sin and good and censuring for the obedience oâ— disobedience as T. D. dotes who undertaking to teach G. W. what the work of the Law is and how it differs from the Law it self p. 3.2 Pamp. understands neither what he himself sayes nor whereof he affirms which works of the Law the Scripture there mentions which diâ—covers T. Ds. ignorance of the works or effects of the Law if they be natural I know not what â—s spiritual and yet to get out of that absurdity in proof of it he runs into another saying in the next clause thus viz. the Heathen do by nature the things contained in the Law as if that were corrupt nature in the Heathen that did conform them to the Law when as the nature there spoken of by which they are said to do the things of the Law is that rature after which God at first made man upright and after his own Image in righteousness and holiness of truth before they sinned and run out into their own inventions and so fell short thereof which nature and image is in it self â—are divine perfect in reason and understanding and doing thâ— Mind and Will of God though men mostly become degenerated from that into another swinish brutish nature even the nature and image of the Serpent the subtillest of beasts of the Devil and Satan himself and so of men as they were made become beasts of the field and of noble Vines of Gods planting in his Garden at first and wholly a right seed turning from the light into the darkness of their own vain thoughts and imaginations became a seed of evil doers and a degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto the Lord in which staâ—u corrupto and by which contrary nature not created by God but contracted to themselves the other nature image and glory of God which when man sinned crept inward lies hid and covered in them till by the Light of God which is given to that end they are as by a line or clew led down into themselves and through the laborynth of their own learning and lusts which lies a top of it to find it out again and till by the said light the house be swept and the lost money seen and that swinish nature destroyed and the lost sheep sought out and saved and till the works and image of the Serpent who hath in the dark stampt his own likeness on them be again defaced and till the tares which he hath sowed in the night while men slept in the field or inner world of the heart and that earth which hath overgrown the other and brought forth briaâ—s and thornes weeds neetles thistles c. which is accursed be burnt up and consumed from above that which brings forth herbs meet for the Masters use to which the blessing is by the spirit of judgement and of burning in which selfish nature which is that of Cain and Ishmael and Esau the three Elder that have no acceptance men will be sacrificing serving and glorying in Righteousnesses and Church-works of their own devising which All are abomination with God because done in that same nature still in which they are disobedient sinning and serving divers lusts and so by that nature become as well in their very righteousness as in their wickedness children of Gods wrath Ephes. 2.2 Tit. 3.2 incurring his displeasure by their doing of such things as are not only besides but against the Law or Light of God in the Conscience and contrary to that pure primitive nature by which only as men by the light come back to it as many do without the letter the things contained in the holy Law can be done And this contradicts that grosly absurd sottish false blind and ignorant Assertion of T. D. which as A. Parker related to me he uttered in a discourse with him at Sandwich before many people since those three more publick disputes held by R. H. G. W. and my self with him and his Confederates and Associates against us who yet are at odds amongst themselves some Prclatick some Presbyterian some Independent viz. that it is the corrupt nature by which the Nations are said Rom. 2. to do the things contained in the Law Which is I say the grossest absurdity false doctrine and contradiction to the Scripture that can well-nigh possibly be given for by that corrupt sinning nature by the yet T. D. is not ashamed and blushes not to say men do the things câ—ntained in Gods Law alias keep obey observe conform to Gods Law which is the pure light shining in the Conscience that is spiritual holy just and good that never did nor can pâ—ssibly consent to the least sin or do other then reprove and condemn it in the heart I say by that corrupt nature which men have by the fall from God who made them upright contracted to themselves which is the very enmity it self against God and all good men do and can do no other then sin against God and do the things that are not contained or commanded in but are contrary to the Law and walk in the trespasses and sins in which they lie dead according to the common course and custome of the World while it lies in the wickedness not minding the light according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience and have their conversation in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind drinking in iniquity as naturally as the beast drinks in water without satisfaction working uncleanness with greediness 1 Iohn 2.1 2 3 14 18 19. and so are by that nature children of wrath But in respect of which said pure primitive nature some Gentiles that have not the letter but the Light
viz. Abâ—aham who saw his day before any History or Letter of your Scripture at all was wâ—ittâ—n Was it not by that as they walk on with God in it from Abel Enoch Noah and downward some measure of which but that they minded it not as some few did but were ever alienated from it walking in their own wayes was in all Nations as well as some and not more save only in measure in the Prophets then in other men And did not this light without and bâ—fore the Letter help some even such still as walk't after it to the belief of this and that God would raise the dead and judge the world which they wrote in the Light and Spirit in which they saw it and in that wisdome which in all Ages Wisd. 7. entering into holy souls that heed it makes them friends of God and Prophets Were these things then as R. B. thinks in his Query never manifested by the Light without the Letter nor by any Revelation that doth accompany the Light were men never so obedient to it What darkness is this of R. B. in his ten Queries who yet to pin the basket at the end of this tenth Query to add weight to the lightness and light to the darkness of it adds one more of his own thoughts and odd conceits in these words R. R. I think its past controversie that no man hath sufficient Grâ—ce to his Salvation till his last breath For if God add not more for his preservation all will be lost Ans. By which hasty speech the man proclaims his being in the darkness and besides the light that is in him so loud and exalts its fâ—lly and sets it so on high that All may see it save such as are with him in the dark where he is for besides the absurdity above spoken to of his arguing from Gods adding more and mens not having so much yet as they may have that therefore they have none at all of that Grace which is sufficient he turns from the true terms of his Question taking the word suffienâ— here in quite another sense then it hath been taken in along viz. for the highest dâ—gâ—â—â— only of that Grace of God when as the question is about the sufficiency of it to save from that sin it shews such as keep to it in the very least degree and lastly expresly contradicts the Scripture which speaks of the suffiâ—â—ency of God Grace to keep men that keep to it in such degrees of it as are attainable in this life witness that of God to Paul full fourteen years behind the time wherein he spake it and many more before the time of his last breath 2 Cor. 12. My grace is sufficient fâ—r thee I conclude then all R. Bs. Queries notwithstanding that though all are not saved by it yet all have some of that Light and Grace which is â—aving and that all are not saved as some are it is becausâ— they come not into that Light and Grace â—f God which is come intâ— and unto them And now I return to R.B. and I.Ts. Arguments against this whose 26th fâ—om Iohn 6.44 45. 65. is thus There 's need of a further drawing or gift of the Faâ—her that a man may come to Christ as there would not bâ— if his own light without other help would make known Christ to him therefore each mans own light is not sufficient c. Rep. Here R. B. layes on hard again upon the Anvil beside the Iron in diâ—proving the sufficiency of mans own light by which he means mans thoughts wisdâ—mâ— c. which we count daâ—kness and foolishness much more then himself does when the Question is about the Light of Gâ—d in the heart of which we say that though none can come to Christ without Gâ—d draw him yet by that Gâ—d dâ—aws all meâ— though aâ—l mâ—n câ—me not after hiâ— And so the reaâ—on why they perish still is not because God does not dâ—aw thâ—m to life by a light sufficient to lead to it but because they resist hang back and will nto follow it therefore sayes God I drew them with the coâ—ds of my love with the bands of a man yet shall they go into captivity because they refused to return The 27. from 1 Iohn 4.1 1 Thes. 5.21 Mat. 4.24 Believe not every spirit but try the spirits c. Prove all things take heed what ye hear is thus If each persons light within him were a safe guide of it self to God then no men need to try other mens spirits nor to prove all things left he be deceived sith if he follow his own light he is fallible c. But these things are absurd and contraâ—y to the warinest Christ prescribes therefore the light within each person is not a sufficient guide to God I shall instead of his own light placing the Light of God about which only the Dispute is syllogize these mens silly Syllâ—gisme back upon them thus If the Light of God within each person were not a sufficient and safe guidâ— to lead him to God then no man need to trouble himsâ—lf sâ— much as to try other mens spirits or prove all things left he be deceived for that is but labour in vain sith if he have not a measure of Gods Infallible Light and Spirit in â—im whereby to judge of things even of that Light of which the Letter sayes That all thingâ— that are to be reproved Eph. 5. are manifâ—stâ—d by it and no truth is infaâ—liby manifested but by it which only leads into all truth he is not infallibâ—y guided nor undoubtedly sure of his hand let him look search prove and try as much as he will any more then a man can infallibly diâ—cern and distinguish of colours in a dismal dark night or dark place where not one beam of the Sun shines so as to discover them But these things are absurd and contrary to the wariness that Christ prescribeth who doth not bid men try all things by that Light and Spirit of God which only makes all truth and all that is knowable of God and all things of God manifest in men Rom. 1.19 and yet not vouchâ—afe them one beam of that only sufficient Light to try any thing by yea 't were no less then as meer mockage as to bid a man read for his life in a dark Dungeon without sufficient light either of Sun or candle or take heed to himâ—elf by that Light that shines in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 when there 's no true light there at all and contrary also to all common sâ—nse and reason therefore there is in every man some of that Light of God which as its heedeâ— according to the measure of it is able to guide him infallibly to judge of the matters truths wayes dâ—ctrines spirits he is bid to try on peril of being deceived to damnation and a sufficient safe guide to lead him unto God I wonder what Light Spirit Rule and Touâ—hstone all Truth and all
own understanding as the Clergy does hath but a fool to his Master yet so far as David needed God to know and try his heart and thoughts so far he needed Gods Light within him there being no way whereby God who searches the heart and tryes the reins to give to everyman according to his wayes both searches sees and alâ—o shews unto man his thoughts and leads him in the way everlasting but by his own Spirit Light and Word within man which alone is to that end quick and powerful sharper then any two edged sword piercing and dividing asunder between the marrow and reins soul and joynts and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart so that not any thing is bid from the sight thereof but all things are naked and bare before him with whom we have to do so far as with that Word and Light which is Gods own Witness within man whereof the Letter which is mans witness for God without man testifies which leads to the Light while that Light and Truth it points at leads only to the life and way everlasting of which sayes the Psalmist O send out thy Light and Truth that they may lead and that they may guide and conduct me unto thy Holy Hill and to thy Tabernacle Their 29th from Deut. 4.8 Psal. 147.19.20 Rom. 3.1.2 is thus What advantage then hath the Ierk and what prâ—fit is there in Circumcision if each Gentile had a Light within him as a sufficient guide in the things of God as the Qua. teach then they had known Gods Statutes and Iudgements Gods Oracles had been committed to them as well as to the Iews they had had as righteous Statutes and been as wise a Nation as they But these consequents are false and contrary to the Texts Rep. The advantage the Iew or Circumcision outward according to the flesh and Letter not Spirit over the Gentile or uncircumcision outward in the flesh and Letter was much every way and yet not so much as is inconsistent with each Gentiles having some measure of Gods Light within and the profit that the Circumcision had which ye repeat your selves yet are so blind that ye cannot see it was in that chiefly mark to them were committed the Oracles of God which term chiefly be tokens that in some manâ—er and measure the Oracles of God were committed to the uncircumcision also which term could not be properly used if the other had them not at all If one should say the Angel or Ecclesiastical Leaders of the Laâ—dicean Church of England are chiefly first or principally blinded that would intimate that the people are in some measure blind though not so much as their Clergy in things of God So this advantage the Iew had in that preaching the Covenants and Promâ—ses and tenders of Gods Grace was chiefly or first for the word is Proton Rom. 3.2 made unto them as Act. 3.46 to you chiefly or first Proton God having raised up his Son Iesus hath sent him to bless yâ—u in turning away every one of you from his iniquities So Act. 13. 'T was meet thâ— Word of this Salvation shâ—uld Proton first or chiefly be preached to you so sayes Christ Luke 24.47 That Repentance and Remission of sins should bâ— preached among aâ—l Nations beginning at Ierusalem Again they had the Tables of the Covenant and the outward Letter and the types and shadows of the good things and the earthly Canaan Kingdome City Ierusalem Dominion Dignity and Glory that were the figures of the true besides a measure of the inner light that led to the substance and that the Eternal Life lay in which the Gentile had some of together with them so the Iew still had the pâ—eheminence and pâ—â—â—rity had they had the consideration to have improved it but the chiâ—f price being put into their hands and they like fools not using it nor looking through all this to the end of the things now abolished nor to the Light and Power of the endless life but to the Letter and Law only of a carnal Commandment which they boasted of and yet brake it they lost that preheminence and let the Gentiles out-strip them and be chief as to the Iustification and they themselves became chiefly condemned Rom. 2.26.27 Shall not the uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfill the Law judge thee who by the Letter aâ—d Circumcision dost transgress the Law And verse 8.9.10 Indignation wrath tribulation anguish upon every soul of man that worketh â—vil to the Jew first or chiefly Proton and also to the Gentile So 2 Esdâ—as 1.37 Though they have not seen me with bodily eyes yet in spirit they believe that thing that I say but if we speak of the true Circumcision which is that of the heart and spirit not of the Letter and of the true Iew inwardly his advantage over the Iew outward and the outward Gentile his advantage is indeed over all for his praise is not of men but of God himself And this is that Israel of God and that Iew and not the Synagogue of Satan that say they are Iews and are not but do lye Rev. 2. whose the Salvation and Kingdome Glory and Covenants and lively Oracles and All is for Salvtion is of the Iews Luke 18. of Abrahams Seed which are Christs and Heirs according to the Gospel promise heirs of the world and blessed with faithful Abraham as they are of his Faith and his children doing his works who did not kill Christ as the Clergy does Iohn 8. Rom. 4. Gal. 3. before the feet of which Iew the Lord will make the pretended Iew whether natural Iews or meer nominal Christians to fall down and worship and to know that he hath loved them and these are those Iews that Israel and Iacob but that the blind cannot look through the vail into the end of the Type which is abolished of whom it s said Psal. 147.19.20 He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Iudgements unto Israel he hath not dealt sâ— with aâ—y Nation and as for his Statutes and Iudgâ—ments they have not known them for howbeit it the natural Iew outward knows much that his Leâ—ter tells him and by the outward hearing of the ear the outward Statutes and Iudgâ—ments of God and also the outward Gentile though nominally Christian by his light within as well as that natural Iew by that and his Letter too knows the Iudgements of God Rom. 1. that those that dâ— such things as thâ—y do are worthy of death yet the Iew in spirit or Christian by nature not name only having within himself as Paul and they 2 Coâ— 5. known the terror of the Lord and felt the weight of his hand for sin and seen hâ—w fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God and known the power of his wrath while his Judgements which begin at his own house past upon him in his own Conscience which who e. but they knows saith the
the Term Our which quite alters the state of the Question and makes it altogether another This Truth is told us viz That the Terms of the 3. Question were Whether Good works be the meritorious cause of our Iustification which was expressely affirmed by the Qua Witnesse Hen Oxenden Iohn Boys Esquires Mr. Nath Barry Mr. Thomas Seyliard Mr. Char Nicolls Ministers a few of very many Witnesses quoth T.D. in his Epist to the Reader of the Terms of the Questions agreed to by the Qua who will free me and how well they free him let all the world judge from the suspition of a partial Relator Witnesse also T.D. himself who if it be the same T.D. as no doubt it is who wrote both that Book and the Epistle and Narrative thereto annexed in p. 58. of the self-same Book to the Contradicting and Confounding of himselfe in the former Tale together with those his own Witnesses tells all that Truth that is last related 2. They tell us one while that is when we not only assert it but evince it from the Rule of contraries that its rank Popery to say Good works deserve Iustification Otherwhiles that is when to the contradiction of themselves they assert and evince the same from the same Rule then to go round again it 's no Popery Witnesse T.D. who in p. 14. of his 1. Pamphlet sayes S.F. shews himself a rank Papist indeed in so arguing yet p. 15. in proof of himselfe to be a good Protestant no Papist allows himself so to argue viz Evill works which are the violation of the Law deserve damnation Ergo Good works which are the fulfilling of the Law deserve salvation adding That he knows no good works such but Christs To which I answer Nor do I know any good works such but Christs and I adde I own all Good works such that are Christs and there T.D. dissents in not owning all Christs own Good works such but some only namely such as he did at Ierusalem and some even of Christs own Good works as namely all such as he works in his Saints who works all their good works in them Isa 26.12 as no better then dung losse and filthy rags Witnesse his blind blending of these two distinct businesses into one and the same viz The righteousnesse wrought by men without Christ and the righteousnesse wrought in men by Christ or Our good works alias Mans own righteousnesse wrought only by men in their own wills wisdome strength according to their thoughts imaginations conceits traditions c. without Christs Light and Spirit which is that only the Spirit calls Ours that is as an unclean thing as filthy rags Isa 64.4 which God speaking to Israel that being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse went about to establish their own Rom 10.3 calls Thy righteousnesse thy works which cannot profit nor deliver Isa 57.12 13. And which Paul Phil. 3.9 stiles his own righteousnesse which was of the Law as in opposition to that of God and Christ And those good works of Christ in our persons in performing whereof the righteousnesse of the Law is said though by Christs Power only to be fulfilled in us Rom 8.4 Or that righteousnesse which is though in the Saints yet of God alone through their faith in Christ Iesus the Light Phil 3.9 For these two Righteousnesses the one whereof who is not blind may see to be only mans own which is worse then naught and avails not The other only Christs own which must be of infinite worth and desert to justifie as T.D. also to the further confounding of himselfe truly confesses p. 15.1 Pam from the dignity of the person or subject i.e. Christ in us by whom it 's performed T.D. confounds together both into one and the self same and consequently concludes himself unavoidably to be respectively both a Self Contradictor and which is worse a most abominable Blasphemer For if the Righteousnesse and Obedience that is by Christs Power performed in his Saints Persons be both Christs own and yet mans own also Then being one and the same individual righteousnesse it must have a mutual participation of the same Properties and Denominations respectively so that if Christs own righteousnesse may be said to be of worth and desert to Salvation as it truly is by T. D. himselfe then â— mans Pauls the Saints own righteousnesse which T.D. sayes was Christs received from Christ wrought by Christ must be consequently meritorius also and that 's a piece of rank Popery and wretched Foppery of T.Ds. own broaching who yet would Father it upon the Qua which the Qua who own all mans own righteousnesse to be as the Scripture sayes of it unclean dung losse and filthy rags and utterly unprofitable do as utterly abhorre and so T.D. makes himselfe a Merit Monger with a witnesse such as never yet was found among the Qua That dying-Qua at Dover himself whom T.D. belyes in that particular not excepted And again If Mans Pauls the Saints own righteousnesse may be said as it truly is Isa 57.12 13. 64.4 Phil. 3.8 to be unprofitable unclean dung losse and filthy rags then the self same which Paul and other Saints their own righteousnesse being no other then Christs then what they receive from him and he works in them as T.D. sayes for their Sanctification some of Christs own righteousnesse Yea even that too which serves for the Saints sanctification and to make the Saints meet for that possession where â—no unclean thing must enter must be unprofitable unclean dung losse and filthy rags which is no lesse then point blank blasphemy yea in expresse terms p. 23. I deny our justification by Christ in us quoth he by that righteousnesse in us whereof Christ is the Author as if that Christ in us and that righteousnesse of his in us which is the same with that without us deserved nothing 3. Moreover in saying there are two Righteousnesses of Christ when as the Righteousness of Christ whether in himself or in his Saints is but one he crouds confusion upon confusion in the eye of every clear considerer of his inconsiderable stuff which cannot but see that what God joyns together as one this he separates and puts asunder what is truly one and undivided as Christ and his Righteousnesse is this he divides and distinguishes into two righteousnesses 2 Things meant by that one name of Christ his Person and his Operations in us The latter whereof he denys for righteousness to justification But what things are truly and distinctly two and ought accordingly to be and by the Lord are divided separated and put asunder as Mans Pauls the Iewes own righteousnesse and that righteousnesse which is of God by faith in Christ received from and wrought by Christ in his Saints which the Scripture Rom 10 Phil. 3. opposes and speaks of as in contradistinction each to other These two T.D. and his Brother Builders whose work it is to build Babel or confusion as their
yet T. D. sayes much of the truth of the Scripture is written on the hearts of the Heathen and that so much of it as is there written is their Rule so by consequence mens Rule can't of it self warrant mens actions to be right that are regulated by it Oh the Rounds of these men yea Tomb. and Baxter blush not in proof of that their lye as boldly as blindly to assert in the same page that Paul in his bloody persecutions and sins followed the light within him and counted it his great sin that he had so done though they confesse as before that all light in all men is from God and Christ and that the light some of which all men have from God and Christ though dim in regard of its small measure gives them to discern sins dutyes and divine Attributes and leads them to much of God and more morallity fidellity chastity temperance righteousness which the Letter sayes are the fruits of the Spirit then most Christians have attained to Yea so blasphemously seeme they to speak in the same page of the light within which the Qua. follow and call to which is no other then that of God in men that convinces them of sin as to intimate that men may as the Quakers say they do follow the light within them and yet their practice be of the Devill The Prince and Ruler only of the darknesse in men and not from Gods Spirit yea say they there if following the dictates of a mans own Conscience i.e. the leadings of the light in it could warrant his actions the most horrid acts of Idolaters Papists Pagans Mahometans Fanaticks i. e. mad men should be free from censure and controul Thus to their own shame confusion and self contradiction who one while speak well of it they speake abominably of the light within as if all the wickednesse that is in the world came to passe by following the light within the conscience the going away from which into mans own vain imaginations and vile inventions into the dark for not taking heed to the â—ouncell of God i. e. his light in the heart is the only cause of all abomination without which light shining and mens loving the darknesse and evill deeds which it condemns more then it there could be neither sin as â—hrist sayes nor condemnation Iohn 3.19 Rom. 8 1. As to go round again to their own confutation themselves intimate in the very next words p. 41 42. which are thus If a man do that which he thinks to be evill that is by the lights dictating it so to be in his own Conscience as they hinted just before though it were good and lawfull in it selfe it would be sin to him yea that man that doth good against his conscience is hut an hypocrite in so doing though the thing in if self be right and good When a man doth evill which his conscience tells him is so he commits a sin of the highest degree as to him that knowes to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Iam. 4.7 That is sin in an high degree hence great horrour of spirit hath attended them that have omitted good which their conscience told them they should do and much more horrour in them that have done evill against their conscience as in the case of Iudas Spira and other instances might be given Without which acting against conscience there 's neither sin nor horrour say we with John and Christ Ioh. 15.24 1 Ioh. 3 20. but peace as themselves hereunder confesse i.e. assurance of Gods acceptance acquittance non-condemnation justification And therefore say they if the Qua intended no more then this by bidding men look to the light within them And no more then that do we intend God knows though the blind Guides who can't see Wood for Trees hating us are minded to make men mistake us as miserably as themselves mistake us that men should take heed that they omitted not the good their own consciences told them they ought to do and that they did not the evill their consciences judged to be so we should accept of their warning Surely it will concern you as to look that your conscience be not erroneus As it ever is when and never is say I but when it erres from the light of God within it for the heart is a dark place of it self but as the true light shines in it 2 Pet. 1. 19. and heeds not that So when your conscience is rightly informed to follow it and when it goes wrong As it never does say I but when it goes from its guide the light yet to suspend the act which it condemns Till by the light it come to approve of what it ignorantly condemned if you desire peace It seemes then by these men as well as the Qua doctrine that peace is no where to be had but in walking according to the light in the Conscience there will say they be no plea to acquit him before God or to quiet his own spirit who proceeds to act according to the light in his own conscience And a sin against the light of nature So they stile that voyce of God in the conscience still is so much the more damnable in that it is against the most irrefragable evidence Mark how they somtimes yield the light in the conscience of all to be a far clearer evidence then that of the letter it self and more dangerous to resist in reference to which they somtimes to go round again call the light within but obscure meer darknesse and blindnesse and not so dangerous nor damnable to resist but rather dangerous yea no lesse then damnable to follow He that doubteth say they with Paul is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatever is not of faith is sin Mark how themselves affirme with Paul and us that faith without which nothing is pleasing to God out of which all that 's done is damning to be a faith in that light of Christ which is in the conscience Wo be to him cry they as we also do who condemns himself in what he allowes and contrariwise say we and Paul and consequently themselves happy is he and he only who is not condemned in himself that is by the light in his own conscience in what he allowes Thus absolutely do these Light-haters somtimes themselves blesse approve and applaud the light which otherwhiles they brawl and bark against when it s own children the Qua appear to justifie it Somtimes to go round again as absurdly do they bolt out bitternesse and blasphemies against that light which forgetting how unawares they confesse the truth to the Qua otherwhiles they so eminently applauded as good and of God c making it somtimes pernitious dangerous yea in the highest degree damnable to neglect it at othertimes to go round again pernitious dangerous and in the highest degree damnable to attend to it As p. 68. Among the Gentile Philosophers there was light but
beleeving and obeying then it seems with thee faith is to be begun and begotten and born by the Spirit but kept preserved and nourished up to perfection by the letter which is a Doctrine of deep dotage and deceit for it is the Spirit of Christ and the light that is both the Creator and Preserver the Author and finisher of the faith insomuch that I may truly and do here justly cry out against you blind bewitching broachers and your blind bewitched beleevers of it as Paul on the Galatians I marvel that ye should be so sottishly departed and degenerated from the simplicity of the primitive Gospel so plainly declared in the very letter it self which asserts the Light Spirit and Word within to be both the principle and the Rule O ye foolish Prophets and foolish People who hath bewitched you that ye should be so reprobate as to the knowledge of the truth Are ye so foolish as to fancy that when men have once begun in the Spirit they must be preserved in their faith and regulated and made perfect by their fleshly attendences to the Letter that the Vniversiâ—ies and Ministers meerly of it and not of the Spirit are so lost about and wrangling about that to this day they are not agreed about the integrity of its Text They that ministed the spirit among men at first and were even by the very letter they wrote Ministers by whom men beleeved in the light did they call them so much to the heeding or hearing of the letter themselves wrote as to the hearing of the Word of faith they preached and testified to both in their Writings and by Word of mouth even that which before they wrote to them at all was nigh in their heart and in their mouth that they might do it Tell me ye that desire to be under the teachings of the letter only not the light do you not hear the letter telling of another Rule besides it self which it self doth only point to doth not the letter teach you the Spirit and light is both the principle and principal means also of discovery of right and wrong as is shewed above doth the letter part the business of our obedience as your party coloured discourses thereof would seem to make it do between it self and the Spirit or say any where that the Spirit is the principle but the letter it self the Rule of our obedience that the spirit creates and the letter preserves faith as T.D. dreamingly divines saith it not that the Spirit is both And yet O the muddinâ—ss not to say madness of our now Ministers Another while again even within the space of one page behold O ye wandring wonderers and wondering wâ—nderers after these vain men and their whisling Butterfly-businesses that would seem wise though they are but as wilde Asses colâ—s and ye shall see T.D. who affirms the spirit to be the Principle and that which creates faith and the letter the Rule that preseâ—ves it affirming the letter to be both i.e. not only the only Rule of it but the Principle of it also and ascribing in these words p. 28. of his fiâ—st as also in the 17. page of his second God did not intend nor give order for them i.e. for more writings than we have in our Bibles to be the Rule but hath assured us as much as is sufficient to create and preserve faith in the Gospel we have both the first being begetting and beginning of faith to the Scripture as also I.O. who jumps with him in one as they do together in most things in these words Ex. 3. s. 39. Not only the begetting of faith but also the building up in it while we live here is the end of the Scripture What more is uttered by T.D. as to this head of the Scriptures being the only rule is in answer to this Argument was urged against him as himself relates it but to disadvantage p. 29.30 of his first Pamph. at the dispute on this wise If the Rule of faith and life was before the Scripture was then the Scripture is not the Rule c. but the Rule was before the Scripture therefore c. To which said Answer of T. D's is no other than a giving of the whole cause in question between us viz. whether the Scripture i.e. the Writing or Letter is the Rule or no sor quoth T.D. Your Argument concludes nothing against us for we assert the matier contained in the Scripture is a standing Rule yâ—ur Argument proves but that there was a Rule before this Writing we grant that God revealed himself by Visions Dreams Since the Gospel preached to Adam there hath not been any increase of Truths Quoad essentiam sed tantum quoad explicationem as the Learned speak of the Articles of our faith the manner of conveyance is different then and now but the matter or doctrines conveyed still the same Rep. If this conclude nothing against you for as much as ye own doctrine or matter only contained in and declared by the Scripture and not the letter to be the Rule how conclusive you outcries are against the Qua. as that they are denyers of the Scripture a Fool may feel since they own the holy doctrine and matter in the Scripture which is the Light Spirit and Word in the heart to be the Rule as your selves do and so to have been also before the Scripture was though they deny the meer Writing to be the Rule which with your selves is not the matter conveyed but meerly the manner of conveyance not the essential truth it self but only the form of its explication which manner of conveyance or form of explication your selves it seems do deny here to be the Rule as well as we with us asserting only the matter truth or doctrine contained and conveyed in the Writing so to be If ye assert no more than the truth doctrine or matters contained in the Scriptures to be the Rule which matters thou thy self T.D. p. 30 31. of thy first Pamph. sayest is that Word of faith the Apostles preached which was the Word we assert to be the Rule that is nigh in the heart Rom. 10 and dare not assert your selves the meer letter or Scripture so to be I trow wherein differ you from the Quae. whom you quarrel with as deniers of the Scriptures Will you never be at quiet with the Qua. but quarrelling against them when they affirm the truths wherein your selves assent to them as much as when they deny the untruths wherein ye dissent from them Will you allow them neither to say the sound doctrines which your selves are forced to confess to nor to gainsay the errors and false doctrines which ye would fain force you false faith of upon them ye assert no more but that the matter or doctrine conveyed and truth explicated therein which is the light spirit or living Word it self is the Rule as thou sayest here so denying the letter writing or meer Text to be it we