bestowed upon beleevers is called circumcision as where mention is made of circumcision of the heart Deut. 30 6. And because the Apostle saith Rom. 2 28 29. neither is that circumcision which is outward in tâ—e flesh but circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God And Col. 2 11. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumsicion made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh But who would not smile at this The Apostle saith here also there is one faith And upon the same ground our Quaker might argue that the doctrine of the Gospel which is the object of faith is not faith though the same Apostle calleth it so Gal. 1 23. and elsewhere and that the outward Profession of the truth is not faith though it be so called Act 8 13. 1 Tim. 1 ver 19. 3 9. 4 1. hence the historical and temporary faith and the faith of miracles should be no faith because not the faith here meaned As also because the Apostle saith here there is one body he might thus reason Either the mystical body of beleevers is not the body or the universal company of Professours is not the body But as the body here comprehendeth both and the Faith taketh in both the outward profession and the inward grace so the Baptisme comprehendeth both that which is inward and outward not the one with the exclusion of the other as making up that one Ordinance of Baptisme the consideration of which is a strong motive to union among Church-members made partakers thereof But he thinks that he is confirmed in his opinion if we say that the water is one part of Baptisme as being the signe and the Spirit is the other as being the thing signified But we take the thing signified to be Christ and his benefites for it sealeth to the believer an interest in him and all the promises of the new Covenant whereof the promise of the Spirit is a grand and comprehensive one Let us hear his reason For saith he if water be the signe it is not the mater of the one Baptisme and the one Baptisme is to be taken for the mater and not for the figure type or signe Answ. Whether he call it mater or signe as a figure or type we owne it not this is certain that the outward element administred according to appointment is the outward visible part of that Baptisme which comprehendeth both the outward and inward part But he supposeth we say it is a part of the inward grace which is his dream and he speaketh of the inward grace as separated and considered wholly as distinct from the outward part and will have it only called Christ's Baptisme which may be true in some sense because it is it which he doth and worketh by his Spirit but it is not that baptisme whereof the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 4. that so abstractly and separatly considered having no force of an argument or motive in it to press Visible Professours to an endeavouring of unity but as conjoined with this outward administration wherein all were solemnely dedicate to God and whereby they were solemnely admitted as members of one visible body and visibly separated and differenced from all the rest of the world and so engadged to be wholly and only the Lords and to lay out themselves for the good one of another and to seek by all lawful meanes possible the welfare and felicity of the whole body and to demeane themselves as members one of another for the glory of their one Head Christ. This is plaine and obvious to every one that will but open his eyes See 1 Cor. 12 12 13 14 25 26 27. 6. Having laid this sandy foundation in his mistake of that one baptism mentioned by Paul Ephes. 4 vers 5. he proceeâ—eth to his second Proposition Pag. 267. which is this That this one baptisme which is Christ's Baptisme is not the washing of water Mat. 3 vers 11. Hence he argueth Pag. 268. If they who were baptized by the baptisme of water were not therefore baptized by the baptisme of Christ then the baptisme of water is not the baptisme of Christ. But the first is true Therefore c. Againe If they who did truely and really administrate the baptisme of water did nevertheless declare that they neither did nor could baptize with the baptisme of Christ then the baptisme of water is not the baptisme of Christ But c. Ans. This man's trumph though he stand upon the shoulders of his friend Socinus who spoke thus before him is a meer glorying in a thing of nought and both his arguments may be blowne away with one distinction thus if those who were baptized with the baptisme of water were not therefore baptized with that baptisme which Christ himself by his Spirit and not by the ministrie of men was to administrate than the baptisme of water is not this baptisme which Christ was to performe by his Spirit without the ministrie of men true then the baptisme of water is not the baptisme which Christ hath instituted this is false The Assumption is only true in the first sense and not in the last And so his Conclusion proveth nothing The baptisme of water and this baptisme of the Spirit are different we confesse and the baptisme by water is not the external part of this baptisme of the Holy Ghost nor a signe far lesse a type or figure nor is this baptisme of the holy Ghost the baptisme whereof the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 4 5. Nor is this baptisme that which Christ did institute and whereof we speak He citeth further Act. 1 4 5. but to no purpose for we confess this baptisme where with Christ was to baptize the Apostles was far different from that which Iohn did administrate and from what Christs owne disciples did and were after his resurrection according to his injunction to administer and which is it we speak of To the same purpose he citeth Pag. 269. Act. 11 16 whereby every one may see what that baptisme was which is mentioned as differing from Iohns But what is there here to prove that only this baptisme with the holy Ghost is to be called Christ's baptisme and none else or that there is no other baptisme now to be administred And who I pray shall be the administrators thereof But saith he if there be now but one Baptisme as is proved this baptisme must be the baptisme of the Spirit But where readeth he of but one baptisme And as to the consequent how doth it follow Rather the contrary seing that baptisme of the holy Ghost and with fire is ceased on whom I pray doth the holy Ghost now fall as it did on the Apostles Act. 2 vers 4. and on those Act. 11 who are thereby enabled to speak now with strange tongues Are the Quakers thus baptized why do they not evidence it by their
extraordinary gifts if not why do they not hold one baptisme till they get another But then sayes he Iâ— should not be Christs baptisme that remaineth Answ. It should not be that baptisme by the â—oly Ghost which he promised to his disciples it is true but it is false to say it should not be that baptisme which Christ did institute appoint his Apostles to administer Read we not of some baptized in the name of Christ who yet had received none of these gifts Act. 8 16. and yet sure that baptisme was Christs His following words I have nothing to do with for I say not that Iohns Baptisme was a figure of this extraordinary baptisme by the holy Ghost and by fiâ—e I observe moreover another piece of this mans ignorance or deceite whereupon he would found his discourse here he imagineth that these extraordiry gifts of the holy Ghost are the same with the Spiritual things signified conferred and sealed in baptisme And when the man doth shut his eyes and then run on furiously in his blindness what can we do but stand by and be sorry at his folly and madness Hence he will have none said to be baptized in the Spirit but such as are baptized and endued with these extraordinary gifts of the Spirit and because we admit not now such a baptisme of the Spirit he inferreth that we are only for the bare forme and shadow of baptisme and he is for the substance Who would not pity such a man that taketh upon him to condemne as the Manichees did of old and a Seck called the Whippers that arose in the 13. Century our baptisme and therein to condemne all the Churches of Christ when he hath need to goe in among the Catechumens and be catechized I say agaâ—ne if he and his fraternity be thus baptized with the Holy Ghost as the Apostles were and these mentioned Act. 11. Why do they not shew it The fire in the Apostles could not be hid they spoke with tongues but our Quakers do no such thing except by a new kinde of non-sense he would have us understand their speaking with tongues And indeed they are all baptized with this baptisme These were extraordinarily endued with learning and all abilities to set forward the Kingdom of Christ but our Quakers are ignorant and yet they imagine they are learned and with what they have they destroy so far as they can this kingdom and therefore if they be extraordinarily baptized with a Sâ—irit it must be with a blake Spirit Christ's enemy And further the baptisme of the holy Ghost with which the Apostles were baptized made them not enraged against the baptisme of water but more careful to observe it and administrate it according to Christ's appointment and that even to such as had also received that extraordinary baptisme As Act. 11. these same persons on whom the holy Ghost fell were baptized with water But it is otherwise with our Quakers the Ghost which they suppose themselves baptized with is a Ghost opposite to all Christ's Appointments Let them then consider whence he came and whether he leadeth them 7. He citeth further Pag. 270. 1 Pet. 3 21. plowing with Socinus's hifer and supposeth that there is here given a definition of Baptisme and it is true the Apostle sheweth what that baptisme was which he was speaking of to wit not the bare outward element and the application thereof which alone cannot be effectual to salvation but the principal thing here requisite is the answer of a good conscience which all must have who shall expect any good of Baptisme And thus the Apostle doth plainly establish this Ordinance as a like figure unto that whereunto Noahs Ark was a figure which proved a mean of saving none but faithful Noah and his family And this truth we owne to wit that the outward washing of water can save none where there is not the stipulation of a good conscience toward God Shall we hence with Swenkfeldus whom Calvin on the place confuteth say that the outward Ordinance is null Or shall we with Papists stick in the outward element No Christs way is the best we owne both what is inward and what is outward and give each its due place What would our Quaker now say He sideth with Schwenckfeldus and Saltmarsh and would have the outward part wholly laid aside and why Because Peter sayes Baptisme is not the putting away the filth of the Flesh. Ans. Peter sayes not that there is no putting away of the filth of the Flesh in Baptisme but that the baptisme which will save must have some other thing then outward washing to wit the answere of a good conscience toward God Againe he joyneth with Papists and will have baptisme to be that which was really typified by the Ark while as it is but a corresponding exemplar carrying some analogy or proportion therewith let him Read Calvin Beza on the place But saith he As all in the Arkwere saved by water so all should be saved by outward washing if that were baptisme Answ. If we made the outward washing as separated from the inward grace the whole of Baptisme the Quaker had some colour to speak thus but when we speak of Baptisme as saving we comprehend both the outward washing and the inward grace the answere of a good conscience for where this is not the outward washing in baptisme is ineffectual One thing more How will this Quaker prove that this answere of a good conscience is the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit which were poured forth upon the Apostles Or is that baptisme by the holy Ghost and by fire whereof Christ speaketh Act. 1 4 His saying Pag. 270. that none can give this answere but they whose soul the Spirit of God hath purified and whose corrupt nature the fire of his judgments hath consumed is but to show his profane dexterity in allegorizeinâ— and playing with the word of truth let him plainly tell us if he thinketh the Apostles had no grace no corruption purified until the day of Pentecost came and so that the thing which Christ had promised and which then was fulfilled was this Spirit of Sanctification and nothing else And if he dar not say this let him consider to how little purpose all this is said 8. He citeth also but to the same purpose stealing from Socinus Rom. 6 3 4. Gal. 3 27. Col. 2 12. for the Apostle is not speaking of the outward washing abstracted from the inward grace but is speaking of whole baptisme that as aâ—ministred to such as he supposed beleevers and speaketh unto as such pressing duties and mentioning privileges that agree to them only And thus all which our Quaker saith is obviated for we say not that the things there mentioned are to be understood of bare outward washing but of the Ordinance which includeth the inward grace in order to these privileges and benefites We do not say that all who are only outwardly washen in baptisme are
therefore crucified with Christ or have put him on but that baptisme sealeth this to such as do really beleeve But let us hear his arguments If the baptisme of water was that one baptisme that is the baptisme of Christ then as many as were baptized with water did put on Christ. But this is false Therefore c. Againe If so many as are baptized into Christ that is with that one Baptisme which is Christ's baptisme have put on Christ then the baptisme of water is not the one baptisme the baptisme of Christ. But the former is true Therefore c. Ans. Not to trouble him with that distinction which yet enervateth both his arguments viz. That such as are baptized with water and have no more though they have not put on Christ in truth and reality Yet they have put on Christ in profession and thereby have publickly declared their engadgment to the duties pressed Conforme to what was said I Answere to his first argument thus If the baptisme of water abstracted and separated from the answere of a good conscience was the baptisme of Christ then his Minor is true But if baptisme of water and the answere of a good conscience therein required be Christ's baptisme then it is true that as many as are thus baptized have put on Christ and so his Minor is false and his Conclusion is vaine So as to his second arg I Answere thus if so many as are baptized into Christ have put on Christ then the baptisme of water without the answer of a good conscience is not that one baptisme true then the baptisme of water including the answer of a good conscience is not that one baptisme It is false The Minor is true of this last but not of the former and so againe his conclusion is a non-sequitur Thus he may see his folly in disioyning and separating what should be conjunctly considered In all this what hath he said to Prove that the baptisme whereof the Apostle speaketh in the places cited is nothing else then the very baptisme of the holy Ghost and of fire wherewith the Apostles were baptized in the day of Pentecost One might admire at this mans folly in all this discourse but we cannot expect better from the Quakers 9. After this he giveth us Pag. 272. § 5. his Third Proposition which he hath learned belike of Saltmarsh the Antinomian or Familist and it is thâ—s That Iohns Baptisme was a figure of Christ's and when Christ's baptisme is come the figure must cease That is Iohns baptisme was a figure of that baptisme with the holy Ghost and with fire with which the Apostles were baptized on the day of Pentecost And thus we see that no part of this proposition is true It is not true how confident so ever he be of the truth of it that Iohns baptisme was a type of this nor is it true that when this came the baptisme of water which he meaneth by Iohns baptisme ceased but rather encreased for that very same day there were three thousand persons baptized Act. 2 41. He proveth that Johns baptisme was a type of this because the baptisme of water is a figure of the baptisme of the Spirit Which is also denyed and is but a fiction of his own braine But he proveth his Proposition thus No baptisme is now to be continued but the one Baptisme of Christ Therefore the Baptisme of water is not to be continued for that is not Christ's baptisme Ans. If by the one baptisme of Christ he meane the baptisme with the holy Ghost and with fire the Anteced is false if he meane the baptisme which Christ hath instituted it is true and his consequence is null For baptisme with water is institute by Christ and therefore is his and is only that one baptisme mentioned by Paul Ephes. 4 5. which the Quaker might see if he would for he dar not say that all the members of the primitive Church and of Ephesus were baptized with the Baptisme wherewith the Apostles were baptized on pentecost day and some few others afterward But he will prove that Iohn's baptisme is wholly ceased from Iohn 3 30. where Iohn speaking of Christ saith he must increase and I must decrease As if Iohn and baptisme with water were all one and Christ one the same with the baptisme of the holy Ghost 10. When this will not do he trieth another way and goeth about to prove that baptisme by water is ceased by this argument If baptisme by water be an ordinance that was to continue then Christ would either have used it himself baptizing some contrare to Ioh. 4 2. or would have commanded his Apostles to have used it But this I could never finde writen sayes he Answ. Though Christ did it not himself Yet his disciples did it with his warrand and approbation at least if not an expresse command For though we read not of an express command given before his resurrection Yet the usual and constant practice of the disciples in his presence saith they wanted not his warrand Neither were they â—o rash as to take up a practice in the worshipe of God at their owne hand and continue it without all divine warrand And though they had been so rash yet we may not think that Christ was so untender in the matters of worshipe and so little careful of the Christian deportment of his disciples as not to rebuke them for will worshipe or to suffer them to continue so long in that sin without once challenging them and rebuking them for it We inferre from their continued practice a divine warrand till he let us see an express or a virtual prohibition He may thank the Socinians for this We finde also an express command given to his Apostles Mat. 28 18. And we finde a constant practice of this through the Acts of the Apostles and their practice after they were endued with an infallible Spirit and authorized with power to establish Gospel ordinances is warrand enough for us though there were no more So that this argument of his is every way weak 11. He addeth another Socinian argument § 6. Pag. 273. saying that it is contrary to the nature of Christian Religion which is pure and spiritual And why so This washing with water sayes he was a legal rite Heb. 9 10. Answ. That under the Law there were several ritual and typical washings is true but that the baptisme of water unto repentance and in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost was of the same nature is not only false but the asserting of it is a manifest condemnation of Iohn Baptist of Christ himself and of his Apostles Iohn Baptist had an express command for it which needed not if it had been of the same nature with the legal ritual washings It is called the baptisme of repentance Mark. 1 4. Luk. 3 3. Act. 19 4. which we read not said of the ritual washings under the Law It had a strick connection with
the name of the Father c. import no forme of words to be used at the celebration of baptisme he saith Pag. 280. that this is not mentioned in the Acts where the Apostles baptizeing is mentioned Answ. And what then will it follow that they never used that manner because it is not in so many words expressed How will he prove this Consequence He addeth It is said of some Act. 8 16. 19 5 that they were baptized in the name of Iesus Answ. He hath this also from Socinus but without any advantage for these that were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus were virtually baptized in the name of the Father of the Son and of the holy Ghost Luk is not speaking of the manner and forme of their baptisme but only showing that though they had been baptized and received as Christs disciples yet they were not as yet made partakers of the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost which by the way destroyeth the ground formerly laid down by our Quaker for we see some baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and consequently with his baptisme who yet were not baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire as the Apostles were on the day of Pentecost And further our Divines against the Papists Anabaptists Socinians evince that that baptisme mentioned Act. 19 5. was not administered by Paul He saith next that baptisme in the Spirit is here meaned But what doth that import It importeth to reach the hearts and soften them saith he Ans. That was not the work of the Apostles nor of men the Spirit of God alone could do that He saith further That men can do it instrumentally Answ. This is true but nothing to the purpose unless to make Christ tautologize for that was sufficiently expressed in that word Teach or disciple all nations And to what end should Christ have said the same thing over againe Where ever readeth he that the Apostles are said to baptize with the Holy Ghost 16. To the argument taken from the constant practice of the Apostles he answereth Pag. 281. § 9. That the contrary is made out by Paul's example And yet Paul baptized both at Corinth else where that he baptized not moe at Corinth is nothing for what he did not another did seing there were others that went about that work he minded that which was more painfull And by this constant practice of all the Apostles we are confirmed as we said of the meaning of their commission Mat. 28 19. for they did it by vertue of that commission or by vertue of no commission If they had no commission how could they be approven in it They might have done it sayes he by permission for a time seing they were in use of it bâ—fore Christs death because the people being educated in were used with these outward ceremonies as they used circumcision other legal purifications for a time Ans. 1. He thinks that his may be will strongly evince a must be 2. we shewed above that what they did in this before Christs death was not by meer permission though he his Fathers the Socinians think so 3. If this practice had been only among the converted Jewes his supposition would have some colour but it being also among the Gentiles amongst whom the Apostles would bring in no such ceremonies but only desired that they might for a time abstaine from things offered to idols and from blood from strangled Act. 15. which restraint Paul tâ—ok off in his Epistle to the Corinthians his supposal is utterly destitute of reason for we hear not of their circumciseing the Gentiles but much to the contrary He addeth That it is no absurdity to say they did not then understand the meaning of their commission as they did not in respect of teaching the Gentiles Ans But though at the the first they did not fully comply with that meaning of the enlairging of their commission Yet afterward they came to understand it fully But when came they to understand baptisme otherwayes It seemeth neither they nor any of the Churches understood this matter till of late that the Quakers arose for we hear not this sense put upon the words even by Socinus himself which this Quaker mentioneth And as for that word of Peter it giveth no countenance hereunto as we shewed Yet he addeth some probable ground of their mistake The Cheife of them had been Iohns disciples and keeped a venerable esteem of Iohns Baptisme and so took Christs spiritual baptisme for Iohns baptizing with water Answ. Strange confidence Will he tell us who these chiefe were Where is there any coloure or probability for this consequence What Quakers cannot do with reason they must do with confident and bold lies 17. To that of Peters baptizing of Cornelius and his company even after they had received the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost Act. 10 47 48. he replyeth That this will only prove that Peter did for that time baptize them Ans. Yes it will also prove that there was a baptisme with water in use beside the baptisme with the holy Ghost it will also prove that Peter had an eye to the commission when he saith can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the holy Ghost as well as we For thereby he evinced their right to the Ordinance of baptisme because it was manifest they were disciples by receiving of the holy Ghost Next he sayes These words and he commanded them to be baptized pâ—ove only a fact but no right and prove not this to be a permanent institution Ans. How intolerable is this that these Quakers must condemne Peter's fact as being without warrand when all the rest of the Apostles approved of it in the next Chapter And Peter there giveth the reason for what he did saying vers 1â— what was I that I could withstand God Importing that he durst do no other wayes then he did for as much as he saw God had given them the like gift as he did unto the Apostles And when the rest heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life vers 18. But our Quaker will not for all this hold his peace buâ— will condemne Peter and all the Apostles for company because they rested satisfied with what Peter had done We do not from this one single passage prove the permanency of this Institution But when we have the practice of all the Apostles together with the command of Jesus Christ and that with a promise that he will be with his servants in this and the rest of their ministerial work unto the end of world we think they must have an hard forehead who dar call this lasting Institution into question He addeth why should this fact of Peter more prove the permanency of baptisme than his compelling which yet is more than a command the Gentiles
Light and Grace whereof he talketh and which he will have common to all men breathing His saying that the Word of which he spoke is lively and penetrating c. Is no proofe For that word is not a Word or Seed or Grace implanted in every man as we shewed He addeth this seed is called the manifestation of the Spirit given to every man to profite for it is written that by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body And Peter ascribeth this birth unto this seed 1 Pet. 1. being born againe not of corruptible seed c. Ans. 1. If this Seed be the manifestation of the Spirit whereof Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 12 7. It is not common to all the world for the Apostle is there speaking of the Church whereof the Corinthians who were sanctified in Christ Jesus called saints 1 Cor. 1 1. were a part and being an homogeneal part are called the Body of Christ 1 Cor. 12 27. Where doth this Quaker read in the Scriptures that Heathens and such as are without the Church are called the Body of Christ 2. Nay if this seed be the manifestation of the Spirit it is so far from being common to all men that it is not common to all Church members For these gifts as they are called vers 4. were peculiar only to some members of the Church given in order to Administrations Operations vers 5 6. are particularly specified vers 8 9 10. Therefore saith the Apostle vers 11 12. But all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit divideing to every man severally as he will for as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ. Which is abundantly confirmed by the scope and whole contexture of the discourse 3. The Apostle for pressing of union and concord among the members of the Church of Corinth with an edifying use of their several gifts saith vers 13. That by one Spirit all we are baptized into one body c. that is that by baptisme all the Professours of the Name of Iesus are outwardly made members of the visible body of Christ and such as are really baptized by the Spirit and made partakers of his grace are made members of the invisible mystical body of Christ and so should lay forth themselves in the use of their gifts and graces for the common good of the whole body And what I pray can this make for the Quakers point Doth the Apostle say that this is common to all such as never were baptized nor heard thereof or did never partake of the other Sacrament imported by these words made to drink c. in the end of the verse as some suppose And if not what way will this Quaker hence prove the operation of the new birth by that which is common to all men breathing The Apostle it is true saith here whether Iewes or Gentiles Yet he meaneth only such as are comprehended under we that is such as were already members of the Church Will this Quaker say that all and every man are baptized by the Spirit and have bin made to drink into one Spirit Then I suppose he will next say That all must needs be saved 4. As for that Word or Seed whereof Peter speaketh every one may see that will beleeve Peter himself Chap. 1. vers last that this word of the Lord which is the incorruptible seed which liveth abideth for ever is not any thing abideing in all men but is that which is preached by the Gospel 14. He proceedeth and saith Though this seed in the first manifestation be small as a graine of mustard seed Mat 13 31 32. and though it be hid in the earthy part of mans heart yet life and salvation is hid in it and is revealed according as they yeeld unto it And in this seed the kingdom of heaven doth potentially lurk to be produced or rather exhibited as it getteth ground is nourished and is not suffocated Answ. 1. Are not these noble proofs Do the Quakers think that we are bound to take their groundless and inconsistent assertions for probations 2. How can this seed have its manifestation and yet be hid and latent 3. Hath a natural carnal unregenerat and heathen man a spiritual part of an heart or is the heart of every man partly earthly and partly heavenly and why doth this seed lye hid in the earthy part and not in the heavenly part of the heart are these any thing but Quakers dreames or new Pelagian Notions sufficiently confuted above 4. This must needs be a hid salvation which is hid in a seed which is hid in the earthy part of mans heart and that even in its first manifestation What idle fancies do these men feed upon 5. This hid salvation must be a wonderful salvation for it is revealed according as these in whom it is hid yeeld unto it But must it not first work appear in its operations before men can yeeld to it who can yeeld to a latent lurking thing that worketh not nor appeareth not 6. If Salvation be hid in this seed the kingdom of heaven is more then potentially in it for we say not that an apple is hid in the seed especially seing he saith that this kingdom of heaven is not produced as the seed can produce in its way a tree its fruit but rather exhibited 7. This seed he saith is already hid in the earthy part of mans heart and if so sure it hath ground how can he then say that it is exhibited as it getteth ground 8. The summe of all is pur◠Pelagianisme or worse viz. that there is something in every man which is sufficient of it self to Produce Grace Glory Life and Salvation if man will be but that well natured as to suffer it to work not suffocate it so that there is no need either of the outward Preaching of the Gospel or of the inward Operation of the Spirit upon the minde which Pelagius at length did acknowledge let be of the special Operation of the Spirit of grace renewing the will and creating a new heart of flesh c. This is doctrine for Pagans indeed 15. But how is this proven He citeth Luk. 17 20 21. and would have n◠beleeve that Christ saith there that the Kingdom of Heaven was in the Pharisees But judicious Calvin thinketh these words were spoken to the disciples upon occasion of that question of the Pharisees And though we take them as spoken to the Pharisees it will not hence follow that this Kingdom was already in them though the greek preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be used which as was showne above doth not alwayes carry this import as might be evidenced by a number of places as Luk. 14 1. Mark 13 24. where it importeth after So Mat. 20 26. Luk. 16 15. Rom. 16 7. 1 Cor. 2 6 Rom. 8 29. 1 Thes. 5
is to be continued in his Church untill the end of the world Mat. 28 19 20. We see a necessitie of maintaining it and withall have ground of hope and confidence that Christ who when he had given this in commission to his disciples to teach all nations baptizeing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost promised to be with them alway even unto the end of the world will owne this Ordinance by his power and presence and rub shame on these professed enemies to the very name of Christianity and defate all their desperate Counsels and Machinations Amen 4. It is time now we see what this man would say Towards the end of his harrangue which we have nothing to do with with which he ushereth-in his discourse upon this subject he tels us Pag. 165. That there have been moe contests and disputs about the Sacraments than about any other Christian doctrine And good man so tender is he of the peace of Christianity that to prevent any further disput to end all these many controversies he hath found out a medium that is to take them away altogether as if a man would deny all Christianity to the end all controversies in Christianity might cease and we might live all together in peace and beleeve no more of Christianity than Pagans such a short cut hath this man found out to bring us all to an agreement among ourselves by becoming all Pagans And yet this peacable man is a wilde man for Ismael-like his hand is against every man and every mans hand is against him for all those who upon each side maintaine these controversies do owne their being would defend the same against him many of their controversies thereabout speak out their care to maintaine this Ordinance 5. He taketh in the first place exceptions at the name Sacrament as not being a terme found in Scripture So tender would he seem to be of all things But I pray him tell me where in all the Scripture readeth he of his Introversion a very great matter with him Where readeth he of fermentation of the vehicle of God and I know not how many moe He is beholden to the Socinians for this exception and they will tell him also he must except against the Trinity upon the same ground It is a poor thing to move debates about a word especially for him who denieth the thing Knoweth he not what we mean by that word Knoweth he not that we are not masters of words but that use ruleth that But sayes he if this name be laid aside the controversie about the number of Sacraments is at an end for there will be no Scripture terme found that will give occasion to that debate No He is mistaken the same debate will remaine if instead of Sacrament we use signes and seals of the Covenant and these are Scripture termes Gen. 17 7 10. Rom. 4 12. Knoweth he not that in that debate the question is not about the name but about the thing imported by the name This he is not sensible of for sayes he if we define a Sacrament to be an outward signe whereby an inward grace is either conferred or only signified that will agree to many other things No sure if we define a Sacrament to be an outward visible signe whereby inward grace is not only signified but really exhibited and conferred to the worthy partakers far less if we define a Sacrament thus An holy signe and seal of the Covenant of grace representing Christ and his benefites and confirming to the right receivers their interest in him Can this definition thinks he agree to any other thing to Prayer Preaching or any good work But sayes he the Spirit only is called the earnest of our inheritance Ephes. 1 14. 4 30. 2 Cor. 1 22. And profane men may partake of the Sacraments Ans. That the holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance and doth seal believers unto the day of redemption inwardly by his grace in the soul and by his abideing there as a sure and real pawn of the future inheritance is most true but yet the Sacraments may be and are outward seals and pledges unto the true believer hence 1 Cor. 10 16. the cup of blessing is called the communion of the bloud of Christ and the bread the communion of the body of Christ as not only representing it but as sealing to the beleever his real interest in the body and blood of Christ. So also it is called the New Testament in Christs blood 1 Cor. 11 25. As Circumcision was a signe and a seal of the righteousness of faith Rom. 4 11. So believers are buried with Christ in Baptisme and risen with him through the faith of the operation of Goâ— Col. 2 12. Rom. 6 4 5. Thouâ—h wicked persons may partake of the outward elements yet they become no seal unto them because the Sacraments seal only unto them who have the righteousness of faith and exhibite the benefites only to the worthy receivers that is to such as beleeve in Christ and are united to him by faith 5. To the end he may quite destroy and abolish this Ordinance of Baptisme he layeth down three Propositions § 3. the proving of which he supposeth will evince that there is no such ordinance as Baptisme The first is That there is only one Baptisme Ephes. 4 5. Ans. But the Scripture no where saith that there is but one Baptisme Yet what would he make of this Not to mention the Baptisme of affliction Mat. 20 22. nor that extraordinary Baptisme whereby the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost were conferred Act. 1 5 as not being here understood because the consideration of either or both of these hath no interest in the argument which the Apostle is here adduceing to press an endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace vers 3. The Baptisme here meaned is the Baptisme which we contend for the outward signe and seal of the new Covenant whereby all visible professours are solemnely admitted into the Church and Kingdom of Christ And this Baptisme is one not only because it is not to be reiterated but because it is the same way administred and hath the samâ— ends and uses to all visible Professâ—urs unto whom Paul is here speaking Yet we must not consider hereby the bare outward element abstracted from what is thereby signified or from its ends and uses according to the Institution but the whole Institution including both the outward element and the thing represented and sealed thereby or the Ordinance with its ends and uses But our Quaker thinketh that this will make two Baptismes while as there is but one as there is one faith c. And here lyeth the whole ground of his mistake And upon this same ground he might say there were two circumcisions under the Law because sometimes the inward grace signified and represented by the outward act and really
in their Worshipe 420 16. God is speaking in every man therefore they should be silent hear that the good seed may arise 422 17. In this silence they must lay aside all sense fear of sin thoughts of death of hell of judgment and of glory prayers all religious exercises 422 18. Thus they must be abstracted from all operations imaginations ejaculations of soul 422 19. And then the little seed planted in every man getteth room to arise becometh an holy birth that Divine aire is it with which mans spirit is fermented then they become fit to hear his voice 423 20. While they are thus Introverted they cannot be deceived 424 21. For the Devil cannot simulate this Introversion nor work there for he is excluded worketh only in Natural men 424 22. When they once introvert they are in a castle they feel themselves to be without the Devils reach 425 23. Hereby they keep communion with other when scattered asunder 425 24. Before they speak or preach they must Introvert consult the dim thing within 441 25. They must be acted moved by Immediat impulses extraordinary motions of a Spirit 443 444 450 452 37. Of Preaching 1. They are against our way of preaching from a text of Scripture 437 38. Of Prayer 1. They are against praying morning evening before after sermon before and after meat 450 451 2. Their inward prayer is an Introversion of the soul 453 454 3. They speak of praying outwardly under a degustation which is neither publick nor private prayer 455 4. They speak of ejaculatory prayers made to mans self 455 5. No publick prayer without Introversion 455 6. Beside Introversion there must be an immediat inspiration calling prompting to prayer or else we must not pray 455 7. They say that praying to God without the feeling of the Influences of the Spirit is a tempting of God 456 8. Men say they must introvert to that place where they may feel that whereby they may be led to prayer 457 462 9. Watching is only the souls attending on the Spirit that it may feel him leading to pray 457 10. To command men to pray without the Spirit is to command them to see without eyes 459 11. They say we pray without the Spirit because we have our limited times 460 12. They say the wicked sometime have the influences of the Spirit to pray and then they may pray acceptably 462 463 39. Of Singing Psalmes 1. They are against our way of singing of Psalmes 463 2. Alledging that thereby ofttimes abominable lies are uttered to God 464 3. And that we Immediatly thereafter in prayer confesse ourselves guilty of the same sins for redemption from which we have given praise 464 40. Of the Sacraments 1. They think if the word Sacrament were laid aside all controversie about the Sacraments would cease 468 2. They think the definition of a Sacrament can agree to many other things 468 41. Of Baptisme 1. They are against baptisme 465 2. They say there is but one sort of baptisme 469 3. They make the outward Element and the inward Grace two baptismes 469 4. Washing of water is not Christ's baptisme with them 471 5. They owne no baptisme but the baptisme of the Spirit 471 6. They deny all baptisme but what is with the H. Ghost with fire 545 7. They would have the ordinance of baptisme wholly laid aside 473 475 8. They say the ark was a type of Baptisme 473 9. And that Johns baptisme was a figure of Christ's baptisme 474 10. Baptisme with water is with them a figure of baptisme with the Spirit 474 11. Washing with water in baptisme is contrary to Christian Religion 475 12. Christ did not warrand his Disciples to baptize 475 13. Washing under the Law and our baptisme are the same 476 14. They reckon baptisme among Jewish ceremonies rites 477 15. They condemne our baptizing in the Name of the Father Son H. Ghost 479 16. They say the Apostles baptised by permission not by Commission 480 17. They say the Apostles mistook Christ's spiritual baptisme took it for Johns water baptisme 480 18. Baptisme with water say they was in use among the Jewes before Johns dayes 481 19. Water baptisme say they is but formal imitation the invention of man and a meer delusion 545 20. In contempt hereof they say outward water cannot wash the soul 550 42. Of the Lords Supper 1. They deny the Lord's Supper to be an Institution of Christ 482 c. 2. Instead of this Ordinance they profanely substitute their ordinary repasts 486 3. To their ordinary repasts they profanely apply the ends of this Ordinance 486 4. The body which they eat blood which they drink is the celestial seed the Divine substance the Vehicle or spiritual body of Christ 486 5. To this spiritual imaginary body of Christ they apply all that is said of Christ's body Iohn 6. 487 6. They say this spiritual seed as it getteth room to rise up in the heart is bread to the hungry and thereby the soul is revived 487 7. They enjoy this breed by beleeving in the manifestation of this light 487 8. They say the Supper of the Lord is truely possessed when the soul introverts c. 489 9. They say beleevers enjoy this at all times especially when they meet together to waite on God 489 10. They say Christ only took occasion from the bread wine to tell his disciples that as these nourished their bodies so His body and blood should nourish their souls And so did institute no Sacrament and this is the only meaning of these words This is my body c. 492 11. They call it a bare ceremonie 492 12. They will have Paul 1 Cor. 11 27. only to say that if they would needs performe this ceremonie they should do it worthily 493 13. With them do this in remembrance of me saith no more but that seing this was to be the last occasion of his eating with them they should look to him that by commemoration of that occasion by his passions death they should be stirred up to follow him 495 14. They call the practising of it a Jewish ceremonie 496 15. They think the wine was meerly accidental 496 16. They reckon the bread wine in the Lords Supper among the things of the earth Col. 3. 499 17. They say we have this Ordinance from the Pope 545 18. They say He whose death we are to remember till he come is the word prayer 545 43. Of Ministers Maintenance 1. They are against the fixed maintenance of Ministers and will only have their necessities supplied if need be 401 2. They will have no limited maintenance 401 3. They will not have people compelled to give any maintenance 407 4. Ministers say they must seek nothing by Law 407 408 4. They say it is a carnal Ministrie that must have maintenance 410 44. Of Magistrats 1.
here mentioned is not the Scriptures and he learnedly proveth this from other Scriptures As if any sober Christian ever Asserted such a thing But in the bye as if he had no friendship with the Socinians he redargueth their incogitancy that do not acknowledge any Inward Spirit or Vertue but a meer Natural one But in what Socinian doth he read such a thing I think He rather and the Socinians are one denying this Spirit and Paraclete to be a person and a divine person as to Essence one with the Father and the Son but as to subsistance distinct The Socinians do say that the Spirit and Holy Ghost is but the Inward Spiritual Vertue of God and are not so carnal and natural as to say that it is a meer Natural Spirit or Vertue Thus he helpeth us to know what himself meaneth by the Spirit here and elsewhere mentioned viz. Not a distinct person of the Trinity but an Inward Vertue which they call the Light within The second paâ—ticular is That this Spirit is inward and for this he citeh Rom. 8 v. 9 10. 1 Cor. 3 v. 16. and that all noble works are ascribed to this Spirit citeing Ioh. 6 v. 63. Act. 2 v. 4. and 8 ver 10. Rom. 8 ver 2 13 15 16 26. 1 Cor. 2 ver 10. and 12. v. 8 9 10 13. and closeth with a saying of Calvines Institut Libr 3. Cap. 2. By all which what he would say and against whom he would disput I know not do we deny the Spirits work in his children Do we deny his Union with them that he is in them and dwelleth in them or their Union with Him that they are in Him and walk with Him All the question is about the way how this is Conceived and Expressed Will he say That the Spirit so is and dwelleth in and abideth with beleevers that hereby they become personally united with Him and so are one person with Him Some indeed have said little lesse and therupon inferred that beleevers were Godded c. as they loved to speak But if this be his meaning I account him a Blasphemer Supposeth he that the Spirit is in â—elievers as a Vertue or Spiritual power and is the Light within them Then as he contradicteth himself saying that this light and vertue is within every man which here is but promised to believers so he giveth us a shreud presumption that he is a Socinian denying the personality of the Holy Ghost which the texts cited by himselfe and many others of the like import do manifestly evince The third particular is the work of the Spirit to guide into all truth c. which we shall be loath to deny whatever his friends the Arminians and Pelagians do Do we cry up the Traditions and Precepts of Men Do we exalt corrupt and carnal Reason Let himself see to this who cryeth up the Light within which is but Nature under a new name as shall be showne in due time This is his first Argument but what is his Conclusion Ergo The holy Spirit abideth and dwelleth in and leadeth his owne All true Christians have the Spirit of God dwelling in them as in his Temple and Ergo For this Argument must be branched-out into many so fertile is the mans invention The Spirit moveth instructeth and leadeth every true christian into the knowledge of such things as are necessary unto salvation Ans. Concedo totum and what would he have more But poor man knoweth he not what is the point in difference Hath he Concluded that the Spirit communicateth the knowledge of Gods minde to all his saints in the same manner and way as he did of old to the Prophets who were extraordinarily Inspired and that that immediat way of communication of Truths to be beleeved and Duties to be performed which was peculiar to Patriarchs and Prophets or to the Apostles is continued and common to all believers No This point is too hot for his fingers to touch and we must be satisfied to heare him prove that which he can prove though it be the same which we assert and so to no purpose 28. Before he come to this second Argument he tels us § 11. That there are some who do confess that the Spirit doth now breath upon and lead the Saints but this is Subjectively and in a blinde way coeco modo but not objectively that is He illuminats the understanding to beleeve what is revealed in the Scriptures but presents not any verity objectively and this they call medium incognitum assentiendi an unknown medium of assent that is of which the man is not certaine nor sensible Ans Whom he doth particularly here meane I know not and so I cannot judge whether he reporteth their opinion faithfully or not nor how they explaine the termes here expressed I know men may have various conceptions of the same Truth and so may have various and different-like Expressions and yet meane one and the same thing And for my part though I cannot assent to some expressions here used yet I think the substance of the truth which I owne is held forth here The Scriptures are a compleat Rule to us in all things concerning Faith and Manners in reference to Salvation and hold forth the revealed Mind of God here anent as an outward Objective meane or an external Rule And therefore we need now no new Revelation either as to Truths to be beleeved or as to Duties to be obeyed in order to Salvation but we need the Breathing Light and Power of the Spirit both to cause us see the matters already revealed and to close with them as divine Truths and Commands Let us see however what he answereth Though this opinion sayeth he be more tolerable than the former yet it is not true And why First because there are many truthes which as they respect every one ut singulos respiciunt it may be he meaneth and should hâ—ve said Personas singulares are not all found in the Scriptures But what are these Truths Are they Truths concerning salvation if so I deny what he saith and shall waite his proofs in the Next Thesis where he promiseth to shew this Secondly because saith he the Arguments adduced do also prove that he proposeth truths to us Objectively But suppose that several of the Scriptures by him formerly adduced should conclude this as to the Apostles and some others yea and more viz. That they should be filled with the Spirit and Immediatly and Extraordinariâ—y Inspired and acted to pen Scripture and infallibly to hold forth Gospel Truths to set downe immutable Gospel Rules to establish Gospel Ordinances and the like which also was so will he think that the promises in this extent belong to every individual Beleever so that each of them by vertue of these promises are Infallible Dictators writters of Scripture and the like let him assay the proof of this and we shall consider what he sayeth But further though I should grant what he here sayeth
say as well as he that beleevers now have free accesse to Christ the great Teacher of his people alwayes to get his minde known and writen in their hearts but not to get Prophetick Revelations and even as to the Scriptures of which this man speaketh so basely though they also had the Law and the Testimony Esa. 8 20. and were to search the Scriptures Iob. 5 39. we cannot think they had the advantage of us in respect of the many Immediat Revelations made unto the Prophets because of what the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pâ—t 1 19. Beside that every one may see that the Word of God Writen and delivered by men immediatly Inspired is as sure a ground of faith to others as the Word of God Spoken by a man immediatly Inspired and that the former hath the moe advantages And whereas he talketh of the discrepancy of mens judgments as to the meaning of the Scriptures is he so blinde as not to see that the very words of immediatly Inspired High Priests and Prophets were obnoxious to the same mistakes and more Is a Set Long Continued Discouse more intelligible to judgments of all syzes than the same discourse Writen and put into every mans hand to Read and Meditate upon to Ponder and Consider all its Parts Coherence c What shall we then say of this Man who reasoneth thus against Truth and common Sense 31. His third and last Reason is from 1 Ioh. 2 27. which place together with Ier. 31 34. hath been alwayes perverted by the Phanaticks as also by the Author of Theologia Germanica Cap. 18. thereby turning the grace of God into lasciviousness and turning his goodness into licentiousness for ordinarily these and the like places are adduced to Countenance their Despiseing and Rejecting of the Ordinances of Christ and of Teaching while yet notwithâ—tanding hereof themselves are as busie as possible to pervert with teaching and scriblings as if all this Unction could not take away the necessity of their Teaching albeit it may take away the necessity of all other Teaching whatsomever But is it not strange that if this were the meaning of the words that Iohn should not know it or if he know it that notwithstanding thereof he should write thus unto them and acquant them with what he judged necessary and particularly should decyphre by so many marks the Antichrist's and Seducers Strange it is that this Unction that teacheth all things could not teach them to know the usefulness of it until Iohn did thus signifie it unto them and yet more strange that if matters be thus the Spirit of God should have Inspired and Acted Iohn unto the writing of this Epistle and other holy Men of God to have writen Scripture for by their Interpretation this Unction maketh the whole Scripture useless And indeed this Man is not aâ—hamed to tell us that this Unction is a more sure Rule for finding out and discerning Seducers than Iohn's writings which not only hath no shadow of countenance from the text but doth also render the whole Ministrie of the Apostles in teaching Useless and Unnecessary and so destroyeth at one blow all Gospel Dispensations But were not beleevers under the law made partakers of his Unction if not what do all the Immediat Revelations which they had import where is the Onenesse or sameness of the formal Object of their faith and ours under the New Test And then what is become of all his former reasonings But if even beleevers under the Law were made partakers of this Unction in some measure why did the Lord raise up Prophets Why might not they have examined and tryed all their Prophecies by this Unction What advantage had they by the Immediat Revelations made unto the High Priests Why were they commanded to go to the Law and to the Testimony Why doth Christ send them to the Scriptures and not to this Inward Unction These things cannot well hang together Moreover what understandeth he by this Unction Will he say that by it must be understood Immediat Objective Revelation How can this be more sure and certane than the Immediat Objective Revelations which the Apostles had and are set down in Scriptures Is one Immediat Objective Divine Revelation more sure and certane than Another But it may be that by this Unction he meaneth the Light within Yet neither can this hold for the Light within is common to all men but this Unction he maketh common only to the Saints Enough of this which hath been abundantly answered by others and else where to wit in the book against Velthusius I had occasion to speak to it and shall not here repeat what is there said 32. Having thus proved as well as he could what he thought convenient for his purpose he tels us that he will now answere Objections and the first and only objection which he taketh notice of § 13. is That these Revelations are uncertane And when he hath thus ignorantly or unfairely proposed the Objection he cryeth out of the Ignorance of his Adversaries and very learnedly tels us that he distinguisheth betwixt the Thesis and Hypothesis and that it is one thing to say that the true and undoubted revelations of the Spirit of God are certane and infallible and another thing to say that this or that man hath infallible revelations and that he affirmed the first Which his adversaries will affirme as well as he and that the last may be questioned But with his leave I shall frame the Objection thus If since the Apostles and the extraordinary Officers whom God was pleased to imploy at the laying the foundation of the Gospel Administration fell asleep and after the canon of the Scriptures was compleated all that ever pretended to these Immediat Revelations and Inspirations as a ground of Faith Obedience have borne the signal marks of the displeasure of God and given by their Practices or by their Opinions or Both evident toakens of their being acted and led by a Spirit of Errour and Wickedness and of their being given up of God to strong delusions then we may saifly inferre that this is not the way of Christ now the Gospel is clearly and fully revealed the canon of the Scriptures is perfected whereby He teacheth and leadeth His people nor ought to be owned as such But the former is true Therefore so is the other The connexion or Major Proposition is such I think as no man can except against who regairdeth the Works of the Lord and the Operation of his hands And who can imagine that if such a way of God's manifesting of his minde now were the only way of God's leading of all his owne he should put such Open Manifest and Undoubted Marks of his displeasure upon those men who of all the rest of the world were most giving up themselvs to the only saife and Christian Way of understanding God's minde Or that these should be specially given up to crosse and contradict the Immediat Objective and
Infallible Revelation of the Spirit of truth declared in the Scriptures writen by men infallibly acted by the holy Spirit of God and to beleeve and follow the dictats of the Father of lies As for the second Proposition It is unquestionable from history of all such Persons from the Montanists Circumcelliones Donatists Euchites and the like Enthusiasts of old from Mahomet that great Impostor and pretender to Revelations from the many Enthusiasts in the Church of Rome of which read D. Stillingfleet in his book above cited Especially Ignatius Loyola the Father founder of the Jesuites our Quakers great Friends if not Fathers from the Enthusiasts in Germany the Swenckfeldians Weigelians and particularly Iohn of Leyden and his complices in and about Munster c. to the Quakers this very day All which have given undoubted evidences of their delusions by their Errours Heresies sometimes Scandalous Actings Nay it hath been found that these desperat Adventures have pretended to these Revelations of purpose to put off with more cunning their desperat Errours and cheat souls unto the market of their pernicious Wares If this man be of another judgment I challenge him and all the Quakers this day to name to me a Seck of such Pretenders of whom this may not be verified And as for himself and the rest of the Quakers if the Scriptures be the word of truth and given out by Infallible Inspiration whâ—ch he dar not deny they bear as manifest Marks and give out as palpable Evidences of their being led and acted by a Spirit of Errour as any of their Predecessours as this and other of their writings put beyond all question Sure the Spirit which Christ promised to lead all his people by was a Spirit of Truth and a Spirit that leadeth into all Truth Ioh. 16 13. But thâ— Spirit acting them is a Spirit of Errour as the Scriptures of truth evidence The Spirit promised was a Spirit that would glorify Christ and take of his shew it unto his People but the Spirit acting them is a Spirit opposite to all the Institutions of Christ and a Spirit seeking to debase our Lord Jesus in his Person Offices and Work all which our following discourse will evince 33. Having thus proposed and enforced the Objection we need not take notice of hiâ— triffling Answers adapted to the shaâ—ow he made himself It â—s enough to us that he cannot say that such as the Spirit of â—od leadeth in seed are led into Errour seing by this fruite and their sinful carriage Christ hâ—th told us that we may know false Prophets Mat. 7 15 20. And that he himself confesseth that true divine Revelations are not contrare to the Scriptures and therefore having Scriptures and sound Reason on our side we value not his brag in saying that by happy experince they finde hithertil that the Spirit hath never deceived them or led them unto any evil seing all such Pretenders of old should have said the same with as great Confidence they that are given up of God to strong delusions to beleeve a lie know not that it is a lie which they beleeve Wisdome is justified of her children As for Munster business he professeth § 14. his abhorrence thereof but with all addeth that as great evils have been practised by such as owne the Scriptures which doth not touch the Objection framed by me Beside that it is not very probable that God would have left these Miscreants to such acts of villany if the way to which they pretended had been of God considering how they were the first that in that age and at that season of Reformation did appear for it and openly professe it a parallel of such as owned any part of Truth long under contempt and against so much opposition will not I suppose be showne The rest of this paragraph being a meer Rhapsodiâ— and with all an Excreation of much gall and nothing to the purpose in hand I meddle not with It wil satisfie him if I say that I am none of those who will reject the guidance of the Spirit of God though some profane Wreatches say that they are led by him He knoweth our disput is not about the guidance of the Spirit but about the manner of this Guidance and Teachings 34. What he saith § 15. in Vindication of the last part of his Thesis hath been obviated already See above § 18 and 19. only I shall take notice of a word or two which he hath To prove the self evidence of the Spirits working in souls he maketh use of these words of David Taste and see that God is good of Paul saying I am perswaded nothing can separate me from the Love of God and then citeth 1 Ioh 4 13. and as if it were to the same purpose addeth 1 Ioh. 5 6. and hence inferreth that the Revelations which they have being the Revelations of the Spirit who is truth must certanely be true and not contrary to either Scripture or Reason Alas doth not the man know that the Spirit may work grace in the soul and for a time for holy ends keep up the sensation thereof and that others may deny or not observe the work of the Spirit in their souls through Mistakes Prejudice or other Corruption as others may imagine a work of grace without ground Knoweth he noâ— that we are speaking here of Immediate and Objective Revelations which are Extraordinary and which himself in a few lines before said the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles had not naming any others and not of the Ordinary workings of the Spirit of grace Waving these Impertinencies I would ask only How came it to passe that Others pretending as much to Immediat Revelations as he have been deceived If others have been deceived why may not he It is true The Spirit of God is alwayes a Spirit of Truth but a Spirit of Errour and Delusion which some may take to be the Spirit of God is not the Spirit of Truth Why will he not try by the Scriptures and by sound Reason what sort of Spirit that is which acteth him the rest No that is needless And why so Because their spiritual senses are awake so that at the very first they can perceive their revelations to be of the Spirit no less infallibly than a wise Mathematician can diseerne the truth of the most clear mathematick demonstrations Happy they say I if it be so But hereby he must needs reproach his Predessours the Enthusiasts and Phanaticks of former ages as being asleep at best in the midst of their Revelations and not having their spiritual senses awake for they have been deceived and yet no doubt were as confident of the contrarie as this man is But this man's testimony is of himself and so the less to be valued and it is inward and invisible and so the harder to be confuted Only I would know how he will perswade us of it a Mathematician can demonstrat the grounds of his
perceiving the truth of the most clear Mathematick demonstrations can he do the like as to his sensations 35. The parting argument which he seteth down in the last paragraph is sufficient so he thinketh to end the whole debate Thus he frameth it That unto which all Professors of Christianity of whatsoever kinde do at last recurre and because of which all other grounds are commended and accounted worthy to be beleeved must of necessity be the only most certane and immovable ground of all Christian faith But the Inward Immediat objective revelation of the Spirit is that Therefore c. Now not to carpe at the eccentrickness of this conclusion for many such things must be passed over This confirmation of the Minor as to Protestants with whom he very charitablie joyneth Socinians whom I cannot account Christians notwihstanding of all the agreement betwixt him and them destroyeth the whole Argument and rendereth it Useless as to his purpose and so concludeth only his folly and ignorance If we enquire say he at them why they take the Scripture for a Rule they answere Because in them is declared the will of God which was revealed Immediatly and objectively by the Spirit unto holy men Can any man of common sense inferre hence that Protestants are for the Uncertanty of all Objective and Immediat Revelation even of that which holy men of God had when acted by the Infallible Spirit to penne Scripture as he insinuateth in the following words or can any man of common judgment see what this concession and necessary foundation of Protestants can make for the falsly pretended Immediat and Objective Revelations which Quakers boast off Nay doth not Protestants their owneing of this solide and immovable foundation sufficiently warrand their rejecting of his Delusions yea and necessitate them thereunto if they would be true to their principles 36. As for his monitory conclusion in the end of his vindication of this his Second Thesis wherein he giveth us a full foretaste of his Pelagianisme because we will have occasion sufficient to speak to this matter afterward we need only tell the Reader what he saith here His discourse in short is this If any man will assent to what he hath said of Divine Revelations though at present he be a stranger to them himself yet he must know that this is the common Privilege of all Christians and at length shall come to know this secret light enlighting his heart c. and when by relinquishing of sin this divine Voice in the heart shall become more known then shall he feel that as the Old Naturall Man is put off the New Man and spiritual birth shall arise and this new birth having Spiritual senses can discerne the things of the Spirit and understand the Mysteries of the kingdom of God And therefore let every man attend to this Spirit in the Little Revelation of that pure light which at first revealeth things more notoure and afterward as he is fitted he shall receive more and more and be in case at length by quick Experience to refute them who shall enquire what way he knoweth that he is led by the Spirit That is in short If one will firmly beleeve that Natures dimme Light is the Spirit of God and the Holy Ghost in him and in the faith of this give up himself to the Teachings thereof and thereby shun outward acts of sin and put on a forme of Godliness and more and more give up himself to this Delusion he shall at length arive at this Perfection that he may burne the Bible and with confidence assert that he is acted by the Holy Ghost let Scriptures and Common Sense say to the contrary what they will What an extract of Pelagianisme Enthusiasme and dreadful Delusion is here every knowing person may see CHAP. IV. Of the Scriptures 1. HIs third Thesis which I finde in some things altered and more clearly expressed in the second edition set down in the Apology than was in the single sheet containing his judgment of the Scriptures cometh now to be examined The Scriptures being owned by us as a sure Rule whereby we should try the Spirits and they giving such clear and manifest Testimony against the Delusions and bold Assertions of the Quakers and affording us full and sufficient Ground whereupon to reject their Doctrine and to look upon them as Impostors it is little wonder that we heare them speak so basely of these Scriptures of Truth as we do Mr Stalham in his Reviler rebuked Pag. 1. tels us that a Quaker denied to his face the Scriptures to be the word of truth or at least not to all not to wicked men and unbelievers no not condemningly He tels us also Pag. 4. that some said to him That the Scripture is not the word of truth but the witness of Gods power as if that could be the true witness of Gods Power which were not true nor the word of truth He tels us also Pag. 18. sect 2. that Francis Howgil said The Scripture is other mens words that spoke them freely and Pag. 20. that Richard Farnworth called them in a way of disparagment a printed bible So Pag. 23. sect 3. that Iohn Lawson said we had nothing to try men by but the letter the Bible or written word which is natural and carnal So Pag. 244. he tels us that some of them in a book called a paper sent into the world Pag 2. have these words They are such teachers as tell people that Matthew Mark Luk and John is the Gospel which are but the letter we therefore do dâ—ny them And Pag. 250. he citeth these words out of Tho. Lawsons book called an untaught teacher Pag. 2. To say that the word of truth is called the Scripture or that the Scripture is called the word of truth that is a lie If this man do not approve of these and the like Expressions of those called Quakers he is concerned to give testimony against them and that directly that the world may bear witness of his honesty But we know what account the Old N. England Libertines David George and the Familists with whom this man and the rest agree too well made of the Scripturs 2. It is commonly affirmed by the Quakers that the Scriptures are not the word of God or ought not to be so called So Fox and Hubberthorn cited by Mr Hicks in his first dialogue Pag. 17. where he tels us also that Nailor in his Answere to the jewes P. 22. said That it is the devil that contends for the Scriptures to be the word of God And that this is their common Assertion and that mainly upon this ground that Christ is called the word of God D. Owen also witnesseth this in his Exercit Apol. Pro. S. Scriptâ—r Adv Fanaticos Exerc. 1. Sect. 3. which is no new thing for Phanaticks to alledge for I finde that it was one of Swenckfeldius's heterodoxies de Sacris Libris P. 27 28. and that upon the same
sandy ground as Mr Rutherfoord witnesseth in his Spiritual Antichrist P. 19. Richard Farnworth said to Mr Stalham as he reporteth Pag. 3. of his forecited book That the Scriptures are the word of God and eternal life as thou wouldest have them thou canst not prove nor all the Magicians to help thee So P. 43. he tels us that one of them in a sheet called Christ exalted c. P. 4. had these words He Christ is the word and the Scripture is not He is the light and the Scripture is not He is the Rule and Guide and Teacher and Iudge and the Scripture is not but a Declaration of Him to be so By which and the like we may see how low an account they have of the Scriptures And how fond and absurd this is to debase the Scriptures under a pretence of exalting of Christ who seeth not Seing the Lord spoke in and by the Prophets unto the Fathers and spoke by the Mouth of the holy Prophets Heb. 1 1. Luk. 1 70. And the word of the Lord came unto them as unto Ieremiah Chap. 1 2 4. 2 1. 14 1. 29 30. unto Ezechiel Chap. 1 3. 3 16. to Hosea Chap. 1 1. to Ioel Chap. 1 1. to Ionah Ch. 1 1. 3 1. to Micab Ch. 1 1. to Zephania Chap. 1 1. to Zechariah Chap. 1 1. 7 4. 8 1. and by Haggai Chap. 1 1. And they declared what they spoke as the word of the Lord and the Lord owned it as His word See moreover 2 Chron. 36 21. Micah 4 4. Act. 28 25. Esai 1 20. Deut. 30 8 Num. 25.5 Ier. 23 28. and the like And seing the Scriptures containe nothing but a Revelation of the will and good pleasure of God it is manifest and clear that they are the Word of God and should bear that title To speak nothing of the Law which the Lord spoke and gave himself immediatly from mount Sinai what he inspired the Prophets to deliver and spoke himself in and by them and moved them infallibly in the very writing thereof cannot but be the Word of God That word which was given by immediat divine Inspiration cannot but beare the name of the Word of God Nay this name is expresly given unto the Scriptures for Mark 7. what is called the commandement of God vers 8. spoken and written by Moses vers 10. is called the Word of God vers 13. The roll written by Baruch Ier. 36 from the mouth of â—eremiah vers 4. is called the words of the Lord vers 6. The sword of the Spirit which is a piece of the Spiritual armour of Christian souldiers wherewith they resist the devil as Christ their Captane did Mat 4 4 7 10. with an it is written see also Mat. 22 31 32. is called the Word of God Ephes. 6 17. I shall not urge that place Heb. 4 12. because it seemeth more to be spoken of Christ than of the Scriptures though several take it as meaned of the Scriptures But that equivalent Expression of the Word of Christ Col. 3 16. may confirme us in this Truth as also that equivalent Expression the Oracles of God Rom. 3 2. and that the sincere milk of the word 1 Pet. 2 2. and that the word of the Lord 1 Pet. 1 2â— what else can the Psalmist's speaking to God and manifesting his affection to his word useing this expression Thy word above thirtie times Psal. 119. import but that the Scriptures are and are to be called the Word of God So these equipollent Expressions have the same import The word which I command you Deut. 4 2. I have written to him the great things of my law Hos. 8 12. when the Spirit of the Lord speaking of the Scriptures useth these expressions well spoke the Holy Ghost saying Act. 28 25 26. As the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 3 7. He spoke in a certane Place Heb. 4 4. He said in David vers 7. See Heb. 5 6. Exod. 20 1. Deut. â— 6. Heb. 13 5. Gal. 3 16. Rom. 10 21. 15 10. 1 Cor. 9 10. Others of this kinde might be cited If this man be of another judgment herein he should clearly express himself howbeit he thereby dissatisfie some of his Brethren But instead of this in his Apology P. 36. he alleigeth that we but calumniate them and speaking in the name of all the rest he saith they account them the most excellent writings in the world but how will he make this agree with their sayings formerly cited and afterward to be adduced He would do well to endeavour some reconciliation but I see not how he can do it 3. As for us we assert that no Prophecie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation For they were not conceived by the mindes nor framed and formed by the Understandings and Reasonings of men nor were they the product of their Study Paines as other books are of their Authors assisted by the Spirit of God Howbeit the penmen of the Scriptures studied the writtings of others as Daniel did understand by books Dan. 9 2. and David was much in the meditation and study of the Law yea they searched and made narrow enquiry after the meaning of what was spoken and delivered by themselves so far as concerned their own faith and Practice as Peter tels us 1 Pet. 1 10 11. yet the work of delivering the Scriptures by Word and Write was not the result of their studious Labour wherein their Mindes Judgments and Memories were exercised and busied nor did these Scriptures proceed from private phancied Revelations and Enthusiasmes they were not the issue of mens Dreams Imaginations Conceptions of fancie or self-Afflation because no way of private Interpretation or Revelation but on the contrary holy men of God spoke as they were not only determined but moved by the Holy Ghost and that in contradistinction both from the acts of mens Phancy and Imagination and the acts of their Will 2 Pet. 1 20 21. The Holy Ghost did Immediatly and Extraordinarily dictat what was written Matter and Expressions as well such things as they had Seen Heard Read Studied and Known before as these they were Ignorant of or had forgotten Hence it is that the Lord spoke in the Prophets by the mouth of the holy Prophets and his word came unto them and by them see Heb. 1 2. Mark 14 36. Heb. 3 7. 9 8. 10 15. Luk. 1 v. 70. 2 King 10 10. 21 10. 2 Sam. 23 2 3. and hence it is that this very word of Prophecy or Prophetical word coming thus unto the Prophets the holy men of God when it was to become a Prophecie of write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was also committed to write through the Spâ—cial acting of the Spirit singularly movâ—ng these Amanuenses hence the Scripture the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given by Inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3 16. on which place the words of Corn a
Revelations of the Spirit of God and yet they carry no Authority impressed upon them What shall carry the Impressions of a divine Authority if divine Revelations do not why did he assert in the preceeding Thesis that divine Revelation was the formal Object and ground of divine Faith How can they beleeve with a divine Faith the divine Revelations which they pretend unto why doth he plead so much for looking after divine Revelations if divine Revelations have not the stamp of divine Authority upon them But he sayes they ascribe the authority wholly unto the Spirit And do not we so also when we stoop unto the Authority of the Scriptures of Truth because delivered by the Inspiration of God when we say the Acts and Statutes of Parliament have the authority of Lawes and we obey and receive them as authenticque Lawes do we not ascribe the Legislative Authority unto the Parliament what a fancyful distinction must this them be and what a Notional difference doth he here imagine But it may be by these writings he meaneth the Paper and Ink But can he call the Paper and Inck the Scriptures of Truth or say that they did proceed from the holy Revelations of the Spirit of God 6. He reduceth all the contents of the Scripture unto three heads telling us that they containe first an historical narration of the acts of the people of God in not a few ages and of several rare testimonies of the providence of God towards them Forgetting that we have here also a true and faithful Narration of the first creation and that these examples are instructive Secondly a Prophetical narration of many things of which some are past and some are yet to come Making no mention of the great and many Promises nor yet of the threatnings Thirdly a full and large testimony to the chiefe doctrines of the Christian faith and that in certane excellent declarations exhortations and sentences which by the afflatus of the Spirit were said and written at diverse times to diverse churches and pastors according to various occasions that fell out And here is the whole of the high account he hath of the Scriptures and of their perfection Not to Meddle much with that here which he will give us occasion largely to disput of hereafter I would only enquire where or in what book beside the Scriptures shall we finde the whole doctrine of the Christian Faith laid down The Scriptures as he saith only give testimony to the chiefe Doctrines of Christianity Therefore there must be other Doctrines of Christianity that must be found out and searched for elsewhere but where I pray shall we finde these Againe I would know of him how we shall know what belongeth to the chiefe Heads of Christianity and what not we cannot know this by the Scriptures for they are supposed by him to be chief heads of Christianity to us before the Scriptures come which only as he saith beareth testimony to some of them 7. Further when he sayeth the Scripture giveth this Testimony only in certaine declarations c. It would seem we have not our Christian faith from the Scriptures but all the Articles thereof flow to us from some other Immediat Fountaine and are founded as to us upon some other Immediat Ground and the Scriptures only give some testimony thereto and that as it were on the bye in some certane Declarations Exhortations and Sentences Hence it would appeare by him that it is not the maine intendment and principal designe of the Scriptures to set downe delineat and explaine to us the articles of our Christian Faith and the doctrine of our Religion and so Iohn was it seemeth in a mistake when he said Iohn 20 vers 31. These are written that we might beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing we might have life through his name Why hath the Lord thus made known and written unto us excellent things in counsel and knowledge Is it not that our trust might be in the Lord and that he might make us know the certanty of the Words of Truth Prov. 22 vers 18 19 20 21. See Luk. 1 vers 2 3 4. Why saith Paul Rom 15 vers 4. that whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope For what end did the Spirit inspire these Holy men and by or in them speak to us in the Scriptures if not to give us a solide ground for our Faith to stand upon in receiving and beleeving the articles of Salvation Is not the whole of the Scripture given by the Inspiration of God that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3 16 17 Why doth the Apostle Peter say 2 Pet. 1 19. that we do well to take heed unto this more sure word of prophecy If they be not the ground of our Faith why are we desired thus to take heed unto them and to desire the sincere milk of word that we may grow thereby 1 Pet 2 2. Are we not said to be built upon that foundation which the Prophets and Apostles did ministerially lay by Word and Write Ephes. 2 20. Thus we see he layeth no more weight upon the Scriptures as to the bottoming of our Faith than he would do upon any good Book wherein testimony were given unto the chiefe Doctrines of the Christian Faith by some excellent Declarations Exhortations and Sentences 8. In this account he giveth us of his conceptions of the fulness and perfection of the Scriptures It is observable that he doth not so much as give the least hint of any Authority wherewith the Scripture is cloathed to lay obligations on our Consciences to yeeld Faith and Obedience to it as the signification of the Soveraigne Will and pleasure of the great God and Lawgiver and in this is more injurious to the Scriptures then Papists are who grant it to be a Rule of Faith Hos. 8 12. See Psal. 119. throughout with infinite moe places and this is in effect to destroy the Scriptures which are given to us as the Law of God and must be received as such with Faith and Obedience As if they had not been inspired by the Holy Ghost for this end purpose that we might thereby understand and prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God Is it not called a Law disobedience unto and transgression of which is sin 1 Ioh. 3 4. Iam. 2 8 9 10 11 12. and 4 11. 9. What he saith of the Scriptures being written to certane Churches and Pastors upon certane Occasions which is an old Popish argument neither will quadrate with the whole of the Scriptures nor though it did will it ground any such inference that we have little or no interest therein as our Law and Rule as Quakers say and lest he think I caluminate let him take notice of these few Instances Edw. Borroughs Pag.
47. of his works saith as Mr Hicks citeth him Dial. 3. Pag. 58 59. That is no command to me which is a command to another neither did any of the saints act by a command that was given to another And againe Such as go to duty by imitation from the letter which was commands to others their sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord. And againe Pag. 105. he hence inferreth that they who take up a command from the Scriptures are in the witchcraft This is a sufficient proof And that that inference of his Brethren is naught we shall shew afterward 10. In the following words of his Thesis he cometh nearer to that which is the core of the whole of his designe which is to set up Immediat Revelations and Enthusiasmes as the ground and adequate Rule of Faith and Manners and to lay aside the Scripturâ—s as incompetent thereunto for he tels us that the Scriptures are only a Declaration of the Fountaine and not the Fountaine it self and thence inferreth that therefore they are not to be accounted the Principal Original of all Truth and Knowledge nor the adequate primary Rule of Faith and Manners But what ridiculous folly is this did ever man dream that the Scriptures were God or the Spirit of God So he reasoneth as if one should say The acts of Parliament or the Lawes made by the Supream Legislator of a Kingdom or Common wealth are but only declarations of the minde of the Law-givers and not the Law-makers themselves therefore they are not the principal Original of civility or municipality nor the adequate and primary Rule of government And who would not smile at this The Jewes when they heard the law given by God upon mount Siâ—ai might have said likewise This Law is not God himself nor the fountaine it self but only a Declaration of the Fountaine and therefore cannot be accounted our adequate and primary Rule of Faith and Manners but we must look after something else as our Adequate and Primary Rule â—ut I wonder that the man doth not observe that this manner of argueing maketh nothing for his maine designe for he will not I suppose say though others speak little less that the Revelations which he pretendeth unto or the light within which he would have regarded as the Rule is God himself or the Fountaine and principal Original it self of all Truth and Knowledge but only at most a Beame of Light and Truth streaming out from the Fountaine And so the question will only come to this whether the Revelations or Light within which he cryeth up or the Scriptures of Truth which we plead for be the Adequate and Principal Rule of Faith and Manners And if he speak any thing to this question in his Apology we shall examine it One thing I would say here viz. That this Prime Principal Original of all Truth and Knowledge is no Rule of Faith and Manners to us let be the Adequate and Primary Rule being considered in it self but only as declared and manifested to us in manner of a Law whether written and made legible upon the Nature of Man and his Relation to the Creator and to the rest of the creatures or imprinted upon the Minde of Man or delivered by Vive Voice as on mount Sinai or by writing as in the Scriptures God's being the Fountaine and prime Original of all Truth c. did lay no bands on Adam to forbear to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil but there was an express Command given and Law made thereanent God is in Himself and from all Eternity was the prime Fountain and Original of all Truth and Knowledge yet was not that a Law or Rule for a Law or Rule is a relative thing and supposeth Subjects to be Ruled and Governed thereby which were not in being from eternity 11. He talketh further at the same rate of absurdity granting that the Scriptures are and may be accounted a secondary Rule subordinate to the Spirit from whom they derive all their excellency and Certainty But what meaneth he by a Secondary Subordinate Rule This would import that the Testimony of the Spirit which he and others of his perswasion do pretend unto and plead for is a Rule above the Scriptures But how can the Testimony of the Spirit which they say they receive be preferred unto the Testimony of the Scriptures seing by his owne confession the Scriptures were written by a divine Afflatus Is the Spirits speaking unto them more an Afflatus and so a more Primary Rule than the Spirits speaking in the Scriptures This cannot be for sure the Scriptures or Verity declared therein or the Declaration of Gods minde thereby expressed is as Immediat an Emanation from the Prime Original Truth as any which they can receive for the holy Men of God were as Really and as Immediatly Inspired by the Spirit in Speaking Dictating and Writing the Scriptures we are not here speaking of transumpts or of translations as they can suppose themselves to be if not more And so all the difference is that the Inspiration which they receive is to them Immediate but the Inspiration in the Scriptures is but Mediate to us yet sure when they come to dictate their Inspirations to others the case cannot much differ And further we are taught that the Inspirations and Revelations which the Holy-men of God who were his Penmen in writing the Scriptures did receive were not for themselves for the Lord spoke by them or in them to the Fathers Heb. 1 â— And Peter tels us 1 Pet. 1 10 12. that the Prophets when they prophecied of the grace that should come had it revealed unto them that not unto themselves but unto us they did Minister the thingâ— which are now reported It is confessed that the Scriptures were given out by the Infallible Inspiration of the Spirit and that they were given for a Rule and Paul tels us 2 Tim. 3 16 17. that they are able to make us wise unto Salvation to make the man of God perfect throughly fournished unto all good works whence it is manifeâ—t that they are a Sure and Alsufficient Rule and therefore Compleat and Adequate as to what we are to Know and Beleeve in reference to Eternal Salvation But as for their Revelations and Inspirations whatever they make of them we are concerned to enquire whence they come and whither they go eâ—pecially seing they are set up cheek by chole with the Scriptures yea and preferred thereto Nay when the Scriptures command us not to beleeve every Spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1 Ioh. 4 â— I judge it the saifest course both for them and us to examine these supposed Inspirations And howbeit they may imagine that the Inspirations which they have now and then received or are receiving are undoubtedly Divine Yet because the false Prophets whereof Iohn speaketh might have imagined the same
Againe how could Christ and his Apostles confirme their doctrine by the Scriptures Press to a study and search of them Convince persons of errour by them and the like seing still this shift was as ready at hand for them to use as it is for the Quakers today I pray hâ—m to cleare me in these particulars if he can 13. But if the meaning of his Assertion be That we know only by the inward Testimoâ—y of the Spirit that the book of the Scriptures is indeed the word of God what will this helpe his cause Nothing at all for the Testimony of the Spirit is a true Testimony and if the Spirit testifie that that book is the Word of God that book must indeed be the Word of God and it must be the Word of God before that testimony be given to it for the Testimony doth not make it such but witnesseth it to be such and so before that Testimony of the Spirit come the will of God contained in that book must oblige us to Beleeve it and Obey it for what is the revealed will of God cannot but oblige such unto whom it is revealed But if it be said That even the will of God contained in the Scriptures cannot oblige us untill a new Revelation come to perswade us of the certainty that it is the will of God I answere Then 1. The Assertions of the God of truth and the Lawes and Commands of the Supream Lawgiver have no obleiging force upon us to Beleeve and Obey untill we be perswaded these Truths and Lawes are Divine and so the authority of the Lawes dependeth upon and is derived from the minde of the Subject and no more shall be law than he will 2. Then the Revelation of the minde of God doth not carry alongs with it its owne Evidence 3. Then the Second Revelation can as little carry alongs with it its own evidence as the First and we must have a Third to give us the perswasion of its certanety and the Third will stand in need of a Fourth and so in infinitum and hereby we shall never come to any certanty but still fluctuate notwithstanding of Revelations upon Revelations 14. He adduceth Apol. P. 36 37. Calv. Instit. Lib. 1. c. 7. s. 4 5. The French Confession of faith Art 4. The Belgick Confess Art 5. And the Confession framed at Westminster Cap. 1. S. 5. which last he cannot cite without a jibe at these worthy Divines thereby evidenceing what a Spirit acteth him But to the point I say 1. What is spoken here of the Spirit is in Opposition to the Testimony of Men or of the Church which the Romanists alleiged 2. They speak not of an Objective certanty as if before this perswasion wrought by the Spirit there was no ground to beleeve and receive these for the Scriptures of truth or as if indeed before this they had not been the Scriptures of truth but of a Subjective certanty and therefore they call it Perswasion and Assurance now this doth not create an Objective certainty but preâ—upposeth it and only helpeth the soul to see that Objective certainty and rest upon it with full Conviction and Assurance 3. They speak not of any Immediat Revelation or Inspiration but of an ordinary work of the Spirit efficiently effectuating this Perswasion and Assurance 4. They expresly tell us that this work of the Spirit is by and with the word and not an Inspiration distinct and seperated from it anâ— by the gracious effects of the word in and upon the hearts of People which evidently demonstrate the cause to be divine and that Word which hath such Powerful Noble and Divine Effects upon the soul to to be of a divine Original flowing from that Supream Verity or Veracity and from that Supream Authority and so to be purely divine 15. Though this be enough to discover the vanity of this mans Alleigance yet I shall for the Readers satisfaction a little further cleare the matter There are in the Scriptures such innate marks and evidences of divine Majesty Power and Authority whereby as Light and Heat prove and demonstrate themselves so the Scriptures evince themselves to be of God by their Light Life Power Majesty Divine which is also manifested by these particulars mentioned in our Confession of faith to wit The Heavenliness of the matter The Efficacy of the Doctrine The Majestie of the stile The Consent of all the parts The Scope of the whole which is to give all glory to God The full Discovery it maketh of the only Way of Mans salvation The many other Incomparable Excellencies and the Intire Perfection therof These are arguments which it carryeth alongs with it whereby it doth abundantly evince it self to be the word of God as the heavens declare themselves to be of God not by any voice or testimony but by the Characters of Infinite Power so legible upon them that all that run may read The Spirit in working up the soul unto a Conviction and Perswasion that the Scriptures are the word of God doth those things First He cleareth up the characters of divinity that are in the Scriptures formerly dark to the man through prejudice or other causes and so maketh the Object plaine and manifest Next He conveyeth light into the Minde whereby the man is enabled to discerne and perceive these Grounds and Evidences which are the characters of divinity as a man when clouds are removed and his eyes are opened to see the beames of light flowing from the body of the Sun is convinced and perswaded that the Sun is arisen in our horizon Now this work of the Spirit hath its various Measures and Degrees not to mention that which is truely saving whereby the man is not only Enabled to see the forementioned grounds to a conviction but through a gracious Work of the Spirit on the whole soul is made to close with these grounds with joy and delights and to accept of the Scriptures upon these Grounds with full perswasion of soul as having this truth that these Scriptures are the word of God deeply impressed oâ— his spirit and sealed by the Holy Ghost So that he embraceth them as the very word of God and closeth with them with all Reverence and cheerfull Submission of soul receiving with faith the Truths there delivered and submitting to the Commands thereof heartily and cheerfully through grace Not to mention this I say which as it respecteth the matter contained in the word and the sutable improvement thereof is not of our present concernment this work of the Spirit admits of degrees whether we consider the Object or Evidences which lye in the Scripture or the Subject the â—llumination of the minde to see the cleared Evidences and Grounds for to some the Grounds and Evidences may be more clear and unquestionable than to others and some may have a larger Illumination of understanding and so a greater capacity to see the divine Original of the Scriptures than others and
6. Rev. 22 18. and others of the same import as Gal. 1 8. Mat. 15 6. So that it is hence cleare that the Doctrine contained in the Scriptures is full and Compleet for to it nothing must be added not must any thing be diminished therefrom Now to these this Maâ— replyeth with Bellarmine That Iohn in the Revelation meaneth only that particular book That notwithstanding thereof the Prâ—pheâ—s of old did adde their Prophecies But how vaine these shifts are who seeth not Seing what is spoken of that Book and elsewhere of the Commands of God is consequently to be understood of all and as none might adde to the law delivered by Moses nor to the Word held forth by the Prophets so the Canon being closed and the same prohibition renewed at the close thereof we are assured hence that the Canon is Perfected as for the Prophecies of the Prophets these were properly no Additions to but Explications of the law of God and beside the Lord did not binde up his owne hand when he tyed up mans from adding or diminishing But he tels us further that there were Prophets even after Iohns dayes and at the Reformation and since Which is nothing to the purpose for these who foretold events took not upon them to prescribe thereupon doctrines to others nor did they make any such Revelation the Ground and Rule of Faith and Manners eiâ—her to themselves or others far less did they plead upon this account against the Perfection of the Scriptures as our Quakers do Wherefore it is manifest that the Spirit of Divination which tâ—ey plead for is a corrupt Antichristian Spirit But in end he sayeth that these places are to be understood only of such as adde new doctrine contrary to the old of such as adde humane words to God's but not of them who only bring a new and more copious revelation of ancient doctrine As if additions of new Revelations to the canon did not â—eclare the canon Imperfect This is the same which Bellarmine and other Papists say for their Traditions viz. That they are not Additions but Explications yet both their Traditions our Quakers new Revelations must thereby be as highly valued as the writtings of the prophets and Apostles which were but further Explications and Revelations of the same old foundamental doctrine deliverd by Moses and thus what our Quakers do deliver by such Revelations as they pretend unto must be looked upon as of the same authority with what the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and with the Scriptures which are of divine Inspiration and what they speak thus are not mens words but Gods and must be received as such though they contradict what we have registrate in the Scriptures of truth Here is prodigious and blasphemous Audacity beyond what Papists though audacious enough dar be guilty of for they willingly grant that there is no place now left for adding to the Scriptures or doctrine delivered by the Prophets and Apostles any new Prophecies or Revelations But I would ask him one thing If he speak truth here when shall our Canon be compleated that no more needs be added Sure it must never he Perfected as long as they live or the time will come when they will need no moe Revelations and consequently according to their doctrine will nead no more help of the Spirit or of the Light within or that the Revelations which they shall then have will be useless Let him unriddle this mysterie if the can 31. Before I speak any more of their unreasonableness in this I would first see what Grounds he hath to decry the Perfection of the Scriptures Pag. 40. c. He tels us first That there are innumerable things which in reguard of particular circumstances are of great consequence unto Christians and yet there is no precise rule in the Scriptures concearning them But did ever any Rational man suppose that this was necessary to a Compleet Law and Rule to determine particularly and precisely of all and every particular action considered as to all its particular and individual circumstances Reasonable men will say that it is enough if it determine of aâ—l specifick actions and give general rules by which judgment may be made of all individual actions now this the Scripture doth richly and abundantly But he adduceth an instance to the contrary thus of a Minister called to preach the necessity of which office and ministrie himself denyeth though he make use of this argument ad hominem who can produce no call out of the Scriptures nor will the qualifications required of Minâ—sters evince that this man in particular is called nor can he be certaine that he is endued with these qualifications without the testimony of the Spirit and though he be endued and called no Scripture can tel him when and where he should preâ—ch Generals will not serve here for he may sin when doing this or preaching here when he should be doing that and preaching in another place Answere 1. I might tell him that by his reasoning here he must grant that he and the rest of the Quakers must have a Real New Distinct and Particular Revelation for every action every word or silence every thought or no thought and so for their Eating Drinking Sleeping Wakeing Walking Sitting Standing Looking Hearing c. or their rule shall be as imperfect as ours for in all these and in respect of their circumstances they may sinne and so bring condemnation on themselves and yet as we will hear afterward he dar not say so much His saying that the Instance which he hath adduced is a matter of greater moment will not helpe the matter for if he will I shall prove to him that in the least of these particulars I have hinted he can sinne against God and that is enough by his owne confession here to render the matter momentous 2 To him it is true who denieth the Ministrie it self its Work and Exercise it cannot be that the Scriptures should Regulate particular persons in their taking on of the Office and in the Exercise thereof But to us who owne this as an Institution of Christ and shall in due place vindicate it from his Exceptions there is no Impossibility in the matter For we can prove from Scripture and shall do it in due time and place that there is such a standing Ordinance in the New Testament That there is an established Order whereby persons shall be duely Invested with the Office That there are certaine Qualifications required in the Person who is to be admitted to the Office That there is concurring an inward Work of the Spirit inclineing the man whom the Lord calleth unto this Office upon pure and spiritual grounds and motives and for holy and heavenly ends and this may be cleared also out of Scripture Therâ— are passages of providence and circumstantial Works of the Lord which are great and sought out of all them that have pleasure
shown if it were worth so much paines let any who will Reaâ— the Jesuite Didacus Ruiz de Praedestinatione dispp 39 40.41.42.43.44.45 and especially disp 46. de Barbaris and he shall finde this Quakers doctrine at full length CHAP. X. Of Universal Grace and Light 1. We come to examine his Second Proposition containing a further piece of their divinity which he expresseth thus Pag. 79. § 11. That God for this end did comunicate and give to every man a certane measure of the Light of his Son a measure of grace or some manifestation of the Spirit which hath several names in Scripture as the seed of the kingdom Mat 13 18 19 light manifesting all things Ephes. 5 13. the word of God Rom. 10 18 the manifestation of the Spirit given to every one 1 Cor. 12.7 the talent Mat. 25.14 the Gospel preached to every creature Col 1 23 Ans. This must be a strange and wonderfull thing that is both Grace Gifts which are inward and placed in the soul the Word of God the Gospel which is outward preached declared to the eares of people what can we make of this or what can we understand by it Nay this with them is the Spirit of God it is Christ God Father Son holy Ghost and what not This I take to be peculiar to the Quakers for neither Pelagians nor Socinians nor Arminians nor any of their followers nor Iesuite ever spoke at this rate of non-sense vented to the world such Inconsistencies which are rather the foamings of a distracted braine than the discoursings of men in their wits how heterodox so ever But is it not strange that this man should imagine these things to be common to all mankinde The seed of the kingdom I no where read of but of the word of the kingdom which is compared to seed and was this word preached to all nations from the beginning of the word Or is it to this day sowen in all nations even amongst Heathens in Iapan other Regions Territories in the East West Indees or among the Turks Cannibals By whom I pray and upon whose testimony must we believe this The word of God Rom. 10 17. is the word that is heard preached by such as are sent whose feet are beautifull vers 15. by which faith cometh calling upon God vers 13 14 17. Is this common to all Nations The manifestation of the Spirit spoken of 1 Cor. 12. is concerning gifts peculiarly enumerated vers 8 9 10. such as the word of wisdom the word of knowledge faith gifts of healing working of miracles Prophecy discerning of spirits diverse kindes of tongues and interpretation of tongues And are these common to all men or were they then common to all the world Nay doth not the Apostle expresly restrick them to the Church of which he is there speaking in which the Lord did set Officers endued with these gifts vers 28 expresly say that they were not common even to all the members of the Church as may be seen through that chapter particularly vers 29 30 beside that the scope of the whole irrefragably evinceth this As for the talent mentioned Mat. 25. We spoke of it in the preceeding chapter And that Gospel whereof Paul speaketh Col. 1. Was that which he was sent to preach to all indefinitely as providence which sometimes stood in the way of his endeavouring to preach it somewhere as we see Act. 16 6 7. ordered it and which is called vers 26. the mystery which hath bin hid from ages and generations but now is made manifest to the saints Was this common to all before Christ came is it common to all this day How shall it be evinced that this Gospel is thus Universal will he take that word every Creature under heaven vers 23. without any limitation Then he must sâ—y that Paul preached this Gospel to Devils to Beasts all creatures without sense as well as to Men. But if he will restrick it let it be according to Reason we are satisfied his designe is crossed for as we cleared above Chap. VIII these Universals must be interpreted according to the nature of the thing spoken of the circumstances of the place so it will here but import an indefinite mission among the Gentiles and is an hyperbolick expression of the vast extension of the tydings of salvation now under the Gospel administration in comparison of what it was unâ—er the law when restricked to the limites of one kingdom to the posterity of Abraham Isaak Iacob with a few Proselites 2. To keep us from startling at the non-sense of the Proposition we have more more of that kinde to meet with in the further explication thereof set down in several Pages from Pag. 82. § 13. to Pag. 92. And though some may justly blame me for wasteing words spending time upon such a Nonsensical Self-contradictory Proposition yet considering that here lyeth the core of their delusions and that which though not as to mater yet as to expressions is peculiar to the Quakers and common to them all the Reader must have patience and heare all and then he will be better able to judge 3. He beginneth then Pag. 82. § 13. tels us That this Seed Grace word of God and light with which every man is enlightened and a measure of which every one hath in order to Salvation and which by mans pertinaciousness and the malignity of his will may be resisted extinguished wounded suppressed killed crucified is not the proper essence and nature of God considered in it self Before we enter upon a particular discussion of this mans words we conceive it will be of use to helpe us to understand him the better if he may be understood at all in this chiefe part of their heretical doctrine to take notice of some expressions of other Quakers concerning this Light and Seed of which they speak so much Mr Hicks in his dialogue giveth us some account of some of their expressions in this mater Dial. 1. Pag 3. G. Whitehead said in him was life the life was the light of men If the life be the divine essence the light must be so also for such as the cause such the effect must be And Againe Pag. 4. The light within must be God because to deny it so to be is to deny the Omnipresence of God Thus the light is the Essence of God the Omniprâ—sence of God And againe G. W. reasoned thus The divine life is immutable To say then the light within is not God is to say God is mutable Therefore it is blasphemy to deny the light within to be God Yea Pag. 5. he tels that one Robert West called the denying to worship the measure of light in every man damnable heresie and said that the Spirit which God breathed into Adam was not mans spirit but another the breath of our nostrils the anoynted
or therefore others did not understand them and savingly beleeve them who will receive any of these consequences But mary her self understood not somethings not yet the Apostles And what then did they not understand so much as was then revealed and necessary to salvation And did they not understand after Information Poor man he goeth far to fetch waâ—er to no purpose Will any thing here said bring the least reliefe unto his desperat cause and prove that Heathens now without the Church can be saved without the knowledge of Christ Quakers can dream waking I see 12. But Pag. 118. § 27. he saith that several of the Gentiles by this inward light were sensible of the dammage that came by Adam's fall Answ. And what then were they also sensibâ—e of the advantage that came by Iesus Christ and will all that are sensible of their dammage suffered by Adam's sin be saved This is a wide door to salvation indeed but the Scripture tels us no such thing His citeing of a â—aying of Plato and another of Pithagoras and a third of Plotinus and a fourth of we know not whom whether truely or not is uncertain not doth he name the places where they say so that some who might be so curious as to know the truth might try is to as good purpose as if he did thresh the water for whatever apprehensions these Heathens had of the misery of man and â—et a very small knowledge and reason considering what was obvious to all their eyes might soon have made them say all that he citeth of them here viz. that mens soul is fallen into a dark cave where it converseth with shadowes And that man wandereth in the earth as a stranger exiled from God and that mans soul is like an extinct coal and that the souls wings are clipt so as it cannot flee to God He tels us nothing of their apprehensions of a way of Redemption out of that misery and the knowledge of this we say is necessary unto Salvation Yes in the following words he tels us that they also knew Christ as a remedy to deliver them though not under that denomination Then sure they had not this knowledge by Revelation For divine Revelation would have given the knowledge of Christ under the right denomination but by natures light And if Natures Light will lead people to a crucified Christ we may burne the bible But how proveth he this He tels us that Seneca Epist. 41. speaks of an holy Spirit that is in us that teacheth us as we receive him What is in this true or false â— cannot judge at present not having that book by me only I must tell him that the Scriptures speak of no holy ghost in every man And that the Holy Ghost and Christ Immanuel God-man is not one and the same and that faith in Christ is required unto salvation And might noâ— Seneca meane hereby Reason which the Scriptures tell us is now corrupt and carnal and an enemy to the Gospel Sure that passage he citeth next of Cicero's out of Lactan. Too long here to translate and insert is speaking of nothing as the words cleare but of Reason and it is expresly called so recta ratio given to every man Is this the Quakers Gospel-Teacher Saviour Christ and Redeemer Why doth he else where seem to cry out against the Socinians When here he cryeth up so much with them and with heathens pure Reason Is this the Holy Ghost that acts leads and guides them and teacheth them all their divinity poor souls Are they so in love with paganisme that for its sake they will renunce all Christianity 13. There is a mighty argument following which must be noticed it is this The Heathens call this Reason or I know not what wisdom and this is the name that is given to Christ in the Scriptures Prov. 1 20. 8 9 34. Ergo what Therefore tâ—e Heathens knew Christ. Is not this a noble argument well becoming such as pretend to rare light and knowledg and to nothing lesse then Revelations and Inspirations It is no wonder that they say Christ is in them for they are possessours â—f wisdom and Christ is called wisdom Did he neâ—er read that the wisdom of this world is foolishness and that the world by wisdom knew not God And was this Christ because he is elsewhere called wisdome did he never read that God would destroy the wisdom of the wise and is the meaning of this that God would destroy Christ because Christ is somewhere called wisdom What notions of men destracted or rather judicially given up of God are these Hence saith he further such among the Gentiles as left that which was evil and turned to that which was good and justice were called Philosophers that is lovers of wisdom But what if he be mistaken in the ground or reason of this name given or assumed And whether he be mistaken or not what can he make of it Belike he would say They were lovers of Christ for Christ is called wisdom Is not this man a noble advocat for Heathens and worthy of his hire Are not these all very strong arguments to prove that Heathens knew Christ though not under that notion and therefore may be saved But Phocilides who knoweth where said saith he that that was best wisdom which was had by inspiration of God And could not blinde nature have told him so much Was this such an excellent piece of knowledge that it may truely be called saving And was this the knowledge of Christ under some other denomination Could not the devil say as much And may he therefore also be saved What were this mans thoughts busied about when he wrote these things was he dreaming Or in a rapture of Quakerisme or sunck into his introversion where he lost all humane Reason 13. Then Pag. 119. he saith he could produce many such But to what purpose To prove saith he that they knew Christ by his work working in them by which they were turned frâ—m unrighteousness to righteousness and made lovers of his power and whereby they felt themselves delivered from evil If this be the conclusion that he would proâ—e why hath he not brought one testimony to this end what he hath hithertill adduced agreeth as well with this conclusion as harp doth with harrow But the Apâ—stle he addeth saith they did shew the work of the law written in their hearts and therefore as all were doers of the law so without doubt they were justified We spoke to this before and this man is tedious in his repetitions for want of arguments only I note that I see now he concludeth that all the Heathens were saved for they were all â—ith him doers of the law and that because they had all the work of the law written in their hearts and so were all justified Happy Heathens if so and if so it were better to be Heathens than Christians for all Christians are not justified and saved though they have
3 5 6. any way confirme his fancy but rather establish the contrary truth to wit that all the favours which God conferreth upon us in order to salvation are of free grace and not by works of righteousness or works which are done in righteousness and righteously as the words in the original bear which we have done Grace and Mercy here are set in opposition to all our works yea to our best works and therefore if Iustification be an act of God's grace as the Scripture saith it is it is not nor can it be because or upon the account of our works of righteousness And if in and through or by Iustification there is pardon of iniquity as there is Rom. 4 5 6 7. And if pardon of iniquity be a merciful and gracious act in God being an act of his free grace and mercy Ephes. 1 vers 7 8. it is manifest that Iustification is not upon thâ— account of our works Therâ—fore we are said to be Iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 3 24. Moreover the judgment of God is alwayes as in condemning of sinners so in justifying of beleevers according to truth Rom. 2 2. And in the matter of justifying of the ungodly the righteousness of God is declared and it is all so contrived that he might be just and the justifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus Rom. 3 25 26. Therefore cannot Iustification passe upon the account of any thing framed and done in us or by us because that is not nor can it be that which will passe for a Righteousness in the eyes of God and a Righteousness answerable to the Law in all points it being when it is at its best but imperfect nor can it have any merite or deserving in it to compensat for former transgressions being alwayes that only which we are obliged unto so that when we have done all we must say that we are but unprofitable servants Luk. 17 vers 10. we have done but what was our duty to do 7. Having thus briefly dispatched his Thesis wherein we see his opposition to Iustification by and upon the account of the Righteousness of Christ imputed and therein his harmony and agreement with Papists Socinians and Arminians we come now to consider what he sayes more largly in his Apology Pag. 122. c. In the beginning he tels us that the handling of this doth well follow his treating of universal Redemption and universal grace And I shall not quarrel with his Method were his doctrine orthodox but seing few who plead for the universality of the death of Christ and who contend for the universality of grace are found sound and orthodox in the point of Iustification we mighâ—â—pon this ground though we had gote no taste of his judgment in the Thesis suspect his doctrine of Iustification But after tryal we will be better able to judge He saith truely that there are many controversies moved already about this point and the more blame worthy is he who doth not diminish but increase these rather as to some things though in the principal he liketh the Popish way better than ours He promiseth first to state the controversie so far as concerneth them and to explaine their judgment and then he saith he will confirme it by Scripture testimony and the certain experience of all that are really justified we must see how he performeth what is promised 8. What he saith § 2. of the Papists depraving of this truth we heare but are ready to suppose that howbeit he do not with them stand up for the merite ex condigno as it is called and yet many Papists reject this and are satisfied with meritum ex congruo in the mater of Iustification and some reject both as may be seen in Stapleton Prol. ad lib. 5. de justific of good works nor approve of the vulgar Papists placeing their Justification in things that are neither good nor evil or in things that are rather evil as good as he thinketh to be evident from their doctrine of the Sacraments and Indulgences c. but commend our Reformers for opposeing these Abominations Yet as to the maine controversie handled betwixt our Reformers and the Papists viz. what is Iustification and what is the formal reason Objective or the formal cause as some speak or Material cause as others speak or that because and upon the account of which men are Justified in the sight of God this Quaker joyneth with the Papists The Councel of Trent Sess. 6. Chap. 7. tels us That Iustification is not only remission of sins but also Sanctification and renovation of the inner man by a voluntary susception of grace and gifts whereby man of unjust becometh just of an enemy becometh a friend that he may be an heire according to the hope of eternal life Why doth our Quaker embrance this upon the matter and give a worse Justification even a Justification wherein there is no mention made of remission of sinnes Why doth he with this Synagogue of Satan confound Justifiâ—ation and Sanctification He knoweth how Bellarmine de Iustif. lib. 2. Cap. 2. briefly stateth the question betwixt us and them in these words Whether the formal cause of absolute Iustification be a righteousness inherent in us or not If this Quaker be no Papist why doth he conspire with them in this cardinal point of difference Why doth he and the rest rise up so much against the Imputed righteousness as do the Papist following the Councel of Trent as we see Pag. 125. he doth shewing his teeth against our Confession of faith And there also I cannot but take notice of a base falshood and deceit when he would make his Readers beleeve that the Papists do not place Justification in any real inward renovation of soul more then the Protestants while as we have seen the contrary out of the Councel of Trent and Bellarm. and multitudes moe might be cited But what needs more when we have the words of that Councel which all Papists must stand to and in that forecited Chapt. the same Councel saith The only formal cause is the righteousness of God not that by which he himself is righteous but whereby he maketh us righteous to wit by which we are renewed in the Spirit of our minde and are not only repute but truely are called and are righteous or just It is true that they say that this grace and charity that is infused in Iustification is through the merite of the most holy suffering of Christ And in this they are more orthodox and less Socinian than are the Quakers to this Mans shame be it spoken Yet still they make Justification to consist in the Infusion of grace and Renovation of the soul. 9. He beginneth his explication of their judgment Pag. 126. § 3. And telleth us first That as it appeareth from the explication of the former thesis they renunce all natural power in themselves for delivering of themselves out
to help his owne to performance of duty in part upon a new score let them mourne for shortcomings and flee to the bloud of Christ conforme to the Gospel that there they may get extracts of pardon and be thankful that the Lord hath so secured the matter that they shall never come into condemnation 21. As to the saints he reasoneth further thus Their imperfection is either from themselves or from God If from themselves then it is because they use not the power they have for that effect and if they have a power it is not impossible if from God as not giving them that measure of grace whereby they may be enabled to do all his will then He should be unrighteous Ans. Thus reasoned the Pelagian Caelestius of old and Crellius the Socinian of late See Hoornb ubisupra Pag. 103. And we say 1. This will at most conclude only for a possibility of Perfection or immunity from sin and so will not serve his point 2. If he mean a culpable cause I say it is from themselves and that not because they have any moral power now for keeping the whole Law perfectly though I grant withall that they have more than they make good use of but because that power which was once given was sinfully cast away 3. It is false that God should be unrighteous if he gave not that measure of grace whereby they should become perfect Nay sayes he God shall be more unjust than are the vilest of men who will not give to their children asking bread a stone nor a serpent to them when asking for fish Ans. The Lord rebuke this blasphemous tongue what ground is there for this They confess sayes he that they must ask of God deliverance from sin Very true And yet such a thing is never to be expected The Lord forbid We expect and hope for growing deliverance and final and full deliverance in end when the saints shall say and sing O grave where is thy victory and O death where is thy sting And they shall come unto the upper mount Zion the city of the living God to the Spirits of just men made perfect when all teares shall be wiped away from off their faces But it seemeth our Quakers expect all their heaven here Where is now the stones that God giveth instead of bread the serpents he giveth instead of fish His following calumnious insinuation hath been spoken to already elsewhere 22. His third argument followeth Pag. 156. § 5. He sayes our opinion is injurious to Christ and his sacrifice Christ was manifested chiefly for this end to take away sin and gather a people to himself zealous of good works Tit. 2 14. and to bring in everlasting righteousness that is Evangelical perfection Answ So hote is this man in his pursuite that to reach us he careth not though he pierce his owne bowels for by this one argument he destroyeth all that he said of Vniversal Redemption as we cleared above Chap. VIII But as to us it reacheth us not for we grant that Christ came to take away sin both as to guilt and this he did by the sacrifice of himself and as to the staine and being of it and this he doth by his Spirit piece and piece till in end he give full victory and so he hath a people redeemed from the guilt and power of iniquity though not fully from its presence and stirrings and a people zealous of good works which is not inconsistent with the stirrings of a crucified body of death That that everlasting righteounsess mentioned by Daniel Chap. 9. is to be understood of Evangelical perfection is said but not proved Againe he sayes It is said 1 Ioh. 3 5 8. that the Son of God appeared for this end to take away our sinnes and to destroy the works of the devil Answ. True and so he hath done by taking away the guilt and by destroying daily the works of the devil in his people mortifying lust and corruption and carrying on the work of grace till at length it be perfected Ay but he sayes it is added he that is borne of God doth not commit sin that is doth not break the Law in thought word or deed Answ. What that is to commit sin we shewed above and also that by this passage thus interpreted he shall prove what is against himself to wit that that highest degree of Perfection which whosoever hath attained cannot sin any more is not peculiar to some but common to all that are borne of God Is not Christ sent saith he further to turne a people from sin unto righteousness and from the Kingdom of Satan unto the Kingdom of his dear Son Answ. Yes Are not these thus converted his servants children brethren friends Ans. They are Are they not as he in the world holy pure and immaculate Answ. The text saith not this Read againe 1 Ioh. 4 27 Doth not Christ watch over them care and pray for them save them by his Spirit walking in them and among them Ans. This is all true and â—hence we inferre that they shall certainly be perfected in end and shall persevere unto the end contrare to what he saith as we shall see in the next Chap. But all this will not prove a sinless Perfection common to all the saints But will not Christ have them perfect or is he not able to make them perfect Ans. Yes But he will do it in his owne time and way He himself will not deny but Christ is able to make them all perfect in the highest degree so as not to be able to sin any more yet for all that he will not say that it is so He citeth also Ephes 5 25 26 27. But nothing to his purpose for we grant that the Lord will present his Bride to himself one day faire and cleane without spot or wrinkle or any such thing and that he is about this work bringing all his forward unto this state of perfection washing them cleansing them in his blond and by his Spirit sanctifying them more and more But saith he if they do sin in thought word and deed dayly there is no difference betwixt the holy and profane the cleane and unclean c. Answ. Notwithstanding of this the difference is great for what the profane doth is nothing but sin and in nothing accepted of God through Christ and is done with full purpose of heart without any contrary lusting of the Spirit all they do as it floweth from an evil principle so it is done for an evil end and in a corrupt sinful manner and so is wholly defiled But it is not so with the child of God He mourneth over and repenteth of his shortcomings and striveth against sin The other not So there are many moe differences too many here to be insisted upon 23. His fourth Argument Pag. 157 § 6. is That our doctrine maketh the work of the ministry preaching prayers c. useless while as Paul sayes Ephes.
22. And the practice of the Church thereafter evinceth that this course was constantly followed and though through corruption base and unworthy men entered sometimes into the Ministrie yea and though afterward the Ordinance was corrupted through Antichrist by his manifold additions and other corrupt appendices yet the Ordinance of Christ is not to be rejected but rather to be purged from these corruptions annexed without Scripture warrand that the ordinance may be observed and preserved in its primitive Integrity And though by reason of such corruptions there was an interruption of the conveyance of the ministerial power in the order and manner appointed by Christ yet the Ordinance might be taken up againe and some usual circumstances dispensed with in such a case of necessity without the least impeachment of the Ordinance it self We need not then trouble ourselves to enquire after such an uninterrupted succession of Persons so ordained one after another if we finde ministers now setled according to the Ordinance of Christ we are to be satisfied But the thing that troubles him is that we say such as are ordained by Pastors according to the rule of the word are Pastors and to be owned as such Nor will it satisfie him that we say that beside this such as are called must have an inward call also of God inclineing them to that work as we formerly hinted because as he thinks there is no enquiry made after this and yet if he would look our directory for ordination he might finde as much as might satisfie a reasonable man concerning this which is not obvious to mens tryal and examination but is hid in the heart As to what he saith § 9. and 10. because it concerneth them who plead for the necessity of an uninterrupted Succession which I see no necessity for I need not trouble my self to Answere though I see nothing said by him which is of any force and elsewhere I have said something to it See my book against Velthusius Assert 9. towards the end and I shall recommend to this Man the serious perusal of Voetii Desperata Causa Papatus 12. He cometh § 11. Pag. 187. to speak to Others who lay not so much weight upon this Succession as conveyed through Papacy but assert that in extraordinary cases of necessity somethings may be done which ought not to be done in other ordinary cases when the Church is setled and rightly constituted or purged from destroying corruptions And what sayes he here Forsooth to vindicate himself and his fraternity for taking upon them the Ministrie at their owne hand he hath the face to say that he can accuse us of many errours And what will his bold saying so do when we have evinced that Quakerisme is but a Cento an Hotch potch of errours so that they are become the very Kennel in which all the filth of other errours and heresies run are become one standing puddle of abomination And as to their being Ministers what I pray have they to show but what the false Prophets and Apostles did pretend unto He talketh of an Immediat Revelation but who seeth that but themselves who have the false light of an ignis fatuus to enlighten them Shall we think that the Immediat Revelation of the Spirit of God would act men as they are acted and prompt them to at rampling upon all the holy Ordinances of Jesus Christ The Comforter whom Christ promises to send will guide into all truth Ioh. 16 13. and not sure into all errour and will glorify Christ vers 14. while as the evil Spirit in these Quakers cannot do more than he doth to vilify Christ and render him most contemptible in his Person Offices Work Ordinances He tels us that this immediate revelation of the Spirit is as necessary in a Church constituted as in a Church to be constitute But what meaneth he by this Immediat Revelation Meaneth he nothing else than what is necessary to all true Christians and is acknowledged by us that is the inward working of the Spirit sanctifying the soul No sure it is plaine Enthusiasme of which we spoke enough above Chap. III. And who saith or how will he evince it that our first reformers were called to the work of the ministrie by such an Euthusiastick Call as were the Prophets of old or such an immediat outward call with an audible voice from Christ as the Apostles had I deny that any such thing is necessary or to be expected even in extraordinary cases seing the Lord can in a more plaine and obvious manner give intimations of his will then by Enthusiasmes or audible voices such as Paul had which he would not have us now look for having the Canon of the Scriptures now compleat before us to regulate us in all cases Ordinary and Extraordinary and having the constant significations of God's will in his providence to help us to understand his minde in particulars conforme to the general rules in his word And by these we may learne what is to be done or not done in this or that case without Dreames or Vive Voices from heaven or Enthusiasmes which whosoever would expect might fear that God because of their tempting of him might give the great Tempter leave to deceive them as experience hath proven 13. As to that which some say That such as boast of an Immediat Call should confirme the same by Miracles He answereth Pag. 181. That as this was Objected by the Papists unto our first reformers so their answere may suffice to wit That was not necessary for them seing they preached nothing but the doctrine that was already confirmed by miracles And beside Iohn the Baptist and some true Prophets did no miracles Answere Though I do not owne the Objection as it is here simply set downe Yet take it thus and it will prove too hote for his fingers They who have had immediate cals from God were able to give evidence of the same by miracles or some other evident testimony of the Spirit that it was so which to contradict or not to receive and beleeve had been iniquity and utterly unreasonable Now what can these Quakers shew to justifie their Immediat Call to be of God They alleidge an Immediate Call but who can see any grounds to beleeve it Their saying so is not enough for false Prophets said it Their doctrine can not evince it for if their call be to be judged by their doctrine I know no heretick that ever breathed that had not better ground upon this account to pretend to an Immediat Call for I defye any man to name me any Seck of hereticks or erroneous persons since Christianity was heard of that maintained such a bundle of Errours and Heresies as these Quakers do to speak nothing of their blasphemous expressions and practices let any but read the examinations of Iames Nayler and his carriage about Bristol and their dayly expressions in their books and judge But to wave these let us consider but
any in Courses Opposite unto and Reflecting upon the holy Institutions of Christ because he is the Spirit of Chirst and sent by him from the Father and was to testifie of him Ioh. 15 26 and not to counterwork Him and trample upon his Appointments It is also said that he would glorifie Christ and receive of His and shew it unto the disciples Ioh. 16 14. But the Spirit that leadeth them is wholly set in them to dishonour and cry down Christ and to reject all his Ordinances not one excepted as we have seen already and shall see more Nay this evil Spirit that acteth them destroyeth and casteth away these very Orders and Ordinances which the Scripture tels us the true Spirit of God hath appointed and established and is such an enemy to all Gospel Order that it cryeth up only Paganish and develish Confusion 2. What he saith of the Papal and Prelatical Hierarchy I have nothing to do with but what can he say against that Order which Presbyterians maintaine to be Instituted by Christ by Officers of divine appointment and the Courts Judicatories which they owne Superior Inferior Whatever contention be among these concerning the Order to be observed in the house of God there is no warrand for him his party to cast away all Order bring in the confusion of Babel instead of that beautiful and edifying Order which Christ the Supream Head and King of the Church hath wisely for his owne glory for promoving the good edification of his Subjects Appointed signally Blessed 3. But sayes he Pag. 204. speaking of his party We say the substance is to be enquired after and the Vertue Life and Spirit who is one in all these different names and offices mentioned in the Scriptures 1 Cor. 12 4 Ephes. 4. Answ. We say also the Substance is to be enquired after and the Spirit 's Blessing Power Efficacy and Presence to be sought but so as the Ordinances and holy Appointments of the Spirit be religiously Observed for the Spirit of God hath not taught us to see any repugnancy here whatever that evil Spirit which acteth and leadeth them doth Sure had there been any such Repugnancy or Inconsistency as these Fanaticks dream the Spirit had never appointed these Orders nor instituted these Ordinances and Officers nor prescribed Rules to Regulate these Officers in the right and edifying manner of the discharge of their duty and Administrating the appointed Ordinances Himself cannot but confess that the Spirit did appoint Officers in the house of God the Scriptures by him cited are so cleare and plaine to which others might be added And I would faine know of him why this was done was this to divert the primitive Church from enquireing after the Substance and after the Vertue Life and Spirit of these ordinances He dar not say this The Spirit then that acteth them cannot be the same with that Spirit that ordered matters in the Primitive Church but an enemie thereunto and consequently the Spirit of the Devil directly Opposeing and Counter working the Spirit of God let him think on this for it will be found so 4. He goeth on to tell us That it was never the minde of Christ and his Apostles that Christians should establish the shadow and forme of these Officers without the power efficacy and Spirit of Christ. Answ. The Power Efficacy and Spirit of Christ is not in Christians power to Establish the Spirit bloweth where he listeth I understand not that Spirit which falleth under the establishment of men and of these Quakers It is not the Spirit of God that is so under their power and at their devotion and can be established by them as they please 2. We plead not for Shadowes and Formes but yet we owne the Ordinances and desire religiously to observe such as Christ hath appointed to remaine and continue for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes. 4 vers 11 12 13. even to the end of the world Mat. 28 20. especially seing we have no ground to think that all these Offices and Officers were appointed only for that time and age the work being of the same necessity now as then and no restriction or limitation to that instant being declared It is true there was a special piece of work called for then to wit the founding and setling of Gospel Churches and of Gospel Order Lawes and Ordinances to which extraordinary Officers were called qualified and impowered which is not now necessary the foundation being once laid there is no more required but a continual building upon that foundation to which ordinary Officers and a standing ordinary Ministrie is sufficient and necessary that the Ordinances of perpetual use may be administred according to Christs appointment for the constant edification of the Church And against this these Quakers set themselves with all their might that when the Church is denuded of her Officers and Watchers she may become a fitter prey for these grievous wolves who now enter in not spareing the flock speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them 5. This is saith he the work of Antichrist the mystery of iniquity erected in the dark night of Apostasie Answ. Then Christ and his Apostles wrouâ—ht the work of Antichrist and the Mysterie of iniquity And the dark night of Apostasie was in the very first Primitive dayes of the Church But what blashemy this is and what an Antichristian Spirit this must be that speaketh in these men let sober men judge Let us hear more But sayes he in the true Church of Christ which is gathered by God not only into the doctrine of truth but also into the life power and Spirit of Christ the Spirit of God is Governour and Regulator as in every individual so also in the general And when they meet together to worshipe God then such as God separateth to the ministry by his owne power and influence opening their mâ—uthes and giving unto them to exhort rebuke and instruct in the power and Spirit of the Lord cannot but be heard received and held in honour for their works sake by their brethren seing they are thus ordained and put into the ministrie by God And thus there is no monopoly hereof unto a certaine kinde of men called the clergy who for this cause are educated and taught this art as other carnal trades are that all the rest may be despised and excluded as laicks but the mater is left unto the free gift of God that he may call whom he will poor or rich servants or masters old or young men or women and who are thus called verifie the Gospel 1 Thes. 1 5. and they cannot but be received and heard by Christs sheep 6. Here
acts of worship by Immediat Inspirations and Enthusiastical motions of the Spirit and the unlawfulness of entering upon Worshipe at what time in what place and upon what occasion so ever or continueing in it without these Previous Physical and Immediat Inspirations Impulses and Enthusiastical Motions but we shall see some other things spoken to and more insisted upon by him and but little spoken to this which mainly called for proof 2. However we must see what he says leaving his preamble wherein according to his usual manner he layeth an imputation on the Reformed Churches as keeping still the root of false worshipe when they cut off the branches of Romish worshipe We shall consider what he sayes for clearing of the Quakers way first he tels us Pag. 222. § 2. That he speaketh here of worship now under the Gospel not as requisite under the Law Yet I suppose he is speaking of worshipe as a moral duty or in reference to what is moral or natural which hath place in all ages of the Church and of what is essentially and necessarily requisite to all moral worship for he saith here expresly that the ceremonies under the Law were not essential to true worshipe nor necessary of themselves I suppose also he should speak of Institute Worshipe under the Gospel but all that is by the Quakers rejected and denied as we shall hear He tels us next § 3. That they do not condemne all prescribed times and places for worshipe for they have such But may I not ask whether they assemble at these times and in these places by the Immediat Acting Motion and Impulse of the Spirit or not It seemeth not but when they are assembled they must waite for these motions But is not that a limiteing of the Spirit as if he could not Act Move to publick worshipe at other times in other places And is not the time of their abode together at these several occasiones limited also 3. What do they then condemne They condemne our having a Preacher to preach excludeing others But the lawfulness of this we evinced above Next they are not satisfied that these ministers come not to meet with the Lord. Neither am I. and attend not unto his inward motions and operations Nor am I satisfied with this Nor pray not preach not as the Spirit moveth and breatheth in them and giveth utterance What if I say that I am not satisfied with this either more then they But the mystery of the business is They acknowledge no Motion or inward Breathing of the Spirit but what is Extraordinary and meerly Enthusiastick without all previous study or preparation and abstract from all meanes as if the Lord could not move and operate in and by the meanes and could not help a minister who had studied his sermon by his breathing and inward assistance to preach the Gospel and give utterance and helpe to the carrying on of the work to edification This is to oppose the Spirit of God and his motions to all meanes of his owne appointment condemneth all study and meditation on the Scriptures taketh away all paines and laboure for abilities and putteth men upon a sure way of tempting of God and of inviteing the devil to deceive and delude as was shown above 4. That nothing may be wanting to compleat their Systeme of errour they proclame all dayes alike and so reject the Lords day our Christian Sabbath concerning which if this man have any minde to dispute on that head I will wait his Answer to what I have said on it elsewhere What he saith Pag. 225. § 5. of their charitie towards many living in Popery is no very great business seing he will grant as much to Pagans notwithstanding of their palpable and manifest Idolatry and Heathenisme But why will he not give us charity too 5. He cometh more home to the business Pag. 226. § 6. and tels us that when they assemble every ones work is to attend on God to goe out of their own thoughts and imaginations or rather to thrust these away to feel Gods presence and in his name to acknowledge that assembly where He is in the midst according to his promise And where every one is thus assembled in Spirit as well as in body the secret power and vertue of life is known to refresh the soul and they feel pure motions and breathings of the Spirit of God flowing from which issue words of declaration prayer and praise and thus acceptable worshipe is performed by which the Church is edified and God is pleased yea though not one word be spoken or heard outwardly yet true spiritual â—orship is performed and the Church is edified Answ. This is a short account of their manner of worship which in his following discourse he largely laboureth to explicat and vindicate I shall only propose these few exceptions against it 1. Spiritual worshipe which only is acceptable with God who is a Spirit and will be worshiped in spirit and truth being a matter of no small difficulty for sinners to get performed aright would require some preparation before hand that the heart might be put in some frame for such an high and noble work being made sensible of its distance from and unsuteableness for approching unto such an holy and spiritual God and of the necessity of some impression of that divine Majesty with whom they have to do and of divine help for the right discharge of that duty now I finde no mention made by them of any such thing or of the necessity of wrestling with God in private for a right frame of Spirit in going about that work and for the assistence of his grace and Spirit in the discharge of it and for his blessing upon it It seemeth their heart is alway in a like good frame and they are alwayes in case for this solemne addresse unto God or they come together to get preparation and all from the inward motions without which nothing must de done 2. When the members of the Church are assembled and publick worshipe to beginne Nature it self would teach that there should be a solemne address made unto God by Prayer acknowledging their unworthiness of such an honour and favour their unfitness for such a solemne work their necessity of his divine help and assistance therein and his blessing thereupon that He may be glorified and they edified but here no such thing appeareth no invocating of the great God no supplication made to him no prostrating of themselves in prayer before him at the entry of their work can this then be accounted an assembling for the solemne Adoration Worshiping and Invocation of God 3. No word is there here in all their Assemblies of the Scriptures as the Law of God which should be read interpreted and applyed for the Instruction Reproof Consolation and Edification of the people No as the Scriptures are no rule to them in their walk so nor are they any rule to them in their
heart and which Christ procured for man that is the measure of grace and life getteth place to arise and becometh an holy birth in man And that divine aireis it with which mans Spirit is fermented and in which waiting he is accepted in the presence of God and is fitted this word I must supply or his words have no sense to stand in his presence to hear his voice and to observe the motions of his holy Spirit Answ. But 1. We have evinced above that there is no seed planted by God in all men or purchased by Christ that is a measure of saving grace and life Nature and its light and power we grant to be in all but this will never become a new birth 2. Then this work being the same with Regeneration and Sanctification as we saw above every man must fall into an ecstasie and become no man as to any operation before he be converted 3. Then and this is the maine thing here considerable Every Quaker at every time he cometh to worshipe God solemnely it is of this he knoweth that we are now speaking must have this change wrought in him for it is to this end that he must retire within him self and be abstracted from all his Operations that he may be in case to worshipe But then observe what will follow Quakers before they come to worshipe are unregenerated without the holy birth and as oft as they come to worshipe they must be regenerated and get this divine aire to ferment their spirits But how agreeth this with the state of Perfection he talked of one degree whereof was they were able not to sin and the other wherein they could not sin I suppose man even a Quaker is in case to sin cannot but sin till he be regenerated Where is this man now I see though persons dreaming see not the inconsistency and repugnancy of their dreames persons awake will see and smile at fancies hanging together like ropes of sand 15. He denieth Pag. 237. § 11. That we can waite upon God in prayer preaching For saith he waiting rather denoteth a passive dependance than any action Answ. I confess his waiting is a very passive thing and inconsistent with any action of Soul or Body but we are waiting for proof of such a waiting as he talks of We know Prayer and Preaching is one thing and waiting on God by Faith Patience and Hope in these duties is another thing And if he think these inconsistent he knoweth neither Religion nor Scripture To pray and preach saith he by the Spirit presupposeth this silent waiting that the motions leading unto these might be felt Answ. This is the thing that is under debate How can the godly pray for the motions leadings of the Spirit if they must first feel them and have them before they pray for them Or must they not pray that prayer at all But the moâ—ions of the Spirit they pray for are not these they have but others fitting them for other duties he will say I answ The saints even pray for the Spirit to teach them to pray But he will say They must have the motion of the Spirit for the first prayer or it will not be accepted Answ. They may have it and yet not feel it and so these motions are not their Rule The Law of God is the Rule and what is not done in obedience to a Command is no Obedience for obedience respecteth a command And thus the Quakers destroy all Obedience If they cannot Pray nor Preach without a previous impulse of the Spirit how can they waite without such a previous motion Waiting sure is a commanded duty as well as Prayer and cannot be performed without the Spirit aright and acceptably more then Prayer And if they cannot waite without the previous motion of the Spirit how shall they waite for that previous motion to wait I see not how this man can loose this knot 16. But he proveth that this silence is a special and principal part of divine worshipe and that necessarly though he told us before Pag. 23â— that worship did not consist in silence as silence because in many places where prayer is commanded as Mat 26 41. Mark 13 33. Luk. 21 26. 1 Pet. 4 7. watching is prescribed as previous and preparatory Answ. But how proveth he that that Watching is the silence and waiting he speaketh of That Watching is not a turning inward but a looking outward also and a looking to all hands from whence temptations can come It is a Watching joyned with Prayer and a Christian Vigilancy and Circumspection taking in the lively exercise of all graces and is accompanied with all Christian duties as was cleared above so far is it from having any affinity with his mute Mumry 17. The more to enforce this Silence he tels us Pag. 238 § 12. that it hath this excellency that nothing else hath to wit It is impossible for the devil to simulate it and therefore no soul in this exercise can be deceived by him This is wonderful if true but how proveth he it I would be afrayed that when a Man hath laid aside not only his Senses outward and inward but his very Rational Judgment Intellect all that he hath as a man or as a Christian the Devil should then most play master and I am not sure but it is so with them Let us therefore heare his reason The devil can only work in and by a natural man I had thought that he could also work in a Spiritual man as in Peter when the Lord said to him get thee behinde me Satan or else he must say that Peter was then but a carnal man And what was the messenger of Satan that buffeted Paul 2 Cor. 12. what more Therefore saith he where the natural man is silent he that is the Devil must stand But why must he stand off when the natural man is silent and how proveth he that there is nothing of a natural man acting in this silence When the soul saith he is come to this silence and as to its owne operations brought as it were to nothing then the devil is excluded How is this confirmed for he cannot endure the pure presence of God then ariseing and the clearness of his light saith he But we doubt if the pure presence of God then arise or such a light as shall quite banish the Devil away This is the maine thing to be confirmed nay the sequel proveth to us that all this presence and light is but of the Devils owne making how that shall banish him away I know not But moreover though it were granted that this were the pure presence of God and a light that the Devil could not stand before but behoved to flee from seven wayes yet he might stay until that light appeared and according to this mans owne doctrine this cannot be until the seed get room to arise and become an holy birth and this is not alwayes at the
nothing else if it be anything distinct from Nature seconded with and corroborated by fleshly Imaginations strong and proud Fancies raised and raâ—ified Braines deluded Mindes and perturbated Affections together with the cooperations of the Spirit of darkness than the Devil acting moving and carrying them and speaking in them or by them as he seeth good for his owne corrupt ends All which is further confirmed by their stated and fixed Opposition to and irreconcileable Hatred at the Gospel of the grace of God and all the Ordinances of Jesus Christ manifested in their Preachments and scriblings for though corrupt nature and the carnal minde be enmity against God and neither is nor can be subject to his Law and cannot understand the things of God yet their bitter Opposition to all the wayes of Christ and their active indefatigable and industrious labour and paines to destroy so far as they can the whole Gospel and bring their proselytes back to Paganisme and their fury and rage transporting them to the hieght of Blasphemy against the pure doctrine of the Gospel of the grace of God saith to every considering person that there is something stronger then corrupt nature acting and driveing them even that wicked Enemy whose works Christ came to destroy This is plaine and manifest let them see to it And let the Reader now judge what for Preachers these are and whether their Talkers or our Preachers be most acted and led by the Spirit of God 8. Though what is said may be sufficient to obviat all that he can say either for himself or against us yet for further satisfaction let us state the question thus Whether Ministers in their preaching should act as Christians goe about the work with an holy and Christian dependance by faith in the use of lawful and approved meanes upon the Spirit of God for Furniture and Assistance or should waite for and expect immediat Impulses for all they say and do and never goe about this work in whole or in part but when and as they are thus immediatly Excited Prompted Acted Moved Carryed by the Spirit and speak nothing but what is thus immediatly and extraordinarily put into their mouth by the Spirit of God or rather is spoken by the Spirit useing them as meer organs If the question be thus stated though I know the Quakers will arrogat this last way unto themselves and assert this to be the only way now called for yet how far they are from it is manifest from what is said But as to the matter I assert the first and deny this last to be the way which Christ hath appointed My reasons are these 1. This would render all previous Paines Labour Study and Reading even of the Scriptures useless as to the work of preaching contrare to what is already said 2. Paul could not then have said as he doth 2 Tim. 2 vers 2. And 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 For to what purpose should there be such care had that sound doctrine be transmitted from one to another and the same committed to faithful and trusty persons who will faithfully preach and deliver the same to people if all must be done and carryed on by the immediat Inspirations and Motions of the Spirit 3. Nor was there any ground why the Apostle should say 1 Tim. 1 3 4. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine neither give heed to fables c. Because such as must act by the immediat impulses of the Spirit can receive no charge from man nor regulate themselves in their teaching accordingly 4. Nor could Paul say to Timothy 1. Tim. 4 6 if thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things thou shalt be a good minister of Iesus Christ nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine whereunto thou hast attained For Timothy might have replied I cannot be stinted unto these doctrines which you desire me to put the brethren in remembrance of for I must speak as the Spirit speaketh in me and must receive all that I speak immediatly from the Spirit And he might have said also I cannot put others in remembrance of any thing for they must do as the Spirit acteth them 5. Nor could he give that command vers II. These things command and teach For the same reason as is manifest 6. Nor could he give him in charge as followeth vers 13 14 15 16. give attendance to reading to exhortation to â—octrine neglect not the gift that is in thee meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiteing may appear to all Take heed unto thy self and unto the doctrine continue in them for this one reply I must follow the motions of the Spirit would have made all null for there is no place left for attendance to Reading to exhortation to Doctrine for not Nelecting the gift for Meditation for Heeding the doctrine or continueing in it where all must be done by the immediat Impulses of the Spirit 7. Nor can such preachers as may and must do nothing but as the immediat Impulses of the Spirit acte them be rightly said to laboure in word and doctrine that is as the word importeth to labour painfully till they be wearied with much travail and toyl with strength and earnestness as Rowers with oars See Leigh's Critica sacra on the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet this word is used of ministers and of their work 1 Cor. 15 10. 16 16 Gal. 4 11. Phil. 2 16. 2 Thes. 5 12. 1 Tim. 5 17. 2 Tim. 2 6 8. There could be no ground for that heavy charge which is laid on Timothy 1 Tim. 5 21. I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou observe these things And againe 1 Tim. 6 13 14. I give thee charge in the sight of Goâ— who quickeneth all things and Christ Iesus who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keep this commandement without spot unrebukable until the appearing of the Lord Iesus Christ c. if ministers were to do nothing in their ministrie but as they were Acted Inspired Moved and Immediatly Influenced of the Spirit as every one may see 9. Nor was there place for that 1 Tim. 6 17 Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded c. For Timothy might have said I must only speak as moved by the Spirit and am not master of my self 10. Nor for that ibid. vers 20. O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust c. For to what purpose might he have said seing I may not use it as I will but must do all as immediatly Acted 11. If matters were thus why did Paul say as he doth 2 Tim. 1 6. Wherefore I put thee in
remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee seing gifts were of no use and the stirring up of gifts were in vaine because all without gifts or stirring up of gifts was to be done by the immediat impulses and motions of the Spirit 12. in vaine also should he have said as 2 Tim. 1 13 14. Hold fast the forme of sound words which thou hast heard of me That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost For he was to regard no forme of sound words nor take any notice of that gooâ— thing which was committed to him but do and say as he was acted and inspired 13. what roome is left by this opinion to that word 2 Tim 2 14. Of these things put them in remembrance charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words For he could remember them of nothing nor lay any charge upon them if they were to do all as the Spirit moved them 14. The following injunction vers 15. is made also useâ—ess by this way Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly divideing the word of truth For it taketh away all care and study in this matter and the preacher can make no other division of the word of truth than what is of and by the Spirit and that must alwayes be right 15 All that the Apostle sayeth 2 Tim. 3 14 15. should also be in vaine and to no purpose 16. If this way be the truth why did the Apostle say 2 Tim. 4 1 2. I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom Preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine might not Timothy have replied I have nothing to do with that charge I cannot I may not preach either in season or out of season nor can I Reprove Rebuke nor Exhort nor have I Doctrine wherewith to do it The Spirit doth all must move me and inspire me to every Doctrine Preaching Rebuke and Exhortation and that at every time and season 17. Hâ—reby that should be also rendered useless which is said 2 Tim 4 5. But watch thou in all things endure afflictions do the work of an Evangelist make full proof of thy ministry 18. If this be the way why did Paul say to Titus Chap. 1 17 wherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith seing Titus could have said againe I shall do as the Spirit moveth and more I cannot I may not 19. So it taketh away the force of Paulâ—s injunctions Tit. 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 15. For Titus was to have his eye upon no Doctrine but speake what the Spirit moved him to speak nor was he to speak to either one or other age or sex or quality but as the Spirit acted him and what Uncorruptness Gravity Sincerity was requisite in his doctrine he was not to be anxious there about all would be so because dictated and inspired immediatly by the Spirit And what sounâ—ness of speach was requisite the Spirit would see to that and therefore he was not to regard what the Apostle enjoyned vers 15. These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority 20. The command Tit. 3 1 2. Put them in minde to be subject to Principalities c. must hereby be laid aside as not obligeing Titus who was purely to follow the Motions of the Spirit 21. How opposite unto this opinion is that word Tit. 3 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirme constantly What was not Titus to waite upon the motions of the Spirit 22. If matters be thus how could the Collossians say to Archippus take heed to the ministrie which thou haâ—t received in the Lord that thou fulfil it seing Archippus was to follow the free and arbitrary motions of the Spirit 2â— This opinion rendereth that injunction of Paul's unto the ministers of Thessalonica 1 Thes. 5 14. useless Now we beseech you brethren warne them that are unruly comfort the feble minded support the weak c. as to preaching 24. It would hence follow that all that such ministers spoke were infallibly true for what the Spirit speaketh through men or by men as his meer organs must of necessity be truth and nothing but truth and that certainly and infallibly and so must be esteemed of and regarded as Scripture 25. If the matter be thus it is all one thing whether the preacher be Young or Old a Childe or a Mâ—n of experience for it is not he that speaketh but the Spirit in him yet Paul requireth that he that is put into the Ministrie be not a novice 1 Tim. 3 6. 26. Thus did the Prophets and Apostles preachâ— and declare their visions as undâ—r moral commands though they were under no such commanâ—s to receive the visions where they had no election Ier. 1 v. 17. 26 15. Esa. 6 8 9. Ier 15 19 20. 1 Cor. 9 16. 9. More might be said upon this head but this may suffice and I have said the more of it because they use to make it one of their common theames while they would in their popular discourses inveigh against the Ministrie seek to make it contemptible with people Let us now come and consider what he saith And first he beginneth to speak against the methode Pag. 249. And what is this methode Ministers are free to follow what method they think most edifying and are not bound to one certain prescribeâ— methoâ—e But sayes he when Christ sent his disciples to preach he told them they should not premeditate what to say nor speak of themselves but the Spirit should in the same houre teach them Mat. 10 20. Mark 13 11. Luk. â—2 vers 12. Ans. Knoweth he not that at that time Christ gave them their preaching with them telling them what they should say saying And as â—e go preach saying the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Mat. 10 7. Knoweth he not that in these places by him cited our Lord is speaking of their appearing before Magistrates and Higher powers where they might through fear and anxiety be so discomposed as not to know well how to speak in their owne defence and that our Lord addeth these words to free them of all anxiety about the matter But sayes he if it was so with them when standing before men much more in preaching when they stand before God Ans. This consequence is weak and contradicted by the Text it self where we see they had their sermon taught them before hand and beside when they were sent out to preach they knew what they were to say but when called before Magistrates they could not know before hand what questions might be proposed unto them and upon that account might be anxious and troubled which to prevent this promise is made
10. He proceedeth After the pouring forth of the Spirit Act. 2 4. they are said to speak as the holy Ghost gave utterance and not what they had studied Ans. It is very true The Apostles then gote their divinity and knowledge in the mysteries of the Gospel miraculously taught them by immediat Infusion and withall gote the gift of tongues to speak to all people and languages And such as would expect such teaching now may as well expect the extraordinary gift of tongues which the Apostles gote And who seeth not how absurd this is Beside what was granted to the Apostles was not granted to all the Church Officers in those dayes no not to Evangelists who were extraordinary let be to ordinary Pastours and Doctors Nay none of all the extraordinary officers had all that the Apostles had One thing I would learne of hâ—m Can he tell me when and wherâ— theâ—e Apostles did Introvert to the gift within them in order to the obtaining of these rare qualifications or to the preaching of the word If he cannot do this he will finde no ground for his methode in this that is said of the Apostles They were infallible and acted by an infallible Spirit in their Teachings and Writings thinks he that this is expected or required of all Ministers now Or thinks he that his Quaker-Pratters are such Whatever he may dreame the Christian world may see the contrary What he citeth out of Lambertus I freely assent unto for my part 11. Next he tels us Pag. 250. § 19. That our way of preaching is hurtful and destructive because contrare to the nature of the Christian and Apostolicke Miniâ—trie 1 Cor. 1 17. Wherein It is not by the motion and acting of the Spirit but by mens Invention and eloquence by natural strength and acquired learning the Apostles preaching was not so 1 Cor. 2 3 4 5. Ans. The Spirit helping by ordinary meanes is not contrary to himself helping in an extraoâ—dinary way The Apostles way was peculiar to themselves It is a groundless imagination to think that all that is spoken by dependence upon God in the use of ordinary meanes and not by immediat Inspiration is wisdom of words making the Cross of Christ of none effect or is entiseing words of mans wisdome opposite to the demonstration of the Spirit and of power If any man study painted words and rhetorick to darken the wisdom of Goâ— in this mystery I will not approve of it but to study to finde out acceptable words as the Preacher did Eccles. 12 10. And words to render the Gospel plaine and intelligible to the hearers with a single dependance on God for his assistance herein I shall never think that Paul condemned this But sayes he the Preachers themselves confess that they are strangers to the Spirit of God and to his Operations Ans. Not all I hope though I hope also that none of them will with these bold and blasphemous Quakers pretend to immediat Inspirations This Quaker it seemeth knoweth nothing of the workings of the Spirit of God in and by meanes and will have all by immediat Revelations and Inspirations and before he want these he will go to the Devil to get them as Saul did go to the witch at Endor when the Lord would not answere him by the meanes then usual 12. Againe he sayes Pag. 251. It is contrare to the order and methode of the primitive Church 1 Cor. 14 20. c. Not considering that these were extraordinary Prophets Readeth he that these Prophets did Introvert into the light within them to get these Revelations However we see that Quakers are all Prophets in their owne account But sure I am they are not Prophets of the living God nor are the Revelations which they boast of divine but diabolick His last argum is that by our way the Spirit of God is excluded What way He tels us not and we can not beleeve him But he addeth And the natural wisdom and learning of man is exalted This is his mistake which he could see if the beam were out of his eye All their learning and wisdome is the pure product of Nature if not worse as we have oftentimes manifested for it cometh not from the Spirit of God neither mediatly nor immediatly but riseth out of the dung hill of nature and is extracted thence by the natural strength of man and all its works and effects are like the cause and original except where the Devil getteth in his finger in a more immediat way This is sayes he the chiefe and great cause why preachings are so unfruitful Poor man knoweth he no better Did not Christ and his Apostles preach to many that were not converted thereby Thinks he that the only cause why our preachings are so unfruitful is because we preach not by Inspiration And are their preachments so fruitful It may be too fruitful but that is no proof to me that they preach by the true Revelations and Inspirations of God for I read that when the Lord sends strong delusions men will beleeve a lie I read that all the world wondered after the Beaâ—t I have heard it said too that all the world became Arian All the world is not yet become Quakers see also what is said 2 Pet. 2 1 2 3. Yea sayes he according to this doctrine the Devil himself may and ought to be heard seing he knoweth the notion of truth and excelleth any of them in learning and eloquence we see when the Devil confessed the truth Christ rejected his testimony Ans Why doth the man thus speak untruth Do we say that every one though he were the Devil if he speak truth should be heard What countenance doâ—h our opinion in this matter give to this dreame I should think his judgment speaketh fairer for it for I trow the Devil needs noâ— study nor read books but can give out Revelations and Enthusiasmes as many as you will And be it in whomsoever he speaketh by Revelations or Inspirations or Enthuâ—iasmes Quaker or other Christ and his Apostles will reject his testimony though it should be true upon the matter And therefore after the example of Christ and his Apostle Paul we receive no testimony from Quakers themselves giving such palpable evidences of the Devil speaking in them and by them 13. To an Objection taken from the experience of all ages since the Apostles dayes to wit that God by his Spirit hath concurred with our way of preaching to the conversion and edification of many He answereth § 20. thus That though he will not deny this yet it will not follow that that practice was good more then it was good for Paul to go to Damascus to persecute the Saints because he did meet with Christ in the way Answ. His simile is a dissimilitude and hath no correspondence with the thing in hand Our Argument is That since the Apostles dayes and the ceasing of extraordinary gifts there hath been no other way of preaching but
requisite for the right performance of that duty Rom. 8 26 27. Psal. 10 17. Zach. 12 10. And therefore in the very description of prayer Quest. 178. the help of the Spirit is taken in We owne as absolutely necessary unto the right performance of this duty the Influences of the Spirit of God putting the heart in a frame for the work stirring up blowing upon and enlivening his graces in the soul and contributing his assistance in the carrying on and performance of it But the Motions and Inspirations which he pleadeth for as the only ground and call to the action and which we do not owne nor expect are the extraordinary and immediat Impulses of the Spirit carrying the soul forth unto the duty such as the Prophets had when inspired to write Scripture and to declare the minde of the Lord in several cases And as to this I see no ground to assert that even the Apostles who had an extraordinary measure of the Spirit of grace and of supplication and of the ordinary Influences and Assistances of the holy Ghost in this duty were thus alwayes called and carryed forth unto this duty of prayer I meane by these extraordinary Impulses and physical Motions of the Spirit which they could not withstand but yeeld unto or by these immediat Revelations calling them to the discharge of this duty hic nunc What might be and possibly was at some certain times and occasions I determine not but that which I affirme is that I see no ground to assert that to all their acts of Preaching and Prayer they had an immediat and extraordinary Revelation Inspiration and Impulse calling them forth and setting them on to the duty hic nunc so as they never acted therein upon the ground of a moral command or were pressed thereto out of conscience to a command or from the consideration of an ordinary call whether because of the work they were about or the circumstances of time place and accasion inviteing thereunto or the like 3. But why supposeth he that we account all motions of the Spirit unnecessary It is because we have certain and prescribed times viz. before and after sermon morning and evening in private devotion before and after meate Ans. This is the old plea of Familists but though we owne no Canonick houres nor the superstitious observation of fixed times and places for this or any other religious act of worshipe knowing that we are every where to pray lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting 1 Tim. 2 8. and to continue instant in prayer Rom. 12 vers 12. and to pray without ceasing 1 Thes. 5 17. and that we ought alwayes to pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and to watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints Ephes. 6 18. And therefore dar not restrick the exercise of this duty to determinat times and places invented and prescribed by men without warrand from God Yet we say there are special times wherein the Lord calleth for this duty not only times of trouble Psal. 50 15. times of affliction Iam. 5 13. times of mourning Esai 22 12 13. Ioel 2 12 17. Esth. 4 3. Ezra 9. Neh. 9. Dan. 9. Ier. 31 9. and the like but also solemne times as when the Lord is solemnly to be worshiped in the assemblies of his people as 1 Cor. 11 4 5 13. Act. 2 ver 42. and other occasions when either the work we are about or the season calleth for it for Nature it self teacheth and Christian prudence saith that when we are assembled to the solemne worshipe of God prayer ought to be offered up unto God and that to do it before and after sermon is most suteable and corresponding with Christian order and decency which ought carefully to be observed in the whole worshipe of God 1 Cor. 14 40. and the work of preaching and hearing which ought to be gone about with all Reverence Attention Faith Understanding and Seriousness Iam. 1 21 22. Act. 10 33. Mat. 13 19. Heb. 4 2. Esa. 66 2. calleth for prayer to God for his blessing and breathing without which the work will be fruitless and that both before and after when withall there ought to be an Acknowledgement of our unworthiness and of Gods rich mercy and grace following us with such gracious opportunities and a serious begging of pardon for sinnes committed both before and in the work of Preaching and Hearing so that all things plead for the performance of this duty then As also the very law and light of nature would call for a solemne Acknowledgment of God by Prayer and Supplication Morning and Evening and oftner too and that fixedly providing no dispensation of providence occurring did call off for that time and that both by families and by private persons in secreet Ier. 10 25. Deut. 6 6 7 8. Iob 1 5. 2 Sam. 6 18 20. 1 Pet. 3 7. Act. 10.2 Hence we read of praying in the morning Psal. 5 3. 88 13. 119 147. and evening Psal. 141 2. and of morning and evening both Psal. 55 17. and of day time and night Psal. 22 2. Yea we read of prayer performed three times a day Psal. 55 17. Dan. 6 10. 9 4. And the morning and evening sacrifices whâ—ch were offered under the Law do point this forth to speak nothing of that solemne houre of prayer Act. 3 1. And that word in the Paterne of prayer taught by Christ give us this day our daily bread Mat. 6 11. saith that prayer is a duty daily to be performed And as for our acknowledgment of God in the use of his good creatures the very light of nature might instruct us as to this and that petition in the paterne of prayer but now mentioned pointeth forth this duty which is also clearly laid upon us by that word of Paul's 1 Tim. 4 4 5. For every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer and the example of Christ and of Paul is not I suppose to be slighted see Mark. 6 41. Ioh. 6 11. Act. 27 35. By all which we see that the Christian observation of times and occasions for this duty of prayer is well consistent with the ordinary Motions and Inspirations of the Spirit which we owne and are to laboure for in the discharge of this duty but are utterly repugnant to and inconsistent with these extraordinary and immediat Calls and Impulses whâ—ch he looketh upon as the only warrand of performance of the duty And hereby it is also manifest what unfriends they are unto this great and necessary duty of Prayer and what an irreligious Religion that is which they owne and profess and what a tendency their doctrine hath to banish Prayer away which is the native and kindly breathing of the Spirit of Adoption Gal. 4 6. Rom. 8 15. and is the distinguishing Mark of the
peopleâ— of God from the wicked that do not call upon him Ier. 10 25. Psal. 10 4. 14 4. and the neglect thereof hath been charged by the Lord upon his owne people Esa. 43 22 Hos. 7 7. and acknowledged by them as their sin Esai 64 7. Dan. 9.13 4. Yet he granteth that prayer is Profitable and necessary a duty commanded of God frequently to be gone about by Christians What would he then be at But sayes he as without Christ we can do nothing so neither can we pray without the help of the Spirit And this is very true But will this say any thing against what we hold Or make any thing for his way Knoweth he no difference betwixt the ordinary and usual Assistance of the Spirit without which we can do nothing aright and that extraordinary Impulse of the Spirit which he would be at and supposeth to be the only lawful call unto this duty and really taketh away all conscience of duty or obligation to it Nay doth he think that that more ordinary assistance of the Spirit Prepareing Disposeing and Frameing the heart for the work by blowing away the ashes from the coal of grace within stirring up the graces of his Spirit enlarging the heart giving a deep sense of unworthiness and necessities setting faith love zeal and fervency a work and so putting the soul in case to sail faire before the winde doth he think I say that this work of the Spirit is the only ground and call to the performance of this duty and that till this be once there is no warrand to set about it or attempt it When we heare his proofs for this we shall consider them At present I shall only say That as there is nothing in all the word giving ground for this conjecture so the frequently reiterated command of God which himself acknowledgeth and which we finde not qualified and restricted as some commands are laying on an obligation taketh all coloure for such a pretence quite away the word of command being our rule the obligation to duty flowing therefrom is not enfringed by the Lords free not-blowings or restrainings of the Influences of his Spirit wherein he acteth according to the good pleasure of his will sometimes out of meer soveraignity because so it seemeth good in his eyes sometimes in way of holy Justice punishing for misimproving his former breathings for not watching over the heart nor guarding against such sinnes as grieve the Spirit These motions of the Spirit are no rule to us being the free and arbitrary actings of the Lord who giveth an account of his matters to none The Law is our fixed rule and by this opinion the Law and Command of God is made of none effect for to all injunctions this shifting returne might be given Let the command be never so peremptour and pressing Yet till the Spirit breath first and act upon me I can do nothing and therefore am under no obligation And thus all conscience of and mourning for sin all godly sorrow for our indisposition for neglect of the duty and all serious and earnest prayer and wrestling with God for his breathing and gracious quickenings are taken away and a plaine path made for Neligence Security Indifferency and Deadness And if this hold as to prayer it will hold also as to all other Christian duties Yea and to all duties enjoyned by the law and light of nature for neither can we performe these acceptably and in a gracious manner without the special Breathings and Communications of divine Influence and Assistance and so until such quickning upstirring breathings gales of the Spirit come we are not to love God nor our neighbour to eate drink and sleep nor may the labouring man plow or sowe nay nor must we abstaine from murther adultery incest and other wickednesses that the very light of a natural conscience condemneth as if all those commands were not given to us as rational creatures under subjection or as Christians under the law and command of the Gospel but only as creatures and Christians so and so spiritually qualified and disposed and as if the Lord 's gracious communications which are acts of soveraigne grace let out freely according to his owne will and pleasure without the least of our deservings were to restrick and limite the obligation of his lawes and as if his free restrainings and withdrawings of these qualifying and disposeing influences did put a check unto and controle his Authority as King Lawgiver Whatever this man may think of this I can put no other construction upon it than that it is a turning of the grace of God unto lasciviousness This same was the opinion of Swenckfeldus H. Nicholas the Father of the Family of love Iohn Waldesse the Antinomians of N. England of Del Saltmarsh 5. He tels us next in order to the clearing of the question Pag. 253. That there is an inward and an outward Prayer Answ. We know there is a speaking to God in the heart when the voice is not heard 1 Sam 1 13. Neh. 2 4. there are ejaculatory Prayers swift postes sent to heaven in thoughts sighes and groanes Rom. 8 26. Psal. 6 6. 12 5. 79 11. And there is a speaking to God with words a glorifying of him with our glory and tongue Psal. 57 8. 108 1. which we are here mainly to consider being speaking of solemne worshipe but this though outwardly as to the expressions differenced from the other yet not rightly separated for in all Prayer the heart must speak to God for Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God Psal 62 8. and in publick and solemne Prayer the heart must so speak as the tongue must speak also and the gift of Prayer be imployed for the solemne and professed glorifying of God and for the edifying of others who must hear and concurre 1 Cor. 14 14 15 16 17. Let us hear how he explaineth these Inward Prayer sayes he is that secret introversion of soul which being secretly done and the Light of Christ being wakened in the conscience and so being humbled in the sense of sin and unworthiness breaths to God and sendeth up constantly secret desires unto Him and to this he applyeth Luk. 18 v. 1. 1 Thes. 5 v. 17. Ephes. 6 18. Luk. 21 v. 36. Answ. That there are secrete groanings and breathings unto God I have showne That to these sense of sin and unworthiness as also sense of want and dependence on God is requisite with Faith Love Zeal Submission and other graces I teadily grant and hence inferre that if the places by him cited command this as I think they do and also a constant habitual frame and disposition for Prayer with a readiness to go about it on all occasions offered without disputing or delay and that with constancy and perseverance we cannot shift this inward Prayer upon pretence of the want either of a gracious frame through the breathing of the
indeed we learne that it is the Spirit that must helpe and teach us how and for what to pray and must quicken those graces in us which are requisite unto the right performance of this duty but how it can prove his method by Introversion and there waiting for the drawings and impulses of the Spirit which we must feel before we set about the duty I see not Yea I think the text clearly enough importeth the contrary to wit that when the honest believer out of conscience to the command with the little strength and ability he hath is aimeing at the duty and setting about it the Spirit cometh with seasonable help and helpeth his infirmities and maketh intercession for him with groanes that cannot be uttered and this the greek word importeth to wit the Spirit 's lifting at the load lest the beleever should be crushed under it see Calvin and Beza on the place But he frameth an argument thus Pag. 256. If man knoweth not how he should pray nor can he pray without the help of the Spirit then he prayeth in vaine without him But the former is true Therefore Ans. What will this conclusion do for his purpose It cometh not neare to what he should prove by many stages Will he hence inferre Therefore man should not pray until he feel the Impulses Motions Influences and Drawings of the Spirit By the like consequence one might prove from Psal. 127 1 2. That no man should put to his hand to build and no man should set a watch upon the wales of a besieged city and no man should laboure in his ordinary calling till he finde the influenceing motions and concurrence of the Spirit pouseing him forward and driveing him to the work But how ridiculous this is every one knoweth To tell a dream is sufficient to refute it 10. He citeth next Ephes. 6 18. and Iud vers 20. And inferreth that that is as much as if he had said ye must never pray without watching unto it Ans. Because we are commanded to love the Lord withall our heart soul and minde c. will he say that that is as much as if it were said ye must never love the Lord except it be with all your heart c So he may say we should never pray except we pray with all prayer and we should never watch unto prayer except we watch with all perseverance and supplication for all saints for these things are in the text too But againe though we should never pray without the Spirit will it hence follow that we should never set about the duty till first we feel the Leadings Driveings Motions and Inspirations of the Spirit And then lastly Though we should never pray without watching unto it how will it follow that we should never pray without an Introversion These things hang together like ropes of sand What sayes he to the place of Iude Iude sayes he demonstrateth that prayers in the holy Ghost are those whereby the Saints are built up in their most holy faith And what then Are no prayers meanes to build up saints in their most holy faith but such as are gone about after we have Introverted and felt the Influence Inspirations Leadings and Drawings of the holy Ghost This is like the rest of the Quakers consequences loose and sandy 11. He citeth 1 Cor. 12 3. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost And thence inferreth far less can he be called upon acceptably without him And what is this to the pointe Say we that any can pray acceptably without the Spirit It is one thing to pray without the gracious and ordinary influences of the Spirit helping our infirmities and another thing to pray with the feelings of the Impulses Motions Leadings Pouseings and Driveings of the Spirit When will he conclude this last which is the thing he should conclude He addeth Paul 1 Cor. 14 t 15. said he would pray in the Spirit And so should we all do and with understanding too But this is an evident Testimony saith he that he did not use to Pray without the Spirit Answ. Though the consequence be not good yet I think the consequent is true But where sayes the Apostle that except he felt the Motions and Drawings Inspirations of the Spirit that after he had Introverted he would not pray And when he writteth to the Churches and pressâ—th them to pray for him 1 Thes 5 vers 25. 2 Thes. 3 1. Heb. 13 18. 2 Cor. 1 11 Phil. 1 19. Rom. 15 30. Philem. 22. Col 4 3. Where addeth he that clause If ye feel after an Introversion the Inspirations Motions Influences and powerfully inflowing might and liberty so that they might not attempt it otherwayes Let him cleare this and win the cause 12. He addeth All prayers without the Spirit are abomination Prov. 28 vers 9. Answ. Though that be true of the wicked yet I durst not say they were not called to pray seing it is a command of Natures Law See Esai 55 6. Ps. 107 19 28. Exod 22 23 Iob 8 5. 36 13. Ier. 36 7. 42 9. Not to mention the word of Peter to Simon Magus of which afterward I know the plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21 4. Must therefore say the wicked man must never plow The sacrifice of the wicked was also an abomination Prov. 15 v. 8. 21 27. was it therefore a good consequence under the Law that such persons should have brought no sacrifices Knoweth he not that the substance of an act may be good and yet for want of several things not be accepted at the hands of the wicked We know that in many things we offend all but he dreameth of perfection He addeth 1 Ioh. 5 14. and thence inferreth but if they seek not according to his will they have no cause to be confident that he will heare them Which is very true when they seek any thing that is not consonant to his revealed will But what then His adversaries sayes he grant that prayers without the Spirit are not according to the will of God We grant indeed that as to the manner such prayers are not according to the command but Iohn is not speaking of the manner of prayer but of the thing prayed for What will he say next To command any to pray without the Spirit is to command them to see without eye work without hands or walk without feet Answ. I knew we should land at Pelagianisme Nay he is worse than Pelagius for Pelagius only said that whatever God commanded us to do he gave us sufficient strength to do it with all but this man saith except we know and feel that we have not only sufficient but all working strength we have nothing to do with the command nay except the Spirit which must do all come and move carry and drive us forward yea and we feel it and know it we are not once to take notice of the command
of our formal and common way of singing Answ. The Scripture mentioneth singing and commandeth us to sing but it is true prescribeth not this or that particular mode of singing but leaveth that to our liberty that it may be done according to the general rules of the word that is that it be done with gravity in a way suteable to the worshipe of God without vanity lightness and affectation and such I suppose is our manner Will he sing none till he finde what mode of singing is particularly prescribed in the word I fear he shall then lay it aside altogether or will he waite till the Spirit inspire the notes and manner as the matter where is his warrand for this is there a promise of such a communication 3. He saith next our way hath this peculiar abuse attending it that thereby frequently horride and abominable lies are uttered unto God while every profane wreatch must personate David's condition and others also must sing Psal. 22 15. 6 7. Answ. But he little considereth that the same abuse if it be an abuse did attend their singing of old as well as now for these same Psalmes and particularly Psal. 6. â—2 were put into the hands of the chiefe musician and so were to be sung publickly by others And we conceive the same of the rest that want this express title because of what we read 1 Chron. 16 17. for there the 1â—5 Psalm which in the book of the Psalmes hath not these words To the chiefe musician c. prefixed is expresly said to be delivered by David into the hanâ—s of Asaph and his brethren And why may not we sing with the words of David and of Asaph the Seer as well as they did in Hezekiah's dayes 2 Chron. 29 30 Could the Levites and others that joyned say all that of themselves that David did say of himself Hence then he may see the ground of his mistake for he supposeth we should sing nothing but what is our owne particular case as if the dispensations of Godâ— towards others of his Children did not concerne us but what then meaneth the Psalmist Psal. 66 6. to say He turned the sea into dry land they went thorow the flood on foot there did we rejoyce in him How could he and others say that they rejoyced at the red sea when the Lord brought his peâ—ple thorow it when they were not then in being And how is it that such as had gotten victory over the Beast did sing the song of Moses the servant of God Revel 15 2 3 As the joyful so the sad condition of others being turned into a song may be mater of a song to us as we are members of the same body the favours deliveries bestowed upon others should be looked upon by us as favours conferred upon ourselves 3. What next And sometimes immediatly after singing they will sayes he in their prayers confess themselves guilty of these vices for redemption from which they had been praising God with David The inconsistency here is in owne imagination for he supposeth that the case of others which we sing we sing it as immediatly our owne But may we not blesse and extol that God in praises who hath redeemed others from these sinnes under which we yet groan And may not the singing of this contribute to the strengthening of our faith and hope of the like redemption And may not we in the singing of such experiences of others be raised up to see what an high and rich favoure it is to be blessed with such a redemption And cannot all this be done without hypocrisie 4. But now I would know what sort of praises and songs they would offer unto God These sayes he that proceed from a pure heart that is from the word of life in the heart And cannot we sing from â— pure heart in the words of David as well as they did in the dayes of Hezekiah But what is this word of life in the heart which is made the original and leader of their songs It is that sure that is common to all men Turks Pagans Scythians Barbarians And we look not upon that as grace from whence spiritual songs can arise I would enquire if the Spirit ever moveth them in their Assemblies to sing and what for Psalmes they sing Are they immediatly Inspired by the Spirit or not If not how can they according to their owne principles sing them If they be immediatly Inspired how can others concurre who never heard of them before What if they do not agree with the present condition of every member of the Assembly And how can others sing with them without the same previous motion of the Spirit Or is it enough if one sing alone And if so how can that be an act of publick worshipe performed by the whole Assembly These things if he be for singing at all in the publick worshipe of God he would do well to cleare to us And withal tell us if the Spirit inspireth also the meeter in the song and the tone of the singing 5. He tels us next that there is no warrand in tht New Covenant for Organs which I plead not for nor for any such instrument nor for artificial musick with the voice But if there be warrand for singing as there is himself not denying there must be warrand for some sort of artificial musick for singing is something else than reading or speaking and how is it distinguished but by notes of modulation and that must be either natural or artificial and the first musâ— be helped by the last else in an Assembly where one and the same thing is sung by all there will be a discord instead of a concord And for the artifice I shall not plead that it be very fine if it be modest and grave I am satisfied And he knoweth there is no great ground of exception against our manner of singing upon this account in Scotland This is all he hath to say against our singing of Psalmes and why he doth not declare unto us what their peculiaâ— way is I know not CHAP. XXVI Of Baptisme 1. TO manifest the perfect and compleet hatred which this Paganish Antichristian Spirit which reigneth and rageth in the Quakers hath at all the Instiâ—utions and Appointments of our Lord Jesus Christ we have here a clear demonstration of the hieght thereof and of their designe as acted by the same It will not satisfie them to plead with other Anabaptistâ— against the baptisme of Children and so be Antipaedobaptists but they must be Antibaptists and joyne with the late Ranters H. Nicholas Antinomians as enemies to the whole of the Institution and so not only be against all the Churches of Christ from the very beginning of christianity to this day but also against all the Several Sects of Anabaptists or Catabaptists that we have heard of and joyn with Socinus who at first would have had this Ordinance wholly laid aside And dispising
up and to the Creator againe that is infinite in it self which the hand goes against him that does evil in which hand the soul which is immortal and infinite which hand is infinite which brings it up to God is infinite Though little good sense can be made of this yet blasphemy enough is legible therein And G. Fox saith Is not the soul without beginning come from God It is not horride blasphemy to say the soul is a part of God for it came out of him and that which came out of him is of him Fisher in his Velata quaedam revelata Pag. 13 calleth that whereby man became a living soul and a soul that did partake something of Gods owne life a living principle of the divine nature And P. 17. He calleth the Spirit of man the immortal and incorruptible seed of God even something of the living word which is said to be made flesh Pennington Q. 27. calleth that which is in the saints that which the Lord from heaven begetteth of his owne image and likeness of his own NB. substance of his own Spirit and pure life Declaâ— against Popery queree 2. Whether do you waite and believe to have the same minde which was also in Christ Iesus who thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet he was no Pharisee though of the Pharisees judged a blasphemer and as be is so are we Is not this plaine enough 4. Hence also is it sayes he further that because we say that the inward light and Law and not the outward letter is that which can truely discover to them their state and bring them out of all evil they say that we vilify the Scriptures and honour our own imaginations more then them Answ. We would rather say upon this account that they vilifie the Spirit of God then the Scriptures for hereby these expressions it is manifest that they ascribe that unto the light within which only the Spirit of God and of Christ can do viz. truely and effectually which may be imported by his revera discover the state of a sinner to him and bring him out of all evil This last we do not ascribe unto the Scriptures But as to their vilifying of the Scriptures we have heard enough above from this mans own mouth and some others whose words we cited Mr Faldo in his book against the Quakers part 1. Ch. 3-12 helpeth me to much more Let us cull out of a great heap a few instances 1. Do not all the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be the word of God Do they not say that it is blasphemy to say the letter is the word of God and it is the Devil that contends for the Scriptures to be the word of God And what can more be spoken to the disparagment of the Scriptures than to deny them to be his word or the signification of his minde who spoke them and did indite them by his Spirit immediatly inspiring the Prophets and Apostles and other holy men of God in the writing of them Is not this directly to devest them of all that Authority which they have from God as his Law Is not this to render them contemptible when they are denied to be that which only maketh them have weight with consciences 2. Do not the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be the rule of faith and manners and the judge of Controversies in the maters of Religion We remember what himself aid above Hear Parnel in his shield of the truth p. 10. And he also that saith the letter is the rule and guide of the people of God is without feeding upon the husk and is ignorant of the true light which was before the letter was Hear Smith Prim. p. 10 And if thou lookest upon the Scripture to be for a rule and for trying thou givest that unto them which belongs unto Christ. And is not this enough to disparage the Scriptures to deny that chiefe use and end of them for which they were given If any should say of the Lawes of any Land and of the acts of Parliament that they are not a rule to the Subjects would not that be accounted a disparagment done to the Lawes Were not the Scripturâ—s given as a revelation of the minde of God concerning our faith and concerning our walk How can any thâ—n dâ—ny these ends and not disparage and vilifie the Scriptures 3 Do not the Quakers speak more highly of their owne writings than they do of the Scriptures The Scripâ—ures with them are but the letter which killeth Paper ink and writing the old and dead letter Part of it words of the Devil and of wicked men Precepts and traditions of men they have no light in them they sheir not our faces an earthly root a shadow and dangerous to feed on c. But their oâ—n writings are the voice of the Son of God by which the dead are raised a shield of the truth spoken in the freshness and quick sense of life written from the Lord a Spiritual glass opened light rise out of darkness and by revelation of Iesus Christ and by the Spirit of the living God See for this Mr Faldo ubi supra paâ— 40. c. Can men devise a way more effectual to effronte the Scriptures 4 Do they not preferre the light within them unâ—o the Scriptures See Smithâ—s Catech p. 2. Q. doth God manifest himself within Man Answ. Yes and man cannot know him by any other way but by the manifestation of himself in his light within him See the Scorned Quakers account p. 20. Christ by his light within shewes you in a gâ—ass your owne faces which the Scriptures cannot do Parnel p. 10. And by the same light do we discerne and testify against him to be in darkness and blindness and is a deceiver who putteth the letter for the light and so draweth peoples mindes from the light within them to the light without them seeking the living among the dead Iohn Story in his short discovery p. 2. saith and although the holy Scripture without and the Saints practices are lights in the world Yet far be it from all true Christian men so to idolize them as to set them in esteem above the light which is sufficient to guide or to esteem them equal with the light and Spirit of Christ within And Smith Prim. p. 12. tels us that Christ the light within alone searches the heart not the Scriptures Martin Mason in his loving invitation p. 4. 'T is not your flying to the Scriptures that can save you from the fire of his wrath nor overcome the least corruption for you no verily nothing then but a Christ within you come thou then O come with boldness to God's faithful witness within you Fisher where above p. 7. saith such were the Scribes who were ever scraping in the Scriptures to finde God and his life Yet never knew him at any time nor saw his shape because they heard not his voice nor heeded not his word within
therein Psal. 111 2. which speak out God's minde as to circumstantial individual actions There are many General Rules which must be applied by Christian Wisdome Prudence and Discretion according to exemplary instances registrated in Scripture so that a person walking in the Light of the Lord and hanging upon Him singly for Light to understand the Rule and Wisdome to regulate his individual Actions thereunto shall see and be convinced of the Perfection of the Law of God and abhore the thoughts of tempting of God by looking for or asking New and Immediat Revelations yea and if any thing should occurre that by reason of its unusualness should seem to be some what extraordinarie and have some farr-resemblance unto that which some would call a Revelation will not rest till their Obedience be bottomed upon the unerring Rule and look upon such unusual manifestations as Confirmations rather than Grounds for their Faith and Obedience And in this the Lord may think good to consult the weakness of such well meaning persons who cannot see that in the Rule of the Scriptures as particularly applicable to their case which Others more mighty in the Scriptures and of more spiritual sharpnesse would easily discover All which tendeth to the Confirmation of the Fulness and Perfection of the Rule and no way to the crying-up and owneing of Inward and Immediat Revelations to the disparagment of the Law of the Lord which is Perfect Matters than being thus the Scripture-Rule able to regulate as a Rule when studied and wisely improven in all the particulars by him mentioned as might be showne Nay more might by shown that the Scripture can sufficiently Regulat the Christian deportment of every servant maide as to the very sweeping of the house how much more shall it be sufficient to Regulat a Minister the Man of God as to all his Deportment in the house of God What needs more to shame this effronted man than to recommend to his serious thoughts if he will do this upon my Recommendation without a new and distinct Revelation the study of these words of Paul already cited 2 Tim. 3 16 1 All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable c. that the man of God may be perfect perfected or thorowly furnished to all good works If this be true and I doubt he hath the forehead yet to say otherwayes he may see Paul here answering all his Instances and telling him that his Allegations are not true And if he will not beleeve Paul immediatly Inspired it were unreasonable in us to expect that our more particular confronting his alleiged Instances out of Scripture should prevaile with him and as for Others who rest satisfied with the Testimony of the Apostle it were needless for us upon this light occasion to digresse further unto a scriptural discovery of these things Thus then we might have dismissed him But for further satisfaction to the Reader we shall goe on and see what he saith more 32. He tels us very honestly that Paul saith 1 Cor. 12. that every member must have its owne place in the Church and consequently their Church must be a monster that hath no distinct members every member must performe its owne function or else cause a schisme in the body and againe That the Lord will have each of his servants do the work which he putteth him to Which who can deny but Quakers who counteract this as is and shall be abundantly showne I know not and againe to the former purpose he citeth Rom 12. And we thank him for it But with all he addeth that no Scripture can tell him whether he should attend exhâ—rtation or Prophecy or ministry or doctrine And this is very true for he is no Church Officer of whom the Apostle there speaketh and having none of those gifts of Office he hath nothing to do with the Work peculiar to these Offices But others whom the Lord according to the Order established in His house whereunto this man is both a stranger and an enemy hath called to Prophecy and Teaching or Exhorting should wait upon it and performe their work according to the proportion of faith and such as are called to Ministry and to Giving should wait upon it and do it with simplicity cheerfulnesse and these who are called to Rule should do it with diligence Could not the man read this in the text But he would say The Scriptures say not that Iohn Iames or Peter should take on this or that Office Nor say I is this required of a Rule as such But how Iames Iohn or Peter shall know by the Scriptures that God calleth them to this or that imployment I have showne above 33 But the weightiest point of all is Pag. 41.42 That the Scriptures cannot give a man any certainty that he is in the faith and an heire of Salvaton And as for me if the Scriptures give not full Certainty in full measure heaped up and running over so farr as is competent to a Rule to do I shall despaire thereof What are there no marks given in Scripture whereby this may be known Yes sayes he But who shall perswade me that I have those marks that I beleeve that I obey c. Is this man in his wits that thinketh this should be done by a Rule Thinks he the Lawes of the land must say that Robert Barclay is a Quaker or that this or that man hath broken this or that Law If Robert Barclay had murthered a man and were impannelled thereupon would he think it a defence good enough in Law to say that in all the Acts of Parliament nay nor in all the Bible too it cannot be read that I Robert Barclay have murthered such a person Therefore tâ—e inference that I must die is founded upon no Law What shall a rational man think of this ridiculous Folly What doth he next He citeth our Confession of faith Chap. 18. Sect. 2. shewing how Assurance is had to which I heartily subscribe for as I shall be loath with this ignorant Man to confound the work proper to the Spirit of God with that which is proper to the Rule of the Scriptures so I shall be loath to decry the Scriptures and rob them of their due as this man doth under a pretext of setting up the Spirit or to deny to the Spirit of God any of his gracious works in the souls of his owne whatever this man think under a pretext of maintainâ—ng the Scriptures Perfection I only here assert and maintaine the Scriptures Perfection as a Rule granting to the Spirit with all cheerfulness and readiness of soul all that work which the Scriptures teach me to do and therefore I grant that the Spirit beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8 16. and what can be rationally deduced from 1 Ioh. 4 13. 5 6. which he citeth I know that it is the Spirit that causeth us know the things that are
freely given to us of God 1 Cor. 2 12. I assert that He is the earnest in our hearts 2 Cor. 1 22. and that beleevers are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Ephes. 1 13. and that by him they aâ—e sealed unto the day of Redemption Ephes. 4 30. But all this is his peculiar work and by no shew of reason can or should be expected of a Rule as any man of ordinary judgment may see 34. But § 4. Pag. 43. He tels us that neither deaf persons nor idiots nor Infants can make use of it as a Rule and yet some of these may be saved That some of these may be saved and are I shall be loath to deny but what will this say for the Imperfection of the Scriptures Did not Paul know so much when he spok of their Perfection Or did not the Spirit of the Lord know this when he inspired David to say Psal. 19 that the Law of the Lord was perfect What I pray will his Revelations helpe the matter as to Infants and Idiots Are they capable of such Were there none such among the Jewes And yet he granted that the Law was a Primary Rule to them and consequently Perfect for he deducâ—th its not being a Principal Rule from its being Imperfect and therefore when and where so ever it was a Principal Rule then and there it was also a Perfect Rule Thus the man in stricking at us woundeth himself But what in case any of these persons kill a man what would the Law of the land do unto them would it punish them I think the Law of the Lord should warrand them if they did right And shall the Law of a Land reach persons that cannot make use of it and God's Law not What use can Children or Mad men or Idiots make of the Light within As for deaf persons they have Natures light and that is part of God's Law and if they have eyes they can see many things that may instruct them though they cannot read the Bible which was never penned for their immediat use nor yet for the use of Infants and Idiots But the saying that God can and when he will doth supply the want of Scripture as of other of his Appointments Ordinances in these extraordinary cases can be no impeachment either of the Usefulness or Perfection of the Scriptures Our Quakers will account their books and exhortations useful if not necessary and yet he shall hardly perswade me that deafe Persons or infants or idiots can make any good use of them 35. To the same end he mentioneth next such as cannot read And can he demonstrate that there were none such among the Iewes and can he tell me what this derogateth from the Perfection of the Lawes of a Land and I pray him tell me if he thinks that such as cannot read and yet live where the Scriptures are or within the Church can violat any of the precepts contained in the Scriptures or not If they can shall be punished of God therefore did not the Scriptures oblige them will their not being learned and able to read prove a sufficient plea for them in the day of accounts If not then the Scriptures remaine a Rule to them and if it remaine a Rule it must remaine a Perfect Rule for all that this argument concludeth which if it conclude any thing will conclude that the Scriptures are no Rule at all to such And as for the disadvantage such are at in the knowledge of the Rule they must blame themselves the Scriptures cannot bear the blame that they will not learne to read them no more than it can bear the blame of such as can read them and will not 36. After this he â—aketh together a number of things Such as peoples Ignorance of the Original Languages Errours in Translations whereof our owne is not in his judgment free Various Readings in the Originals difference among Learned men about the Points in the hebrew and about the Original authenticque of the Old Test. Some pleading for the â—o others for the Hebrew and he might have added the Papists pleading for the Vulgar latine Version for both old and New Testament All which can plead nothing against the Rule of the Scriptures as every one may see only â—t can be hence inferred that we are at some disadvantages in understanding some things in the Scripture and by this he rather disputes against the Providence of God and his Goodness that did not prevent these evils than against the Canon it self for he cannot deny thâ—t the Canon was once written by men inspired of God in one language or other nor will he say â—s we shall hear shortly that what was so written was written only for the good of these Persons or Churches to whom they were especially directed Beside that these Exceptions have been sufficiently removed by Learned Men particularly and that shortly and plainly by the learned D. Owen in his book above cited Himself calleth them the Scriptures of truth and § 2. Pag 38. he both wondereth and praiseth God that they are by the good providence of God keeped so pure and uncorrupt Yea Pag. 47. § 6. he confesseth thâ—t what errors are creept-in through the injury of the times are but small especially in substantial matters So that notwithstanding of all which he hath said the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation and what neeâ—s more what would he hence inferre 37. Towards the end of Pag. 44. he tels us what he would hence conclude viz That Christ who promised to be with his own and to lead them in all truth c. would never leave them to be led by a Rule obvious to so many doubts And yet we see he hath done so for we know no other Rule whâ—ch Christ haâ—h given whereby to point our unto us the Way and Counsel of God But he addeth tâ—at Christ hath therefore given his Spirit for the Principal and chief Leader And I say the same and account it a saying worthy of all acceptance The Spirit is the Principal Chiefe Only Efficient Leader Giving and implanting a new principle of life and grace in the soul Reforming Regenerating the whole man as to his Understanding Will and Affections Sending and conveying new Influences of Life Light Strength and Comfort whereby the Ignorant and blinde are made to see the way wherein they ought to walk the fainting and weary get new power and increase of Strengh so as they run and are not weary and walk and are not faint the Sick and swooning christian is made to revive and become strong in the Lord and in the power of his might the Dejected and sorrowfull Mourner is made to sing in the wayes of the Lord through the Consolations of the H. Ghost but all this is consisting with no way derogatory to the Vse Necessity Fulness Compleetness of the Scriptures as our Rule Law Here lyeth the ground of this mans
the righteousness of Christ given and imputed to us because insert in Christ and we put him on The question is unto which of these we ought to lean and account our selves justified before God And I saith he wholly think that it is piously and christianly said that we ought tâ— leane to I say lean to as to a firme thing which may uphold us the righteousness of Christ gifted to us and not to grace and holiness inherent So also Pighius de fide Iustificatione may shame this Quaker 15. In the fourth place Pag. 128. For clearing of his meaning he tels us that by this Iustification they do not understand simply good works nay not as done by the holy Spirit But did ever man in his wits understand it so The question is whether good works be the formal cause or the formal objective reason of Justification And this he granted above and asserted with the worst of Papists But he saith with protestants that these are rather the effects of Iustification then the cause This is better said but way then said he lately that by the Second Redemption whereby we are Purified Liberated and Redeemed from tâ—e power of corruption we become justified formally or that that second Redemption was the formal cause of our justification And what will he now have to be the formal cause of our justification Christ formed within us this inward birth produceing righteousness and holiness in us with which the Father is well pleased Ans. But this is only an inward Principle of grace and the sanctification which is defined in the Larger Catechisme as we saw above and by this himself afterward tels us we are parkers of the divine nature and this as Contarenus said with truth belongeth to an Inherent Righteousness and so still he holds with the Tridentine Papists who will have us justified by a Righteousness inherent in us and that in opposition to a Righteousness imputed And when afterward he saith that Bellarmine and others disput against this and other Papists understood it not he should have named the place 2. That God is well pleased with this will say nothing for he is well pleased also with good works that flow from this Principle betwixt which two this Quaker would distinguish in this question He addeth This is to possess whole Christ who is the Lord our righteousness Ier 23 6. and to put on Christ. Ans. Yet this is not to put on the righteousness of Christ in Justification and to be cloathed with his Righteousness in appearing before Justice This is not to make the Lord our righteousness as Ier. 23 6. nor to say with Paul Phil 3 9. and be found in him not having minâ— own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Further he sayes hereby we are made one with him as branches into the vine and we have right to all things which he did and suffered for us so that his obedience righteousness and death is ours Ans. All this is true by faith uniteing us to Christ. But we are not so properly by Christ formed within us for this is a consequent of and in nature though not in time posteriour to our union to Christ by Faith which is brought about in effectual calling and as a consequent of this union followeth also Justification the formal objective reason of which is not either this union or begun sanâ—tification but the Righteousness of Christ or his Obedience and Suffering made over and imputed to the believer by God Seing in these matters he seemeth to be an utter stranger I would advise him to read our Larger Catechisme better if he think not himself too far advanced to turne a catechumene againe What followeth Pag. 128. is but a specimen of the Quakers Spirit in abusing of Scripture with their sensless allegorick glosses and hath no Interest in this queston and therefore I have nothing to do with it 16. He tels us next that though we be not justified for good works yet we are justified in them and they are necessary as causa sine qua non Ans. That good works are called for from Justified persons we acknowledge but what Interest they have in putting us into a state of Justification we see not His giving them an interest of a causa sine qua non contradicteth what he said before for he would have us Justified by Christ formed within and this is antecedent to good works as the tree is unto the fruit And he also said in the preceeding Pag that good works follow Justification as the effects thereof and how then they can come in as a causa sine qua non he must help us by his next to understand and cleare to us how the Effect can be the causa sine qua non of the Cause But this man must have liberty to contradict himself He must also explaine to us what that is to be justified in good works That a man may be in a justified state while doâ—ng good works we understand very well but how otherwayes he can be justified in good works I see not unlesse by Justification he mean not a justification as to state but a justification as to particular actions which is impertinent 17. In the last place he saith that if he and his fraternity held the same opinion about good works that Protestants hold they would easily confess that they were not only not necâ—ssary but that they were noxious Though Protestants assert the necessity of good works in justified persons come to age they assert notwithstanding their noxiousness in Justification that is if they be considered as any part of that Righteousness upon consideration whereof the person is declared just Justified before God or as any part of the formal Objective reason of Justification or as others speak as any part of the formal cause of Justification But what is his ground for they affirme saith he that the best works of saints are corrupted and defiled It is true we say indeed that our best works are not perfect but have ad mixture of dross and of much imperfection but that is not all the cause why we deny such an interest to works in Justification as Papists and he plead for but this Interest we deny to works mainly because it would spoile Christ of the glory of our Justification and of being our Righteousness that is due to him and give man ground of boasting which by Gospel Justification is wholly excluded But do not Quakers say the same of good works we judge saith he the best works done by man intending conformity unto the Law in his owne strength natural power and proper will to be such that is polluted But protestants do not account these properly good works but only materially such as not flowing from a principle of grace and from the Spirit of sanctification What doth he say of these These are pure and
holy sayes he as is the root they come from and therefore God accepts them and justifieth us in them and rewardeth us for them of his proper and free grace But the question is whether they be perfect and can stand before the tribunal of Justice and so become any part of that Righteousness answering the Law which requireth perfect conformity in all points which is the formal objective reason of our Justification before God whose judgment is according to truth 18. Thus we have seen his explication of their Opinion which in short is this That the formal objective reason or as he with others speak the formal cause of Justification is a Principle of grace within or Christ formed there that is the spring and principle of good works which is begun sanctification This I say is it according to his words but if we â—emember what was said to this above and consider what this Christ within is according to the Quakers principles we shall finde that in this point their judgment is more dâ—testable than is that of Papists for this Christ within is formed of meer Nature and that without any assistance of divine grace by the meer Rational power and will of man yeelding unto the dictats of that Light which is as well in pagans that scarce have the use of reason as in Christians and in all alike and so it is a Christ formed within whereof Pagans Turks and Indians that never heard nor never shall heare the least sound of the Gospel are capable and by vertue whereof they as well as Christians can come to be justified So that in short the justification which Quakers maintaine is a Pagan-justification resulting from a Pagan-sanctification and if this be not many degrees more damnable abominable then the doctrine of Tridentine Papists let any of understanding judge 19. After this he layeth downe three Propositions the confirmation of which will as he thinketh prove his point The first is this Pag. 129. The Obedience and Passion of Christ is that whereby the soul obtaineth remission of sins in that it is the cause prâ—curing that grace and seed by whose inward operations Christ is formed within and the soul is made conforme unto it and so just and justified And in respect of this capacity and offer of gracâ— God is said to be reconciled not that he is actually râ—conciled or justifieth any or holdeth any justified who remaineth in his sins ungodly impure and unjust Ans. 1. To say that the obedience and suffering of Christ procureth remission of sins in that it procureth that grace and seed c. is but a Socinian and Arminian untruth destroying the Satisfaction of Christ and upon the mater saying that Christ by his Obedience and Death did not fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified did not make a Proper Real and Full Satisfaction to justice in their behalf contrare to Rom. 5 8 9 10 19. 1 Tim. 2 5 6. Heb. 10 10 14. Dan. 9 24 25. Esai 53 4 5 6 10 11 12. Nor doth the Scripture speak so of the mater see Ephes. 1 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins So Col. 1 14. See also Col. 2 13. Ephes. 4 32 Mat. 9 2 5. Mark 2 59. Luk. 5 20 23. 7 48. Mat. 26 28. Heb. 9 22. It is true the methode of the Gospel requireth that the Persons be first united to Christ by faith before they can obtaine these benefites of his Redemption but this is not the thing he speaketh of 2. This grace and seed is with him common to all flesh But the Scriptures tell us not as we have showne above that Christ's righteousness was for all or that all receive grace by vertue thereof 3. Christ formed within by the inward operations of that grace and seed which is common to Pagans is but a Natural Christ and Birth for such as the cause is such must the effect be And so what followeth upon this is but a Pagan righteousness and Justification 4. It is false as we have already manifested that God is said to be Reconciled only in respect of this capacity and offer of grace 5. We say not that God justifieth any remaining in their sinnes yet we grant that the Justified may commit sinnes and thereby fall under God's fatherly displeasure Psal. 89 31 32 33. 51 7 8 9.10 11 12. 32 5. 1 Cor. 11 30 32. Luk. 1 20. Mat. 26 75. and yet withall remaine in the state of Justification Luk. 22 32. Heb. 10 24. for we approve not of Antinomians in this mater 20. The Proposition we have heard and what he would properly assert thereby we are yet to learne Possibly his proofs will help us to understand it The first proof Pag. 130. us from Rom. 3 25. Here sayes he the Apostle showeth the efficacy of Christâ—s death viz. that by it and faith in it remission of by past sinnes is obtained And what then This is it in which and for which the long suffering of God is exercised toward men And what then Therefore though men by their dayly sinnes deserve eternal death yet by vertue of the sacrifice of Christ grace and the seed of God move them in love dureing the day of their visitation that they may be redeemed from evil Here are Quakers dreames whereof the text maketh no mention and dreames that have no sense but with men of distracted braines 21. We are nothing the wiser by this proof let us see the next If God saith he should be totally reconciled unto men and repute them just while they were actually unjust why doth he so oft complean of his people as Esai 59 2. where there is perfect and compleat reconciliation there is no separation or it will follow that sins can make no separation and that their good works and worst sinnes are the same in Gods account This giveth too great liberty to sin And in the margine he saith he speaketh not here of persons not yet converted whom Antinomians their adversaries say were justified from the beginning but of persons converted according to Protestants who may fall into grievous sinnes and yet are said by them to remaine perfectly and wholly justified Answ. 1. Here beginne we to understand something of his Proposition and of its designe And for answere we say That there is a twofold unrighteousness one of State or of Person another of Condition and particular Actions As to the first no unrighteous person is justified because before Justification he must be cloathed with the imputed righteousness of Christ and so constituted just and in Justification declared just because constituted just And as to the second though such an one as committeth sin be in so far unrighteous as to his actions and in that not justified or approven of God Yet being united to Christ by faith and thereby put in a justified state he remaineth in Gods account a justified person as to his State which
science wherein I know none more expert and skilled than are our Quakers He may read Calvin on the place if he will And for a close to this How great a prejudice so ever he hath against Philosophy yet in the primitive times Christians who had been Philosophers was not by their Philosophy less fitted but more to defend the truth against heathen Philosophers as Iustin Martyr against Valentinus Tertullian against Marcion Origen against Celsus Chrysostome against Libanius and Prudentius against Symmachus 10. The last part of humane literature which he inveigheth against is that which is called Scholastical Theology by which I suppose he meaneth that only which now commonly goeth under that name as distinct from Polemick divinity handling controversies debated betwixt the orthodox and heretical or erroneous persons such as Pelagians Socinians Arminians Anabaptists Antinomians Quakers and the rest And as to it I shall say no more than I have said Chap. 1. § 12. and suffer him to go on in his ranting Only I must take notice of some expressions which he hath here and there in this discourse Though I cannot understand how Origen should be among the first who by this art gave himself to interpret Scriptures nor how hereby Arius fell into his errour seing this Theology is commonly commenced from Peter Lombard yet I am glade to hear him Pag. 201. calling that heresie of Arius who denyed the Son to be equal with the Father in power and glory and of the same essence horride for many of his Brethren the Quakers either doubt of or directly deny the Trinity Yea Mr Clapham in his book against the Quakers Sect. 3. tels us they call this doctrine a lie and citeth for it Saul's errand to Damascus p. 12. and the sword of the Lord drawn p. 4. And in this if he thinketh as he speaketh I would know how he will reconcile himself unto them but it may be he taketh Father Son and holy Ghost for one Person as well as for one essence as some other Quakers do He speaketh like a Quaker that is calumniously when he saith § 22. that this knowledge is accounted a necessary qualification for a Minister when the pure teaching of the Spirit of truth is contemned He may speak thus if he thinketh good against his old friends the Iesuites for we are for the teaching of the Spirit and preferre it to all other whatsomever but we are for the teaching of the Spirit in the way he hath appointed that is by waiting upon him in his ordinances meditating on his word and useing all other lawful meanes to come to the right understanding of his meaning in his word especially prayer But we dar not with this deluded bold generation tempt the Lord by looking for immediat Revelations and laying aside all Meanes and Ordinances in coming to the saving knowledge of his Name as revealed in the Gospel of his Son Jesus Christ. We account it also a calumny for him to say ibid. that he who is to be a Minister must lairne the airt of playing a hookster in the word because we say he must attend unto reading of what is written for the understanding of Scripture And whereas he thinketh the Devil could make as good a sermon as the most learned I only demand and may he not also make as good a discourse without book as they do I fear he hath too great a hand in all their discourses and scriblings too 11. What he saith Pag. 202. § 23. is but a groundless commendation of their way and of themselves as the only men raised up of God to be witnesses foâ— him If they have shaken the foundations of Babylon as he saith how cometh it that Babylon and they are so well agreed and that in principal matters as 1. In vilifying the Ministers of Christ and calling them deceivers 2. Denying our Churches to be true Churches 3. In calling the Scriptures but a dead letter 4. In denying it to be the judge of controversies 5. In refuseing to have all Spirits tryed by the written word 6. In crying up the sufficiency of a common light within 7. In maintaining Free will 8. Perfection 9. Apostasie of the Saints 10. Justification by inherent holiness 11. In confounding Justification and Sanctification 12. In mocking at the â—mputed righteousness of Christ. 13. In placeing holiness in outward observations of their owne deviseing 14. In Pretending so much to Revelations Visions Raptures c. 15. In pretending to Infallibility As for the Increase of their number whereof he boasteth it is a clear verification of that 2 Thes. 2 9 10 11 12. whoâ—e coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders with all deceivablenes of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Wâ—at he talketh further of his owne experience of the power of their discourses is but a further demonstration of what we said to wit of his being given up to strong delusion as this volumne of his putteth beyond all question with such as believe the Scriptures And for a recompense of his exhortation to us in the close I shall also obtest him in the Lord to consider his wayes over againe and search after the procuring cause of this dreadful judgment of the Lord 's giving him to up to those delusions that he may repent and be saved for what high thoughts soever he may now have of that way he will finde his delusion in end either here which I shall wish or when it shall be too late which the Lord prevent in mercy CHAP. XIX Of the Ministerial Office 1. WHen our Quaker beginneth to speak of this matter Pag 203. § 24. he followeth his usual manner of crying up themselves and loading all their Opposites with what expressions of disrespect and contempt he thinketh meet We are the men with him as the orthodox were of old with the Swenkfeldians Familists and Antinomians who alwayes adhere to Externals following our External Rule and Methods devised by our carnal and humane Wisdom because we follow and desire to cleave unto the Rules and Methods and all the Orders prescribed by Christ to be observed in his owne House And upon the other hand They are the men who follow the wayes of the Spirit and his immediat Help and Influence and he leadeth them as he saith in such an Order and Methode as becometh the Church of God though this order and methode of theirs wherein they suppose the Spirit leadeth them be no prescribed Order in the word but the meer Invention of their owne fantastick â—raine blasphemously Fathered upon the Immediat Teaching and Leading of the Spirit of God for we know no ground to imagine that the true Spirit of God will lead
may be drawn over the rest to wit Ps. 25 3. 37 9. 69 6. Esai 40 v. 31. 42 23. Lam. 3 25. His concordance hath helped him here to no purpose He must not think for all this that I speak against that noble duty of waiting on the Lord in all our wayes which is accompanied with a care to keep all his wayes I speak only against his Waiting which is not upon the Lord but a waiting for an unhallowed motion of an evil Spirit like those of olâ— who were consulting the Oracles of the Devil waiting for Enthusiasmes diabolick Inspirations which needeth no other confirmation but this that this waiting is pleaded for to shut out the Ordinances of Jesus Câ—rist and to give God no more for all the solemne Worshipe service wâ—ich he requireth but a dumb mumtie Nay this is such a waiting as first requireth that the man lay aside all Christianity yea and Rationality and Humanity that he may become a perfect prey to the Spirit of Delusion for he addeth that this silence is not only outward but inward from all imaginations and thoughts So that the man must lay aside his very sanctified intellâ—ct if he have it and rational faculty and so first un-man himself that the Devil may make him a beast or worse What he saith of the two seeds in men hath been spoken to long ago and what he saith further of natural men and of their various kindes or actings is nothing to the purpose for we confess that a natural man for all his parts and enduements cannot Worshipe God in the Spirit And for any thing I can finde in all this mans writing concerning Regeneration I must needs say that if it be really with the Quakers according to this mans doctrine they know no more of Regeneration and true Sanctification than a Turk or a Pagan doth Further what will all his speaking Pag. 235. of a necessity of a natural mans retireing from himself as such going into his good seed which is a non-ens nothing but the ill and wicked seâ—d of Nature availe here Can a natural man do this of himself Can the blakamore change his colour or the Leopard his spotes And finally what saith all this for the dumb Worshipe that he calleth for even from the Regenerate Though the rambling discourse which he hath Pag. 233. be utterly impertinent Yet I wish him to take notice of some expressions He saith that one kinde of spiritual wickedness is when a natural man in matters of Religion affirmeth and proposeth from his own conceptions and divinations erroneous notions and opinions And whether he be not guilty of this let all sober understanding persons judge And againe he saith It cannot be said that there is so much as a forme of goodliness where there are erroneous opinions and notions Let him look to it And I must retorte his owne words Pag. 234. upon himself This kinde of Idolatry whereby a man loveth Idolizeth the Conceptions Inventions and Products of his owne braine is so incident to him and so seated in his lapsed nature that while his natural Spirit is his leader and chiefe Governour and while he is acted moved and led by it in the Worshipe of God and attendeth to no other he can never act any spiritual Worshipe nâ—r produce any thing but what is the fruite of his corruption For reflecting upon his false Principles and Carnal Natural grounds of Religion opposite to all true Religion and Christianity I know none beside himâ—elf and his party of whom this may be more truely verified 13. He imagineth Pag. 235. that God is speaking in every man as one man is quietly talking in the eare of another or as a Master teaching his schooler or a Prince is speaking to a person and that therefore the natural man should not be so rude and indocile as not to be silent and hearken and retire from all the operations of his soul that he may heare and the good seed may rise in him Ans. That is the natural man that he may hear and learne of God must lay aside all his senses inward and outward all his operations as a man good and evil and so fall into something like or rather deeper then a trance and ecstasie that he may receive the visions of God And till this be done he can goe about no act of commanded Worshipe Is not this a noble phancie We are waiting for the proof of this and how long shall we waite till we see it Is this the meaning of all these passages of Scripture that spoke of waiting and watching Is not this like Socrates his Demon that attended him and to which he must Introvert to hearken What shall the renewed man do Is not God as well talking thus in and to him and must he not also retire from his Humane or Christian acts and lay all aside that he may hearken Sure it is not seemly even for a courtier to be talking to his Prince while his Prince is speaking to him he should waite till his Prince had done And so because we may suppose that the Lord is alway speaking the whole Worshipe shall be this silent hearkening And indeed Pag. 236. he taketh-in with the rest of the actions that must be laid by Sense and Fear of sin Thoughts of Death Hell and Iudgment thoughts of Glory Prayers and other Religious Exercises Have we not then a clear delineation of this Quakeristick ecstasie and of this silent Worshipe of theirs And as if all this were not enough he saith agaiâ— This great duty of waiting upon God must be exercised in denying of themselves and in sole and meer dependance upon God within and without in being abstracted from all operations imaginations and ejaculations of their soul that being made void of themselves and wholly crucified to their natural productions they may be fit to receive God Is not this a clear thing The man then must become no man nay not an animal he must not be a living wight such an ecstasie must he give himself up unto But I am yet to learne if this be in mans owne power or if the Prophets of old were so far master of themselves as to fall into a trance or ecstasie to speak nothing of such an ecstasie as this is which taketh away all the use of the intellect and inward motions of soul when they pleased And yet more if this was called for at their hands alwayes when they went to Worshipe God or if this was their solemne worshipe or a chiefe part thereof Will this Quaker do me the favour to prove these things and clear his way from Devilrie by undoubted marks of distinction 14. But now let us suppose the man is brought to this state either by his owne wonderful dexterity of metamorphosinâ— himself or by some superiour Spirit or other what next Then saith he Pag. 236. the little seed of righteousness which God planted in the