Keith against Keith OR SOME MORE OF George Keith's Contradictions and Absurdities Collected out of his own Books not yet Retracted upon a Review TOGETHER WITH A REPLY TO George Keith's Late Book Entituled The Antichrists and Sadduces detected among a sort of Quakers c. By JOHN PENINGTON A Double-minded Man is unstable in all his Ways James 1. 8. They that observe lying Vanities forsake their own Mercy Jonah 2. 8. LONDON Printed and Sold by T. Sowle near the Meeting-House in White-Hart Court in Gracious-Street 1696. ERRATA PAge 4. line 7. f. as r. or p. 14. l. 27. r. Evangeliâ—â—â— p. 21. l. 30. f. the r. that p. 22. l. 32. r. those p. 24. l. 28. r. Propose p. 28. l. 27. f. teacheth r. treateth p. 29. l. 18. f. the r. that l. 25. r. never l. 29. r. p 70. p. 31. l. 30. r. and honest p. 32. l. 17. r. outwardly p. 33. l. 1. r. promise p. 34. l. 1. f. they r. that p. 40. l. 4. after that delâ— which p. 41. l. 15. f. and r. to l. 29. f. outward r. outer p. 59. l. 21. r. hearers in in order p. 61. l. 2. f. as r. or p. 64. l. 7. r. Penington's l. 17. f where r. whence p. 65. l. 21. f. on r. in p. 66. l. 24. f. these r. those p. 77. l. 13. r. Rector's p. 80. l. 14. r. believed l. 20. f. on r. in p. 81. l. 3. r. who and goes on p. 89. l. 3. r. hold p. 101. l. 4. f. 127. r. 117. p. 106. l. 1. r. as well as p. 112. l. 27. f. would r. could p. 120. l. 27. r. asketh if that p 123. l. 10. f. the r. â— at p. 131. l. 31. r chargeth p. 139. l. 24. r. this which he calls p. 145. l. 4. f. an r. and l. 9. r. Popery p. 146. l. 22. for ad hucr adhuc l. 33. r. vorten KEITH against KEITH OR Some more of George Keith's Contradictions and Absurdities ALthough G. Keith blame us in his Advertisement p. 3. for heaping Book upon Book against him to which himself gave the Provocation alledging want of Time and Ability of outward Estate of whose Sincerity therein the Reader may judge by his cutting out new Work of late in his twelve Penny Narrative yet he continuing to abuse us in Print 't is fit we should there also vindicate our Holy Profession from his unjust Defamations And having to do with an unstable Adversary I had collected and digested a List of some more of his Contradictions and Absurdities upon a review which I now make introductory to the Reply wherein if I exceed my wonted Brevity know the variety of Subjects occasioned it These I shall divide into two Heads making his own Assertion in Way to City of God Printed Anno 1678. The Title of the First his Absurdities and Contradictions promiscuously Collected out of his Book called Truth Advanced Printed Anno 1694. the Second And then enter upon defending my Self and Friends from his late false Charges in his late Book stiled The Antichrists and Sadduces detected among a sort of Quakers c. 1. That through the coming of Jesus Christ in the inward even before he was unwardly come as manifest many were saved and attained unto perfect Peace and Reconciliation with God in their Souls Way to City of God p. 125. And the Method I shall take here shall be first to set down what I find in his later Books and then confront him out of his former and that the rather for that in his Serious Appeal Printed Anno 1692. p. 21. he saith Let but the Reader see my own Words in my Printed Books and well consider them and if he have but a little sound Judgment he will easily find I have not contradicted my self in ANY THING Upon this Issue I am willing to leave it with the Considerate and Judicious though perhaps G. Keith will allow none to be such but who say as he saith and begin with the Christian Faith c. Vindicated c. Printed Anno 1692. where he with others thus deliver themselves Though we do affirm that all conscientious and honest Gentiles such as Cornelius was before the Faith of Christ was preached to him have some measure of Light from Christ to enlighten them and are under some Administration of the Spirit yet it is but the first Ministration until the Knowledge and Faith of Christ as he died for our Sins and rose again c. be spiritually received And such who have the true and saving Knowledge and Faith of Christ as he dyed and rose again without them are ONLY Christians and Sons of God of the free Woman having receiving the Spirit of Adoption whereby they cry Abba Father But who have not this Faith of Christ crucified and raised again outwardly spiritually receiv'd and wrought in them by the Spirit of Christ Whether they have or have not heard Christ outwardly Preached unto them are at BEST however Just and Conscientious to the just Principle of God in them not under the second and more peculiar Ministration of God's Spirit that makes Men worthy to be esteemed Christians but are only under the first and such are held under the Custody or Safeguard of the Law shut up unto the Faith that is afterwards to be revealed as Paul declared Gal. 3. 23. And the State they are in under this first Ministration is to them as the City of Refuge was to the Man slayer under the Law Christian Faith p. 6 7. This Notion of the City of Refuge c. I having met with in other Books of his and touched upon in mine Entituled People called Quakers cleared c. as smelling of the Doctrine of the Revolution of humane Souls though G. Keith doth not care to hear of it and contrary to the Scriptures particularly Eccles 11. 3. and Heb. 9. 27. I refer to what hath been said there p. 33. and go on In his Book without date called Truth and Innocency Defended he saith None are justified by Christ but through Faith in him as he dyed for them and rose again c. For he that believeth not is condemned already and therefore the Ministration of the Law whether outwardly writ on Tables of Stone or inwardly writ on Stony Hearts is the Ministration of Condemnation preparing for Christ and leading unto Christ and such who are under the Law let them be ever so obedient just and conscientious because they have sinned and are not perfect are held under it shut up as in a Custody or Safeguard as the Manslayer in the City of Refuge and are not perfectly justified but are under Fear their Thoughts Accusing and Excusing for though they are excused or accused or to say justified in some good things done by them yet that can be no perfect Justification because their State is imperfect p. 19 20. By his Obedience unto Death and precious Blood he hath procured and purchased for us that in ward Principle of
Scripture was writ And yet did they not receive the Holy Ghost Could not that Law that Command that Word make Perfect Had Men Faith in Christ and could not that Faith save in their Days Monstrum horrendum Page 105. He tells us that Moses falls a declaring concerning the New Covenant Deut. 30. from ver 11 to 16. the Probation whereof he gives in the next Page both from Jer. 31. 32. and Rom. 10. 5 6 7 8 9. And in p. 107. thus hath it The Jews and People of Israel who lived in Moses's Time and were SAVED it was through Faith in this Word in this Prophet raised up in them in their Hearts not at a distance but nigh the Word is nigh in thy Heart And this is Christ in them the Hope of Glory the Mystery hid from Ages and Generations but was EVER made manifest in his Saints but in the latter Days more clearly c. p. 107 108. Query Had Men Faith in Christ the Word Was the Mystery ever made manifest in the Saints and yet was the Law within in sufficient to make perfect till since Christ was offered up in the outward Having transcribed many verses in 119 Psalm concerning the Word he queries p. 109. What Word this is whether the Letter of the Scripture oâ— that Word of Faith Paul and Moses long before spoke of and its effects upon David he tells us anon saying This quickned him this strengthned him this comforted him this taught him and made him wiser than his Teachers This was as Oyl unto him a Lamp unto his Feet and a Light to his Paths in this his Steps were ordered verse 133. in this he worshipped he prayed he sung Psalms and all his Springs were in this p. 111 112. But I query if the Law within made nothing perfect until the one Offering was revealed how came David by his Quicknings Strength Comfort Instruction Wisdom Light fresh Springs c For now we are got a step beyond proving that the Gentiles were savingly enlightned and by occasion administred from G. Keith driven to evince out of his former Writings that the Patriarchs before Christ was born and suffered had such a Law within them as did make them perfect Are these the Fruits of an imperfect Law to quicken strengthen c. or will he who once contended that many were saved and attained unto perfect Peace and Reconciliation with God in their Souls now deny it to David a Jew both inward and outward as he must do if the Law could not make perfect How is he confounded how engaged in what is and will be too hard for him Solomon comes next From what he â—â—ys of Wisdom's crying at the Gates in every City G. Keith queries Is not her crying c. the same with Jesus Christ his standing at the Door c. p. 113. And I query Whether to them that opened unto him even during that Administration he did not come in and Sup with them for G. Keith immediately quotes Rev. 3. 20. to adapt it to Solomons saying 2dly Whether such had the Holy Ghost And 3dly Whether the Law within such made them perfect in that Age G. Keith goes on thus The Gospel was Preached unto Abraham Abel Enoch Noah and to ALL BELIEVERS who lived before Scripture was writ in a Book and it was spoken into their Hearts by the Spirit of Jesus Christ and the Saints who then lived and were inspired of God preached the Gospel and the Gospel is the same in all Generations for it is the Everlasting Gospel Rev. 4. 6. But now the Declarations Discoveries and Manifestations of this one Gospel have been many and different under the Law more darkly in the Time of the Prophets more manifestly in the Time of the Apostles Yet more manifestly and yet all ONE GOSPEL and we preach no other but the same Everlasting Gospel which is the Power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1. 16. See p. 213. Now hence I query Whether the Gospel Preached unto Abraham Abel Enoch Noah c Were the Law within Abraham c And whether it made them perfect 2dly Whether these Believers who lived before Scripture was writ in a Book who had that inspeaking into their Hearts by the Spirit of Jesus Christ partook of the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Holiness of Adoption or Sonship or of the Spirit of Fear and Bondage only Were they Sons of Hagar or Sarah Of First or Second Covenant 3dly Whether those inspired Men who preached the Gospel which he allows to be the same in all Generations had ALL OF THEM the Doctrinal Knowledge and Faith of Christ Crucified and preached it to others And this I the rather urge for as much as Truth Advanced p. 42. he denies that Paul means the Gospel is the Power of God simply and abstractly considered without all Doctrine and doctrinal Knowledge and Faith of Christ Crucified All Saints have the same Spirit and Word of Prophecy in some measure more or less that the Prophets had who ever directed People to the same Spirit and Word in their Hearts from which they spake that they might in themselves hear the same Word and Spirit whereby the true Faith comes p. 221. Is this Spirit and Word saving Is it perfecting in all Ages Can a Man hear it and obey it and yet be without the Holy Ghost But hear him again This second Adam is called the quickning Spirit by whose quickning Vertue the Souls of ALL the Holy Men and Women were made and kept alive unto God as truly before he came in the Flesh as after for they did all eat the same spiritual Meat c. Which was Christ yea they did eat his Flesh and drink his Blood as TRULY REALLY in measure BEFORE he came in that Body of Flesh as the Saints have done since p. 227. To the same purpose he expresseth himself in p. 258. and in Way cast up p. 95. and in Rector Corrected p. 95. This shews what he once thought of the Holy Men and Womens Condition in those first Ages of the World who then only placed the difference in Degree not in Kind now will not allow more then Gentile Sincerity and Righteousness where Faith in Christ crucified is not revealed as well as that he concludes all before Christ was visibly offered under such an inward Law as made not perfect How he will reconcile such a State to that of eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood let him look to In the mean while as he queries Truth Advanced p. 184. in his query 10. Can any Eat the Flesh of Christ and drink his Blood who have not the Faith of him as he GAVE his Body of Flesh to be broken and his Blood to be shed for us So I query Could any do thus before it was given or broken Or had all those Holy Men and Women he spoke of even now so much as the Faith or Knowledge that it should be broken Having offered what Citations I at present
related to his being Preached as Crucified to the Jews so the MORE GENERALLY as a Light to the Gentiles was also restricted to the so Preaching him yet with this addition that G. Keith then allowed it yet further that it was more generally Preached to both Jew and Gentile A Contradiction had been more excusable than such a deceitful Cover His Secondly cites no Page of mine in particular but hath a general reference from p. 15. to 33. which gives him scope to skip as he pleaseth They perversly infer saith he from my words that whereas I formerly made the knowledge and Faith of the History of Christs outward coming not Essential to Religion now I did make it Essential This he accounts Palpable Forgery denies any of the citations I bring prove it and at last recurs to his late distinction of implicit Knowledge and Faith But this is a meer begging of the question that who were saved by the inward had ALL of them the implicit Faith and Knowledge of the outward not brought till of late whatever he pretend of his understanding it so all a long and is impugned by me p. 14 15. particularly from Luke 24. 10 11. From whence I again argue That the Disciples themselves were so far from having an implicit Faith in Christ that he should Dye and rise again that they disbelieved it It seemed to them as idle Tales and they believed them not and that even after he had sent them out two and two and the Devils had been subject to them Chap. 10. ver 1 and 17. If the Reader be disposed to cast an Eye back to my p. 15 to p. 33. he will yet more evidently see I have not wronged him and perhaps be convinced wherefore G. Keith dropped them To his Thirdly Wherein he repeats his Notion concerning Cornelius not having the Holy Ghost in his Gentile-State c. as it hath been largely treated of in this very Tract under my first Head I referr thereto Yet he persisting p. 29. to deny the Holy Ghost is in Wicked Men or the pious Gentiles and that none have it but Believers in Christ crucified and yet acknowledging the Word near to be Christ an Administration of the Gospel to be given in all Ages of the World the Spirit the same the Rule the same the Faith the same see Universal Grace p. 8. Immediate Revelation p. 107 108. Truths Defence p. 70. forecited shews he would divide Christ from his Spirit and is contradictory A further instance whereof take out of his Book of Divine Immediate Revelation p. 63. where he saith Cornelius received the Spirit immediately and yet obtained it FURTHER by means of Peter's Preaching Whereas now he denieth he had the Holy Ghost in his Gentile-State But it is become habitual to him since he turned from Truth to contradict himself and his former Writings To my Question Whether any Prayer is heard by God but what is put up by his Spirit He Answers Nay but Servants and Pious Gentiles such as Cornelius was in his Gentile-State may be and are helped to Pray by the Spirit having the influence of the first Ministration of the Spirit which though remotely Preparatory yet doth not instate the Soul into Union with the Spirit c. Whence had he this Or how doth he prove that Mens Souls are not in Union with the Spirit when helped to pray by the Spirit Surely as there are Degrees of Ministration so there are Degrees of Union and Degrees of Acceptance Diversities of Gifts but the SAME Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 4. But he goes on And were not my Adversaries extream blind and ignorant they might understand how the Apostle calleth one and the same Spirit the Spirit of Servitude and the Spirit of Adoption Rom 8. 15. Doth he bring this for or against himself If the Spirit in the Son and the Servant be one and the same Spirit it must be the Holy Spirit It is Everlastingly Holy in its self Holy in every Operation and Ministration in Man but in Degree the Administrations differ the Law must be passed under before the Sonship is known it is the Spirit of Holiness in every step so denominated from its Effects though the Sonship is not the first step He goes on These Mens arguing that Men may be Eternally Saved c. who have no Faith or Knowledge of Christ without them do sufficiently declare what Heathens they are and of what little value they make the Faith and Knowledge of Christ Crucified and that their Religion is nothing but Deism c. Answ We do not believe that that Faith is not necessary to Salvation to us to whom the means of knowing it is offered but the contrary But that where it is not revealed it is not of Necessity unto Salvation G. Keith hath granted There it is more than Deism yea Christianity for believing in the Light they do believe in Christ See Universal Grace p. 117. and p. 30. In his Fourthly he cites a Passage of mine imperfectly out of Rector Corrected p. 150. and then makes his flourish To a Question of the Rector of Arrow whether the Light within sufficiently tells us that the Messiah is come born had real Flesh dyed c. G. Keith Answers that it doth teach That there is a God that created all things that he is most Holy Just and Wise a plentiful Rewarder of them that fear him c. and that these are AS NECESSARY Truths as any c. See my p. 22. Upon this I argued and G. Keith hath dropt both Quotation and Argument If the Holy Ghost be given ONLY to the one Faith not to the other surely that one Faith must needs be the most necessary Faith Now to the other part that many who never had the Scriptures yet if faithful to the Light whether they have not been accepted have not believed in the Light by believing in Christ who is the Light he queries But where is my Contradiction here Answ Even in what I have cited above and he hath craftily left out He goes on Did I ever say That Men may believe in the Light or Christ within and never at any Time from first to last believe in Christ without either explicitely or implicitely For this they bring no Proof and I believe they cannot saith he Answ It was not the Rectors Question Whether they that dyed without it and had it not at first should have it at last in some other Revolution Perhaps neither of them dreamt of that Distinction when the Book was wrote Nor whether they should have it explicitely or implicitely but whether the Light doth sufficiently tell it He should in his Answer have made that Distinction if he would have it allowed him now but instead of that to an indefinite Question he gives an indefinite Answer asserting there are Truths as necessary that it doth teach and that they that believe in the Light believe these necessary Truths thus revealed believe in Christ and are
Gods Grace whereby we are sanctified Further Discovery p. 17 18. Printed Anno 1694 If that in ward Principle whereby Men are sanctified were purchased by Christs Death and Blood what became of both Jew and Gentile before Christ's Death Were they without an inward Principle and unsanctified Himself shall resolve the Question anon In his Book stiled Truth Advanced Printed Anno 1694 he thus hath it It is not said that Cornelius had the Holy Ghost in his Gentile State although he had a great measure of Gentile Sincerity and Righteousness Nor is it any where to be sound that ANY received that Holy Ghost which Christ promised PARTICULARLY to Believers in him but such ONLY who believed in him even Christ crucified and raised again p. 70. And in the next Page That Holiness that is a Conformity unto Christ the second Adam and is the proper and peculiar effect of the new or second Covenant is far more excellent than any Righteousness or Obedience that is but the effect of the first Covenant or Ministration and is but a Conformity to the first Adam his Righteousness and maketh not Sons but Servants or if Sons but Sons of Hagar or the first Covenant And under this first Covenant Ministration the Spirit is called in them the Spirit of Fear and Bondage but the filial Fear and Love and other Gospel Vertues are the far more excellent And here the Spirit is called the Spirit of Adoption or Sonship that helpeth us to cry Abba Father And as the Spirit of God is called in Scripture the Spirit of Faith c. So it is called the Holy Spirit or Spirit of Holiness because it worketh a peculiar Degree and kind of Holiness in all true Believers in Christ Crucified c. above what the most upright Gentiles do Witness or Experience in their meer Gentile State The Law made nothing perfect and that Law was not only the Law without but even the Law WITHIN both in Jews and Gentiles until the Faith of Christ the one Offering come to be revealed by which one Offering he hath for ever perfected all that are sanctified p. 71. Let the Reader bear these things in Mind or recur to them upon occasion for on this hinge hang most of the Observations in the ensuing Quotations which belong to this Head Now before I bring his former Books in Evidence against him I think needful to Premise that I have not here delivered Mine or my Friends Sentiments pro or con for or against but barely wielded my Adversaries weapon against himself for his Writings abound with Contradictions as I have already observed in my Apostate Exposed and that other called People called Quakers cleared c. who though he could tell others that They are not so sincere as to own and retract in publick their Errors exposed in publick even lest such Retractation or Correction should lessen and abate their Honour and Esteem among their too credulous Followers and Admirers See Preface to Gross Error p. 2. yet himself is the Man that offends in that wherewith he unjustly taxeth others forgetting or at least little regarding what Paul saith Rom. 2. 21. Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self c. For although he represented his very minute viz. Not touching any of the great Doctrines and Principles of the Christian Religion but relating to some Places of Scriptures unduly applied to prove or defend things that were Truths but did not really prove these Truths True Copy p. 18. and hath promised to correct and retract them p. 17. yet it remains undone to this Day which is above a Year ago If he be so unwilling to correct small faults what would he be to greater But before I have done with him I doubt not to evince he had no Reason to cast the first Stone especially against the Innocent when himself was so deeply culpable To that end hear him Light of Truth Triumphing Printed Anno 1670. thus That the new Covenant requireth doing is plain from Deut. 30. 14. But the Word is very near unto thee even in thy Mouth c. which Word the Apostle Paul expounds to be the Word of Faith and Righteousness of Faith Rom. 10. 8. which he preached and that was the NEW COVENANT p. 11. Hence I argue if the Word near be the Word of Faith c. be the New Covenant then who hear it and obey it are not under the first Covenant only held under the Custody and Safe-guard of the Law c. but the Word of Faith being closed in with the Faith is revealed And surely the New Covenant is Saving and Perfecting Page 15. He proposeth a few Queries to R. Gordon to shew as he alledgeth that the Nature and Light by which the Gentiles did the things contained in the Law and knew God was that of Christ 1. How could they do the things of the Law but by the Divine Nature of Christ seeing without him men can do no good thing And I Query Whether the Divine Nature of Christ whereby God is known be without the Holy Ghost or whether the Divine Nature of Christ did not even then make perfect for in Truth Advanced p. 70. he denies Cornelius c. had the Holy Ghost and p. 71. that the Law within made perfect before the one Offering came to be Revealed 2. How could they be excused but by Christ 3. How could they be without excuse who disobeyed if they had no Principle given them sufficient whereby to perform their Obedience 4. How did some of them PERFECT the Law and judged the Circumcision and was Jews inwardly and had Praise of God if not by Christ Could they perfect that Law that it self made nothing perfect Again is the Jew inward who hath praise of God by Christ without the Holy Ghost but a Son of Hagar Surely this Man had need have looked at home and retracted his own Errors before he had been so brisk upon others 5. How could they clearly see the invisible things of God but by Christ the Son seeing it is said None knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him And though these invisible things are clearly seen in or through the things that are made yet not without that which is to be known of God manifest in them which God had shewed unto them which gave them an Eye or Understanding to see his Invisible Power and Godhead in these things And now I query How doth the Son reveal these invisible things but by the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10. Do Men see the Invisible Power and Godhead without it Or is that Administration that gives to see the Invisible Power and Godhead Evangelical or Legal Imperfect or Perfecting But fighting against Truth blinds Men. Again he tells his Adversary Thou secretly Labours to prove that the Name of Jesus Christ Redeemer and Saviour belongs only to the Word as it was manifest in that particular Body and Form of Man born of
was that Spirit as Paul hath taught p. 187. Now I query Seeing Christ was not then offered up whether that Spirit were the Holy Ghost or no And also whether the Spirit made him perfect yea or nay In Truth 's Defence Printed Anno. 1682. He thus hath it When I say the Spirit is the Rule there is no absurdness therein for if we mean by the Spirit THE HOLY GHOST Christ and the Holy Ghost are never seperated or divided in what they Speak or witness in the Souls of Men Christ himself in Scripture is called the second Adam the quickening Spirit the Lord is that Spirit p. 170 And in p. 107. he tells us Paul Expounds Deut. 30. 14. of Christ and that Clemens Alexandrinus and others of the Fathers so understood those words of Moses if so the Jews by having Christ for their Rule had the Holy Ghost for their Rule even before he was Crucified and Rose again This he inforceth in what follows If Enoch Noah Abraham had the Spirit to be a Rule unto them it is no less a Rule unto all now who have the SAME FAITH which they had seeing the SAME SPIRIT is given to Believers now which they had which Spirit is one as Paul hath declared And it is most Rational that as the Faith is one IN ALL AGES of the World and the Spirit ONE So the Principal Rule of Faith should be one also p. 114. If the Spirit be one the Faith one the Rule one in all Ages of the World How came Cornelius not to have the Holy Ghost when his Prayers and Almes came up for a Memorial before God Or had he that one Spirit Rule and Faith which Enoch Noah and Abraham had and that one Spirit not the Holy Spirit not the Spirit of Holiness not the Spirit of Adoption or Sonship Is not this to make two And to the Levites P. 121. He allows the Spirit of God to the right interpreting the Scripture Now Christ not being yet Crucisied and Raised again I query Whether that Spirit were something besides the Law within which of late he hath said made nothing Perfect His Commanding them to tarry at Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father which was the Spirit to wit in GREATER MEASURE than formerly it was given unto them did not oblige c. p. 141. Had he kept to this distinction in his latter Writings he would not have told of Cornelius and the Gentiles not having the Holy Ghost before they had Faith in Christ Crucified c. A more plentiful Effusion of the Spirit being no part of the Controversy but granted But still it is the same Spirit same Faith same Rule as himself once acknowledged and was instanced even now In the next place he having of late asserted that the Law within did not make perfect till c. Let us hear how he here defineth perfection He who is Faithful in every respect to the measure of Grace which he hath received is indeed a perfect Man and doth please God although he be not equal in his attainment unto others who have more given them saith G. Keith p. 212. But can any one be perfect by vertue of a Law that doth not make perfect And if there were this deficiency even in the Law within during the first Covenant Administration how could any be perfect then And yet to shew that he abounds with Contradictions he hath allowed it to many as in above-cited Way to the City of God p. 125. which I made the Title of this first Part. And now I come to G. Keith's Book of Divine Immediate Revelation Printed Anno. 1684. which I Read not till of late by means of his citing it in his answer to me of which anon Speaking of Cornelius he saith Do not Peters words plainly imply that there were many such good honest Men who were acceptable to God through Christ although they had not heard of Christ as yet outwardly Preached See p. 26. 27 Again Cornelius received the Spirit Immediately and yet obtained it FURTHER by means of Peter's Preaching p. 63. Qu. Was not then the Spirit he received before and after Peter's Preaching the same Spirit Again We no where Read in all the Scripture that Noah Preached to all Mankind in the Old World but we find expresly that God by his Spirit did strive in those Men which most plainly sheweth that they had some inward teaching given them from the SPIRIT OF GOD for against what did they Sin but that Law Published by the Spirit of God in their Hearts seeing they had no written Law They had that inward Law which as Paul affirmed the other Gentiles had Rom. 1. See p. 54. The word of God was rare in respect of its being outward preached yet it was near and within in the Hearts of both Jews and Gentiles as Paul did affirm Rom. 10. compared with Deut. 30. p. 55. Whence I Query What Spirit this is What Law Published thereby What word this that Paul and Moses Speak of And whether they that received it and obeyed it received the Holy Spirit and were thereby made perfect especially seeing he further saith p. 79. All the Faithful under the Old Covenant were immediatly taught of God yet not by vertue of the Old Covenant but of the New which New Covenant in some degree had place in the time of the Old and was to be further revealed in Gospel Daies c. Surely if the New Covenant had place in some degree in the time of the Old the New Testament promised I will put my Spirit within you Ezek. 36. 27. had also a place during the Old Covenant Administration even where the word of Faith was closed with And what Spirit is this if not the Holy Spirit In p. 55. After having desended R. B's sense with respect to God his never changing his way or manner of Teaching and Enlightning his People by his Spirit inwardly working in them and his Continuing the same in all Ages before the Law after the Law and also after the coming of Christ he adds p. 56. that The inward Preaching Speaking and Illumination of God by his Spirit did ALWAYS remain in some degree more or less in the true Church and in ALL its Members Qu. Were the Gentiles who did by nature the things Contained in the Law none of these For if at any time the outward Preaching was little or none God did supply that outward defect inwardly by his Spirit c. In the same Book viz. That part which is â—n answer to Geo. Hicks he alledgeth p. 154. Clemens Alexandrinus is so for from thinking that only the Prophets and Apostles â—riâ— by divine Inspiration that he plainly declareth that not only Plato but also many others Preached and Declared the only true God by his Inspiration And in p 158. ' That Justin Martyr expresly saith That the innate Word or Reason declared of James 1. 21 Was in the Philosophers Poets and Historiographers who
Outward In p. 23. He saith It most evidently appears from the express Words of my Book of Universal Grace p. 120. That I did not then hold that the Light within was sufficient to Salvation without any thing else as without Christs outward Coming c. Answ It will sufficiently appear to them who duly consult the place that even according to G. Keith the other Nations viz. the Gentiles were not destitute of the main and principal thing even of the Manifestation of the Light and Spirit of the Son in their Hearts and that those that did improve it did both know the Lord and his Laws and were JUSTIFIED through Faith in him c. And it will also appear to such as will cast an Eye upon what he hath said no longer ago than in the Year 1691. in his Presb. and Ind. Chur. p 116. that he then held that It is no less than real Blasphemy to say that the Light within is not sufficient to give that Knowledge of God that is necessary unto Salvation Now if this doth not depretiate the blessed Effects of Christs outward Coming when delivered by G. Keith which is the Scope of what he offers in the Page under my Consideration why must it be rendred so to do when delivered as he suggests by us except to gratifie his rancour who will allow that Exposition to his own Words he denies to others In page 24. He makes my Charge to be That he did formerly hold that Christs inward coming saves where the outward is unknown in which he renders me guilty of gross Forgery and Perversion for he seldom Charges lower in any thing that affects himself of Forgery seeing I cite no passage out of any of his Books where he expresseth these words Where the outward is unknown c. But is it Forgery to give his words without a Citation If so it is his own beloved Crime Yet had he but turned over the next Leaf in my Book and minded what he read he might have found that I bring him in saying The outward Coming sufferings and Death of Christ may have and hath a true and real influence upon them who know it not expresly Again Why may not many receive an advantage by Christ the second Adam's Obedience even in the outward who never knew it expresly c. This might have shut his Cavil out of Doors had it not been so Natural to him to Wrangle He adds They for that is the word he useth when he brings any thing out of my Book are guilty of grosly Perverting my words and sense as if I did hold that Christs inward coming saves with Eternal Salvation without all Knowledge of Christs outward coming What means he by the tearm Eternal Salvation which yet were none of my words are not all that are saved here saved with Eternal Salvation Or must they be fitted in Purgatory or in some other Revolution But he is offended that the words explicit and implicit which I find not but in his late Books are by me called a late Distinction saying The place of his Book cited by me saith no such thing yet acknowledgeth that in divers of his late Books he hath distinguished betwixt the express and implicit Knowledge c. But hath he made that distinction formerly if not it is a late distinction His alledging that it is implyed that though not exprest yet was really understood by him is idle for it is not what he understands but what he gives us to understand what he declares that is properly called his Distinction But he Vindicates it as what all true and Orthodox Christians hold though he names none as well as infers it from Eph. 3. 6. Which is wide from the purpose The Apostle tells v. 5. That it was not made known as it is now How Not expresly but implicitely That he saith not although G. Keith doth who in p. 25. from Rom. 16. 25 26. queries Now what is made manifest but Express And what is kept secret but Implicit So then if the Reader would know what implicit means G. Keith resolves him it is what is kept secret I thought it had not deserved to be called Knowledge while kept secret while not manifest but that the opening the unvailing the revealing a thing gives me to know it but this Profound Mystick hath got a new knack of expounding words and interpreting the Scriptures as if Men were saved by a knowledge kept secret from them He queries Why will they not allow it the tearm implicit as well with respect to the knowledge of Christ without us as of Christ within us Answer I gave him no occasion thus to object yet reply because the knowledg of Christ within is immediate by a divine sensation the other not always so Now from my following words That G. Keith's distinction was to serve a turn which he falsly chargeth upon G. Whitehead who was not concerned in my Book otherwise than iâ— his Postscript as if he thought me too mean to wreak his Spite at he falls upon G. Whitehead for excusing a passage of G. Fox's which himself had defended Serious Appeal p. 60. And also others excusing Is Penington saying Can outward Blood Cleanse The drift whereof is to prove what we readily grant him that when our Friends sense hath been perverted we have Distinguished My Objection against him was that his were not cogent will he Object the same let him detect them as I have done his Yet I cannot but take notice of that passage of my Fathers Can outward Blood Cleanse for it seems droppeâ— by him as with a design of mischief When I shall take occasion to add That my Father denied not the attonement made by Christ offering up his Blood in the outward to such as received him into their Souls but acknowledged the remission of his Sins thereby aâ— may be seen in his Book stiled Flesh and Blood of Christ both in the Mystery and in the outward c. Printed in his works Part. 2. p. 180. And that G. Keith well knew him to be a true believe in the Lord Jesus and a sincere Lover of him even the Crucified Jesus himself hath declared Serious Appeal p. 25. Alike mischievous is he in Insinuating G. Whitehead his excusing Solomon Eccles his Blasphemy as he terms it in saying The Blood that came out of Christs Side was no more than the Blood of another Saint Though G. Whitehead sought to Evince that S. Eccles'â— meaning was better than his words yet he also declared that he did not make S. Eccles's Expressions therein especially as Construed by our Adversaries to be an Article of our Faith See Light and Life p. 59. To this being formerly alledged by G. Keith hath T. Ellwood answered in Truth Defended p. 111. Which G. Keith takes no notice of but renews his Slander as if it had been new so unfair an Adversary is he From my arguing That the word Express â—s a word of Course with