Souls If any notwithstanding will presume to go on in any false or Erroneous Ways they must answer for it and their Blood if they miscarry must be upon their own Heads For the Design and Vse of these Questions is to examin the case What Spirit they are of the Spirit of Christ or the Spirit of Antichrist the Spirit of Truth or some subtile Spirit of Delusion Whether they be Christians indeed or counterfeit Christians that is Antichristians Whether Hypocritical Professors in Words but Renagadoes in Deeds refusing the Solemnities of his Covenant and Worship and the Orders of his Church or such sincere Christians as are ready to follow the Guidance of his Spirit out of their own Wills and out of their own Wisdom and Imaginations and Errors and Mistakes into all Truth and Whether they be in the Way of Salvation or of Delusion and Perdition The Times of this Ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all Men every where to Repent QUESTIONS PROPOSED To the People call'd QUAKERS First to their Ministers at their second days Meeting and now to them All for the better Examination and rectifying some Errors and Mistakes amongst them I. WHether there be not a great Party of fallen Angels and wicked Spirits which are Enemies to Mankind and with all the Power Activity and Subtilty they can do continually endeavour to hinder their Salvation and Communion and Union with the Father Son and Holy Spirit II. Whether the Word which in the beginning was with God and was God was not made Flesh and dwelt amongst Men being born of the Virgin Mary and called Jesus which signifies a Saviour and Christ the Messiah the anointed of God and Jesus Christ of Nazareth III. Whether his Appearance in Mortal Flesh was not to destroy the Works of the Devil the Prince of that Party of fallen Angels and wicked Spirits to be a Prince and a Saviour to Mankind and the Captain of their Salvation to all who receive him and subject themselves intirely to his Teachings by his Example and by his Doctrine and Precepts and Orders recorded in the Holy Scriptures and by the Motions of his Holy Spirit upon and in their Hearts and Minds IV. Whether he be not the Only Mediatour between God and Man so that Man can have no Communion with the Holy God or Participation of the Spirit of Holiness but by and through Him V. Whether that Party of fallen Angels and wicked Spirits knowing this do not above all things endeavour by all means to with-hold people from closing and uniting with that Holy Mediatour and to withdraw as many as they can as much as they can from Him VI. Whether their most dangerous and subtile Actings in this Opposition be not principally by Way of Deceit under the Appearance and Pretence of Good to Man and of Good Spirits VII Whether it hath not been fore-told that in the latter times especially there should be many false Teachers who with such specious Pretences and secret Energy should endeavour to draw away People from the Faith as to deceive if it was possible the very Elect and Warnings given to beware of them by Christ and by his Apostles VIII Whether the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ be not the same and a Holy and Pure Spirit a Spirit of Truth and Righteousness leading into all necessary Truth and from all Fraud Deceit and Falacy Cavils and shuffling Evasions IX Whether it be not reasonable that Christ Jesus who had done so much for Man should prescribe what Manner he pleased for his Peoples engaging with Him and for their recognizing Him and making their Solemn Address to the Father by Him and what Orders he pleased and would have observed and continued in his Church X. Whether to oppose such Appointments Prescriptions or Orders or to cavil at them seek Evasions or Pretences to neglect them and yet pretend to be Christians be not a great Evidence of Insincerity and of a subtile Antichristian Spirit of Satan transformed into an Angel of Light XI Whether Jesus Christ besides his General Command to his Apostles after his Resurrection to go to the Gentiles and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost c. did not for forty days shew himself to them speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God until the day in which he was taken up after that he through the Holy Ghost had given Commandments unto them and in or with those Commandments give them sufficient Instructions and Directions for the Constituting his Church which he purchased with his Blood XII Whether the Apostles did not in all things faithfully pursue his Commands and Directions XIII Whether besides his express Commands and Directions they did not also receive the Holy Spirit according to his Promise in an extraordinary manner and had the same residing in them and manifesting his Presence with them by extraordinary Operations to guide and assist them in their Work XIV Whether they having received the Command to make Disciples in all Nations whether Jews or Gentiles baptizing them as aforesaid and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever he commanded them did not in all places preach the Gospel exhort the People to believe and be baptized and baptized with Water those who did believe though baptized before with John's Baptism and though they had received the Holy Spirit whether Jews or Gentiles XV. Whether the Apostles and the People converted by them after they had received the Holy Ghost did not when they came together in one or assembled for the Solemn Worship of God break Bread and eat the Lord's Supper and do as their Lord did and commanded them to do and that so constantly that there is not known any Assembly of Christians in the time of the Apostles nor in many Ages after to have been held for the Solemn Worship of God without it XVI Whether the Apostles did not ordain Elders and appoint others by special Appointment to do the same in every City by such Authority that none did presume to take the Office of Elder unto himself but who was so ordained or the Office of Ordaining Elders but who was so appointed either in the times of the Apostles or afterward but who have been infamous ever since XVII Whether seeing that our Saviour himself though he needed not would notwithstanding be baptized with Water to fulfill all Righteousness and thereupon had sensible Approbation from Heaven did also by his Apostles baptize with Water and that it is plain by their Practice that his Apostles and the whole Church of Christ did understand his Command to baptize all Nations of Baptism by Water and as necessary for Forgiveness of Sins and that Baptism with the Holy Ghost was peculiar to himself whether I say this being so it be not a forced and strained Interpretation without any sound ground and contrary to the most authentick Means of explaining Words to
restrain that Command to Baptism by the Holy Ghost only XVIII Whether if such Construction be by any Spirit more than humane it be not the Spirit of Antichrist or Satan transformed to with-hold Men under his own Dominion from solemnly ingaging with Christ and from Forgiveness of their Sins in his Name or If it be only by Opinion of Men such Opinion obstinately persisted in be not a Damnable Sin contrary to subjection of all Imaginations to the Obedience of Christ and subverting of Souls and such Teachers to be abominated and anathamatized by all sincere Christians as Seducers and the Ministers and Instruments of Satan though they appear in Sheeps cloathing XIX Whether it having been the constant belief of all Nations whether Jews or Gentiles that they had a real though Spiritual Communion with the Gods they worshipped in their Participation of their Sacrifices as St. Paul intimates 1 Cor. 10. and may be proved by good Authority and Christians duly disposed having a like Communion with Christ in the participation of the consecrated Bread and Cup as St. Paul affirms and the solemn Worshipping of God by presenting our Prayers to the Father with those Memorals of our Saviour's Passion being plainly a Recognition of our Redemption by Christ and of his Dominion over us acquired by his Passion and that that is the only Propitiation and He the only Mediator by which and by whom we Mortals born in Sin can have Access to and Acceptance with the Father and St. Paul having received the Doctrine of what he taught concerning this from the Lord and the ancient Christians frequenting this Ordinance after they had manifestly received the Holy Ghost Whether I say this being so to reject these either as Types and Shadows which are indeed Antitypes as the Grecians express it Solemn Memorials and Sensible Declarations before God Angels and Men of present internal actions of our Minds for the greater Manifestation and Notoriety of the Fact be not meer Sophistry Shuffle and Evasion or as needless upon pretence that Christ is come to them in the Spirit or of their having the Substance be not to set up themselves in Pride above the Apostles and Holy Christians who had so manifestly the Spirit of God nay above Christ himself viz. to reject that as needless which he instituted as necessary and a plain Evidence of the Subtilty and Delusion of Satan to oppose Christ and detain and withdraw people from his Solemn Worship and under the most specious appearance of the Spirit of God by sensible Motions to things appearing Good and by False Lights to corrupt and adulterate them and get and keep a residence in them as if it was the Spirit of Christ Whether such Obstinacy such Fallacy in such a Matter of such Importance in Christianity and yet so easie to Man and void of all Exceptions be not plain Evidence of a Mystery of Iniquity in it XX. Whether to deliver those things in the Name of the Lord as immediately from the Lord and by his Spirit which may be plainly perceived and detected to proceed either from a humane Spirit or a Spirit of Error be not a great Presumption against the Holy Majesty oâ— God and a great Scandal to the Holy Doctrine of the Guidance of the Spirit of God and therefore a double and great Sin the Sin of the False Prophets of old and that which in Germany formerly and since in this Nation raised so great a Prejudice against the Truth Upon the perusal of these Questions it may be supposed that some Answer was returned and therefore some account of that may reasonably be expected and I should have been glad to have been able to have answered so reasonable an Expectation more fully but the truth in short is that eight of the first ten were answered affirmatively but the other two were answered indeed but with Answers not to the Questions and the other ten remain yet to be answered but I hope upon due consideration will be answered at last not with words only but with deliberate solemn Actions Nor are my Hopes without rational Ground For in the several Conferences I have had with them seven or eight at a time of the principal leading Men of their Party they behaved themselves as became serious considerate Persons heard patiently and attentively replyed gravely and calmly none interrupting either me or any of their own party while speaking and our Conclusion was friendly though not altogether agreeing in the same Sentiments And this is my Ground in respect of the Persons And for the Matter it self in question That they have been led into Error and Mistake in some things the due Consideration of these Questions will in a great measure make them sensible And when besides they shall consider by what Means they who misled the rest came to overshoot themselves and fall into those Mistakes viz. through the Scandals before-mentioned and that common Infirmity incident to us Mortals to run from one Extream into another this will farther satisfie and confirm them in the truth of it And if to these Considerations be added a clear Explication of the Truth which they did not rightly apprehend before this with the Grace of God will farther inlighten the Mind of those who are sincere and regard Truth more than any temporal Concern with much Satisfaction viz. That Baptizm with Water and that Noble Solemnity of the Christian Worship are not needless Types and Shadows oâ— things past and fulfilled as they imagin but Solemn Expressions and Declarations more comprehensively and remarkably significative than Words before God Angels Devils and Men oâ— present Acts of the Mind of what is internally and invisibly at the same instant acted in Spirit the one of our Engagement in an Holy Covenant with God in Christ by putting off by Repentance our Pollutions through Sin and Dedication of our Selves to the Holy Trinity the other of our Recognition of our Redemption by Christ by his Death and Sacrifice upon the Cross and of his Dominion over us and our Subjection to Him even to lay down our Lives in Obedience to Him as he did His in Obedience to his Father which is done by making our Solemn Address and presenting our Prayers to the Father with the Memorials of his Passion as the Great Propitiation for the Sins of Mankind and Participation of those Memorials being Consecrated not only by a Separation to a Holy Use but by a real Sanctification through the Spirit of God at the Prayers of the Church whereby the Faithful have a real and Spiritual Communion with Him and one with another This is the pure Offering of the Gentiles foretold by Malachy That it should be Offer'd by them from the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same And this is the Sense and Meaning thereof received and retained by the Church of Christ all over the World till Calvin's new Notions became received as the Pure Word of God and made this
most Sublime most Holy and most August Sacrament as it is deservedly call'd by Dr. Morton be taken in effect for a needless Ceremony or of no great Importance by others besides the Quakers and used or rather neglected accordingly even to this day These are the great things in it which I have now mentioned but rare to be found in our Books now a days or heard of from our Pulpits Nor can it conveniently here be explained as it deserves But as to both these what is said before pag. 13 14. ought to be consider'd These things I say well consider'd cannot choose but make great Impression upon the Minds of those who are sincere and have a due sense of their own Spiritual and Eternal concerns But when they shall also understand That the great Principle of the Guidance of the Spirit of God is not so peculiar to themselves as they imagin but the constant Doctrine of the Church of Christ in all Ages and of the Church of England in particular as I have shew'd in a Discourse of Mystical Divinity and some others under the Title of Asceticks or the Heroick Piety and Vertue of the Ancients and notwithstanding the Extravagancies of some inconsiderate Opposers of Fanaticism asserted by most eminent Men of this Church as the profound Dr. Cradock lately deceased who himself told me he had Preached twenty or thirty Sermons upon that Subject and others now living and that there are and have been before George Fox appeared in the World Persons in the Communion of the Church of England as well acquainted with Spiritual things as themselves and by consequence how little necessity there is of venturing upon the Sin of Schism for that cause And moreover consider that Christ appointed an Order of Men for his Ministerial Office to succeed in his Church by an external Call and Commission and notwithstanding the Corruptions of those who sate then in Moses's Seat would not suffer his Disciples to break Communion with them or disregard their Authority and by consequence how dangerous it may prove in the end for Men to presume to set up Parties and draw People after them contrary to his Orders and to continue so to do after fair Warnings and unanswerable Admonitions to the contrary To conclude When they shall farther consider how horrid a Sin it must needs be to presume to attribute to the Holy Spirit of God the Workings of their own Imaginations or perhaps the Subtile Suggestions of some wicked Spirit of Delusion and to expose and scandalize the Holy Doctrine of the Guidance of the Holy Spirit by denying of certain and manifest Truths and using such little Shifts and Evasions to oppose plain Evidence as an honest and ingenious Lawyer would scorn and be ashamed to â—se for his Client When all these things and â—ore that might be observed are well understood and considered why may I not with reaâ—on hope that all who are really such as they â—ave appeared in the several Conferences I have had with them to be should answer the End of my Letters and Questions with more than civil and kind Words in real and solemn Actions Why should I not hope that no priâ—ate Interest nor any Temporal Concern should â—inder them Why should I not hope that â—nce God hath apparently again concluded all â—nder Sin which all Parties confess of all â—thers but their own and is true of all without â—xception that all should humble themselves â—efore Him return to mutual Charity one with â—nother and subject themselves and all their â—maginations to his Wisdom as well as their â—ctions to his Will to the intent that he may have Mercy upon all Why should I not hope I say since God hath done this and for thiâ— End that they if they be indeed partakeâ—â— of his Holy Spirit should be the first in giving Glory to God by such a just and reasonable Humiliation before his Divine Majesty and Acknowledgment of our Humane Infirmity if never so little left to our selves or but steping aside out of the Order of his Holy Conduct 〈◊〉 and subject themselves intirely and readily to aâ—â— the Orders he hath appointed in his Church No sober wise Man will expose himself and leaâ— others into Danger or Hazard when he maâ— without any Difficulty or Incumbrance put himself and them into Safety and Security Noâ— will any ingenious Man if he have committeâ— a Mistake stand it out and maintain it againsâ— a Grave and Judicious Man Much less will any considerate Man who hath any sense of God and regard to his tremendous Majesty dare tâ— persist in Opposing or Disputing his Institution or Orders and therefore I shall here concludâ— this But because I have received certain Question concerning these Matters but without anâ— Name of any who sent them or to whom 〈◊〉 should return Answer though I shall forbear tâ— expose them by making them publick yet bâ— cause I am debtor both to the wise and to thâ— unwise for their Satisfaction who are eitheâ— moved with such Scruples or rely upon such infirm Grounds I shall return a brief comprehensive Answer to the Eight Questions in these following Assertions The Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testament is the only Rule of Faith and Practice rightly understood and used But it is in many Cases only a General Rule leaving the special Application in some to all Persons in others to certain determinate Persons And therefore to require Express and Plain Scripture for Faith and Practice in all things doth proceed from Ignorance and Weakness in some but too often from a disingenuous Spirit of Contention a dishonest Design or Satanical Delusion The Practices of the Primitive Christians were some Permanent to continue in the Church others Temporary and Alterable according as there might be occasion for Order Decency and Edification and did vary from the beginning in several Churches and parts of the World whereas the others were truly Catholick according to Vincentius Lirinensis his Rule that is universally observed without any known beginning since the Apostles The Spirit of God was poured forth upon all Flesh when the Gospel was Preached to all Flesh or to every Creature that is not only to the Jews but to the Gentiles also But as to individual Persons it was never so poured out upon all Flesh but there were some things pre-acquired as Faith in Christ Jesus and ordinarily Baptism with Water Obedience and Prayer c. Nor was the Manifestation thereof ever given to every one but to every one to whom it was given it was given to profit withall As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God and If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.14 9. But it is to be known and remembred that a great and principal and the most certain Leading of the Spirit of God is not sensible or easily perceivable how it comes but it is generally a Secret
Illumination of the Mind to perceive the Excellence of the things of God and the Emptiness and Deceitfulness of the things of the World from which proceeds an Appetite to those and an Indifference to these and in particular actions a like secret Illumination of the Mind to apply the general Rules of the Scriptures to the particular Sense and an Inclination of the Will to what is so perceived to be the Will of God And in more sensible Motions Impressions and Openings as some call them the Tryal is by their Agreement with what is agreed to proceed from the Spirit of God that is the Holy Scriptures what is contrary to that is to be rejected as coming from the Enemy what is not inconsistent with that ought to be followed or if doubtful be referred to the Judgment and Determination of the Elders according to the Observations of the Ancients or of the most Experienced Christians especially of such as by their Office and Place are authorized and obliged to be Guide of Souls And those who have presumed to reject these Ordinary Means which God hath appointed and established in his Church have frequently fallen into Mischief There are many of the Mind of Simon Magus Act. 8.18 they are desirous to purchase it but not at the Price our Saviour set it Mat. 13.44 46. And there are many false counterfeit Spirits very officious to offer themselves where they find hopes of Reception and they always suggest and instigate to the following of their Leading which is insensibly and as they find their Followers disposed from the Holy Scriptures and from Christ and when they cannot prevail with them in that manner they endeavour to fill them with Spiritual Pride and Conceitedness make them admired by others as extraordinary and very Holy Persons that they may make them think better of themselves than they ought and so get advantage of them that way And there are generally two great Faults committed by most Pretenders to the Guidance of the Spirit 1. They do not well consider themselves and teach others the necessary Qualifications pre-acquired for the obtaining of so great a Divine Favour 2. They neither consider nor teach others the necessary Cautions and Directions for Tryal of Spirits In general the Conscientious Observation of the Holy Scriptures is a principal thing for both For as the Law was our School-Master to bring us to Christ so the Conscientious Observation of the externally revealed Will of God which is Obedience is our School-Master to prepare us for and bring us to the true Spirit of God But for more particular Cautions and Directions that is a Subject too large for this Occasion and hath been largely treated of by others The Questions concerning Baptism with Water and the Eucharist or Holy Communion are e'en such as that of Naaman 2 Kin. 5.11 22. But they who make them are not like the Servants of that Heathen who gave him this prudent Admonition If the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing wouldst thou not have done it How much rather when he saith unto thee Wash and be clean May they at least take Example from that Heathen who received the Admonition even from his Servants even with the like blessed Success And this with what I have said before is as much as I apprehend necessary to be said to the Questions for such serious considerate Persons as are willing to be satisfied and informed of the Truth and I shall be ready to give them all further Satisfaction when I understand where any real Scruple doth remain THE REVIEW WHAT I have written I have written with all Plainness and Simplicity with all Candor and Impartiality and Good Will to all without any other Design than for the Service of God and the Good of all and without any Affection of any Ornament as becomes the Majesty of the Truths of God Yet can I not expect but I must incurr the Censures of most in one thing or other when I consider the general Corruption of Mens Minds and Judgments as well as of their Manners at this time not only of the Scandalous and Prophane or Hypocritical Professors but even of such as are sincere in many things and deservedly esteemed in the World both for Parts and Honesty and yet in others not so compleat as might be wished partly through the Byass of their own Dispositions and partly through the Common Cheat of Honourable Names such as Prudence Moderation Discretion Charity c. and their Contraries calling Good Evil and Evil Good and partly through certain False Notions undermining the Integrity of the Evangelical Doctrine of Christ as the Pharisees did the Law of Moses and rendring it of none Effect in many things which have been introduced and recommended to the World by a late Sect appearing in a very plausible Form but in truth generated by an unnatural Copulation of Church of England with some Socinian Principles setting up their own Corrupt Humane Reason in the place of the Divine Wisdom and wresting the divinely inspired Scriptures to a Compliance with it perswading themselves and others that the Noble Heroick Virtues so much studied and practised by the ancient Christians such as Humility Contempt of the World Heavenly-mindedness c. were for times of Persecution but we are under another Dispensation as I my self have been told by a Principal Author and Promoter of it and encouraging such Temporizing Compliances under the specious Pretences of Moderation and Prudence as are not only Inlets to Sin and Hindrances of Graces but inconsistent with the Practices and Sentiments of the best Christians of all Ages with the Doctrines and Instructions of the Apostles the Example and Precepts of our Saviour himself to say nothing of Evangelical Counsels in this Age our Baptismal Engagements and the Genuine Spirit of Christianity and the Interest of the Kingdom of Christ in this World What Glosses they make upon our Saviour's Sermon upon the Mount I must leave to others better acquainted with them to consider But What can be expected from persons so levened but as severe Censures of this Writing as they take this to be of others but that reasonable Expressions of just Indignation at Abuses and Corruptions in Matters of Religion or at abuse of Scriptures to patronize Vanity and by persons professing Religion should be censured for Passion but that such warm Expressions and Charges as were necessary to awaken such out of a Deadly Slumber as Experience had proved could not be moved by gentler touches should be censured as Vncharitableness and necessary plain Dealing with Mortals for the Service of God the Good of a Countrey and the Salvation of Souls be censured as Indiscretion Disrespect to Superiors and Sauciness But to leave such as are ready to wish and to talk but will do nothing but what may serve to recommend themselves to those whose Commendations are most desirable are willing to use others as the Cats foot but will not touch the Work