sufficient in any case of Right and Wrong and deny all But to me it seems very strange that the very same Light which was at t'other side of the leaf the great Judge of Doctrinal Truth and with which God had endu'd men to their singular benefit should at last be denied the Ability of giving Right Judgment in matters that strictly belong to Good and Evil. What is this but to say it is a Judge of Good and Evil But 〈…〉 Judge of Good and Evil God's Gift to guide us yet in many thiâ—gs it may 〈◊〉 Well but what are all these things of moment into which this Light is unable to wade O! many Difficultiâ—◠〈…〉 men differ in their Judgments about them so we see among the Saints 〈◊〉 Rome to whom Paul wrot One saith he believes that he may 〈◊〉 all things another who is weak eats Hearbs One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every 〈◊〉 alike Rom. 14. 2 5. O stupendious Folly This way of Reasoning well becomes him for what is it but to say This Light of which I speak hath sufficiency in it to discover the nature of things of greatest concernment but not these minute and trivial matters she can judge of Doctrines but not of Ceremonies and can try Spirits but not Infirmities whether they be such or not But I hope that men in their Wits and I write to no other will never abandon their Reason so far as to think those Persons not being as yet so clearly disentangled from the Jewish Ceremonies and needless Observations of that exterior Worship shall be interpreted a defect in the Light about difficult matters for neither are such things difficult but discerned to be sometimes the needless Scruples of Weakness sometimes the dotage of Superstition many times Will-Worship nor can any 〈◊〉 be cast more upon the Light or the Light justly suffer the 〈◊〉 of Deficiency then the Eternal Sun because some 〈◊〉 have such â—ore Eyes as they cannot strongly behold the Light 'T is true perhaps Abstinence may be both best and ofâ—â—n enjoyned some Persons either by way of Testimony against Excess in others or having been too apt to give themselves an 〈◊〉 Liberty and on all that they may eat and drink in fear as saith the Apostle I keep under my Body and bring it into Subjection least having preacht to others I my self should become a Cast-away But what then Must the Light be no whit concerned there in because of the great Difficulty in the Point By no means the Light dictates and requires these things in their times and seasons for whatever our Adversary does no sober man can believe that the Light is sufficient to the most weighty things that concern man's Salvation and yet be unable to judge of those Differences mentioned by the Apostle which were such Weaknesses as needed Christian Charity to bear with them Nay it was by the Light that their Weakness was seen neither could it have been born or they ever have grown stronger then to place dissents in those trivial things but by walking up to the Light which was alone able to give them Right Discerning in the Case I conclude therefore that in the Instance made by our Adversary there could be no Difficulty too great for the Light nay that the Instance is so trivial in comparison of the excellent Knowledge and Judgment which are received by the Light that it makes but the more for us to the disparagement of him that hath alledged it And thus much though a Knock to himself even whilst he thinks us under his blow when he sayes And where is the Infallibility you speak of in particular Persons in all Cases I am perswaded if you consider this well you will perceive that the Light in every man especially in those whose Judgments have been prepossess'd into false Notions as many of you have been before you were Quakers doth not teach him all things whatsoever but all things that are necessary for him to know in order to a Holy Trust in God and sincere Obedience in the general Course of his Life Well! before I would undertake Controversies and thus give away my Cause nay so wofully yet frequently contradict my self I would never write while I live But to make my advantage of this too Infallibility of Persons any further then as they are joyned and conformed to the Light of God We never affirmed and Fallibility of the Light because of the fallibility of Persons We never owned and now deny as a most Ridiculous and False Consequence He tells us of Contrary Judgments in our Assemblies of Business and from thence queries Where is the Infallibility of Persons What then in case that were true as we disclaim it Why I am perswaded the Light in every man doth not teach him all things This New Way of Demonstration I am a Stranger to What is it but to say You sometimes differ therefore the Light is fallible or thus Every man that sins is enlightned therefore the Light in every man sins If this be Absurd and Wicked let our Adversary purge himself as he can Well but Infallibility in all Cases doth suppose that though not in all yet in many at least in some Cases men may be infallible If so I ask in what Surely in those wherein they walk conformably to the Light If so then what 's the Consequence but this When men live up in all things to the Light they are Infallible but when they go from it they are not Surely then the man has but hitherto beat the air And why may We not make the most of what he sayes for us and infer If that before We were Quakers and come to live under the holy Conduct of this Light we were possess'd with false Notions he means or at least the Expression will bear it that since we were Quakers we came to be possess'd with true ones Well but the extent of the Light is not to all things yet sayes he what is it to say I why only to all that is necessary for him to know in order to a Holy Trust in God and sincere Obedience in the general Course of his Life Very well I would now fain understand the Difference of knowing all or Right or Wrong in all Cases wherein a man is concerned and knowing all things necessary for him to know unless he will confess when he said the Light was not sufficient to determine the Right and Wrong of all Cases that he meant of Cases that did not concern men to know and then we will with him conclude so too But if the Light be sufficient to discover unto man all that is fit for him to know in reference to God and his own Soul and yet in some Cases it cannot determine the Right from the Wrong in which man 's Good is concerned it is manifest to all the World that this will be the direct Consequence the Light is not sufficient to give men the Knowledge
prosper such ignoble clandestine Projects and maskt Attempts as what our Adversary and his small Cabal are plentifully guilty of 'T is true I cannot say all are equally concealed in their Endeavours against us for when the man has writ and printed his Book there is a small Cryer of his that like an Eager officious Broaker runs too and fro to disperse it most commonly known by smelling his Breath stinking of such foul Epethites as Knave Puppy Fool Rascal Loggerhead Cheat which with much more of the same loathsome Sent he is pleased to bestow upon George Fox as a necessary Introduction to our Adversary's Confutation of his Book Certainly Reader we have little Cause to esteem these men the Restorers of Paths to dwell in Defenders of the true Religion and Tryers of other mens Spirits who give such little Proof of the Knowledge of their own as to be wanting in the very Alphabet or first Principle of Common Civility But Reader I will not longer detain thee in an Epistle whatever variety of matter I may have to invite me hoping that the ensuing Discourse will abundantly satisfie thee in those very things for which our Adversary thinks us most unfit of all to be believed I have not given my self the common range that other Writers do few caring to buy and fewer to read large Discourses but as the Matter briefly and naturally riz upon every Head without any other artifice or dress it is presented to thee I omit more then an Hundred Things that would engage to personal Reflection for my Soul hath no Pleasure in striving therein as knowing the inconsistancy of that uncharitable virulent Temper with a Christian Spirit which I am assur'd is quite another thing from what is Verbose Abusive Cavelling Airy and meerly Notional which had our Adversary duely considered he would have found it more his true Interest to have liv'd in a daily Subjection to the pure Grace that brings Salvation and have kept his mind diligently exercised therein to the perfecting Holiness in the Fear of the Lord then thus to exalt himself against an inoffensive People but I leave all with God whose Will be done recommending thee Reader to his holy Witness in thy Conscience to be by that alone Condemn'd or Justify'd in this Apologetical Undertaking W. Penn. READER THE Author's Absence from the Press and that Difficulty which otherwise attends our Printing have occasion'd several Errors as well in Words as Letters besides in many places a neglect of due Stops a brief view of which is here presented to thee and the common Curtesie in both Excusing and Correcting them is now desired and expected from thee Page Line Errors Corrected 11 1 is are  14 obstruse abstruse  32 o to 13 17 ruin run 29 8 Contex Context 30 25 sence sense  30 into body into one Body 33 7 Paul Peter 37 28 and so that as and so as that 38 15 these those 39 19 neither either 52 17 faith far the 53 9 he be 54 9 the of the Light of  14 that comes coming  15 the this  17 thaet comes coming 18  20 that comes coming  22 that comes coming 60 8 as blot it out Page Line Error Corrected 76 28 worldly creaturely 78 35 what could what more could 79 21 Motions Notions 81 28 Eternal External  32 or or as 83 38 our your 84 â—1 read fall 92 29 and blot it out 105 11 degree decrâ—e 114 7 sayes he he sayes 115 33 are were 126 6 scarce by scarcely THE Spirit of Truth VINDICATED Against That of Error Envy Unseasonably Manifested In a late Malicious LIBEL Intituled The Spirit of the Quakers Tryed c. I Cannot but esteem it a peculiar Providence of Mercy from the Most High God to us his poor Despised People though an Instance of great Unkindness in our Adversary that after our several years pressure under the Heavy Calumnies of being involved with a Socinian Confederacy he should so suffer it to come to pass that without the least Provocation given on our parts one of that sort of men should become our Compurgator indeed our best Advocate in pleading against us for whilst he goes about to detect the Quakers of an Erronious Spirit it is to be supposed that he denies them any share in his and therefore no Socinians I hope whatever comes of this Debate we shall no longer suffer for being what we are not it would be hard that we should both be condemned for Socinians and then abused for refusing to be so Let them not be offended with me if I use the word it s not from any undervalue of the Man they take it from nor out of any Reproach to them but only as a word of Difference to distinguish Persons or Perswasions by And without any other Prologue or Introduction I shall discend to the Book it self § 1. First then He is pleased to allow us at least a great many among us To be Honest-hearted yet wonderfully deluded and very Dangereus to the Christian Religion I confess it is no wonder when men will make themselves Work and rather then want it bestow their Cavils at the Truth it self that they should fall into strange and impertinent Contradiction but that any man pretending so highly to Reason and Religion should shew so little Understanding in either as to conceive that a Man can be properly Honest-hearted and yet Deluded and Dangerous to the Christian Religion I confess is beyond my skill to reconcile I desire God knows to be the Honest-hearted Man and let him take the rest to himself For that which reduces man fallen short of the Glory of God to an Honest Heart and a Life good and Laudable as our Adversary speaks of us must be the Grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and not another thing and consequently who has that is not Deluded nor Dangerous to the Christian Religion § 2. If we Excel in all things as he confesseth which is to say that there are but few things wherein we don't transcend all others how possibly can we be Dangerous and Dishonourable to the Christian Religion Is the Christian Religion among the few things wherein we are supposed wanting which is the main thing of all if so What are the many § 3. It was ill done and an Aggravation not only of his Uncharitableness and Incivility but his great Injustice and Deceit to refuse us his Name upon a Pretence of avoiding a Subject for our Personal Reflection whilst both his Beginning and End is an entire Abuse against our Persons and Practices And what he owns Praise-worthy in us is not because he would be honest to us but that he might by paying us our due in lesser matters the more plausibly Rob us of our Right to what is of more weighty Importance namely The true Life and Doctrine of Christianity which shews how little a share he has of either § 4. Nor does
THE Spirit of Truth VINDICATED Against That of Error Envy Unseasonably Manifested In a late Malicious LIBEL Intituled The Spirit of the Quakers Tryed c. By a Friend to Righteousness and Peace W. P. Ever Learning and never able to come to the Knowlege of the Truth But Evil Men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3. 7 13. But unto you that fear my Name shall the Son of Righteousness arise with Healing in his Wings And ye shall tread down the Wicked for they shall be Ashes under the Soles of your Feet Mal. 4. 2 3. Printed in the Year 1672. To the Impartial READER I Have at last with some Difficulty obtained a small Respit from more serious Affairs to the Examination of a late Discourse intituled The Spirit of the Quakers tryed according to the Discovery it hath made of it self in thei◠great Prophet and Patriarch George Fox c. And whilst I was willing to inform my self of the Design and Temper of the Author by a very careful perusal of his Book at least expecting something that might pretend to claim a Reputation in Controversie excelling all other of our Adversaries who never struck higher then at our Doctrines whilst this man ventures to tell the World what Spirits we are of I find him in reallity filled with nothing but disingenious Reflection empty Stories and unprofitable Cavils about a few Scriptures he mostly confesseth that but one of us hath mis-cited either in reference to a disorderly Quotation of the words or an unsuitable Application of them The Judgment I then made of the Man and still continue in is this Had he not wonderfully lov'd being some body in Print he needed not to have given himself or other People the trouble of so many unserviceable Sheets nor a small trifling Solicitor for their kind reception in the World the toil of so much Insinuation even to Nautiating But I design not to be long and theresore shall briefly contract my Exceptions against the Author to the Reader into these four Particulars 1. Then He hath behaved himself the most unjust of any that ever yet undertook to write against us which so ill becomes a man that would reform others that it rather insenseth all worthy minds and is Reason enough to beget a Jealousie both of the Truth of his Cause and his own Honesty For who truly Just would draw a general Charge from a particular Failing in case it were so And what good Christian would stigmatize an entire Body for the Defects of any individual Member He finds fault with George Fox and to be revenged of him bespatters a whole Society so that if I should grant him all he would have against that Person whom I doubt not to defend from his base Abuse yet why he should place his Infirmities suppose them such to our account cannot be resolv'd me by any that is not willing to suffer for other mens Faults George Fox he thinks has mis-cited a Scripture Ergo He is an Imposter and the Quakers a pack of Hereticks It is after this lofty manner of Disputing he undertakes our Overthrow but if this be good arguing the man is Orthodox with a witness and deserves the Chair Nemine Contradicente 2. My second Exception is That if he had been provock't to any hard Thoughts against George Fox from the perusal of his Book it had been handsome and well-becoming a Christian to have visited that so much mistaken Person in his account and have endeavoured either a better understanding of him or his better Information in the Scripture and not at a juncture when he might understand him to be at so great a distance as America to exhibit an angry Charge against him in England But his generosity here is much like to his Reason elsewhere 3. But why above all times of the World does the man chuse the present season to shower down his Displeasure against us just when we should make the best of an unexpected Tolleration to the Refreshment of our afflicted Minds and Bodies by the late Persecutions that have been What! Is he angry that we have Liberty or does he think that none deserve it but himself I wonder what Testimony there had been or how few to have receiv'd a Liberty of Conscience if the Quakers had squar'd their Carriage in the Storm according to his sorded creeping into Holes and Corners or else to publick places of Protection And if he tells us that he had no mind to add to our Troubles he deals deceitfully for as it is almost impossible for him to write against us but he must expresly or implicitly contradict the avow'd Principles of the Church by his scattered Seeds of Socinianism so knowing the Danger that would ensue such undertakings as well as the difficulty of Printing his Self-safety and not Charity to us was the Hindrance 4. And Lastly 〈◊〉 why was he ashamed of his Name I cannot but make his own words good by such an Inquiry without concluding him a Prophet and great Reason there is that we should ask him a Reason for it if we may lawfully ask that which his whole Discourse seems to character him a Stranger to for since he tells us That he declines all wayes of Controversie with us but that of matter of Fact however able we may be to clear our selves from such Indictments yet our ignorance of his Name deprives us of that scope we might otherwise have for producing perhaps as large a Catalogue of Doctrinal Mistakes in what he himself or those to whom he adheres have writ as he hath of Verbal ones out of any Writings belonging to the People called Quakers And though he seems to excuse the absence of his Name by that Occasion he pretends we take to abuse our Adversaries Yet the truest Reason is a Consciousness of a disingenious and unjustifiable Practice in himself perhaps he also was afraid of such Truth as may be seasonably told of him to the discrediting of his Enterprize But till he had been so served by us it had become him not to have reproach't us in the vindication of other men in whose Opinions he will by no means allow himself to be concern'd otherwise then to explode them for Heretical Thus the Man 's for any Game he cares not whom he defends if he can but have his End upon the Party he designs to mischief sometimes he will be a Church-man against a Non-conformist and back again sometimes either against a Quaker then for him against them both and lastly a Socinian against them all His seeming Labours against us for common Principles being but a plowing our Backs with their Heifers for the promotion of his Biddlean or Socinian Cause which Owl-light way of stabbing men or deceiving People under the Livery of every Perswasion whilst for none of them is very remote from being either Christian or Manly nor will the Righteous God of Heaven and Earth bless or
he less then palpably belye us in telling the World We condemn all Vertuous Persons whatsoever if not of our own Perswasion since we never held nor defended any other then the Principle of Vertue there is none good but oâ—e and that is God and such as are in all circumspection conformable to him those we esteem our best Friends our Controversie with the World not being about dark obstruse unprofitable Notions nor Contests about words but mens being so rich in Profession and so barren in Obedience they saying They will go and they do not praying Thy Will be done and they never set about to do it which Will is their Sanctification through the Eternal Spirit if they would but obey the Convincing Light thereof in their own Consciences since it was given that all might be convinced of sin and in being converted and led by it they might be adopted Children of God and Heirs of his Glory § 5. Christ's Person which he prejudicially sayes we deny is strictly considered an Unscriptural Expression for that place which seems most to countenance such a way of speaking viz. 2 Cor. 2. 10. is to be understood and may and ought to be rendred for Christ by Christ's Authority instead of Christ in Christ's Presence on his account or the like and it ill becomes a man to write against others for perverting of Scriptures whilst himself is manifestly guilty of the same Defect We reverently confess to Christ's Appearance both in Flesh and Spirit and when called â—o it shall be as Ready Hearty and Christian God assisting in our Confession of the same as to the Beginning Progress and End of that Blessed Manifestation as the Person who accuses us But we dare not say That the intire Christ was that visible Body that was crucified as believing with the Scripture most sincerely That He that took upon him the Seed of Abraham according to the Flesh was and is and is to come God over all blessed forever which Perswasion I know to be most Heritical in this Adversaries Apprehension and no part of his Biddleaâ— Creed § 6. His Darkness in reflecting upon our Heaven within us denying us to have a due regard to things above on Christ's Right-Hand is as thick as Aegypt's for if God's Presence makes the Heaven as we have been alwayes taught and all have believed and confest then since God vouchsafes to Temple and Tabernacle in men it follows that his Heaven is there also but certainly this conceited man fancies with sottish Reeve and Muggleton and the vain Anthropomorphites of old That God's in the shape of a Man and that Heaven is a Visible Place to be liv'd in bearing some resemblance to this visible World which characters him more Mahomaton then Christian otherwise he could never be so stupid or Malicious as to conceive that because we assert a divine and heavenly Enjoyment of God's Presence within us therefore we deny Christ the Dignity of his Father's Right-Hand above us or that there is no such thing as setting our Affections on things that are above What can be more dark and ignorant then this mans inference § 7. But he further tell us That though we are much to be commended for our Courage and Patience yet we are highly to be discommended for our Superstition and gross Ignorance I dare warrant the man is highly opinionated of this fine gingling Phraise But it s beyond the ken of his greater Knowledge as he thinks to vindicate his own Expression from Folly and Inconsistence as well as justifie his Abuse of us thereby for I utterly deny That any man can be much commendable for his Religious Courage and Patience Divine Gifts and yet be superstitious and grosly ignorant for the Day is not an effect of Light more then Heat Passion Persecution Frowardness and Precipitation are the proper and Natural fruits of superstition and gross Ignorance But such as have done the Will of God have need of Patience Why because it works Experience and that Hope which makes not ashamed nor afraid the want of which made this man with the rest of his Serpentine Associates creep and cringe to this and the other conforming Chaplin friendly to their Faith as the Mountains and Rocks that were only able to cover in the gloomy day of severe Inquisition after and Persecution upon the despised Quakers this is the meaning of his following words Whereby you expose your selves in great part to those Labours and Hazzards you undergo to render which into better English thus That because you will walk in an inconformable Way to the World too severely press a Christian Life as that without which you deny all possibility of Salvation particularly in keeping your Meetings not forsaking the assembling of your selves together and refusing to acquiess in the obedience of those Laws about Oaths and Tythes and sometimes going to bear a Sermon to prevent Excommunication and the Brand of Phanaticism or Separation with the like Convenient Prudent Actions you do unnecessarily ruin your selves into Sufferings and bring upon you what you might with Christian Policy and Discretion secure your selves from And if he denies my comment I am able to prove it upon better terms then he can our Superstition and Ignorance for with him and his Brethren to think Practice more necessary then Notion is want of Discretion and to be Plain in the Profession of our Faith and Constant is the Superstition and Headiness he chargeth us with § 8. But he promiseth for the future to decline this way of proceed and withal To avoid the use of both Scripture and Reason in that our Leading-men have so ordered the matter that we refuse our Ear to the most demonstative Arguments against us and embrace the weakest Reason on our side I will not give him the Lye but I hope he will not say I am Uncivil or Unchristian if I tell him He has already contradicted himself and broke his word with us for within Eight Lines he that Premised To relinquish all Personal Reflection and proceed so his Business in the next Sentence lays to our Charge as great and as nnjustifiable a Crime as what he left off with before by how much it is worse to refuse Information when clearly given then to be so grosly ignorant as to need it What fair Dealing we may expect from a man not just to us no not to himself Eight Lines together let the sober Reader judge § 9. But when did any of our Leading-men as he is pleased to call them refuse this Idle Boaster indeed a very Dreamer such sober rational Conference in Publick or Private by Personal Discourse or Writing as might be to Edification they were never the men that deny'd it on those termes wherein it might redound to such Christian Advantage as should be principally aimed at in the like Exercises § 10. And for accepting the weakest Reason that is on our side I shall only say That so very
grateful is the lowest degree of Reason to us wheresoever we find it that we can no more deny it or occasionally refuse our selves the use of it then the greatest since its being so does not unreason it or render it no Reason in it self though confessedly a less degree of Reason nor is it possible that the meanest Appearance of Reason can withstand the greatest since Reason alwayes acknowledgeth and owneth her self in what Degree soever she meets It is not Stature that makes a Man nor Magnitude a Tree or Stone but the Nature and Property of each And truly we are well contented with our weak Reason as he is pleased to call it we know it to be God's Light Grace and Spirit of Truth that since we gave our Minds intirely to be governed and exercised by it We have found that Mortification of Sin and Corruption that Renewing of Heavenly Divine Life that holy Courage and Patience and it has brought us to so good an Vnderstanding of the Mysteries of God's Eternal Kingdom and Assurance as we are faithful to the same of Everlasting Blessedness that 't is beyond the power of the ratling of these Leaves of Charge and Reproach to scare us from our Standing or beget the least Question in us concerning the certainty of this Pure Unchangeable Way of God in which we walk but is invisible to his vulterous Eye who so disdainfully writes against it I had some hopes he had done with Personal Contest at least against the Body but I find him still in his Reflections For whilst you look upon your selves as led by an infallible Spirit though it be indeed nothing but the Fancy of G. Fox or some other of your Teachers you must needs reject the clearest Light that God hath given to Men 〈◊〉 Angels when it opposes your Sentments Though he could scarce say any thing of us more disingenious and scurrilous rendring us such deluded Sots and very Iddeots as to captivate our own Understandings if he can think we had ever any to the Dreams and Fancies of a few illiterate men under an Apprehension of being led not by them but an Infalible Spirit Yet since in this one Expression lies wrapt up if not his great undervalue of an Infallible Spirit at least his Disbelief of any such thing as the Guide of men and his unworthy Reflection upon us in crediting any such Doctrine I am more then ordinarily engag'd to state and vindicate that one most necessary Doctrine viz. Whether God's holy and Infallible Spirit be the proper Rule of Faith Judge of Controversies and Guide of a Christian Life or any other thing this I reckon as the main Hing on which all turns and I now make it my Post by which in God's Strength I am resolved to stand firm in its Defence and that by Scripture and Reason hoping whatever uncharitable Thoughts he entertains of us that he is not so devoid of all sense of either as that they may not be used with advantage to him under his present Ignorance and Presumption 'T is true this deserves an intire Discourse of it self as that which above all other Subjects disputed on in the whole World deserves mans most weighty Consideration and if the Lord make way it may be by some or other more distinctly and at large hanâ—llâ—d another time in a perticular Tract however I shall state and briefly defend the Question I hope to present satisfaction The Question Stated Whether God's Holy and Unerring Spirit for I am so Charitable as to think he believes God's Spirit to be so is or should be the proper Judge of Truth Rule of Faith and Guide of Life among men especially under the Administration of the Blessed Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ or not I affirm it and proceed to prove it both by Scripture and Reason First Gen. 6. 3. And the Lord said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man for that he also is Flesh yet his dayes shall be an Hundred and Twenty Years c. If God's Unerring Spirit has been wont to strive with men either to convince them of and convert them from the Evil of their Thoughts words and Deeds or else to provoke them yet more fully to do the Will of God so as to press on from one degree of Glory to another then Men have had an Unerring Spirit to be their Teacher and Judge and Rule and Guide of that Truth concerning that Faith and in that most holy Way which leads to Eternal Life But the Scripture proves the first Proposition That God's Spirit has frequently strove with men and for the Ends before-mentioned and consequently they have not been without an Holy Vnerring Spirit to Teach Judge Regulate and Guide them Secondly Neh. 9. 19 20. Yet thou in thy manifold Mercies forsookest them not in the Wilderness the Pillar of the Cloud departed not from them by Day to lead them in the Way neither the Pillar of Fire by Night to shew them Light and the Way wherein they should go Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them c. If under the Dispensation of the Law God gave his good Spirit to instruct his People which is to say that it should teach them rule them and guide them in whatever was necessary for them to know or do otherwise God's Spirit would have been lame and defective in his holy Instruction which far be it from any sober man to affirm then will it follow that much more should the same Eternal Spirit be poured out under the glorious Dispensation of the Gospel But all that acknowledge the Divine Authority of the Scriptures must confess to God's Goodness to his People in the outward Wilderness in the free Gift of his Eternal Spirit therefore the Eternal Spirit was and is the Teacher Judge Rule and Guide of his People now besides that state was but figurative of the Mystical Travel of the true Church in the dayes of the Gospel and how is God so propitious now as then if he be not as a Pillar of Cloud by Day and of Fire by Night I mean Spiritually and Invisibly so to illuminate his People concerning the way he would have them to walk in Thirdly Job 32. 8. Prov. 2. 6. But there is a Spirit in man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Vnderstanding For the Lord giveth Wisdom out of his Mouth cometh Knowledge and Vnderstanding If the Spirit in man be not of man as the foregoing words shew and therefore is that divine Spirit by and from which comes the Inspiration of the Almighty and if the Understanding he mostly intended be of Divine and Eternal Matters as the whole Subject treated on in the preceeding and following Chapters as well as that in which the words are manifests then is it not from the strength of mans Reason Memory or utmost Creaturely Ability that his Knowledge of Religious and Heavenly Things comes but from the Revelation and Discovery of the
Inspiration of the Almighty And if by such Divine Inspirings it be that the Will of God comes to be understood then certainly must God's unerring Spirit be the Judge of what is God's Will from what is not and the Rule how and in what we ought to believe unto Salvation and that Guide which infallibly leads in the Way that is most acceptable with the Lord. Nothing can be more Natural then these Consequences Fourthly Psal 139. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy Presence If God's Unerring Spirit be so nigh and the sense of it so certain it must either be to reprove for Evil done or to inform uphold lead and preserve in reference to all Good Now in which of the two sences it shall be taken the Presence of God's Eternal Spirit and his being the Saints Instructor Judge Rule and Guide are evidently deduceable from the words Fifthly Psal 143. 10. Teach me to do thy Will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead me into the Land of Vprightness The Question will be Whether it was David's intent and the scope of his desire that God should teach and lead him by his good Spirit or some other thing but methinks it is resolvable in the affirmative in two respects 1. In that David is so very frequent in his desire to the Lord for the Assistance Strength Teaching and Guidance of God's unerring Spirit otherwise declaring how that the Word was hid in his Heart and largly speaking of the Force of that Internal Law Word and Spirit of God which plentifully shews how much he was an Enthusiast and Quaker in the sense this man esteems us most hetrodox 2. The very words imply the thing we urge them for and can import no other sence viz. That God would please to teach him to do his Will and lead him into the Land of Vprightness by his good Spirit else what did that Claws do there the Unerring Spirit being that by which God vouchsafes to discover his Divine Knowledge and convey his most Spiritual Succor and Consolation to his People and consequently his Saints have ever known but do more especially under the Gospel injoy an infallible Judge Rule and Guide in and about Faith and Worship Sixthly Isa 30. 1. Wo to the Rebellious Children saith the Lord that take Counsel but not of me and that cover with a Covering but not of my Spirit that they may add sin to sin From whence I plainly argue thus If they are Rebellious against God and add sin to sin who take not Counsel of him and are not covered with his Holy Unerring Spirit that leads into all Truth Innocence Patience Faith Hope Charity and every good Word and Work Then 1. God's Children have an Immediate Councellor and need not another and are covered or encompast about by the infallible Spirit of God to all Soundness of Mind and Holiness of Life And 2. They must be Heinous Offenders and obstinately Rebellious and Adders of sin to sin with a witness that not only neglect or refuse to be so counsel'd and cover'd but dispute fervently against it as a meer Whimsie and Effect of an Ignorant Erronious spirit for besides that such deprive themselves and others of the unspeakable benefit that comes thereby they are most ingrateful to God and do certainly incur his fierce Wrath in their so wicked requital of him for his Heavenly Gift Seventhly Isa 59. 21. As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my Words which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy Mouth nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed's Seed saith the Lord from henceforth and forever I think it is granted by all that own the Christian Religion that this remarkable place refers to Christ the true Seed and Heir of promise who bruiseth the Head of the Serpent in whom alone all Nations of them that believe come to obtain the Blessing But whether it will be allowed or another Interpretation allotted as that the Promise was to the Church to be sure here is enough to maintain our Position viz. That God in the dayes of the Gospel more particularly has given his good Spirit for an Instructer Judge Rule and Guide in all that concerns the Eternal Well-being of the Souls of Believers as I proceed to prove If that very same Eternal Holy and unerring Spirit which God poured out upon his only begotten Son be in a way of succession ordained to continue with and upon all the Faithful his Seed and Seed's Seed begotten unto a lively Hope by the raising of Christ Jesus from the dead and so become Members of his own Glorious Body then are not the Children of God destitute of his Vnerring Spirit not left to their own frail and fallible Judgments to determine of what is Right or Wrong what Men should believe and what not how they should walk and how not But so gratious is the Promise and so certain is the performance as we livingly witness against all the dry cavelling Letter-mâ—ngers in the World who Quarrel about the holy-mens words and are Strangers to the Convictions Judgments Tryals Tribulations Temptations and Travels they underwent in order to that knowledge they had and which frets their serpentine natures whose vulterous Eye would in its unregenerate state of Worldly Wisdom that knows not God fain without the Death of the Cross creep into the knowledge of the mystery of the Resurrection which state alone knows the things that are above at the Right-hand of God Therefore I conclude That God's Unerring Spirit under the Gospel does attend assist direct and finally establish his Children in the Way of Truth and that his so doing is but the Answer or Accomplishment of the most eminent Prophesies referring to the Transcendent Glory of the last Ages of the Church Eighthly Ezek. 36. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Behold a most pregnant Instance in the express Language of the Holy Ghost brought to the proof of our Assertion that with reverence we would say it scarcely could it have been more exactly and emphatically worded as I proceed to shew 1. That this Passage has a relation to the Times of Reformation or Coming of the Messiah and Dayes of the Gospel Covenant read the whole Chapter I know not that it was ever doubted or otherwise taken by any no not the very Rabbies themselves who from such places have observed the coming of a Messiah and Glorious times that would ensue 2. That if it be granted then the Vnerring Spirit of God was to be placed within the Hearts and Consciences of his People and consequently they could not be properly and truly under the new Covenant and be without it since the having of that Eternal Spirit for the Ends and
Purposes afore-mentioned is the very Badge Condition and Mark of the New and Last Covenant 3. It seems to be the means under the Gospel by which God causes his Children to keep his Statutes c. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them To conclude to speak strictly If in the dayes of the second Covenant which began from Christ's visible Appearance God put his Spirit within his People as saith the Apostle to the Hebrews and that it was thereby he did and doth cause them to walk in his Statutes and keep his Judgments then God's Children are not without an Infallible Teacher and Leader in the Things that appertain to their Eternal Salvation But we plainly see and read from the very Letter of the Scriptures that God gives his Spirit or Light within to Judge Lead and Guide and consequently the opposit Doctrine is both false and very pernicious I might further argue thus That if God's Unerring Spirit only enables men to walk in his Statutes and keep his Judgments to do them then since all are required to walk therein none are exempted from a sufficient measure of that Vnerring Spirit in order to it Much might be argued hereon but this shall suffice Ninthly Joel 2. 28 29. And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophesie your Old Men shall dream Dreams your Young Men shall see Visions And also upon the Servants and upon the Hand-maids in those dayes will I pour out my Spirit That this is generally believed and frequently quoted as a Proof of Gospel-Times is well known to most who are inquisitive after Matters of Religion and how hard it bears upon the Anti-spiritual Opinion of our cavelling Adversary though very evident yet we shall further proceed to shew 1. Here is God's Royal Engagement to effuse or pour forth of his blessed Spirit in the dayes of the New Covenant 2. Here is on whom it is to be poured forth exprest in two words ALL FLESH in more words Young and Old Men and Women Masters Mistresses and Servants Mark the Universality of God's Mercy and Grace Now from hence I argue If God's Unerring Spirit be to be poured out on all under the New Covenant and that this is the time thereof then has God poured out of his Vnerring Spirit as aforesaid that the Spirit is to be poured out under the Administration of the Gospel the Text proves that this is the Time he himself confesses pag. 1 12 13 45. therefore the Conclusion is undeniable viz. That God has poured forth of his Holy and Unerring Spirit Again If the Spirit of God is that without which none can obtain Prophesie and Vision and that Prophesie and Vision are Christian-Church Gifts then since the Church of Christ is not to be without Prophesies and Vision to the End of the World it follows she cannot be without an infallible Spirit to the end of the World Or thus If without having the Spirit none can have Prophesie and Vision and that Prophesie and Vision are both to be and to continue in Christ's Church universally then it will naturally follow that she cannot be without that Vnerring Spirit and that such as are cannot in that state be Members of the true Church then consequently Hereticks as concerning the true Faith Tenthly Hag. 2. 5. According to the Word that I Covenanted with you when yee came out of Egypt so my Spirit remaineth among you fear not This place doth very emphatically prove my Assertion concerning the Judgship and Guidance of God's Spirit two things seem clear 1. That it was a part of God's Old Covenant to wit That his Spirit should remain amongst them 2. That the Spirit 's so remaining was to some eminent Service for said the Lord Fear not as much as to say don't faint in your Minds concerning the Work you have to do neither be ye filled with Doubts or Scruples who shall inform us who direct us or we want a Leader in this difficult matter some one to remove our Objections and Fears and to preside or be as Judge among us how to order and regulate us to the doing of the Service expected from us for thus saith the Lord My Spirit remains among you fear not He is sufficient for you He shall teach and counsel you repair to Him advise with him and you shall be supplied with all things necessary for you Don't rebel against my Good Spirit and you are safe it shall be well with you In short If it was a Condition of the Old Covenant That God should accompany his then Children with the Assistance and Presence of his good Spirit and accordingly he testified by his Prophet That his holy Spirit remained among them then much more reasonable it is to believe that the Presence of that Eternal Spirit should continually accompany his Children under the New and Last Testament The first part the Place proves the second is made good by the plain import of the following Prophetick verses where he saith I will shake all Nations and the Desire of all Nations shall come And I will fill this House with Glory and the Glory of this latter House shall be greater then of the former saith the Lord of Hosts How then can it possibly be That God's Evangelical House and Tabernacle should be a dry empty barren erronious man alwayes enquiring but never come to the infallible Knowledge of the only True God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent whom to know by the Revelation of the Eternal Spirit is Life Everlasting Nay who so great who so pernicious Enemies to the transcendent Glory of the latter House and Temple of God as the cavelling Anti-spiritual Men of our Age who are so angry with those that own a Conviction Faith and Worship grounded upon an Infallible Inspiration that their Rage leads them because they feel it not to the utter denying of any such things but I will assure them they shall yet grope in the dark till they come into the daily obedience of the Light and there rest contented to know only as they experience and not from a ravening comprehending Brain that would in its unregenerated state grasp at the clear Mysteries of the Kingdom into which fleshly Comprehensions and Notions can never enter but all must be as unlearned from their first Birth Education and traditional read Knowledge as he is unmanned that is again become a little Child before the Secrets of God's Work come to be made known therefore said our Lord Jesus Christ I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the Prudent and revealed them unto Babes Eleaventhly John 3. 5. Jesus answered Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God This most
weighty Scripture containing the very Work of Regeneration and sine qua non or that only certain Means Condition and Requisit without which there can be no obtaining of Eternal Life and Salvation requires our best notice and consideration in order to which I shall divide the place into these two Heads and briefly raise my Argument thereon 1. Christ's most positive exclusion of all from any Portion in God's Kingdom who were not born again in answer to Nicodemus his carnal Conceit of the impossibility of an old mans entring a second time into his Mothers Womb. 2. That the Birth which all such as would inhererit God's Kingdom should be Witnesses of was and is the Birth of Water and the Spirit upon which I thus proceed to argue If none can Inherit God's Holy Kingdom but those who are regenerated of Water and the Spirit then none can inherit God's Holy Kingdom but such as are cleansed by Water and taught led and guided by God's Holy Spirit The first none can deny that own the Scripture it being but a part of the very verse quoted the second I evidently prove thus If Water and Spirit be the only operative to Regeneration and Regeneration the alone Way to the Kingdom of God then can no man inherit God's Kingdom that is not regenerated neither can any man be regenerated that is not washed by the Water of Life begotten work't formed inspired and acted by that Eternal Spirit to Newness of Life That to be begotten is to be principally guided and acted by that by which any is so begotten I prove No man can live move sensate or act but from the original Heat Life Motion and Action of that which did beget him because the Nature of that which begets being conveyed to the begotten truly renders him begotten or else there were no such thing but every regenerate man is the Begotten of the Eternal Spirit so far as concerns his Renovation or Regeneration therefore every such regenerated man was and is led motion'd and acted by that Eternal Spirit which begot him and consequently the Saints which are the regenerated are not left destitute of an infallible Teacher Judge Rule and Guide amongst them In short We look upon being born of Water and the Spirit to be Our being cleansed from all filthiness and quickened informed ruled and guided by the most pure and perfect Dictates and Operations of God's Eternal Spirit And how a Regenerated man can be made or continue such without the daily Guidance of that Infallible Spirit and the Scriptures kept clear from the Reflection of Contradiction if not gross Error is a Riddle too hard for me to explain and a Task I may without Presumption say too great for our trifling Antagonist to perform Twelfthly John 14. 16 17 18 20. 16. 13. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you forever Even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth Him not neither knoweth Him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you at that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Again Howbeit when he the Spirit of Truth is come be will guide you into all Truth Upon these Divine Passages thus particularly exprest by the Holy Ghost I offer these short Arguments 1. If the Spirit of Truth or most infallible Spirit be God's Gift to his Servants in Gospel times to abide with them forever then are they accompanied with an infallible Spirit but we see the plain Text proves that God gives his Spirit of Truth to his Servants that they might be assisted in all their Wants and therefore they are not without such an infallible Spirit And our Adversary is more to blame to reflect upon the Guidance of an infallible Spirit which is so consonant with the express Letter of a multitude of Scripture Passages then we are because we credit G. F. upon Conviction And if he tells us That unless we believe what our Eyes see of Contradictions as he pretends by him collected out of G. F's Book that he will not believe whatever we shall say or affirm we may on much better Grounds conclude never to believe what he asserts and wholy to decline writing or speaking to him to use his own words if hereafter he will dare to continue in the belief of so Anti-scriptural and Anti-gospel an Apprehension as that there is no infallible Spirit to guide men in the Way of Salvation which is as express and evident from many naked Texts of Scripture as that God is Truth else never did any Writing more delude Mankind because none could be more particular and plain in the Promise and allowance of it But let God and his written Will be true and our Vnspiritual Adversary in his confest Fallible Judgment of us a very Lyar. 2. If the not seeing and knowing of the Spirit of Truth be the Reason rendred by our Lord Jesus why the World receives it not then may we most justly infer that they never saw it neither know it but are of the World who cannot receive it but write against it in reference to its greatest Office viz. Of being the Saints Teacher Leader and Comforter And indeed because the Spirit is not some visible elementary thing that may be seen by their outward Eyes and be comprehended by their dark confused and disputative Brains which is contrary to the Decree and Way of God's manifesting of his Will from the conviction of the least sin to the enjoyment of the highest Glory therefore they dis-regard it as contemptible and dis-believe it as incredible 3. If the Ground of the Saints Knowledge of that Infallible Spirit be the Spirit 's inhabiting them for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you then were they not without that Spirit and consequently they were attended with an infallible Guide within them 4. If the Lord Jesus would not leave them comfortless but though visibly with-drawn yet in a more Spiritual and Invisible manner would come to them again and that at that day they should know that He was in his Father they in Him and He in them Then were his Servants not destitute of an infallible Judge Leader and Guide because they had Him that was the Way Truth and Life to whom all Power and Judgment were committed 5. If both the Spirit of Truth was promised to come and when come to guide into all Truth that is to say that whateve they scrupled were ignorant in or ought to know and practicer with what they were oblieged to reject and testifie against should be by that Eternal Spirit discovered unto them then undoubtedly they were not without an infallible Spirit to Judge Regulate and Guide them in all that concerned Faith Worship and Conversation but the first Proposition is purely Scriptural and therefore the consequent not
deniable by such as own the Divine Truths contained in those Writings Nor is the dint of this to be avoided by saying That these Promises were only to the Apostles and no body denies them to have had all this for if we are to walk as having them for our Examples we are to have the like Sufficiency and Guide Nor does Christ leave the matter there for in his most solemn Prayer to his Father he thus speaks Neither Pray I for these alone but for all them that shall believe on me through their word that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they all may be one in us which how it is possible for those who then believed and us of after Generations to be without being born of and baptized and drunk into the same one Eternal Spirit I know not to believe neither can any man that gives himself the use of his own Understanding Thirteenth Rom. 8. 1 9 14. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit but you are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God 1. If to be brought and kept out of Condemnation men must walk according to the Leadings and Guidings of the Spirit of God and that it is a state unto which Christian men should come then are they not without God's Infallible Spirit to lead and direct them in what Way they ought to walk and consequently the contrary Opinion is perniciously false since such must needs live ever under Condemnation who are so far from walking after the Leadings of God's unerring Spirit that they deny men to have any such thing Again 2. If to have the Spirit of Christ dwelling that is ruling in us be to live no more after the Flesh and not to have that infallible Spirit of Christ ruling in us be to be none of Christ's then both Christian men should not be without Christ's Spirit dwelling in them and such as are without that Spirit are none of Christ's But we plainly see that the Apostle asserts That every man that walks not after the Flesh has that Spirit dwelling in him and is guided thereby and that such as have not the holy Spirit of Christ are none of Christ's therefore it follows That Christian men are led by an Infallible Spirit But 3. If as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God as saith the Apostle then both God's Children are led by an Infallible Spirit and such as are not we utterly deny to have any part or portion in Him notwithstanding their Praying Preaching Writing Reading and Disputing but the plain unaltered words of Scripture testifie that both God has given his good Spirit to lead men into that holy Life Nature and Conversation by which they truly become his Image and Children and that such and we may say only such are his own begotten Children and Heirs of Eternal Glory Fourteenth 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12 14 15. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit teacheth all things yea the deep things of God For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him even so the Things of God know no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the spirit of this World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the Things that are freely given to us of God But the Natural man receiveth not the Things of the Spirit of God for they are Foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discâ—â—ued But he that is Spiritual judgeth or discerneth all things yet he himself is judged or discerned of no man Methinks the bare recital of these pathetical Sayings of the holy Ghost on the matter in controversie might be sufficient Proof for the affirmative of the Question did not our Adversary under all his Pretences of honouring the Scriptures either implicitly deny them their just Authority or by false Glosses disguise and pervert them to his sinister Perswasions and so I proceed as before to offer my Arguments upon them 1. If the Blessed Things which God hath prepared for them that love him are not revealable but by his Spirit and were then thereby revealed as says the Scripture quoted and contex then since there were those at that time who loved God and that there be many now who love God it will Naturally follow That both than and now the Things that God has laid up for such both then were and now are revealed by His Eternal Spirit and consequently God's People are not without a familiar Communion with the Holy Spirit of God 2. If the spirit of a man or humane intelligent spirit be that by which man comes to an understanding of those things that strictly and properly concern him in an humane capacity and that the Spirit of God is that only by which man comes to know the Things of God because the Things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God then it is utterly Impossible for our Adversary himself or any else to obtain the Knowledge of the things of God or His Kingdom but by the pure unmixt Revelation of God's Eternal Spirit from all the Comprehensions Conceivings or Imaginations of mans utmost strength or science For as saith the Apostle the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 3. If the Knowledge of those things that are fecely given of God is only to be had from the Revelation of his holy Spirit then since in every Age from the most primitive Times it has behoved every Christian man to understand those Good and Heavenly Things it follows That it has behoved them and still does all to wait for the Knowledge and Injoyment of those Blessed Advantages which only are revealed by the Eternal Spirit And is not that Science infallible which the Spirit of this World ever was and will be a Stranger too under all its disguised Shews of Religious Worship with which it has deceitfully adorned it self in a way of Scorn of and Opposition to the most Spiritual Appearances of God making good the Apostle's saying For they are but Foolishness unto them To conclude 4. If the Spiritual Man or that Man in whom dwelleth the Spirit of God and who is led by it discerneth and judgeth all things and is not judged or cannot be seen or discerned he being in the Light and the natural man in the dark then is or should God's Holy Spirit be the right Judge Leader and Guide of all because it alone gives true Discerning sound Judgment and leads in the Path of Life Eternal for it searcheth the deep
things of God which all Natural Understanding can never fathom because they are Spiritually to be discerned Fifteenth 1 Cor. 6. 19. What Know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own The Apostle treating of the great nearness that every Believer stands in to the Lord and that Blessed Union which the Dispensation of the Gospel brings to by the putting away the Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit and the Answer of a good Conscience before God in winding up this subject he thus smartly and as if his Query were enough to clear up all that he had to say to them as to their Duty and his Exhortation What know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you From whence I draw this Argument If Believers be the Temple in which the Holy Ghost dwells as evidently speaks the Scripture then are they not left without an Infalible Spirit as Judge Rule and Guide to repair to but it is apparent to sence that the holy Ghost is by the Apostle affirmed to inhabit or take up his abode in believers therefore they must needs be attended with an iufallible Spirit and for what if not the End before-mentioned Sixteenth 1 Cor. 12 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be Bond or Free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit By which Divine Sence of the Apostle we cannot but allow that if they were both baptized by one Spirit into one Body and made to drink into the same Spirit that the Saints were not without an Infallible Spirit since such Baptizing and Drinking do emphatically imply the whole Work of the Spirit in their Regeneration and their daily Union with and intimate Enjoyment of it the whole course of their lives And certainly If by that Eternal Spirit they were baptized ito that one Body Christ It was as impossible for them as Members thereof to live without the Life Vertue and Spirit of Christ Jesus their Head as for any natural Body to live without the same Life Blood Heat and Motion which belongs to its Head And how this man can be esteemed a good Christian who would render Christ Jesus the Head of a Fallible Body by divesting Christians of an Infallible Spirit I leave to Persons of better Judgment more Honesty and greater Moderation then himself to judge Seventeenth 2 Cor. 3. 18. But we all with open Face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. This whole Chapter is an admirable account of the Super-Excellency of the Gospel Administration of Life to that of the Law how far it did transcend it as to all spiritual Knowledge Priviledge and Enjoyment which I desire the Reader seriously to read as well as to consider what is offered from the Verse cited If a Christian's Change into God's Image from Glory to Glory be the Work of the Eternal Spirit in men it follows necessarily That Christians can no more be without the Discoveries Leadings and Orderings of God's Spirit then they can be his Children without his Image since whatever they think say or do in reference to Religion should bear a near Relation to that resemblance of God which above all things they ought to act correspondently with but we see how very expresly and profoundly the Apostle describes the exceeding Blessedness of the New Covenant namely A being changed into the Image of God from Glory to Glory not by our own Notions or Comprehensions from the strength of our natural Reason or any Book without us but by the Spirit of the Lord operating in us therefore God's Children are not without an infallible Spirit unless he should deny God's Spirit to be such which methinks I cannot believe him to do Gal. 3. 3. Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the Flesh If Christians are both to begin and end in the Spirit or if a Christian throughout the whole course of his Life from the first step or measure to the fulness and perfection of his stature is to be informed regulated and guided by the infallible Spirit of God as the Apostle's Reproof of the Galatians for their declining to be ordered thereby evidently proves then Christians ought to begin and end in the Strength Knowledge Wisdom and Guidance of an Infallible Spirit aud consequently that Doctrine which denies such an Unerring Spirit to be the Judge Rule and Guide of Christians is Antichristian Gal. 4. 6. Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts If God sends forth his Spirit into the Hearts of his Children then are they not without an Infallible Spirit but the express Letter of the Scripture affirms it and consequently our Adversary's Reflection upon us for making it part of our Belief is unsound and condemnable Gal. 5. 16 18. This I say then Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh They that walk by the Spirit must first have it and next be led by it but the Apostle exhorted the Church so to walk therefore the Church had and Christians have the Spirit and should walk in or by it that is according to the Motions Leadings and Rule of â—it Eph. 1. 17. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Him If the Heavenly Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of God be through the Spirit then as without Revelation there is no Knowledge of God so without the Spirit there is no divine Wisdom and Revelation And if the Church was attended with that Wisdom and Revelation then with that Spirit from whence they came and consequently Christ's Church is not without that Eternal Vnerring Spirit as saith the Apostle in the 5th Chapter Be not Drunk with Wine wherein is Excess but be filled with the Spirit which signifies the Apostles mind to be quite another thing from the Judgment of our Adversary who thinks All men ought to be empty of it esteeming such as are filled therewith as the Jews did Paul Drunk with New Wine 1 Thes 15 19. Quench not the Spirit If those could not quench the Spirit who had it not then those to whom he gave that Caution had the Spirit consequently the Primitive Churches were not without an Vnerring Spirit because they were not without the Spirit of God which is Unerring 1 John 2. 27. But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no Lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him If the Judge of Truth
he made a fit Tabernacle for the Glorious God to live in Thus is he King of Saints and will he be King of Nations who is God over all Heaven and Earth blessed forever Amen There be two Objections which I fore-see may be made by some to the way I have taken to prove That a Christians Judge Rule and Guide is the Unerring Spirit of God whom I shall endeavour to answer Obj. 1. Though you have said a great deal to prove that Christians should have an Infallible Spirit in general yet you prove nothing distinctly but confound a Judge Rule and Guide together To which I answer Answ 1. That to me there is no more difference then essentially there can be in the Wisdom Justice and Holiness of God which are but so many words that agree to express the Perfection of one and the same Beeing and so that as the one cannot be without the other but the same Eternal Godhead is all and that in all for he is truly Wise in being Just and both in being Holy and back again they are so interwoven that the one goes not without the other thus it is in being a Judge Rule and Guide for that which gives me a right Sense or Judgment of Truth from Error is as well to me a Rule what I should believe or dis-believe and a Guide what I should practice or not practice as at first it was my Judge of what was Truth from what was Error So that the same Informing Convincing Spirit is that Ruling and Guiding Spirit and not a dristinct Spirit or medium by which such as are convinced through the Illumination and Reproof of it are to be ruled and guided in all they believe and practice about Matters relating to God and his Worship Obj. 2. But at this rate you utterly contemn and seclude the Scriptures as having no Part nor Portion in being a Judge Rule or Guide to Christians Answ 2. By no means for though we acknowledge it to be our Principle That the Eternal Spirit who in several Generations hath revealed a great part of the things contained in the Scriptures to be superior to these Writings yet far be it from us forever to deny the absolute necessity of our Conformity to such weighty Christian Truths and Principles as are therein expressed and urged upon the Churches as what are indispensable to eternal Salvation So that we plead not that the Spirit of God should be a Judge Rule and Guide contrary to the Truth declared in Scripture nor yet exclusive of the Scripture but as the holy men of old time were ordered ruled and guided by that Eternal Spirit in reference to those weighty things which the Prophets and Apostles were moved to exhort those of that time to press after so that it is impossible for men now to come into a right Christian-frame and keep therein but by the Spirit 's being their Judge Rule and Guide as he was to the Ancients who trusted in God and obtained a good Report In short The Scripture is much like the shaddow of the true Rule which may give us some ground to guess what the Rule it self is as a Card or Map of a Country how it lies yet not be the very Place it self and in this respect it may be a kind of secondary Rule carrying with it a Testimonial Confirmation that what we are led by is the TRUE SPIRIT because the People of God in old time enjoyed the same as the Eternal Spirit first of all confirms the Divine Authority of the Scriptures unquestionably to us That they are a Declaration of the Will and Pleasure of Almighty God to the Sons of Men in several Ages of the World He that is so inward with a Prince as to know viva voce what his mind is heeds not so much the same when he meets it in Print because in Print as because he has received a more living Touch and sensible Impression from the Prince himself to whose Secrets he is privy And this the Scriptures teach us to believe is a right Christian's State and Priviledge for said the Apostle We have the Mind of Christ and the Secrets of God are with them that fear Him and guide me by thy Counsel and bring me to thy Glory To Conclude The Scriptures we own and the Divine Truths therein contained we reverence and esteem as the Mind and Will of God to men and we believe that they ought to be conformed to according to the true intent of the Holy Spirit therein and we know that all good People will respect them read them believe and endeavour to fulfil or obey them And those who trade neither Ministerially or Controversally with them and are out of that Cleansed Holy and Self-denying State they testifie of and believe it not attainable the Plagues therein declared of shall be their Portion forever I Know that AUTHORIâ—Iâ—â— are of no great force with him but since I writer more one of an expectation of benefit to others on whom this Libel has taken any hold perhaps it may not be unseasonable to subjoyn a few and the rather since we have not only the suffrage of some who are called Socinians whom he pretends to follow but thereby we may justly take occasion to detect him of contradiction to their Sentements whilst one of them 1. Then first Upon that remarkable Place in John where Christ promised to send his holy Spirit Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth c. Those two famous Commentators I mean so accounted by the Romanists Tolletus and Maldonatus and the last very frequently and with great Respect commemorated and quoted by Crellius one of the most redoubted of the Scoinian Party Tollet thus He shall when he is come manifest all those things which ye are not able to bear and to discover to you all that Doctrine that is fit for my Church to believe and practice He shall teach you the compleat Truth and to this end God gives it to the Faithful and to his Church that in Doctrine Life and Government she may inerrably be guided Maldonat Shall lead you into all Truth that is sayes he Discover unto them and to the Church of God all that Truth which is convenient or fit for them to know concerning Salvation Thus says Cyrill Theophil August and Beda too Beza tells us That Protestants believe God to have given his Spirit not only to his Apostles but to his Church that by her Testimony the World may be convinced of Sin that many Consciences may be compelled to confess that they have sinned in not believing on him c. Dr Hammond thus But when the Holy Ghost comes whose Title is the Spirit of Truth he shall instruct you what is to be done which he shall reveal to you And I will ask my Father and he shall send you the Holy Ghost to Interceed Exhort and Comfort and when he is come
is also rendered or yielded forever to his Government Dijudicat quidem omnia id est omnia quae dicuntur cognoscit qualia sint an divina sint an prophana de omnibus judicandi habet facultatem Judgeth all things that is sayes Slichtingius He measureth and knoweth all things that are spoken of what sort soever they may be whether they be Divine or Prophane because he has the Faculty or Gift of right Judgment concerning all things Thus far Slichtingius concerning this place I shall mention one more of this kind and then I shall conclude Crellius upon that passage to the Gallatians God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts further observes Quia in cordibus hominum vim suam exerat Again Spiritus istius operationis est ut nos ex paterno Dei in nos amore certos reddat filialem erga eum fiduciam nobis ingeneret What can we desire beyond this against our Adversary in this Point to prove that the primitive Socinians as they are called believed God to have given and still to give his good Spirit unto Believers as without which they could not neither can be Children of God It is God's displaying his Power in the Hearts of men and it is by the Operation of his Spirit that he makes us acquainted with his Fatherly Love to us who begets in us a filial or Son-like Faithfulness towards him for us Slichtingius on that notable Saying of the Apostle John in his first Epistle and second Chapter But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you commenteth Unctio pro eo quo facta est unctio id est prooleo coelesti qui spiritus est sanctus Again Hic enim erat spiritus istius sancti effectus qui eo fine dabatur ut esset internus doctor veritatis in omnem deduceret veritatem Again Unctio id est spiritus sanctus vos de omnibus docet nempe ad salutem pertinentibus In English thus Vnotion stands for Heavenly Oyl that is the Holy Ghost or Spirit And to this End was the Holy Spirit given that it might become an internal Doctor or Teacher of Truth and lead into all Truth Again The Unction is the Holy Ghost which teaches you all things to wit what pertains to Eternal Salvation Certainly either our Adversary ought to relinquish his great Opinion of these men or else conclude that Enthusiasm or spiritual Motions Revelations Teachings Rulings and Guidings are not things absurd fantastical or inconsistant with Christianity but most agreeable with and suitable to the Nature of it as that without which no man can possibly be a right Christian But neither is Crellius of this mind in his Commentaries only where the weight of Scripture tends him to these Interpretations but in his Book of One God the Father he frequently takes occasion to declare himself I think most plainly I wish he had been as sound and clear in his Understanding of all other Points The Holy Spirit is the Power or Efficacy of God namely that we may explain it which proceedeth from God and issuing unto men doth sanctifie and Consecrate them and produce various and admirable Effects in them which Power and Efficacy of God they are wont to call Divine Inspiration Again That the Holy spirit is given to men by God and that men obtain receive and have him from God by Prayers as numberless places of the holy Scripture shew out of which it is sufficient to have looked into but these few Luke 11. 13. John 7. 39. 14. 16 17. a place by me quoted to the same purpose Acts 5. 32. 15. 8. Cor. 6. 19. By the Holy Spirit in these places is understood Some Divine and Holy Inspiration or some Power flowing from God which is as it were breathed into man Again The Holy Spirit iâ— properly given unto men and not Metonymically nor Metolepsically that is the Gift of the holy Ghost is simply and plainly to be taken as exprest which signification sayes Crellius was not unknown even to the Gentiles themselves although in the mean time they did most grievously 〈◊〉 in the thing taking a false Inspiration for a true one a Davilish for a Divine It would be tedious to instance a fourth part of what he argumentatively writes on this only I will produce a few of those Scriptures which he so understands and applies 2 Cor. 1. 22. 5. 5. Ephes 1. 14. here a Pledge and Earnest are mentioned Neâ—â— sayes he all those places where the Holy Spirit is said to be poured out on men as Isae 44. 3. Joel by us cited chap. 2. 28 29. Zachariah 12. 10. Tit. 3. 6. where sayes he men are said to be baptized in or with it again agree to it that of Christ who in John inviting men to the participation of so excellent a Gift thus saith If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Understand it sayes Crellius of that Living Water which it is manifest is the Holy Spirit Let those places be added says he in which Christ himself is said to be anointed or others are signified to be anointed with the Holy Spirit John 7. 37. Isa 61. 1. Luke 4. 18. Acts 8. 38. Heb. 1. 9. Psal 51. 8. 2 Cor. 1. 1 John 2. 20 21 27. He proceeds to several Arguments upon divers other Scripture-Heads as all Scriptures touching divine Participation not quenching the Spirit the Holy Spirit being sent The Spirit searcheth all things c. But above all I shall conclude his whole Discourse with this one Expression viz. In this we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us his Spirit which we have expressed is both perfect and plainly expresseth the thing given and such indeed as may demonstrate most clearly that God dwells in us in some most singular and divine manner and we in him and that there is a most streight Bond of Love and Conjunction betwixt us and him for how could we be more streightly joyned with him or he with us then when he hath imparted to us of his Holy Spirit Curcellius shall conclude these Testimonies Nec enim desinent fideles esse Templum spiritus sancti nimirum quia Deus in ipsis per spiritum suum habitaret That is Neither do the Faithful cease to be the Temple of the Holy Ghost why because God by his Spirit dwells in them Thus much for the first part of this Discourse I shall now apply my self to the Second which concerns a Vindication of George Fox and his Citation of Scripture from the Reproach and Unworthy dealing of our Adversary A VINDICATION OF George Fox And the TRUTH by him Vindicated Particularly his Quotation of Scripture from the Calumny and Cavil of this LIBELLER WE shall say nothing here of the Disingenuity of the Man
hearts may be enlightned The Arabick thus enlightning the eyes of your hearts The Aethiopick thus and may enlighten the eyes of your heart all agreeing in the Word illuminating or enlightning only one sayes of the heart and the other of the mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is mens or the mind of man which indeed are but so many words to the same purpose Certainly then this word enlighten is not of so dangerous consequence nor inconsonant to Scripture Language as this idle and ignorant Person would render it The like we find in the Epistle to the Hebrews for it is impossible for those being once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illustratos or inshined But sayes Beza illuminati enlightned if they fall away to renew them again c. they change in their cases and words but not sense for to shine in the understanding or lighten the understanding or enlighten it with me are the same that love time better and my own reputation then to loose both by vain conceited distinctions that only show the emtiness of the head from whence they come The like we may read in the tenth Chapter of the same Epistle But call to remembrance the former dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in quibus illuminati in which ye were enlightned sayes Montanus quibus postquam illustrati fuissetis by which ye were shined into sayes Beza that is enlightned say I. To which agree most of the versions made use of in this Discourse whether Oriental or any other Also Zegerus Drusius Grotius and others are wont to give this Interpretation upon it both in their places before mentioned and else-where that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports as much as to enlighten the eyes of mens understandings unto the Knowledge of Christ also to indoctrinate or baptize them into the Knowledge of Evangelical Truths Crellius shall conclude the matter who in his Comment upon that place of the Hebrews saith Illuminati Luce nimirum Evangelica per quam ut Apostolus loquitur Vitam et Incorruptibilitatem Christus illuminavit per quam omnes errores omnem mentis caliginem caecitatem expulit The English Construction is Enlightned that is to say with the Gospel-Light by which as saith the Apostle Christ brought Life and Immortality to Light and by which he expelled all Error and all Darkness and Blindness of Mind Certainly he was for Illumination and such too as is infallible a stumbling block to our Erroneus Adversary and his Brawling associate T. F. By which it evidently appears that not only the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text controverted whether as Verb Adjective or Participle signifies and is used to express what We understand by Illumination or Enlightning and so rendred by Translators and Commentators but also the Holy Penmen have employed it to that very purpose in most of those places throughout the New Testament so called wherein they have treated of Divine Enlightnings Inspirings or Illuminations But after what hath been urged in defence of our use of the Word and for which he impertinently reflects upon G. F. What if I should grant him his two empty Exceptions that are like Wasps without stings viz. Coming to refer to Light and that Lighteth and Enlightneth are different Tearms First as for Coming its referring to Light it would amount to no more then this that being to give an account of the Evangelical Testament and Gospel administration he might tell us that the breaking forth Appearance or coming thereof gave Light to or illuminated all men or God was now fulfilling his Promise by his Son namely that he would pour out of his Spirit upon all flesh that is every one should be enlightned with that blessed Son of Righteousness who then rose in a more extraordinary manner then before Now this being the best use that could be made of referring Coming to Light and not to Man what great matter should We loose by it O say these followers of Biddle and mungrel Socinians but We should get by it for We should thereby be in hopes of shutting Christ out of all pretences to an eternal Divinity by restraining his beginning to Christ's being born of the Virgin By being with God We should have it that he was bodily taken up into the highest Heavens and there personally taught by God upon solemn Conference betwixt them what He should do on Earth where He received his Verbal Commssion and descended And by the Words being God that upon his doing what was commanded him here in the World for his Faithfulness he was godded that is not a God by Nature but by Office by Favour and Acquisition O strange Imagination Be these the men that are not for Meanings Allegories and strained Glosses but the Punctual Litteral Rational Scripturists whose Maxim is No◠credimus quia non legimus We don't believe because we don't read it If G. F. or any Quaker in England had undertaken to have imposed such an Interpretation upon the World in favour of his Belief how inflamed would our Adversaries have been against us and that this Fancy should be the first Corner and Foundation Stone of their Building is very unhappy And I heartily pitty some of the first Inventers of this Notion indeed a very Fiction that being so very rational in some other Principles especially against Infidels Jews Papists and Atheists they should notwithstanding draw a Cloud over the Brightness of their other Labours by the unjustifiable Scandal this one Conceit brings upon them which I verily believe to be boyed up in the Opinions of several by the Reputation that may be due to some other more scriptural and truly rational Doctrines Secondly What if it should contrary to the current of almost all Versions be allowed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Lighteth and not Enlightned For my part I see no other loss in it then that it is not so forceably exprest For man being composed of Soul and Body the Soul is the Interior the Body is the Exterior part of man So that when the Body is lighted by the Sun or any other Fire we may say the External part is lighted about its business or occasions and when the Internal part the Soul is lighted We may in reference to the whole man say He is inlightned or lightned within because the Soul may properly be said to be internal or within or the most hidden and Spiritual part of man Behold then the redoubtableness of this Adversary his Will is good I mean bad as the Apostle saith in a more serious Case To will mischief to us was present with the man but how to perform he knew not yet this pedling Controversist will be doing though as little to purpose as need be Witness one material part of his Observation against G. F. if it hath any matter at all in it viz. that he changed the Phrase and Tense or Time Alas poor man and what then Ergo saith he G. F.
vere sayes he in the Person of the Apostle ego gaudeo de vestro profectu in Christo ita verum est me quotidie paratum mori As I truly rejoyce at your profitting in Christ so true it is that I am daily ready to dye for it is wanting but may be understood To this of Grotius a considerable but nameless English Annotator does agree And let me further add that the Various Lections have it by way of Correction propter not per for and not by And now it may be time for me to tell our Adversary in general and mine in particular that though I don't blush to read his Impertinencies perhaps I am not ingenious enough for such he sayes will he ought at least to be ashamed of writing them and I am truly in pain for him that he should both afflict himself for the poor man has an irksome way of telling his Tale and is fain to churm long before any thing comes and also disturb others with any thing so meanly inviting and little profitting the People To Conclude If any would in short know the plain and honest Reason of our refusing to Swear to omit the many Arguments that might be urged what Glosses might be given or Authorities produced 't is this That as Christ Jesus is the Author of so perfect a Religion that the least Affirmative or Negative be it but Yea or Nay is compleatly and unquestionably true so it is below his Evangelical Righteousness and such as are gathered not only to the belief but possession of it to so much as admit of an Oath as being fitter to be enjoyned equivocating Pharisees then Honest-Hearted Disciples with whom it is the same thing to Lye as to Forswear for an Oath having been made from the Distrust of Honesty in Him that was to take it where the Cause is removed Lyes Equivocations mental Reserves c. the Effects or that extraordinary scrupulous way of Evidence should cease And if any object the Law of the Land or the Ignorance of Magistrates of our Truth and Innocency I Answer The Law is either answered by Truth being spoken or satisfied by an infliction of the same Penalty upon the Lyar that is incurred by a perjured Person we need no Fines Racks nor heavy Imprecations to scare us into Truth-speaking who Believe in Fear and Worship the God of all Truth and that in Spirit and Truth The next abuse of us so far as concerns our Belief belongs to respecting of Persons he calls it our great Doctrine in a way of Reproach and often cavilling not without his wonted Folly at G. F's Wo unto them that are called of Men Master in which he only sayes what is certainly imply'd in Christ's Prohibition which he should have first confuted he undertakes the Refutation of it thus True indeed sayes Christ Be not ye called Rabbi for one is your Master even Christ and all ye are Brethren c. Now I will take the Liberty to argue a little because the Text seems to be so plain on your side first you do restrain it from extinding all Men from being called Master whilst you allow your Servants to call you our Masters because you are their Masters which Exception is not in the Text why may not another call you Masters because you have Servants and are Masters I Answer First then he has broke his word with us which in plainer English is he has told us a Lye in assuring us at the beginning He would deal with us neither from Scripture nor Reason and yet undertakes both Certainly he is ill able to maintain Right Swearing that is wanting in True Speaking or writing at least We may well suppose his Evidence so much boasted of has left him now that he betakes himself to Scripture and Reason for defence but considering how little they will prove friendly to his Cause he is no otherwise to be complained of for Breach of Word then that the Will may be accepted for the Deed. But next The Text also must be blamed Why may an honest-hearted man say Because upon our Adversaries Principles it seems to be against mens being called Rabbi and yet is not Strange â—rreverence to Holy Writ What make it say one thing in most express termes as much as Thou shalt not Steal and yet mean the quite contrary Who makes it their Rule now We or our Adversary But let 's examine his Meaning and he is so absurd that I am confident I have heard a better Argument out of Bedlam however let us once more repeat it If you call men Masters that are really your Masters why may you not call your very Servants Masters if they have Servants which is as much as to say If you call men Masters that are really your Masters why should not you call other men Masters though they are not really your Masters O I but they are other men's Masters are they Then let other men call them so For there is no more Reason that we should call other Men Masters that are not our Masters because they are really some bodies Masters then that 〈◊〉 should call other men Fathers and Servants and other Women Wâ—â—es that are not our Fathers Servants nor Wives because they are really Fathers Servants and Wives to other Persons We can call Him Master Father Servant or Her Wife who really is so to us but in doing it otherwise we believe we should Err. A Master and Father of old I confess to have signified a Religious as well as Civil Honour I mean Sect-Masters among the Jews but since both are as well repugnant to common Truth as the Christian Religion we renounce the Title and are the rather so to do because of that great Thirst which this Age as well as that in which our Lord so severely reproved it has after that very Vanity Deceit and Wickedness and this simple honest Practice and Zeal for it we are not ashamed to have weighed in the Ballance of God's Sanctuary against all the flattering cringing Customs of Personal Respect whether by Word or Gesture now practiced in the VVorld VVell But he is of the mind that the Scripture is not a little for him since the Apostle both in his Epistle to the Ephesians and in that to the Collossians exhorts Fathers not to provoke their Children and Masters to give what was equal to their Servants in which the poor man is as much besides himself at least the matter as in all the rest for he might as well argue against what he takes for granted viz. That we refuse not to call such Masters as really are our Masters as to suppose we deny that an Apostle or Minister of Christ might not exhort the Fathers of Children to be tender to them and Masters of Servants to be just to them Certainly none can be so stupid as to imagine that the Apostle called them Fathers and Masters in a way of Title or upon singular Respect We may as
They were Brethren as being of the same Blood and Fathers as Elders of the Tribes under that particular Constitution Besides both his own and if Married his Wifes Fathers and Grand-Fathers might be then living and either of the Council or concurring with it In short We therefore refuse the style of Master and are very cautious of being in the least lavish in Titles of Worldly Honour because We with Lamentation behold through the Illumination of God's blessed Light the Spoil Cruelty and manifold Evils that Proud Flattering Honour-seeking and Honour-giving Spirit has made amongst the Sons of men who to compass unjust Dominion hath sacrific'd the Blood Wealth and Peace of Nations to its ambitious aims and esteem'd it no small accession to the Magnificâ—nce of its exploits that almost in all Ages she hath led the Rights Properties and Persons too of Millions as Captives in Triumph after her and through the Gulf of Rapine and Blood laneâ—t into the vast Ocean of unlimited Power What Impiety is there in the World that may not in some sence be resolved into that of Pride or Covetousness after Honour as its proper Center Mens over-value of themselves and their Displeasure against such as have not the like thoughts of them beget Revenge which taking its opportunity breaks forth into Blood and Murder O! let men learn to dread the Living God and fear all their dayes before him and that will sweep the mind of these vain thoughts and bring it from such exalted conceits and its insatiable Thirst after Honour and will establish it in the Humility and Lovely Plainness of a Meek and Quiet Spirit which is of great Price in the Sight of the Almighty God which because the World is not adorned with but doth both seek and give wordly Honour and Personal Respect whilst perhaps such entertain deadly Hatred against each other and resolve one anothers Ruin for outward Ends we are constrained by the Meek and Lowly Spirit of Christ Jesus our Lord to testifie against the World's Vain Honours and to hold forth an Example to them what they must all expect to come to before they can receive that Honour which is from God And this is that Honest Reason why We of this Age do with Elihu say We know not how to give flattering Titles for in so doing our Maker would soon take us away Thus much in Answer to his Cavills whose Emptiness might have been enough to sound out their own indesert of any but for the sake of the Honest-Hearted I have said some thing enough for the place and occasion If any desire further Satisfaction they may please to peruse a Book entituled No Cross No Crown and the Serious Apology for the Principles and Practices of the People called Quakers pag. 139 140 141 142. which with several others sufficiently vindicate both our Principle and Practice in this particular as also others of the same Nature and tendency His fourth Fling at us is about Womens Sâ—aking in the Church in which point he would seem to Triumph not a little over G. F. Let your Women keep Silence in the Churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak bnt they are commanded to be under Obedience as also saith the Law And if they will learn any thing let them ask their Husbands at home for it is a shame for Women to speak in the Church 1 Cor. 14. 34 35. Here if the Apostle sayes he doth not command Silence to Women by Sex in those cases wherein he allows men by Sex to speak I understand nothing that is written But G. F. pag. 380. sayes Now the Woman here hath an Husband to ask and not usurp Authority over the Man but Christ in the Male as in the Female who redeems from under the Law and makes free from the Law that man may speak c. Now if we may take Liberty to expound the Scripture thus it will be a Nose of wax that may be turned which way we please Besides it seems to be built upon a misreading of Husband for Husbands because Christ who is but One is made the Husbands that must be asked at home So one of your Authors saith But what Husbands have Widdows to learn of but Christ And was not Christ the Husband of Philip's four Daughters and may not they that learn of their Husbands speak then But before I go any further it may be observed how very slight his return is to G. F's Sense of the place and especially that though he quotes another Friends Query on the matter he never offers to give it any Answer and I am really perswaded he was confounded by it However why is it so abusive of the Scripture to say that which the Scripture saith it self Are not the Spirits of Believers properly the Lambs Bride as being the â—â—ue Church to which he is a Bridegroom and â—f which he is the Head Methinks he must never have read or at least have forgot what he read in the Scriptures of Truth who denies this If so then why is it Improper or Abusive as he calls it to say that when Mens Spirits of themselves especially in the unlearned State speak it is that Woman which is forbidden to speak of her self since the Context saith that though they may all speak one by one yet it is if any thing be revealed to them which because that cannot be without Christ reveal it whom the Father hath ordained to be his eternal Word by which to declare to man the invisible things of his Kingdom it follows that it is Christ the Bridegroom and Husband of his People who by his Power speaks through his People to the Edification of his Body And as the Woman is the Weaker Vessel so is Man in comparison of Christ and therefore may not unfitly be accounted a Woman from his comparative imbecillity So that as Christ Presides or Governs in the Assemblies of his People it may be rather said the Man thâ—â— is the Bridegroom and Husband of his People speaks in them and by them then they themselves who without him are but as the Strength of a Woman and it being her place to yield to the Soveraignity of her Lord and Husband to whom is ordained the Rule she ought to receive the Law from his mouth who is the everlasting High-Priest and Prophet of his People But now suppose I should yield it to him that the Apostle chiefly intended the Words in a Literal Sense and not so mystically as we have already discours'd will it therefore be untrue mystically by no means it is frequent to find both a mystical and literal Sense in the same passage as when the Evangelist alludes to Isaiah's Prophecy Chap. 5. 3. proving it to be fulfilled by Christ's bodily Cures which is true in that Sense yet hath one more inward and mystical But to be short I utterly deny from the Literal Text that Women are prohibited to preach singly as Women or of that Sex
and for no other Reason and consequently that some Women may preach which I prove thus If the Apostle had Companions and Fellow-Labourers in the Gospel that were Women then we ought to believe that all Women as Women only were not by him denyed to speak in the Church But the Apostles had Female Fellow-Labourers in the Gospel therefore not all Women but some Women only are excluded That he had such Companions he himself is Witness I commend unto you Romans Phâ—be our Sister which is a Servant of the Church which is at Cenchrea Great Priscilla and Aquila my Helpers in Christ Jesus Again Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa who labour in the Lord Salute the Beloved Persis which laboured much in the Lord who were all Women Aquila excepted Next If the Prophecy of Joel refer to the Times of the Gospel in which God promised To pour out of his Spirit on all Flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophecy c. as is remembred and so applyed by Peter when the holy Ghost was poured forth at Jerusalem then Women were not exempted as Women from the Gift of the Holyâ—Ghost and Prophesie thereby But it was never yet questioned by any that I know and therefore Women as Women are so far from being excluded that they are to partake of the Promise as well as Men. Again If Anna preached to the People in the Temple at Jerusalem the Glorious Day of Israel ' s Redemption as may be read in Luke and if Philip's four Daughters were Prophetesses and if Priscilla expounded to Apollo as well as her Husband the Way of God more perfectly even at that time when he was a Preacher among the People as may be read at large in the Acts then say I with good Reason Women as Women are not denyed by the Apostle to Teach and Instruct in the Wayes of God But the Scripture evidently proveth That such Women there have been and consequently Women as Women are not prohibited And methinks the Place urged by him against it clearly intimates as much For the Apostle is not treating in that Chapter who or what Sex shall Prophesie and what not but of that Order and Decency which such as Prophesie ought to observe For when he said You may all Prophesie one by 〈◊〉 if it had been asked Who Men or Women doubtless he would have answered All or every one provided any thing be revealed to you So that then this Prohibition of the Apostle extends only to their Disorder in the Church occasioned by their Ignorance which put them upon the proposing of their Doubts and Scruples unseasonably that is such of them as were Vnlearned and not an Anna a Priscilla a Tryphena a Tryphosa or a Beloved Persis who Preached Israel ' s Redemption and Expounded the Way of the Lord and were Fellow-Labourers in the Work and Gospel of Christ So then the words are to be read thus I permit not an Vnlearned or Ignorant Woman to speak in the Church and if she will learn any thing let it be at Home of her Husband for 't is a Shame that such a Person should be suffered to trouble the Church with her Vnseasonable and Vnlearned Questions And to this sense Grotius himself does more then encline as may be read in his Annotations upon this very place sayes he Intelligendum vero cum exceptione afflatus Prophetici diximus supra It is alwayes to be understood with an Exception to Prophetick Motions or Inspirations as we said before which implies a plain Contradiction to the Opinion of our Adversary who vainly supposeth That Women as Women are exempted Again he tels us That such Women are the Subjects of the Apostle's Discourse who being Ignorant and not well understanding what may have been spoken by the Teacher in the Congregation was not to interrupt the Speakers Ne interrumpant loquentes sed Mares Domus suae interrogent qui aut respondebunt exse aut consulent peritiores but ask their Husbands at Home who will either answer themselves or consult those who may be more experienced Thus much on this Particular and I believe enough to reconcile all sober minds to the serious Exhortations and Reproofs as well of Good and Holy Women as Men who are also Witnesses of his Resurrection who was Dead but is Alive and lives forever Scriptures Socinianiz'd I Shall now attend his Sophistication of several Scriptures in which his Displeasure against G. F. comes not from his ardent Love to any common Principles which he has hitherto seem'd to militate for but his great Regard to Socinianism both against G. F. and them The first is his Exception to G. F's Citation of that Scripture And have put on the New Man which is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of Him that created him where G. F. puts Them for Him making the Saints the Antecedent to Them whereas the New Man is the Antecedent to Him and shows that the New Man is created which G. F. is not willing to allow for he corrects his Adversary for saying The Light is a Creature which is to say Christ who is called the Light is here called a New Man and such a one as is created and consequently is not God but a Creature A Doctrine that well becomes our Adversary To which I Answer That the New Man who is there said to be created is put in opposition to the Old Man mention'd in the Verse before who is thus described by the Apostle But now you also put off all these Anger Wrath Malice Blasphemy Filthy Communication out of your Mouth Lye not one to another seeing that ye have put off the Old Man Which shews he meant by the Old man those Habits and Customs of Evil which were almost become Natural that they were before addicted to and consequently that the New Man was the inward Regeneration or New Creation of the Soul Mind and Spirit with the Inclinations and Affections thereof so that the Image of the New Man may be created or begotten in Believers and on that account be called the New Man but not that Christ Jesus is the created New Man For it is he by their own Principle That Creates all things New in the Heavenly World of the Gospel who having all Power begets his People into a New State renewing them in all Divine Knowledge after the Image or that they may be the Likeness of him that created him that is that Image for nothing can be renewed that was not lost but Christ was never lost to speak properly in our Adversary's sense as well as ours but the Image of Christ has been lost almost from the Foundation of the World Therefore it is not Christ but his Image that is renewed and anew created So that if G. F. did put Them for Him it is not false for to create them anew in his Image or a new Image in them is all one and the words will bear it that Christ creates
pressed thereby as a Cart is with Sheaves and that since the Foundation of the World 4thly He quotes G. F. thus The Promise is to the Seed the Seed is Christ and Christ is all and in all To which he sayes The Apostle has it thus And when all things shall be subdued unto Him then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him that God not Christ may be all in all He could not have doâ—â— greater Injury to the Holy Spirit 's words then to put Christ for God It will not be hard to clear this Mistake in our Adversary and that to his great Shame For who will think him fit to mannage Controversies that is ignorant in the very letter of the Scripture It is evident that he denies Christ to be all and in all and that G. F's so asserting him to be is the Cause of his Cavil at him Now hear what the Apostle sayes in the matter Col. 3. 11. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is All and in All And if Christ be All and in All and he that is All and in All be the True and Living God then because Christ is All and in All Christ is the true and Living God Now who has done the Injury G. F. to the Holy Writ or this obstinate and peevish Adversary to Christ Jesus the only Lord of Glory 5thly His next Socinian Clash at G. F's Citation of Scripture is in the same Page with the former and it is at his saying God is the Word instead of the Word was God adding That though the Word was made Flesh or was Flesh yet no considerate man will say that Flesh is the Word A great deal of do for fear Christ should be God but from this notable Distinction of his we are not without a Relief If the Word was God and the Word be God then God must needs be the Word that is If he that is called God be the same Being with him that is called the Word then God may as well be called the Word as the Word may be called God for instance If Christ and Jesus agree equally to one and the same Being what is the difference betwixt saying Jesus was Christ or Christ was Jesus Certainly we may justly say of him what he in a way of Reflection sayes of G. F. Methinks he is more Nice then Wise And for his Instance about the Word 's being made Flesh that is sayes he was Flesh I deny his Paraphrase for it is neither properly to be read was made Flesh nor was Flesh but rather The Word took Flesh and pitcht his Tent or Tabernacle in us Thus Clarius and almost all agree It to import a more Spiritual signification so Erasmus and Grotius especially and for the Ancients they were positive Ireneus Justinus Tertullianus Origen c. but above the rest Tertullian adv Praxeam but this is not so very material to the Point However if the very Word had become very Flesh I mean visible to Carnal Eyes it would not be inconsiderate in any man to say then Flesh is or was the Word and if our Adversary understood himself he would perceive that there would be only a Transposition of words and no material Alteration For that which is now Flesh or as the Hebrews have it Man is the Word as that which is God is also the Word But enough for this only we may observe by the way that the Man is not so hearty an Enemy to Transubstantiation as he would have us believe pag. 44. who can think the Word was properly made Flesh 6thly His Objection against G. F. for joyning Christ with God saying His Father and He are greater then all is Irreverent and Frivolous For who dares deny it and what abuse is it to Scripture Sure I am his saying so and that without any Reason shews him to be a man of Unreasonable Confidence 7thly He is angry that when G. F. mentions this Passage To whom every Knee must bow and Tongue confess to the Glory of God that he adds not Father I could not have believed that any man who loves Seriousness should bestow his Time so idlely Is this the earnest and deep Study â—e talkt of by which he hopes to obtain Divine Knowledge But sayes he Why did he not add the term Father to God nor insert that Jesus Christ is Lord But the truth of this Scripture consists not with their Doctrine that the Father and Son are one I confess it is somewhat hard to understand what he would be at but let it suffice that he who is called God is called Lord above an Hundred times therefore one to which Christ Himself bears Record I and my Father are one my Father worketh hitherto and I work for whatsoever things he doth those doth the Son To us a Child is born to us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon His Shoulders and his Name shall be called Wonderful Councellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace the same Power Spirit Light Life Wisdom and Being forever 8thly His next Antichristian Cavil is at G. F's making the Holy Spirit as well to proceed from the Son as from the Father The Scripture runeth thus But when the Comforter is come the Spirit of Truth whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceeds from the Father He shall testifie of Me But sayes he according to G. F. thus Christ is in the Father and the Father in Him and He will send them the Comforter that proceeds from the Father and the Son and for this quotes an Epistle writ by G. F. and J. S. and prefixt to G. W's Book of the Divinity of Christ It is past my skill to understand the Difference unless it be this That the Spirit he makes to proceed as well from the Son as from the Father and so it doth if I understand Scripture for the place it self saith it But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father which shews that not only God but Christ also sends forth the Holy Spirit into the Faithful Also But if I depart I will send Him unto you He shall not speak of Himself but whatsoever He shall hear He shall glorifie me and shall shew it unto you And when he had said this Peace be unto you my Father hath sent me even so send I you He breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost In short If the Holy Spirit be sent by Christ and received of Christ and is breathed on His by Christ then the Spirit must needs proceed or come from Christ and consequently what G. F. said is sound and Scriptural and our Adversary's Clamours are Vain and Envious For whilst he quotes G. F's calling upon Vincent Danson and
But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the Thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose Goings forth have been from of Old from Everlasting the Hebrews phrase it from the dayes of Eternity Mich. 5. 2. Observ 4. Where we have and for but Ephratah not quoted though thou be little for thou art the least among the Princes for among the Thousands out forth and shall come a Governour that shall Râ—le my People Israel we have for shall he come unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose Going forth have been from of Old from Everlasting For it is written in the Law of Moses Thou shalt not muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn 1 Cor. 9. 9. Thou shalt not muzzle the Ox when he treadeth out the Corn Deut. 25. 4. Observ 5. In this Passage we also have an addition and alteration the Mouth of the Ox for the Ox and that treadeth for when he treadeth c. which though all one in sence yet had been matter of Crime enough against G. F. had he but made the same alteration Of this man's Seed that is David the Son of Jesse hath God according to his Promise raised unto Israel a Saviour Jesus Acts 13. 22. And there shall come forth a Rod out of the Stem of Jesse and a Branch shall grow out of his Roots Isa 11. 1. Observ 6. The great Difference of which I mean as to expression one would think might sufficiently justifie G. F. and I believe will in the Judgment of all such as reverence the Scriptures of Truth for I don't see that there be four words alike yet the sence one Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in Victory Oh Death where is thy Sting Oh Gravâ— where is thy Victory 1 Cor. 15. He will swallow up Death in Victory Isa 25. 8. Oh Death I will be thy Plagues Oh Grave I will be thy Destruction Hos 13. 14. Observ 7. The alteration here is manifest also Death is swallowed up for He will swallow up Death and Oh Death where is thy sting for Oh Death I will be thy Plagues c. We shall conclude with one more out of the Epistle to the Hebrews But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is forever and ever a Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom Heb. 1. 8. Thy Throne O God is for forever and ever the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a Right Scepter thou lovest Righteousness Psal 45. 6 7. Observ 8. Here we have A Scepter of Righteousness iâ— the Scepter of thy Kingdom for The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a Right Scepter Thus beside many more places past over for brevity sake have I made it evidently appear that G. F. cannot be accused by any that would not accuse Christ Jesus and his Apostles themselves as to Mis-citation of Scriptures if their not Citing of these express words may be justly so reputed which though I utterly reject it yet since our Adversary hath made it a Crime so capital in G. F. it may not be â—â—seasonable to offer That he doth inevitably conclude Christ Jesus and his Apostles under the same Fault which how suitable soever it may be to his Religion we have more Godly Fear and Reverence upon our spirits then to so much as admit of any the least Detraction from them any where and least of all would our Understandings let us in this Occasion But what if we were unable to render those obvious Reasons already offered Would it follow that G. F. must necessarily be condemned as a Perverter of Scripture and as having censured others for that wherein he is as inexcusable himself By no means For it is granted on all hands that what most of all aggravates the Blame of any Dispuâ—â—nt is erring from or falling short of or contradicting his own avow'd Principles This was the Case of the Priests G. F. disputed against but not his They say That the Scriptures or Writings of the Holy Men of God as they are transmitted to us with every Point Iota or parcel of them are such a Sufficient Infallible Perspicuous and Constant Rule as that God hath not left or given unto men any thing more clear certain c. But G. F. and we who are called Quakers although we heartily acknowledge the Scripture so given forth to be a Declaration of the Mind of God so far as it pleased him to discover it and that men ought to believe read obey and fulfil them as the Ancients did yet that the Eternal Spirit is by way of Excellency the Rule and Guide of Christians who convinceth the World of Sin reproves for and redeems from it into the perfect Liberty of the Sons of God as received and obeyed And this only gives the Knowledge of the Truth of the Scriptures and brings into those States of which the Scriptures are but a Godly Narrative And that this Infallible Living Divine Spirit is therefore the most Certain and Unerring Rule above and beyond the meer Letter which hath been and is subject to any Miscarriages Wherefore G. F. had good Reason to put the Priests upon Scripture Proof and that so critically as that they might not foyst in any Doctrines upon Abstruse and disputable Consequences of their own drawing but grounded on express Texts of Scripture For if they defended the Scriptures in every Iota to be the very Word of God and only standing Rule of Faith Worship and Conversation under the Gospel it was but reasonable in him to tye them to their own Rule whilst on the contrary G. F. not believing them to be that alone most excellent standing Rule of Christians however he might otherwise esteem them as rightly believing That not a Law engraven on Tables of Stone much less writ on Paper but an invisible Spiritual Law of Life writ in the Hearts and Consciences of Men and Women was and is the Great Living Infallible and Perpetual Gospel-Rule he was not confined to the very express Words and Points thereof as his Rule So that there is not there cannot be the same Reason for reproving G. F. of what they are most deserving of severe censure Nay G. F. is very excusable in what they by their own Principle are condemnable And therefore he cannot be upon the same terms with them For it would be to say that because I obliege a man with strictness to his own Rule therefore I am an Impostor if I do not as precisely square my self by the same which is to beg more then becomes a Modest Man to ask or a Reasonable Man to grant for it is the very thing controverted Whether that Light Life Power and Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures at several times on several Occasions be that only Infallible Rule of Christians or the Letter so subject to variety of Corruptions Additions Diminutions c.