that that is past halt not so between both if either be sufficient to uphold your Doctrine then cleave to that but you seem to doubt either alone why else make you such use of both A. For do not you say page 32. as before is noted That you have the â—ull use and benefit of the Holy-Ghost which was formerly given which if true is sufficient without your having it now your selves in particular for it alone was sufficient to them that then had it and if you have the full use and benefit of that now it alone is sufficient for you also and now to have it your selves too is supersluous and over and above what is sufficient but they formerly manifested their having of it so must you before any wise man will believe your having it because the manifestation of the Spirit was given to every one that had the Spirit to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. 7. Page 38. B. Christ hath now delivered up even all the Learning in the world that is worth the speaking of unto his Church and continued even these common gifts of the Spirit therein N. The Church of Rome will challenge this as much as you if not more A. But the Church of Rome is more wise and reasonable then to account humane Learning any gift of the Spirit or to make it any mark of a true Christian since Heathens and Unbelievers may have humane Learning and had it in great measure among their Philosophers c. but the gifts of the Spirit were given onely to believers and that after they believed Eph. 1. 13. Act. 19. 2. Act. 2. 38. Page 46. B. The Scripture being true and the Christian Religion certainly true every part of it must needs be true N. Where is that Bible or Scripture A. And is not the Church of Rome the Quakers the Antinomians and divers other whom you oppose all Christian and their Religion Christian Religion and if true in every part VVhy do you then oppose them in many if not in most parts of their Religion but haply by Christian Religion you mean onely your own Religion Let me then ask you Is your Religion true in every part If it be why then do so many as learned Christians and as true Ministers of the reformed Churches as your self oppose you and you them in so many parts of your Religion being all Christian Religion and true in every part and all of you also true Ministers of Jesus Christ as you assert How fell you out and How comes it to pass that you be at so great Odds even about the most essential Doctrines of the Gospel yea and about the very Person and Nature of Christ himself Nay How comes it to pass that you so heave and cast out one another out of Habitation Liveli-hood and Maintenance and so much seek to get places of profit from one another as you do all of you being the true Ministers and Officers of the Kingdom of Christ Surely the Apostles may fear to admit you as such into the true Kingdom of Christ lest you should there likewise heave them out of their places appointed for them to eat and drink at Christs Table and also justle them besides their Thrones whereon they are to sit to judge the twelve Tribes of Israel in the Kingdom of Christ Luk. 22. 29 30. Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum Page 57. B. As the bodies of men do live and speak and reason by the soul so doth the Church live and move by the spirit of Jesus N. In which of the many sorts and Sects of Christians is this Church to be found since Rome and all other challenge to be the true A. And also to have this Spirit of Jesus yea and to live and move thereby yea and by that Spirit of Jesus which each will pretend to have they will judge each other sort dissenting from them to be led by the Spirit of Error Page 80 81. B. Jesus did send forth his Spirit into his prophets before his coming and more fully into believers since his coming to be his infallible witness to the world to convince the unbelieving and confirm believers and that this Spirit was poured out on the Church especially on the Apostles causing them to prophesie and speak with strange Languages and cast out Devils and heal Diseases and that the same Spirit is given to all true believers in all ages to guide c. N. Is it the same and not the same powerful works of manifestation to accompany it A. Yea and which did and will alwayes accompany it for by Spirit of God and Power of God is one and the same thing meant in many places of Scripture As Stay until ye be endued with power from on High i. e. with the spirit Luk. 24. 49. Ye shall receive power when the Holy-Ghost is come upon you or the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you Act. 1. 8. My speech and my preaching came not with perswasive words of mans wisdom but with evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and power that your faith might not stand in the wisdome of men but in the power or Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. And it cannot be imagined that this self same Spirit which was then so powerful is now grown old weak and feeble nor that it hath lost or is separated from that its might and power Page 81. B. That it is and must needs be the holy Spirit of God which doth such Miracles as were then wrought and attesteth and revealeth so holy a Doctrine N. But where are any such to attest the Truth of your Doctrine or are we bound to take it on trust Page 83. B. It is most expedient that Christ our head should be bodily present in Heaven but send his Spirit to his lowest and remotest Members N. In 1 Cor. 12. these spiritual Members of Christs body are set out by manifest gifts onely Page 84. B. It actuated the first Church after Christ with a force extraordinary by Miracles Prophesie Healing Languages c. N. Here you make a difference without warrant see Mar. 16. 16. Joh. 14. 12. and by limiting it to the first you contradict your self elsewhere in proving these continued long after the first Church Page 85. B. John 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever N. The same Spirit and Power to be with the true Church for ever A. A little before to wit in page 80 81. you say That the same Spirit by which the mighty works were wrought formerly is given to all true believers in all ages Whence will necessarily follow That all true Churches and all true Ministers of the Gospel must be endued with the same power as formerly And thus and not otherwise the text in John 14. 16. is truly expounded Page 87. B. He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is said to be none of his N.
Christ evince to the world the truth of his Doctrine we shall find it was by this of Miracles and undoubtedly Christ knew the best Argument to prove the divine Authority of his Doctrine And that which was the best then is the best still See Saints Rest page 236. A. Yea and do not all the Ministers of the Gospel as they call themselves I may say of all the various Gospels now on foot in the world contest against one another onely by words and Sophisms c. without using any of the fore-mentioned weapons used by Christ as well and as much as any of the learned Philosophers and Artificial men here specified by you Page 247. B. Christ obtained victory over Satan and his best armed Souldiers both Jews Idolaters Conjurers Sorcerers Hereticks with their Witchcrafts and jugling Delusions the great learned Philosophers of all Sects with Orators and Poets and the rest of their learned men N. Are not all these sorts of Enemies to the Truth yet remaining A. Yea and hath not Christendom since given entertainment even to such as are the most notorious Deluders of them all and admitted them into highest place Rule and Authority in the Church witness our Author who informs us That the Supremest Officers even Popes themselves have been Hereticks Whoremongers Sodomites Symonists Murtherers See the lives of Silvester 2. Alexander 3 and 6. John 11 22 and 23. Gregory 7. Vrban 7. and abundance more John 13. was proved in Council to have ravished Maids and VVives at the Apostolick doors murthered many drunk to the Devil asked help at Dice of Jupiter and Venus c. in his second sheet page 13. And can it be imagined but that such heads had suitable bodies and members If any Reformation since be urged Answer not in Rome nor in the Reformed Protestant Churches witness Mr Whites Centuries being all Protestant Ministers and that of the reformed Churches and witness yet their continual supplying their Churches with teaching Ministers generally out of their Magazine of Artists and Sophisters even to this day Yea and doth not our Author being one of the most eminent Ministers of one of the most eminent reformed Churches so highly magnifie and advance humane Learning that he accounts it a gift of the Spirit delivered by Christ himself to the Church and therein to continue as before is noted out of his book of Infidelity part 1. page 38 Nor is any of all this more then what we finde foretold vizt That Antichrist should sit in the Temple of God and be there worshipped as God I shall not say that humane Learning is a special Limb of that Beast but I will say that Antichrist shall never attain to that his Advancement but by the special assistance and means of humane Learning nor shall I say that this worshipping of humane Learning as a Gift of the Spirit is a part of the fulfilling of that Prediction but this I must and dare say That the Scripture informs us How that the Apostle Paul by the spirit of Prophesie declared to the Church That after his departure grievous Wolves should enter in among them not sparing the Flock and that of their own selves should men arise speaking perverse things drawing Disciples after them and that in the latter times there should be a departing from the Faith and a giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking lies in hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with a hot Iron And that Christians should turn away their Ears from the Truth and having itching Ears should be turned unto Fables and should heap to themselves Teachers for the purpose Act. 30. 29 30. 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. which also is confirm'd by Peter telling Christians that there should be false Teachers among them who should bring in damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. Now tell me is not here work cut out sufficiently meet for the most notorious exquisite of this learned artificial Rabble aforementioned yea even for the very worst of them as Witches Sorcerers and Conjurers c. for who 's more meet to teach Doctrines of Devils damnable Heresies c. then Such unless it be the Devil himself The Fourth PART Page 40. B. His teaching is joyntly by his Word Ministers and Spirit N. VVhere or who are they Page 40. B. Mat. 28. 19 20 21. where he bids them first disciple the Nations which contains the convincing of them of age of the Fundamentals and procuring their consent and then baptize them that they may be solemnly engag'd N. That is whom they convincingly did disciple those onely they ought to baptize A good and honest confession for the Anabaptists Page 40. B. Now there are two gross Errors which Professors do oft run into to their perdition the one is when they do not first lay the Fundamentals as Certainties but hold them loosly N. Can any make Fundamentals of Uncertainties Page 41. B. If they read the Scriptures c. and when they are at a loss they do not go to their Teachers N. How ill is it that the Bible had not been kept in an unknown Tongue and not made so common Page 42. B But they go as confident censurers and as Boys that will go to School to dispute with their Master N. And who many times are these Masters even very Boys coming from the University Page 42. B. They receive not the truth in the love of it that they may be saved God oft gives them up to believe a Lye and reject that truth which would have saved them if they had received it N. This is only of such as reject such a Ministry which is absent from among us Page 45. B. I have shewed you already how fully he hath sealed his Testament N. At his last Supper he said This is the blood of the New Testament which was before any of that which we call the new Testament was written Page 46. B. If it had no divine attestation or evidence that it is of God then you might reject it without sin or danger N. Here it 's confest whatsoever Doctrine is brought by any for divine without divine attestation may be rejected without sin Pa. 56. B. But when God hath put his seal to it and proved it to be his own if after this you will be questioning it c. N. This need better proof if the Scripture be here meant A. Or your or any other mans Doctrine drawn from Scripture Page 46. B. Think not the proved sealed Word of God is ever the more to be suspected because the matter in it doth seem strange and unlikely to your reason N. No rational man is guilty of this by his so thinking A. But he must upon some sufficient ground know it to be the sealed and proved word of God else he cannot in reason but doubt it to be such About the middle of his Preface B. The Holy Ghost by special inspiration was the
An Apologetical Narration Or a just and necessary VINDICATION OF CLEMENT WRITER AGAINST A Four-fold Charge laid on him BY RICHARD BAXTER And published by him in Print Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions and to keep himself unspotted from the World Jam. 1. 27. In vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrines the commandments of men Mat. 15. 9. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you FOR I was an hungry and ye gave me Meat I was thirsty and ye gave me Drink I was a Stranger and ye took me in Naked and ye clothed me c. Mat. 25. 34 35 36. Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in Mat. 23 13 14. The Second Edition with an Appendix by the same Author LONDON Printed for Daniel White and are to be sold at his Shop at the seven Stars on the North-side of St. Pauls To the Reader READER I Have here set before thee the whole business between Mr. Baxter and my self intreating thee to bear with such faults as happily thou mayst apprehend either in me or the Book and the rather let me move thee hereunto First Because I may requite thee with the like kindness when ever thou shalt be provoked in like manner to make thy Defence being openly set upon by such a potent Assailant as now I have been Secondly because it is more then probable that thou and I as well as all other men may be mistaken in apprehending of Errors when indeed and in truth the Error may be and many times is meerly in our own apprehension being much vitiated by Custom and Education Wherefore I advise thee once and again seriously and impartially to consider the whole matter over and over and then also not hastily to enter into the seat of Judgment because things of such high deep and weighty concernment need always due and exact weighing and that with sutable Balances wherein humane learning must neither have the pre-eminence nor bear any sway at all And especially in thy judging be very sollicitous and exceeding careful so to doe it as neither to wrong the Truth nor thy own conscience For if thou doest I assure thee whosoever thou art all the Honour and Advantage Profit and Preferment which thou shalt either retain or get thereby will proveâ—tly unreparable damage at last Pray with me therefore that the eyes of our understandings may be opened and anointed with Eye-salve that we may clearly see perfectly apprehend and certainly judge between both Persons and things that differ And in the mean time to exercise mutual Charity and forbearance one towards another at least until our Ignorances be much less and our Authority much more to judge one another in these matters Worcester this 25. of March 1658. Farewel Reader I am against my will provoked by Richard Baxter to make here my just Defence against some charge laid upon me by the name of Clem. Writer in a Pamphlet of his INTITULED A second Sheet for the Ministry wherein though he something mistakes my name yet I suppose I am the Person he ayms at THe first Charge is in p. 6. thus That Clem. Writer told him That no man is bound to believe that Christ did rise again or the rest of Christianity that seeth not Miracles himself to prove it Answ 1. I deny these words in manner form and sence to be ever spoken by me And 2. If any such words or of like import were spoken by me it was to this effect and meaning namely That no unconverted or unbelieving man is bound by God upon pain of damnation to believe and obey the Gospel without Divine evidence to attest unto him the truth thereof whereon undoubtedly to ground that his faith c. This long hath been yet is and must be my judgement until I am otherwise informed and I conceive there are sufficient grounds both from Scripture and Reason to confirm me therein But I leave it to Gods will not determining what Divine evidence he please to use for that purpose whether Signs Wonders diversities of Tongues Miracles casting out of Devils curing of the Lame healing of the Sick raising of the Dead for I finde that by these and other the like demonstrations of the powerful works and gifts of the Spirit he usually confirmed the Word every-where preach'd by his true Ministers for the conversion of men to the Faith of the Gospel insomuch as by the meer shadow of Peter and by the very handkerchiefs of Paul were special Miracles and many Cures wrought as may be seen in Mark 16. 20. Heb. 2. 4. Act. 2. Act. 5. 14 15 16. Act. 8. 6 7. 1 Cor 2. 4. Compared with Act. 19. 11 12 18 19 20. and many other places And as for Tongues these were for a sign not for them that believe but for them that believe not 1 Cor. 14. 22. And we likewise finde that the end of Christs sending of these powerful gifts of the Spirit to abide with his true Ministry and Church for ever Joh. 14. 16. was chiefly to convince the unbelieving world Joh. 16. 8. Thereby not onely to afford them successively in all Ages an infallible ground of Faith but also to bring them under guilt of much sin if they obeyed not the Gospel which otherwise would have been no sin at all in them Joh. 15. 24. And hence it was that the Apostles themselves were commanded to stay until they were endued with power from on high to enable them to do those mighty Works for the attestation of the truth of their Mission and Message for the conversion of men to the Faith of the Gospel Luk. 24. 49. Act. 1. 4 8. And it 's likewise worthy our Observation That neither the twelve nor yet the seventy were sent out at first until they had power given them over Devils and diseases c. whereby to enable them by Divine Evidence to attest the truth of that their Mission although they were then sent but to preach in the Land of Judea only Mat. 10. 5 6. Luk. 10. 1. c. And these being persons meerly of the same Language Kindred and Country might therefore have challenged to have been credited by the Jews upon their own bare testimony only without producing any Divine Evidence at all if any had been so to be credited Yet neither were they nor ought they nor Christ himself to be so credited in these matters as is most evident Joh. 10. 37. Joh. 5. 31 34 36. compared with Joh. 15. 24. And since that none of these were nor ought to be so credited how then dare any mortal man or men of what degree order sort or company soever now upon the face of the Earth assume or challenge to themselves any such Authority or Divine
Sorcerers insomuch that the Sorcerers themselves were convinced and openly confest them to be no otherwise wrought then by the Finger of God And do not you your self in your Saints Rest part 2. pag. 232. tell us That Irenaeus affirmeth That in his time the working of Miracles the raising of the dead the casting out of Devils healing of the sick by meer laying on of hands and prophesying were in force and that some that were so raised from death remained alive among them long after And that Cyprian and Tertullian mention the (c) Note here that these powerful gifts of the Spirit were both ordinary and yet convincing ordinary casting out of Devils and challenge the Heathen to come and see it And in your Saints Rest part 3. pag. 242 243. you do likewise tell us That it is certain from currant Testimony of Church-Records that the gift of casting out of Devils and making them (d) even to the Devils themselves and continued 3 or 400 years at least in the Church after the Apostles all which is granted and proved by R. B. himself confess themselves mastered by Christ did remain in the Church three or four hundred years at least after the Apostles And for this you produce divers Authors and after say That no where could Satan keep his Possession where the power of Christ did assault him And it is likewise evident by the Scripture That the gifts of the Spirit and the Ministry thereof by laying on of hands were to continue in the Church for all that were either then or afterwards called or converted to the Faith to partake thereof even as well all afar off as those that were neer Act. 1. 5. Act. 2. 38 39. 2 Cor. 3. 6. Gal. 3. 5. Comp. Act. 18. 12 14 to 18. Act. 19. 1 to 7. And it is evident also That the Apostolical Office to whom the Ministry of the Spirit was committed together with the Prophetical and Evangelical as well as the Pastoral and Doctrinal being all such meerly by gift were all joyntly by gifts to continue in the true Church for the perfecting of the Saints c. till we all come to the Unity of the Faith c. in Christ from whom the whole body fitly joynted together and compacted by the effectual working of that one Spirit by his several gifts in the measure of every part maketh encrease in the body unto the edifying of it self in love being all baptized into that one Body by some manifest gift of the Spirit to profit the body withal Eph. 4. 8 11 12 13 16. 1 Cor. 12. 7 13. For God saith the Apostle hath set in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles then gifts of healings helps in Government diversities of tongues 1 Cor. 12. 28. And as the gift of tongues was to continue for a signe to unbelievers so also was the gift of prophesie to continue in the Church for the profit and comfort of believers 1 Cor. 14. 22 31. All which laid together manifestly prove the continuance both of the Apostolical and Prophetical Offices in the true Church not onely for the first age and for four hundred years after but also that they were and are alwayes to continue therein and are and will be therein wheresoever it is and whensoever it shall be upon the face of the Earth notwithstanding all that is or can be produced or proved by R. B. to the contrary in his proposing a lame and imperfect body of Christ dismembred and without his chiefest members yea and quite memberless These spiritual diversities of manifest Gifts being the formality of the diversity of the spiritual members of Christ their spiritual Head but R. B. tells the world That these Gifts are now both useless and unnecessary if a man might with safety take his word against both reason scripture and experience and albeit he may therein nevertheless easily prevaile with many weak and inconsiderate men yea and please many thousand others whose interests are concerned who though they be at Daggers-drawing with him and amongst themselves concerning the most material points of the Gospel yet herein his service will be acceptable in that he affords them help though very little at so dead a lift even when they were breathing out their last of divine right both to Office and Benefice and which was not long since quite dead as may appear by their petitioning the long Parliament for its reviving but the Parliament declared and that most truly That all just power must be derived from the people hence they proceed to act mighty matters and all in the name and authority of the people of England and still at the adjournment of the Court after a solemn cry of O yes they founded out with a loud voice God save the good people of England whence will follow as a necessary Consequence that if any divine right remains now in England it is in the people of England But a little further to the point in hand and to use Christs argument against the Pharisees slandering his casting out of Devils to be done by the Prince of Devils If Satan saith Christ cast out Satan how shall his Kingdom stand The like may I say If God doth not apparently distinguish the works done by his Spirit and Power for the Confirmation of the Gospel from those wrought by Satan or any other created power how shall his Wisdom Truth and Justice stand in his requiring Faith and Obedience unto the Gospel and that upon pain of damnation meerly upon the account of the mighty works wrought for its Confirmation and yet not to distinguish them by some such apparent signes from all other done by Satan or his instruments as they might evidently and undoubtedly be known by all men For saith Christ if I had not done and that among them the works which none other man did they had not had sin John 15. 24. The second Charge is in pag. 7. If Miracles saith R. B. were ordinary few would be moved by them as any proof of a divine testimony To this saith he Clem. Writer answers me miracles were convincing in the first age when they were common How common saith R. B. not as natural operations Answ VVho ever said they were as common as natural operations not Clem. Writer But here R. B. sets up a Dudman of his own invention to affright Daws from questioning his far-fetcht false and unwarrantable Doctrines and then when he pleaseth makes an Adversary of it fights it stoutly conquers it beats it to Clouts with his Fists and who now can deny him his just triumph for so glorious a victory But to the Charge it self against Clem. Writer for answering you Miracles were convincing in the first age when they were common is this any offence in Clem. Writer for so saying when R. B. himself hath proved it over and over That Miracles were both ordinary and convincing even to the Devils themselves not onely in the
declare his Faith if he were in Spain He answered me No But soon after he would have supped up again that his answer by telling me If it concern'd the Glory of God he would After all which with a low voyce I told him That if we were alone I might haply be freer to speak and to tell him more of my minde Then stept he to the Lurcher and dismist him with words to this effect You may now be gone I have done with you there 's no more need now of your stay Which hearing I concluded as before I suspected that he was on purpose appointed in that manner to be there which made me think it best to say little more to him but rather to forbear until I had studied and found out the man and his aims more perfectly onely I wish'd him to answer the Book and not to be so inquisitive to know the Author and also to seek out some meeter Match then my self for him to Dispute and Contest withal Telling him in effect thus much further That when any great Boy encounter'd with a little one in the Street the very Women and Wenches passing by will reprove him saying Thou great Knave why quarrelest thou with this little Boy who is quiet not medling with thee nor is he any meet Match for thee so great a Lubber For shame let him alone and meddle with thy Match And having thus spoken I took leave and departed being glad to be so well quit of such a Companion well discerning of what Spirit he was Loe this is the sum of the whole that is worth the relating which then passed between this busy Bishop and my sel Since which came out his second sheet thus publiquely charging me which I have here answered and freely told him part of my mind and something of my Faith too which he so much desired to know for which I hope no Impartial Wise Just or Rational Man will in the least blame me doing it in my own Defence being so much assaulted and provoked thereunto and that both publickly in print and otherwise as is here already declared And now lest my Notes being in his hand should likewise be sent abroad either in some disguise or without the right and proper Sentences of the Book to which they relate I shall here make bold to publish them my self even as they came rudely and hastily at first from my Pen not in the least suspecting that I should ever have been thus caused to publish them in my own Defence as now I am Wherein for the Readers better satisfaction I shall first set down the Sentence as it is in the Book and the page where it is this shall be marked in the Margent with the letter B. for Book Next to which shall be my Note thereupon and this shall be marked with the Letter N for Note And where any need is to add a word for explanation this shall be marked with the letter A. for Addition The Title of the Book The Unreasonableness OF INFIDELITY Divided into Four Parts By RICHARD BAXTER 1. The Spirits Extrinsick Witness 2. The Spirits internal Witness 3. The sin against the Holy Ghost 4. The Arrogancy of Reason The First PART Page 16. B. TO one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisdom to another the word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another working of Miracles to another Prophesie to another discerning of Spirits to another divers Tongues to another the interpretation of tongues but all these worketh that one and the same Spirit N. Why is Faith here omitted seeing the Text hath it Page 18. B. If we were in a case of doubt between several Teachers and one of them should write thus to publick Churches even the Churches of England Scotland Holland and Germany I appeal to your selves whether you did not by that Doctrine which I delivered to you receive the Holy-Ghost by which you all received either the gift of tongues healing prophesie or the like N. Can any Minister now truly so write to any Church or infallibly tell what that Gospel or Doctrine was which was so confirmed to the Galatians Page 30. B. We have yet Copies of Scripture extant of very great Antiquity N. Admit all this and that they all accorded as they do not yet the Quere will be Who gave those Copies or any Translations Authority to be a ground of true Faith to the world whereby they might be saved by their believing them or damned everlastingly for not believing them Page 32. B. Men must not believe Gods Law ceased or abrogated without good proof N. But the Gospel was in like manner confirmed to the Centiles also who had not the Law Page 32. B. We have the full use and benefit of the Holy Ghost which was given then that seal that was then set to the Christian Doctrines and Scriptures stands there still N. Hereby every several Opinion and Doctrine drawn from Scripture is justified the one as well as the other Page 33. B. Tongues are not for them that believe but for them that believe not saith Paul 1 Cor. 14. 22. that is to shew them the power of Christ and so convince them N. What are not now unbelievers in the world as well as then Page 33. B. But now the Scripture is sealed by these N. Who but Mr. Baxter dare to affirm this Page 34. B. These glorious Experiments and potent Workings will not suffer them to change their Religion N. This justifies the Quakers as well as Mr. Baxter if not more at least they may pretend the same as well as he Page 35. B. The gifts of strange Languages healing casting out of Devils fell on men ordinarily N. These gifts being ordinary Why do you elsewhere term them extraordinary A. Yea and why do you in the seventh page of your second sheet for the Ministry say If Miracles were ordinary few would be moved by them as any proof of a Divine Testimony And also in the thirty sixth page part two of your book of Infidelity say Miracles if common would lose their convincing force and be as none Yet here you tell us That they were ordinary when no such inconvenience followed their being so But these with other like slights and juggles are so common in your VVritings as no man in his VVits can take them for Miracles nor your VVritings for any proof of a Divine Testimony Page 35. B. That putteth such a new nature into the soul of every Saint N. â—quere VVhether this be any otherwise then by Faith or their believing the promise of having it 2 Pet. 1. 4. A. Afterward viz. at the Resurrection and now to have it meerly by promise See the Text. Page 36. B. If you would open your eyes you might see very much of it i. e. of the gifts of the Spirit before specified in the holiness of the Saints N. If it be with any now shew it and so end the Controversie but if not then rest onely on
of men being in an unknown Tongue to them A. Especially as it came from the first Pen-men thereof Page 81. B. As these Testimonies were left by him to wit Christ on certain Record N. Upon what Record was it so left by Christ Page 149. B. Would you have him bring you another Gospel when Paul would hold an Angel from heaven accursed if he should so do Gal. 1. 7 8 9. N. The sence of this Text is perverted being applied to the Scripture A. For the Text runs thus Though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that that we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you then that ye have received let him be accursed So that it is evident that Paul here had reference onely to the preaching of the Gospel to the Galatians whereby they were converted to the Faith which preaching was confirmed to them by miracles and by ministring to them the Spirit after their believing as may be seen Chap. 3. 5. Insomuch that this Text being rightly understood and duly considered quite overthrows that Doctrine which this Author would maintain and here prove by it Page 150. B. This is the Word which is able to make men wise to salvation N. Through Faith in Christ Jesus A. And through that alone the Gentiles were also made wise to salvation who knew not the Scripture Page 150. B. By this word it is that those must be washed and cleansed and sanctified whom Christ will present pure and spotless to his Father at last Ephes 5. 26. N. The Word preached by the true Ministry witnessed by God and not the Scripture is here meant Page 167. B. That many Heathens excel in this Learning to wit Humane Learning and it was Gods Truth which they received by the study of the Creatures though they detained it in Unrighteousness yea so much excellency was in it that the abuse of it will leave them without excuse though they never had the Scriptures nor heard of Christ for that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are cleerly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse Rom. 1. 19 20. N. If I am not much mistaken the sence of this Text is here much mistaken A. For these Heathen came not to the understanding of the Eternal Power Godhead by Humane Learning nor by the Study of the Creatures but by Gods manifesting it to them in the preaching of the Gospel which was invisible or hid from or ever since the Creation of the World being the mystery which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God Eph. 3. 8 9. and hid from Ages and generations but then made manifest Coloss 1. 25 26. This mysterious hidden or invisible power and Godhead or Divine Essence did God shew to them and was clearly seen by them and that by the preaching of the Gospel and by the mighty and powerful works done or wrought among them for the Confirmation thereof Made is very unaptly put into our Translation instead whereof done or wrought would more fitly set forth the sence of the Apostle in that place And then when these Heathen after so clear a discovery and manifestation to them of the only true and powerful God by the Gospel fell back againe to their former Idolatry this was it which aggravated both their sin and punishment to so great a height but if the same discovery had been made to them by humane Learning or the study of the Creatures then they had been guilty of the same sin and so would have been made liable to the same punishment ever since the Creation and their attaining humane Learning because they formerly committed the same Idolatry but yet were not at all guilty of the same degree of sin nor liable thereby to the same punishment for in respect of the times before the coming of Christ and the Gospel God winked at as times of their Ignorance Act. 17. 30. which could not be if that the eternal Power and God-head had been so clearly manifested to them as in the Text is set forth by the Creation or the study of the Creatures by humane Learning Nor was it the Apostles drift or business to tell the Romans there what means of knowledge the world had 4000 years before nor was it to set forth or declare the vertue or excellency of humane Learning nor of the knowledge attainable by it or by the Creation but to set forth the great and mighty power of God which had been hid from Ages and Generations since the world began but was then made manifest by the power which accompanied the Gospel beginning at the 16 verse thus 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek This he proves and sets forth by its effects in divers instances in the four next following verses thus For there-in or by it 17. Is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith 18. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the Truth in unrighteousness 19. That which might be known of God is manifest to them for God hath shewed it unto them 20. The invisible or hid things of him from or ever since the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made done or wrought even his eternal Power and God-head This may plainly be seen to be the drift and sence of the Apostle in that place and to this sence the Scripture accords elsewere Heb. 2. 3 4. Heb. 6. 4 5 6 7 8. but to the other sence no where And therefore seeing that humane Learning is so pur-blind as not in one thousand six hundred years to finde out the true scope and genuine sence of Scripture which lies so obvious and plain as here and in divers other places it doth where the true sence is hitherto mistaken and not to this day attained unto by humane Learning How then can it reasonablybe thought possible that Christ did ever advance humane Learning to so great and honourable an employment as to cause a Star thereof to arise of purpose to direct men to the Sun of Righteousness or to be an Usher to prepare the way for the Gospel or that he hath now delivered it up unto his Church to be continued therein or esteemed a gift of his Spirit as our Author R. B. in his book of Infidelity part 1. page 37 38. most presumptuously hath asserted Cujus contrarium verum est Page 174. B. Are not our Divines themselves
Gospel preacht by this Author R. B. and the Gospel preacht by St. Paul to be different and not the same First because the Gospel preacht by St. Paul was accompanied with infallible Divine evidence to attest the truth thereof for the conversion of men and whereon infallibly to ground their faith and obedience thereunto without which he neither would nor could binde any to beleeve and obey it but the Gospel preacht by this Author hath no such evidence yet he will dare to say That all at least those that hear it are bound to beleeve and obey it Secondly Because illiterate men are uncapable of the Gospel preacht by this Author without their taking many things implicitely upon trust and upon the word of their Teachers as he himself tells us in page 238 239. of his Saints Rest where he thus expresseth himself viz. Something must be taken upon trust from man whether we will or no yet no uncertainty in our faith neither For First saith he The meer illiterate man must take it upon trust that the Book is a Bible which he hears read for else he knows not but it may be some other Book Secondly That these words are in it which the Reader pronounceth Thirdly That it is translated truly out of the Original Languages Fourthly That the Greek and Hebrew Copies out of which it was translated are true authentick Copies Fifthly That it was Originally written in these Languages These with many more as he there tells us the vulgar must take upon the word of their Teachers Behold here what use and benefit this Author makes of his having now the full use and benefit of the Holy Ghost which was formerly given and then sealed the Christian Doctrines and Scriptures and stands there still as he tells us if we could beleeve him in his Book of Infidelity Part â— pag 32. And must we needs therefore take these and all other his Doctrines which he hath raised or may raise either from Scripture or out of his own fancy for true and undoubted Christian Doctrines formerly sealed by the Holy Ghost upon the account of his bare saying That he hath now the full use and benefit of the Holy Ghost formerly given c. Sir If this be your meaning then speak it plainly out and for shame doe not impose upon the world such Gâ—olleries as these meerly by implication But the Gospel preacht by St. Paul and other the true Ministers of Jesus Christ needed none of all this it being preacht to all people in their own Languages and to the understanding of the meanest and this was all the Originals Copies and Translations that they were troubled withall or needed to bring them to the faith of the Gospel they not being necessitated to take the least tittle thereof impliâ—itely upon trust or upon the word or credit of their Teachers For When Philip went down to the City of Samaria and preached Christ unto them the vulgar people as illiterate as they were with one accord gave heed to the things which Philip spake hearing and seeing the Miracles which he did and without more ado they beleeved and were baptised both men and women Act. 8 12. All which was done before any of these beleevers had received the Spirit for after this were sent from Jerusalem Peter and John who administred the Spirit to them by laying their hands on them ver 17. Even as Peter declared their ordinary method of administring of the Spirit to be after faith and baptism Act. 2. 38 39. by his bidding the Jews to repent and be baptized every one of them and that they i. e. every one of them should then receive the gift of the Spirit because the promise to wit of the Spirit was to them and their children and to all that should afterward be converted or called to the faith of the Gospel as well all afar off as those that were neer And therefore it was that Paul demanded of the Disciples at Ephesus If they had received the Holy Spirit since they beleeved and they answering That they knew not whether there were any Holy Spirit or not He presently asked them Vnto what then were they baptized He well knowing that the gifts of the Spirit was necessary to be administred to all and to every one after their beleeving and being baptised and therefore by laying his hand on them he administred the gifts of the Spirit to them for thereby the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and prophesied Act. the 19. 1 2 3 6. compared with Ephes 1. 13. This also is contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel now preached by this our Author and others So then it is most evident that to the true Ministery of the Gospel appertained these three special administrations as essentially necessary thereunto 1. The administration of the Word infallibly and evidently attested for the conversion of men to the beleef and obedience thereof 2. The administration of Johns baptism by water for the remission of sins 3. The administration of Christ's baptism with the Spirit by the laying on of hands whereby the gifts of the Spirit were conveyed on the baptised beleevers Moreover St. Paul tells the Corinthians That his preachâ—ng to them was not for them to take any thing from him implicitely upon trust or upon any perswasive words of his or of mans wisdome but upon the demonstration of the Spirit and power which he produced before them to attest the tâ—uth and Divine Authority of his Doctrine that so their faith should not stand upon the word credit or wisdome of men but upon the power of God 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. for if they should have taken it implicitely upon the word and credit of Paul so great an Apostle as â—e was without the aforesaid Divine infallible evidence This had not been to beleeve God but to have resolved their faith into some humane testimony even to have laid their foundation upon the sand where all would have fallen at the next assault as this Author himself hath told us in his Saints Rest pag. 20â— 3. The Gospel preach'd by St. Paul was joyful news to every creature under Heaven Col. 1. 23. But the Gospel preach'd by this Author is far short of that being sad news to most men especially to such as beleeve not his Doctrines when they often interfere thwart one another as in part is here already shewed yea and some things published by him in print hath he already in print * Next to the 160. pag. of his Saints Rest part 1. He thus writes viz Reader understand that since I wrote this I begin to doubt of the soundness of what is expressed in the four next foregoing pages which I am not ashamed to acknowledge but ashamed that I published it so rashly revoked and so may he doe as there is just cause many more before he die yea it is hoped that he will ere long publickly own this truth which he now
then been given to him if the Headship or Lordship over his Church had been omitted or suspended until his Ascention This Jesus God raised up and made him both Lord and Christ Act. 2. 35 36. And he was the first born from the dead of every creature that in all things he might have the pre-eminence Col. 1. 15 18. For nothing was left that should not be made subject unto him but neither then nor since are all things actually made subject unto him although he then was actually crowned with the Glory and Honour of Lordship over all things Heb. 2. 5 6 8 9. which hereafter are to be actually put in subjection unto him as these Scriptures witness Psal 110. 1. Act. 2. 34 35 36. 1 Cor. 15. 24 25 26 27 28 Phil. 2. 8 9 10 11 Heb. 1. 6 13. and 10. 12 13. All which shews the imbecility of the objection being composed meerly of non-sequiturs unto which the Apostle plainly alludes and compares the Church 1 Cor. 12. where he also tells them That they having these spiritual gifts were thereby all of them baptized into that one body of Christ by that one Spirit before which they were not of that body nor sutable matter for Membership in that spiritual body of Christ their Spiritual Head and husband Even as the Apostle writing to a true Church Rom. 8. tells them That if any of them had not the Spirit of Christ the same was none of his i. e. none of his body or Church which is as a building fitly framed together groweth to an holy temple in the Lord in whom they were builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Eph. 2. 21 22. Rom. 12. 4 5. as we have many Members in the body and all the members have not the same office so we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another holding the head from which all the body by these gifts of the Spirit as by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Col. 2. 19. Wherefore this learned Objector may as well and as soon truly define a Natural body without members or joynts and sinews to knit them together as to define a true Christian Church or body of Christ without these gifts of the Spirit For see we not how the most learned on all sides flounder and fall before each other in their definitions of a true Church and each different party challenging their definition to be truest and the true Church to be amongst them each crying Loe here and loe there as if the Church of Christ when and where it is will not be perspicuously and distinctly discovered as a light set upon a hill to all beholders even by her own eminency and by that divine light and power which alwayes did and will accompany her without the help of blind guides with their dark-lanthorns of humane Arts and Sciences to discover and find her out This consideration alone is sufficient to evidence That the true Church is withdrawn from the earth or at least so far removed that we know not where to find it I shall instance in the definition made by one of the best reformed Churches even the Church of England as it was most advisedly framed by the wisest and ablest of them and then publickly held forth in the Articles of the Church which they stoutly defended against the world insomuch as whosoever would not conform thereto was obnoxious to censure and being a Minister was liable to be reprobated and cast out as refuse and unsavory salt In the ninteenth Article it is thus defined viz. The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful men in the which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duly administred according to Christs Ordinance Now let a Heathen be told that by these marks he may know the true Church may he not then demand how he shall know the pure word of God when it is preached c. must he not then be told that he must know that by the true Church and then again may he not ask How he may know the true Church and must he not then again be answered That he must know the true Church by their preaching the pure word of God c. And thus may he run the round again and again to the worlds end and be never the neerer knowing the true Church until he return again into his own countrey and there or elsewhere learn undoubtedly to know what the pure word of God is when it is preached and what the due administration of the Sacraments is according to Christ's ordinance and as soon as he hath learned undoubtedly to know all these he may then return hither again if he please and find out the true Church of Christ amongst us as soon as he can But how unlike are these marks unto those which Christ himself gave to know his true Church by Mar. 16. 17 18. These signs shall follow them In my name they shall cast out Devils they shall speak with new tongues they shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover Unto this also accords St. Pauls description of a true Cburch 1 Cor. 12. 28. God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly teachers after them miracles then gifts of healing helps governments divers kinds of tongues And accordingly Ancient Christians judged these gifts of the Spirit to be absolutely necessary to the being of a true Church for Eusebius informs us That one Miliades disputing with certain Hereticks proves them no true Church or right Christians by the discontinuance of the gifts of the Spirit amongst them thus If that as they say after Quadratus and Ammias the Philadelphian those women of Montanus succeeded in the gift of Prophesie Let them shew who afterward succeeded Montanus and his women for the Apostle thinketh good that the gifts of Prophesie should reign in every Church even unto the end but now for the space of these fourteen yeers since Miximilla dyed they are able to shew us not one Euseb lib. 5. chap. 15. And so modern Authors likewise doe judge these gifts necessary to the being of a true Church for in a Book intituled The Doctrine of Baptisms set out 1652. by a nameless author supposed to be Mr. Dell in pag. 22. it 's asserted That as Spirit-Baptisme makes us one with Christ the head so with the Church the Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body c. And a little after he saith There are no more of that Church which is the body of Christ-then they that are baptised with that one Spirit The truth of all which our Objector himself so far acknowledgeth as in his Preface to the second Part of his Saints Rest to tell us That