not but it may be what is here wanting is supplied by his Apology But if his meaning be that he leaveth this testimony to convince that light of Christ which illuminateth every mans conscience than it seemeth that light of Christ hath need of his information and that notwithstanding thereof conscience may refuse to receive his doctrine and information so that this light of Christ though it enlighten the conscience cannot captivate the same to a kindly submission to that Gospel which he preacheth till some other thing worke But seing he leaveth this his testimony to be pondered and considered by the light of Christ which enlighteneth every mans conscience and thereby granteth that every man hath this Supream light of Christ within him and thereby may and is allowed by him to judge of what he saith he cannot be offended that I judge by all that light of Christ within enforming my soul and conscience from that light of Christ which is held forth in the Scriptures of truth and determine accordingly against his Assertions CHAP. II. Of the true ground of Knowledge 1. HAving thus considered his Preface with which he ushereth-in his Theses I come now to a particular examination of his doctrine expressed in his Theses and vindicated and explained in his large Apologie His first Thesis which is concerning the true ground of Knowledge is short wherein he tels us that seing our chiefe happiness is placed in the true Knowledge of God for this is life eternal that they might know that true God Ioh. 17 3. the true and genuine understanding of the right original and ground of Knowledge is especially necessary to be known and believed 2. Christ indeed in his prayer Ioh. 17 3. speaketh to his Father thus And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent which last words why this man did leave out and his c. added in his second edition is but a small reliefe who can tell if of designe it must be a bad Omen and giveth small ground of expectation of a full and satisfying discovery of that knowledge of â—od which is through faith in Jesus Christ and is thereby begun felicity here and leadeth forward to the certane fruition of God However Christ hereby giveth us to understand that that knowledge of God which is eternal life begun cannot be had without the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as the sent Ambassadour of God in whose face and manifestations God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness shineth into the hearts of his owne to give the light of the knowledge of his glory 2 Cor. 4 6. Our Lord doth not meane here a bare speculative knowledge but such a knowledge and beholding of the glory of the Lord as changeth the beholder into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3 18. and so is accompanyed with Faith apprehending and closeing with the Son in whom is this eternal life so that he who hath the Son hath life 1 Ioh. 5 11 12. And it is this Son of God who must give us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life 1 Ioh. 5 20. And another foundation or original of knowledge that is saving and the way to eternal life can no man lay 1 Cor. 3 11. 3. It is good and necessary I confess to have the genuine and true understanding of the right original and ground of this true and saving knowledge But whether this mans doctrine hath a genuine tendency thereunto or not the sequel will evince I am far mistaken if after tryal his doctrine prove not a perverting of the Gospel of Christ Gal. 1 7. and of the right wayes of the Lord Act. 13 10. and contradictory to that Gospel whereby life and immortality is brought to light 2 Tim. 5 10. and which is the Gospel of Salvation Ephes. 1 13. 4. We might readily think that one taking upon him with no small confidence to teach the whole world and to give a new discovery of pure and naked truth which hitherto hath been as he supposeth darkened and obscured and who openly declareth in the beginning of his doctrine that the genuine understanding of the right originâ—l knowledge of that God whom to know is life eternal is necessary to be known and believed should explaine to us some hidden mysteries of God and help us by his new grounds to some more distinct apprehensions of what is revealed to us of God in his word But alas this mans ignis fatuus is no sure guide to us The grounds he layeth down are both defective and destructive Of their destructive nature we will have large occasion to speak hereafter and how defective they are a few Instances may clear 5. And first Seing he would hold forth to us clear and naked truth and acquant us with true divine and saving knowledge how cometh it to passe that in his Theses we heare nothing of the nature and attributes of God Supposeth he that we can attaine to the true and saving knowledge of God and yet not know Him to be a Spirit Pure and Invisible without a Body Parts or Passions nor know that He is the only True and Living God Infinite in Being and in all Perfection Shall we think that it is no part of that knowledge of God wherein consisteth true felicity to know Him to be Immutable Immense Eternal Incomprehensible Almighty Most Holy Most Absolute Most Just Most Righteous Most Wise Most Gracious and Long-suffering c. Is it no part of the genuine knowledge of God that tendeth to life to know that He hath all Life Glory Goodness and Blessedness in of Himself c. and that He is the sole Fountaine of all Life Glory and Goodness which the Creature partaketh or is capable of and the only Author of their being what for a knowledge of God must that be in which all felicity consisteth whereof the knowledge of these particulars mentioned shall make no part And if he thinketh that the knowledge of God doth of necessity comprehend the knowledge of these particulars how cometh it to passe that in his Most comprehensive Theses and his large Apology too which hold forth as he would make us believe that knowledge which leadeth unto life eternal there is such a deep silence of these so many particulars so necessary to be known and beleeved It concerneth him to answere this 6. Next Shall we think that it is no necessary part of this saving knowledge of God to know that there is one God in Essence and Three distinct persons in the Unity of the God head of one Substance Power and Eternity viz God the Father being of none neither Begotten nor Proceeding God the Son eternally begotten of the Father and God the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding
Thinks he that we beleeve not that there is one faith But what reasoning is this There is one faith Therefore faith hath but one Object what object meâ—neth he Formal or Material Oâ—ject if the first we grant thâ—t alwayes in all ages the formal Object of faith divine was the Truth and Veracity of God as to things beleeved and hâ—s Supream Legislative Authority as to acts of Obedience If he mean the Material Object he speaketh nothing to the purpose because he must here speak of the Object he spoke of in the foregoing Proposition and of none other And yet the man as ignorantly as a childe talketh in the following words of the Material Object for to prove that the Fathers had the same object of faith that we have he adduceth Abraham's faith and the Fathers drinking of the same rock which was Christ 1 Cor. 10. and yet all that drank of that water had not saving faith in Christ whereby he can meane nothing but the same Material Object which we grant to have been the same as to the substance But I would know what he would say of the Material Object of Adam's faith before the fall Was Christ thaâ— Object No certanely and yet Adam had a divine Faith And after this discourse of the Material Object he concludeth rarely and profoundly that the Object of their faith and ours is the same viz. Inward and Immediat Revelation which before he called the formal Object of faith Is this man fit enough to boast all the learned men of Europe who cannot distinguish betwixt the Formal and Meterial Object of Faith who would not pity such an Ignoramus that yet is so confident as if all the wit and learning of Europe were nothing to this rare undâ—rstanding Thinketh he that none of his Readâ—rs were able to observe this master piece of Ignorance and Confusion The same line of Confusion is drawne over the rest of that paragraph for he citeth Gal 1 16. which he may apply to both then he citeth Heb. 13 7. which only speaketh of the Material Object and then he tels us that the diversity of administrations alters not the object what object He addeth a reason that would seem to plead for the same formal object for otherwise saith he God should be knowne some other way than by the Spirit But his next reason is most rare all actions are specified from their Objects saith he These things need no further examination to rehearse them is more than enough so exotick and non-sensical are they 26. But at length he would seem to speak some thing more to the purpose when he saith That such as deny this Proposition of his make use of a distinction granting that God cannot be known but by the Spirit but withal denying that this knowledge is Immediat and Inward because it is by the Scriptures But the same Confusion is continued for we know not whether he speaketh of the Formal Object of faith or of the Material If he mean the Formal I know no man that saith that the Scriptures are the formal Object of Faith but that they containe the material object and express the veracity and authority of God which is the formal object and so are at most but a part of the formal Object If he mean the Material object who granteth that the Spirit is that That the Spirit is what the Scriptures say he is and doth what the Scriptures say he doth is I grant a part of the Material Object of our Faith It may be that through ignorance he falleth upon another question here than his Proposition gived clear ground for and would discuss this question whether the Scriptures containe all that is necessary for us to believe unto salvation or must we have new Revelations making known to us what we ought to believe or what we ought to do in reference to salvation together with this and so still there shall be confusion whetheâ— the Lord doth now Instruct us Inwardly and Immediatly as of old he manifested his minde to the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles or doth he it Mediatly by the Word Ordinances Publick private which he hath appointed for this end But the man walketh in the dark all alongs either through ignorance or worse Waving what he here denyeth concerning Scriptures till we come to examine his next Thesis let us here see what he undertaketh to prove we are here to prove sayes he That the Christians now a dayes no less than of old are led inwardly and immediatly by the Spirit after the same manner though it may be not all together in the same measure Here still nothing but confusion and darkness For 1 How all the People of God of old were led by the Spirit he hath not shewed or what way they were led Inwardly and Immediatly was the privilege of a few Patriarchs and Prophets common to them all were none of them led by the Spirit in an Ordinary way by the Teachings and Information of others the Spirit by his grace and efficacious Operation inwardly concurring were none of them Taught and Instructed by the Ordinances of God established among them and blessed by the Spirit 2 We know not what he meaneth by this Inward and Immediat Leading whether that which is Ordinary and Common to all saints whereby the Spirit dâ—th Efficiently and Powerfully draw determine the soul to a compliance in Faith and Obedience with the will of God revealed in his law and to a right Improvement of his Ordinances which He hath established in his House and Church for building up of his People in their most holy faith or that which is Extraordinary and peculiar to a few whereby for the good of others and their further instruction he was pleased in a singular manner to Communicate his minde and to Reveal Immediatly what others were to beleeve and to do If he meanâ— this last we shall attend his proofs If he first he beateth the winde and fighteth against his own shadow 3. We know not what he meaneth by the same measure of which he speaketh so doubtingly Sure as to the light of saving Knowledge and as to the Object of faith there is much more clear discovery thereof under the New Testament than was in the time of the Old Testament as Paul proveth 2 Cor. 3 concluding vers 18. But we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord And as the whole Gospel evinceth See Ephes 3 9. 1 Pet. 1 10 11 12. Act. 2 14-20 Luk. 7 28. From all which it is manifest that we cannot understand what it is which he would prove and what his Arguments must conclude 27. Yet let us see what his reasons are He adduceth § 10. these promises of Christ Ioh. 14 16 17 20. and 16 13. and hence would clear to us three particulars First That the Comforter and the Spirit
some other Abomination lurking under this To wit That this manifestation of the Father by the Son is not to be understood of a Gospel Manifestation but of a Natural Manifestation had in and by the works of Creation and so not of a Manifestation peculiar to the Church and people of God but of a Manifestation common to Heathens and all without the pale of the Church otherwise he shall hereby destroy what afterward he laboureth to build viz. the Universality of this Manifestation But whoever considereth the Scriptures by us cited shall finde that Christ meaneth a manifestation and declaration of the Father in and by the Gospel and Gospel Ordinances to the destruction of this mans Universality 9. He cometh § 6. to the clearing of his second Proposition viz. That there is no knowledge of the Son but by the Spirit And who will deny this as to that Knowledge which is truely and eventually saving of which Saving Certane and Necessary Knowledge his Proposition is to be understood as himself expresly showeth us with an Observandum and 1 Cor. 2 11 12. 12 3. whereby he proveth this are cleare enough but I see not the necessity of adduceing as a proof hereof Revel 3 20. behold I stand at the door c. Yet beside this Saving knowledge there is a Literal knowledge had by the common gifts of the Spirit which is also true in its kinde and though as to any Saving Effect it be Ineffectual yet we must not say with him Pag. 12. that the Spiritual Truths in the Gospel are as lies in the mouth of carnal persons for they are true even as to them Heb. 10 26. Some may sin wilfully after they have received the knowledg of the truth for whom no more sacrifice remaineth and 2 Pet. 2 20 21. Some may have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ and have known the way of righteousness who after they have known it turne from the holy commandement c. I cannot then say with him that this Knowledge of Christ is no more properly to be called a Knowledge of Christ than the speaking of a Parot is properly humane knowledge for I cannot think that when Christ sent Iudas to preach the Gospel it was as a man sending an ambassage by the hand of a Parot or that Balaam had no real knowledge of what was revealed unto him in his trance 10. But not insisting on this which is not much to the maine purpose I Observe that the thing which concerned him chiefly to clear up provâ— is not once touched by him here He should have proved tâ— us That this teaching of Christ by the Spirit is and was alwayes by Immediat Revelation that is by Enthusiasmes and such Extraordinary Wayes Nor doth he which is also remarkable distinguish betwixt Christs teaching by the Spirit in the Prophets of old and the Apostles of late and Christs own teaching Immediatly in his own Person while Incarnate which two the Apostle clearly differenceth Heb. 1 1 2. 2 3 4. Nor doth he speak any thing of Christs Mediat teaching whether by Apostles extraordinarily assisted or by Ordinary Ministers or by his Word nay by his language we might suppose that he excludeth these wayes from being wayes of Christ's teaching contrare to Math. 10 20. 1 Thes. 4 8. 2 Cor. 5 19 20. Mat. 28 18 19. and many other places 11. Let us proceed and see what he saith § 7. in confirmation of the third Proposition viz. That God did alwayes make himself manifest to the Sons of Men by the Spirit For this cause he would have us considering how God from the beginning did manifest himself in his creatures But our enquiry should be how he did manifest himself to his creatures These words in creaturis suis in his creatures cannot but be understood of the way of his manifesting himself But to Manifest Himself in or by the Creatures is not the same with Manifesting Hâ—mself in or by the Spirit For confirmation of his Proposition he adduceth Gen. 1.2 And the Spirit of the Lord moved upon the face of the waters Is not this a pregnant proof of Gods revealing his minde unto Men who were not yet created Bâ—t passing this ridiculous Argument which moreover perverteth the genuine meaning of the Spirit of the Lord in that passage let us see what he adduceth further I think faith he no man will deny that from Adam to Moses Gods communion with man was by immediat manifestation of the Spirit I answere Though it be true that Christ as the great Prophet of his Church did by the Spirit reveal the Counsel of God concerning mans salvation yet that he did this by the Spirit 's Immediat Revelation unto every Individual Person will never be proved now this being the matter that he would have us grant and which only maketh for his purpose he must prove it ere we assent to it That the Lord was pleased to reveal his mind Immedialy to Some and by them to Others from Adam to Moses we know but that every individual Person even of the people of God were advanced to this privilege I deny Yea even dureing that time we read in Scripture but little of these Manifestations We know what was spoken immediatly to Adam to Cain we read also of the Prophecy of Enâ—h in Iud's Epistle which yet was not any new Truth revealed we read also of what was revealed to Noah and to Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob and to soâ—e few others But what will all this make for his point Sure these few persons were not all that lived dureing that long tract of time what then became of the rest how were they instructed was it not Mediatly by those Patriarchs and selected Persons And did not the Fathers instruct their children from generation to generation that the right worship and knowledg of God might be propagated from hand to hand 12. This proof evincing nothing let us see the next afterward saith he in the times of the law the Lord spoke no other way to his children which cannot be denied by such who acknowledge the Scriptures to have been written by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost Answere That the Scriptures of the Old Test. were so written I grant That the persons imployed in that work had immediat Revelations to this end I grant Nay moreover I grant that all other true Prophets who were raised up of the Lord whose Prophecies the Lord thought not fit to make a part of the Canon of the Scriptures had Divine Inward and Immediat Revelations But this Reason is as childish as the preceeding Doth he think that this is enough to prove his point Doth he think that all the rest of the people of God in those generations had those Immediat Revelations or that this followeth as a clear consequence from his Argument What folly is here He might as well prove that all the people of this
feeling till Free will come in and determine the matter nor hath it any efficacious influence upon Free will to determine it but leaveth it to its free choice 3. Is this all the benefite that is had by Christ's Obedience and Death that people may be turned from evil to good then it seemeth Christ's death was not so effectual for the good of any as Adam's sin was for the hurt of all Is this to magnifie and exalt the Sacrifice of Christ 4. If this be all that Christ purchased to wit a power to turne from evil to good and to feel the vertue of this seed if men will he hath purchased nothing but what is Natural or what is inferiour to common moral vertues for it is natural to have a power to do or not do as men will and a moral vertue is more than such a power because it leaveth not the man in a state of pure indifferency but inclineth him to acts of such a vertue and only to such acts And if Christ purchased only this power he purchased no more a power to do good than a power to do evil for the power of it self is indifferent to both no more inclined to the one then to the other So that Christ hath purchased â—o Supernatural Grace which effectually moveth and determineth to good but only the Pelagian Natural Grace by which no man is more inclined to good than to evil and which a man may make use of or not as he will and so if he will it shall be of no benefite to him 5. If this be all that Christ hath obtained it is not much mater though we say that such are partakers of it that never heard of Christ. 6. But why saith he Many may feel this seed that never heard of Christ not All Is there any difference if there be what is it and upon what is it founded 7. We deny that any partake of the Supernatural and Saving Benefites of Christ's death who are without the Covenant and never heard of him we mean persones come to age for we except the Elect Infants who are within the covenant and are not capable of hearing And this Mans doctrine rendereth the knowledge of the Gospel very useless at least not very necessary though life and immortality be â—rought to light thereby 2 Tim. 1 10. and it be the mean through which people are begotten unto God 1 Cor 4 15. and the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1 16. the glorious Gospel of the blessed God 1 Tim. 1 11. though by it we are called to sanctification of the Spirit and beleefe of the truth to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Iesus Christ 2 Thes. 2 14. And in the word of the truth of the Gospel we heare of the hope which is laid up fâ—r us in heaven Col. 1 5. Though by it the Gentiles be made fellow heires and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ Ephes. 3 6 And it be the Gospel of our salvation Ephes. 1 13. Though it be a glorious Gospel having light in it to shine into the heart of beleevers 2 Cor. 4 4. and hath a blessing and a fulness of blessing in it Rom. 15 29. so it is called the Everlasting Gospel Rom. 14 6. and for preaching of which Christ himself was anointed Luk. 4 18. What unworthy creatures must these Quakers be that think so little of the Gospel of Christ and of the preaching of it and cry up so much the Light within 17 But he saith they beleeve that it is necessary for such as hear the Gospel to beleeve it Ans. Necessary how Wherein consisteth this necessity seing we may be saved without it Is it because it is a Revelation of God's truth But that speaks out no more the necessity of the faith of the Gospel or of the History of Christ unto salvation than the faith of this that Paul left his cloak at Troas or the History of Cain Ismael Iudas c. which is recorded in the Scriptures And thus he maketh the great mercy of enlarging the borders of the Church under the New Testament and of taking-in all nations by the preaching of the Gospel without discrimination to be no mercy at all or at least a very small mercy He addeth That they ingenuously confesse the outward knowledge of this to be full of comfort to such as are under it and are acted by this inward seed and Light Ans. But this comfort is not necessary to Salvation according to them This inward Seed and Light is sufficient for this and we are enquiring after its necessity but finde none in this mans opinion Yet let us see wherein this comfort consisteth For saith he Pag. 86. not only are they humbled by the sense of Christs death and sufferings but they are also confirmed thereby and encouraged to follow his excellent example 1 Pet. 2 2. and are also refreshed by his gracious speaches Ans. And is this all Then I see there is no more necessity for any to be acquanted with the History of Christs life and death than with the History of other holy saints of God and we have no more interest in that than in these is that to exalt Christ's Satisfaction and Propitiation All that was written afore time was written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15 4. And is the History of Christ of the same nature and use with the History of others And is there no more to be gathered therefrom than what an example may contribute This is pure Socinianisme in graine 18. In fine he discovereth to us another mystery concluding thus The History indeed is profitable and comfortable conjoyned with the mystery but not without it but the mystery is and can be profitable without the explicite and external knowledge of the History Ans. That the knowledge of the History without the receiving of Christ held forth therein conforme to the Gospel termes is of little use as to Salvation we grant but what else he meaneth by the mystery I know not unless he meane the light within 2. Can he shew us how the mystery can be known without the History Or to whom and when it hath been known 3. Why was the Gospel written and that by so many several hands And why have we any books of the New Testament And why did Christ appoint Oâ—fâ—cers to continue to the end Why did he send forth his Apostles to bear witness of his Death and Resurrection Why saith Iohn Chap. 20 vers 31. but these are written that ye might beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that beleeving ye might have life through his name Thus we see how at one dash this Mischievous Man would destroy the whole administration of the Gospel by making it altogether unnecessary unto salvation what a desperat designe must these men have 19. In the fift place he cometh to clear how
Christ is in all That the Seed and light is in all he hath said and that this Seed and Light is Gods vehicle in which God and Christ do alwayes dwell and from which they cannot be separated he hath affirmed But that it obtaineth a place in the heart of all and is joyned therewith so that Christ is formed there and ariseth he here denieth Thus we have a distinction without a difference for in whom soever Christ is by his Spirit in them he is formed there he dwelleth as in his house and palace taking possession of the soul as his own and these are Christs 1 Cor. 3 23. Christ liveth in them and they live by faith in him Gal. 2 20. they crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5 24. which cannot be said of the Heathen who are without Christ Ephes. 2 12. for Christ dwelleth in the heart by faith Ephes. 3 17. Christ is united to the Church only as her head Ephes. 5 23. who grow up in him in all things Ephes. 4 15 16. and their life is hid with Christ in God and Christ is their life Col. 3 3 4. And this indwelling is mutual as he is in them so they are in him Ioh. 6 56. 1 Ioh. 4 15 16. Hence they are said to be in Christ Rom. 8 10. 16 7. 2 Cor. 5 17. 12 2. Can this be said of all the World Is all the World dead with Christ Rom. 6 vers 8. Col. 2 20 Or joynt heires with Christ Rom. 8 87. or crucified with Christ Gal. 2 20. quickened together with Christ Ephes. 2 5. Or risen with Christ Col. 3 1 He granteth that Christ is not in all by Union or strickly by Inhabitation How is he then in all He answereth he is in them as in the Seed and Light from which Christ is never separated But what ground have we for this Fancy and Notion What Scripture speaks so of Christs indwelling in all How is this distinction cleared from Scripture He citeth Amos 2 12. Behold I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheafs And what can this Metaphorical expression say that may be read as it is on the margine I will presse your place as a cart full of sheafs is pressed as Iunius Tremellius render it with the Dutch or as Munster behold I raise a pressure like a cart made lean when full of sheaves or as the old Tygurin version Behold I shall straiten you in your place as a cart full of sheafs is straitned or as Arias Montanus Behold I make a seige in your place like as a Cart is besieged being full of sheafs By all which wee see this is no nearer to his purpose then East is to West Then he tels us that Christ is crucified in wicked folks Which we look upon as a non-sensical dream But he addeth for a kinde of confirmation that Paul writting to the Corinthians and Galatians speaks of Christs being crucified in them 1 Cor. 2 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ans. But what can this import as to such as never heard of Christ Or as to the whole World 2. It is true Paul sayes 1 Cor. 2 2. that he desired to know nothing among the Corinthians a people rich in knowledge and gifts but Christ and him crucified that is The maine thing he drave at and desired was to have them acquanted savingly and practically with a crucified mediator for this he preferred to all other knowledge that would not humble and bring to a true Christian deportment but would rather puff up and lead away from the practice of Christianity 3. Whereas he looketh to the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if that alwaies were to be rendered in that taken properly too which is variously rendered sometimes by Heb. 11 2. Luk. 4 1. sometimes at Rom. 8 34. Ephes. 3 13. sometimes with or among Rom. 1 12 29. 16 17. Luk. 16 15 16. sometimes with Rom. 15 35 Ephes. 6 2. 4. Paul also rebuking the Galatians who had so soon suffered themselves to be bewitched from the truth of the Gospel useth this as an aggravation of their guilt to enforce his challenge Chap. 3 1. he saith that Iesus Christ had been evidently set forth and crucified among them that is that the Gospel had been so plainely and fully preached unto them that they could no more pretend ignorance thereof than if they had seen all drawn and purtrayed on tables before their eyes And though this sense import of the words be so obvious and plaine that he who runneth may read it yet behold how this Quaker dar pervert and wrest the plaine meaning of the Spirit of the Lord contrary to the very Scope and Intendment of the plaee for thus he paraphraseth it The Apostle desired to know this Iesus Christ in them and to manifest him to them that they being made sensible how they had crucified Christ might repent and be saved As if the Apostle had bin ignorant of this Christ in them if so be that he was in all and every one of Adam's posterity and as if none of those the Apostle wrote unto had been beleevers and penitent though he accounted them sanctified in Christ Iesus 1 Cor 1 2. and such as had the grace of God given to them by Iesus Christ vers 4. and were enriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge vers 5. See also vers 6 7 8 9. What he speaketh of Christ's being the Light is impertinent here 20. In the Sixt place Pag. 87. § 16. He would faine make us beleeve that by this divine Principle they do not understand any part of Mans Nature or any relicques of good left after the fall But the reason he giveth betrayeth him bewrayeth his ignorance or worse for the saith that they make this principle distinct from the Soul and its faculties And what then The light of Nature and of Common honesty and the knowledge of some things of that kinde is neither Soul nor Faculty and yet it is no grace nor any thing but Nature some Reliques or rubbish of the old building And forsooth to make us think that he is no Socinian nor Pelagian he tels us againe that the Light he speaketh of is not only different from the Soul and its Faculties but is of another Nature as if the Socinians Reason and the Pelagians Nature or Grace could not also be distinguished from the Soul and its faculties The acts and exercise of the Faculties is not the same with the soul or with the faculties of the soul themselves no more than seeing or hearing is the same with the eye eare But he addeth That meer rationality cannot savingly understand any thing in things spiritual yea is a great impediment thereof and enemy thereto And the same we say of the Seed and Principle he talketh of and saith is in all men though he give it goodly names and call
or other in one measure or other by Christ yet it will not follow that all men are enlightened by him Spiritually Supernaturally and Savingly for there is a light of Reason and Conscience Natural which Christ being God giveth and this is not Supernatural spiritual nor saving So there is a Light of the Word which is not so common as is the Light of Nature and of the Natural Conscience which is from Christ also and is different from the Spiritual and Supernatural light And if this light be wholly restricted to Spiritual and Supernatural Light it is not intelligible out of Scripture how this can be said to be bestowed on all and every man but on the contrary the Scripture sheweth that many are not enlightened thus but in darkness and blinded with darkness and so that this Illumination is proper and peculiar to a few if the Scripture be to be beleeved Let us now see what he can make out of this place of Scripture for his purpose 27. He observeth first That the divine Apostle doth call Christ the light of men Ans. The Apostle indeed saith vers 4. That the life was the light of men But the question is what may be the meaning hereof Calvin hereby meaneth that common light of Nature and Reason that is granted to men above beasts whereby they are said not only to live as beasts do and vegetables but to have the light of an understanding And so did Origen Tom. 3. and Cyrillus Lib. 1 Cap. 7. in Ioan. of old and Marlorat and others of late Others I know understand this light of a Spiritual and Supernatural Light But why may we not comprehend both seing all the light of men or whereof men are partakers is from this life whether Natural or Supernatural whether Common or Saving whether the Light of Knowledge of Sanctification and Holiness or of Joy and Consolation whether that which at first was conferred upon man in his Creation or that which afterward is conferred in his Restauration through grace Ioh. 8 12. Ephes. 4 24. Eccles. 11. ult 2 Cor. 4 6. Ioh. 16.22 Rom. 14 17 18. Phil. 5 4 But I know our Quaker will astrick this to a spiritual supernatural and saving light and thereupon inferre that this is common to all But Iesus Christ himself teacheth us otherwayes Ioh. 8 12. saying I am the light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life So that though Christ be the light of the world yet every one hath not the light of life but they only who follow him by faith all others walk in darkness and are void of this light of life So Iohn 12 46. I am come a light into the world that whosoever beleeveth on me should not abide in darkness Whence we see that though Christ be come a light in the world yet all are not actually savingly enlightened but many are in darkness and abide in darkness even all that beleeve not on him Hence though light be come into the world yet men love darkness better Ioh. 3 19. yea hate the light verse 20. And howbeit Christ be the light yet none become children of the light but by beleeving in him Ioh. 12 36. and all are not children of light Ephes. 5 8 14. 1 Thes. 5 5. 28. He observeth next That this light shineth in darkness though the darkness doth not comprehend it Ans. True Iohn saith so vers 5. the meaning whereof Calvin giveth to be this That when man did generat into a state of darkness the light of his understanding was not wholly extinct but there remained some sparkles of the old light in which he was created in the midst of the masse of darkness which sin caused which might have discovered a Deity but such was the power of darkness that the minde of man was rather filled with vanity and enmity against God than did perceive this great Author and Donor and so was driven further away from God by sin and superstition But I shall gratifie the Quaker so far as to acknowledge that more is here comprehended than a meer shineing by the Light Law of Nature even the shineing of the light of the New Covenant in Christ Jesus the Mediator which in all ages since the fall hath in some measure been declared unto a dead darkened people who for the most part did not perceive nor lay hold upon this light Christ was pleased to reveal himself by degrees and piece-meals Heb. 1 1. more darkly in the first promise of the Seed of the woman that should tread the head of the Serpent somewhat againe more clearly under the Law and now most clearly under the Gospel when the day spring from on high hath visited us to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death Luk. 1 78 79. But all that light which was left in man after the fall being but darkness in comparison with what once it was was not able to discerne and perceive nor willing to imbrace this light without supervenient Divine Spiritual light and grace Hence the people of Israel could not improve all the manifestations of this light which they had for God had not given unto them an heart to perceive nor eyes to see nor ears to hear Deut. 29 3 4 And still it holdeth true that the natural man perceiveth not the things of God 1 Cor. 2 14. and that the carnal minde is enmity against God Rom 8 7. for darkness cannot comprehend this light 29. In the third place he observeth that this true light enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world Of which we have said enough before As for what he addeth that all will admit of no exclusion we said enough Chap. VIII and as to spiritual Illumination the text it self enforceth a restriction when it tels that darkness did not comprehend this light vers 5 and that the world knew not this light vers 10. and that his owne received him not But he saith This light shineth even in their hearts who comprehend him not and dispelleth darkness where men close not their eyes But in this the Man bewrayeth his ignorance of the nature of spiritual Illumination which so dispelleth darkness and so shineth into the soul as that it giveth a spiritual visive faculty or so enlighteneth the Understanding as that the man cannot but see when the eyes of the understanding are enlightened they cannot but see what is the hope of his calling and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints c. Ephes. 1 8. Christ is given for a light to open the blinde eyes Esa. 42 6 7. when God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness shineth into our hearts he giveth the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4 6. so that with open face they behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord and
are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3 18. The text saith not that this light is and was shall be in every man Quakers are good at dreaming 30. Then be saith That Iohn tels us vers 7. to what end this light is given viz. that all might beleeve by it for he will have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be meaned of the Light and not of Iohn But the man is busie here seeking a knot in a rush The Euangelist tels us what was the end for which Iohn was sent to wit to bear witness of the Light that all through him might beleeve that is through him as an instrument for he was the Eliah the Prophet that was to come to turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers Mal. 4 5.6 Mat. 11 14. Mark 9 11. he was to turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God for he was to go before him in the Spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and disobedient to the wisdome of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord Luk. 1 16 17. He was the prophet of the Highest and was to goe before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes To give knowledg of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sinnes c. Luk. 1 76 77 78 79. So that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly referre to Iohn who was but an Instrument by whom his hearers were brought to beleeve in Christ the true Light And to Iohn do Cyrillus Chrysostomus and all the Latine Greek Commentators except Theophylact referre it And the very genuine aspect and series of the words enforce it this being the end of Iohns ministrie and witness-bearing that by him and through his Ministrie all his hearers might be brought to faith in the true Light for this was the intendment of all his labour and paines as we see Ioh. 3 36. Act. 19 4. But this Quaker would make us beleeve that to interpret the words so is to contradict the scope of the context for it is Christ sayes he that enlightens all with this light And is not this that they might beleeve by it Ans. It is true it is the true Light that enlighteneth all And He as an efficient cause doth thereby work faith in all that are enlightened but nevertheless by Iohn Baptist as an Instrument might his hearers be brought to beleeve in Christ the true Light and what way doth this contradict the scope He addeth All could not beleeve by Iohn for his Ministrie came not to all Ans. Thence let him learne how to interpret these universal particles So it is said Mat. 21 26. all held Iohn for a prophet yet many in the world never heard of Iohn but the meaning is all that knew his ministrie and so here all to whom his ministrie came indefinitely without exception of any But all sayes he enlightened with the light might have beleeved thereby Ans. Nay all enlightened with this saving light should certainly have believed for this Illumination giveth not a bare power to believe but certainly worketh the effect Iohn saith he further did not shine in darkness but this Light shineth in darkness that darkness being dissipated it might beget faith Ans. And what then Ergo by Iohns ministrie men could not be brought to beleeve in the true light This is a Quakers Consequence that is ridiculous But lastly he sayes we must beleeve by that in which communion is had with God but by walking in the Light we obtaine this communion not by walking in Iohn Answ. Our walking in the light is our enjoying communion with God as the text at which he glanceth 1 Ioh. 1 7. doth cleare Our walking in the light is a fruite of faith and not the cause of it though it may be a cause of its increase and confirmation What is that to beleeve by walking in the light Though not by walking in Iohn yet by hearing receiving of his doctrine men might be brought to beleeve in Christ for he came to beare witness of the true Light and faith cometh by hearing As we have received Christ so must we walk in him Col. 2 6. but receiving goeth before walking and is not effectuated by walking 31. He spends sometime Pag. 99. to prove that this Light here mentioned is supernatural saving sufficient and foundeth all upon this that it is the light of Christ whereby all ought to beleeve And thus subdolously foisteth-in his corrupt errours his Pelagian and Arminian conceipts with a special artifice that the unwarry Reader may be infected with his poison But 1 we know no Supernatural and Saving Light or Grace which is only Sufficient and not Efficacious and Effectual or such as will certainly produce the effect Supernatural sufficient grace to believe not only giveth the man a spiritual Power to beleeve but powerfully insuperably invincibly effectually Inclineth Moveth Draweth and Determineth the heart to beleeve and efficaciously worketh the Effect and produceth Faith in the soul. As for his meerly Sufficient Grace he hath learned it in the Iesuites Arminians and Pelagians school not in the Scriptures Though there be a Light granted even in the works of Creation and Providence which may convince of a Deity and of several duties called for at the hands of men which may and doth render such as come short inexcusable Rom. 1 20. And though a greater Light be granted in the dispensation of the Gospel to convince and render more inexcusable such as beleeve not yet we know of no Saving Light Sufficient to salvation granted to all even of such as heare the Gospel far less to all Heathens for as to this all naturally are blinde and dead and no grace can be sufficient but that which quickeneth and giveth eyes to see and eares to hear and hearts to understand and overpowereth all in the man that maketh head against Christ. In what sense then can it be true that saving sufficient Light is given to all Can that which is a meerly Natural Power produce a spiritual and Supernatural effect As soon may a beast produce acts of reason or a vegetable plant do acts of sense for these are effects of another Nature and of an higher sphere and require a suteable principle If it be said By acting that which is Natural we may procure or make way for what is Spiritual and Supernatural We enquire where there is any such promise or appointment of God giving ground for this assertion Nay if it were so we should be called according to our works and not according to his grace contrare to 2 Tim. 1 9. Tit. 3 5. Rom. 9 15 16. If it be said That these words To him that hath shall be given include such a promise that such as improve nature aright shall obtaine grace
Master-workers are so active and busie It is not good to approach too nigh to a rageing Devil nor to tempt the Lord The history of the two persons that would be present at stage playes is known and the Reader may see the same related to his hand by the worthy Author of the first Epistle to the Reader prefixed to Mr Durham's Exposition of the Commands Let any sober and judicious person consider that which these Quakers call their Solemne Worshipe as this R. Barclay hath laid it forth before us and judge whether there be not there to be found without any narrow search such plaine Vestiges of Devilrie that may cause all in whom is the least meaâ—ure of the fear of God run far from them as from persons possessed with an evil Spirit and acted by the Devil the God of this world the Prince of the power of the aire the Spirit that now ruleth in the Children of disobedience Nothing that I ever heard or knew of them before did so much confirme me of their Devilrie as the reading and examining of that which thou hast here Chap. XXII Beside that every one may know that it is something more then Humane for persons Illiterat and of meane Understandings when turning Quakers to learne in so short a time in a few dayes if not in a few houres all their Notions Errours Blasphemies Prancks and Practices all so contrary to the Way and Profession wherein they have lived from their Infancy that they can act their wayes and utter their Abomination in their very dialect and tone so exactly as if they had seen nothing else all their dayes to speak nothing of Persons civilly educated who yet turning Quakers can so suddenly and so perfectly imitate and follow their rude and rustick carriage as if they had never seen civility with their eyes All which may confirme Rational Persons that it is not humane but the work of some powerful Spirit possessing them And what this Spirit is which Teacheth Possesseth Prompteth Acteth Leadeth and Driveth them and Speaketh in them the Word of God doth sufficiently evidence and may satisfie all Christians By the fruit we know a tree and by their doctrine we may as infallibly know that it is the Spirit of Satan that rageth in them if we will be satisfied with and submit to the Decision of the Spirit of Truth speaking in the Scriptures Their Unsavoury Pernicious and Blasphemous Positions and Assertions will put this matter beyond all debate I have gathered together an heap of such to the Number of Three Hundered and Fiftie and moe and the Reader may possibly finde yet moe that have escaped me and that without noticeing such things as may be drawn by just consequence from their Positive Assertions for if these were collected we might soon finde out the number of the Name of the Beast Six hundereth Sixty and Six to which may be added Sixty and Five found in one book of G. Keiths set down here at the end after the Postscript by which thou mayest judge what a Masse would be found if all their Books were searched But I suppose the fearer of God will say there is here enough and more then enough to cause all Christians abhore them and flee from them as from the Devil himself I shall not trouble thee with any Apologie for the work it self Only because I apprehend some will think I am too large and might have contracted the whole into narrower bounds I must tell thee that considering the genius and temper of these Quakers and knowing how ready they would be to vaunt and triumph as if any thing they said were unanswerable if I had passed over any thing said by their Patron and Advocat and had not examined particularly not only his Erronious and Blasphemous Assertions but also all that he did alledge for confirmation of the same and also all that he belched out against the Truth I was constrained to leave nothing untouched and that the book might be of more universal use I saw a necessitie of clearing and confirming the Truths Opposed by other Grounds and Arguments then this Contradicter of the wayes of Truth had taken any notice of And yet I have done it with that brevitie that maketh me apprehend Moe shall blame me upon the other hand for not confirming the Turths at greater length seing as to several Heads here touched Others now a dayes beside Quakers are appearing against the Truth once received The Heads it is true are many and I have in most for confirmation adduced only our Confession of Faith and Catechismes to the end that one and other may be enduced to peruse that book more as a good Antidote against the many Errours of this time pointing withall the Readers to apposite passages of Scripture for the ground of their faith And if I had handled each Controversie here touched at full length how many volumes should I have been necessitate to have written What intertainment this shall finde with the Quakers a sort of Men that cannot be silent I am not much concerned to enquire And if they examine it as Rats or Mice use to deal with books snatching at a word here and at half a sentence there and no more I suppose no man will think me called to notice the fame nor yet to be troubled at their Railings and Barkings And as for any answere to the whole that shall savoure of Reason Religion Candor and Plainness I do not expect it from them Farewell J. B. A Catalogue Of the arrogant erroneous and blasphemous Assertions of the Quakers mentioned in this book which may serve for an Index to the same 1. Of themselves 1. THey arrogantly stile themselves the servants of God c. 3 10 2. They glory of the Title Quakers 4 3. They account themselves the only Teachers of truth equalizing themselves with the Apostles 9 4. They say they are perfect without sin 11 5. They assert their experiences in matters that cannot be experienced 213 6. They say they only taste see and smell the Inward light 240 7. All their preaching is to call people to turn-in to the light within and to the Christ within them 281 292 8. They assert themselves to be equal with God 326 546 9. They say their quaking ariseth from a strugling within betwixt the power of life and the power of darkness whereby they have the very paines of a woman in travail 418 10. All is done without the Spirit that is not done in their way 440 442 447 11. They remaine covered when we pray or praise to keep their consciences unhurt as they say but really to mock 460 12. It can appear to them when the Spirit of the Lord concurreth with one of our Ministers and when not 460 13. They falsly say that all who are against them maintaine the lawfulness of Comoedies vanity of Apparel 533 534 14. They account their doctrine very harmonious think that to them alone the ancient
might seem a rejecting of the wise mans counsel Prov. 26 4. answere not a fool according to his follie lest thou also be like unto him But the consideration of the humore of these men will enforce a compliance with what the Spirit of the Lord in by the same wise man sayeth Vers. 5. answere a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his owne conceit and the simplicity of some who are ready to believe every thing set off with such art and cunning as these men study and the pronenesse of many in this generation to a relinquishing of the received Truth will in some sort necessitate an examination of what this late Disciple now Patron of the Quakers hath so say in his owne in their defence Notwithstanding that the beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water that therefore it were better to leave off his contention before it be medled with yet upon the forementioned considerations to establish such as it may be are staggering or ready to be shaken others who desire further clearing of their own confirmation in the Truth I shall through the help of the God of Truth howbeit I be none of those whom he particularly here describeth as the men he would fainest deal with adventure to discover what evill apprehend to lye wrapped up in his fifteen Theses in his large book entituled an Apologie written for futher confirmation explication of his Theses and that in the language best understood by our countrey men whom I judge most in hazard by these mens doctrine leaving such of those he most particularly bespeaketh in his preface as shall judge it convenient to edification to emit in latine a discovery of his pernicious but groundless errours 5. He stileth himself a Servant of the Lord God upon what true account I know not unless upon the same account that all the works of creation beare that Title Psal. 119 9â— which yet if we consider his work may be very much questioned seing he endeavoureth so much as a Servant of Satan rather to darken deface so far as he can the glory of that God whom the works of creation after their kinde extol But if he speak thus upon a more special account as some will confidently believe he doth he must not be offended if I desire to see his credentials that it may appear he taketh not that honour to himself but is called thereunto as all are who run not unsent It is no strange thing for this sort of Fanaticks a sort of men truly such Enthusiasts to pretend to immediat missions to assume this stile to themselves the history of the Anabaptists in Munster in other places of Germany Helvetia will not suffer us to forget this Thomas Muncer stiled himself so in his letters Melchior Hoffman would needs be called accounted an Apostle from heaven and what blasphemous titles David Georg did assume to himself is sufficiently known It is obvious enough what moâ—ed the former Fanaticks unto this what this man designeth by arrogating to himself this stile but reason will require that we try such Impostors before we trust that we have clear manifest evidences of his divine call who cometh with a new doctrine a new Gospel Nay I think it will be saifest for us to hearken to Paul saying Gal. 1 8 9. But though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel to you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed as we said before so say I now againe if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that you have received let him be accursed And this ground abiding firm we need not auxiously enquire after the nature quality of this mans call for be he Man or Angel an Apostle or any Other Person the other Gospel or Antigospel which he preacheth in his Theses Book discovereth the cursedness of his Call Imployment I wish we all more minded what our Lord said Mat. 7 15-20 Beware of false Prophets c. 6. Moreover in his single Theses he calleth himself one also of these who are ironically as he supposeth called Quakers but I finde that he leaveth out this particular in the second edition of his Theses premitted to his large Apologie whether as ashamed thereof or upon whatever other account I leave to others to judge I need not descant upon the Name nor use many words to shew the appositness of its application or the grounds thereof seing it is sufficiently known how at the beginning of their appearance they used while at their meetings to be strangly affected with Quakings Shakings Tremblings Foamings at the mouth other such like Unusual Motions of the body Others of his perswasion rather owne this title as disowne it wâ—ile they maintaine the thing look upon it as an effect of the same power that made Moses to quake shake tremble saying that Moses was a Quaker so Richard Farnworth in his Returne to the Priests about Beverly as he stiled his book Pag. 14. as also in his writings against Mr. Stalham saying Thou speaks against the power of God that worketh effectually in his people as it did in Moses Habbakuk David Paul others c. Insinuating that as they are all Prophets immediatly inspired so they are made to quake the same way that Moses Habbakuk the rest were Nay himself giveth us this account of the matter in his Apology Pag. 230.231 That from the inward birth while the darkness striveth to obscure the light breaketh through the darkness there ariseth great trouble in the soul which affecteth even the outward Man so as that by these workings ofttimes the body is wonderfully shaken many sighs groanes are emitted yea as it were the paines of a woman in travail are felt and this not only in one person alone but in the whole meeting so that every one fighting against this power of darkness being moved with the motions of contrary waves are exercised as in a day of battel thus trembling motions of the body seize upon all And then he tels us that hence came the name Quakers whereof though they did not choose it to themselves yet they are not ashamed but rather rejoyce that they are made sensible of this power And seing it is so why he should account this name ironically attributed to them I know not especially seing it is the most apposite characteristick that can be expressing in a signal manner that which they account their glory which manifestly distinguisheth them from all other Secks which we know now a dayes But passing this I only observâ— from thence That he clearly intimateth a distinct party of which he accounteth himself a member withal giveth us no other name by which they should be called who make up that distinct Seck and therefore till he helpe us to a more apposite characteristical
from heaven should come and preach another Gospel they should be rejected as accursed he clearly sheweth that the Gospel already delivered was such a clear and evident Rule that by it we may warrantably try and examine all Doctrines and Revelations of Angels or Apostles and so must be a more clear and certane Rule to us than divine Revelations brought to us by Prophets or Apostles 8. The same may be cleared from these Passages Mat. 24 11 24 Mark 13.22 2 Thes. 2 2. 1 Tim 1 4. But the matter is evident enough from what is said I proceed 20. If he say That he may grant all this without any detriment to the maine thing he driveth at here upon this account that though others may be allowed to try by the Scriptures what some deliver as Revelations from God unto them yet such as have the Revelations immediatly from God are not to try them and consequently that he and others of his perswasion who have such divine Manifestations and Revelations are to act accordingly without any further tryal and examination by Scripture or any other Rule I answer first Then he and the rest of the Quakers cannot be offended with us for not receiving their Assertions by faith and not yeelding thereunto all submissive Obedience as the very Assertions and Commands of God until we finde the same to be consonant to Scripture notwithstanding that they should with all the confidence imaginable affirme to us that they have those Doctrines and Assertions delivered to them by divine Revelations Secondly Then certanely we should have an higher esteem of the Scriptures and not look so contemptuously upon them as the Quakers commonly would have us do not say with Nicolas Lucas a Quaker That if the Bible were burnt as good an one might be write as Mr Hicks reporteth in his 2. dialogue Pag. 5. and evinceth againe dialog 3. against Will. Pen. Pag. 86. Thirdly Then I think He and the rest should obtrude nothing upon us without Scriptures but should confirme unto us all their Assertions out of them Sure we finde the Apostles though divinely inspired yea and Christ himself confirming their Doctrine from the Scriptures Mat. 12 3 5 7. 26 31. Mark 14 27. Luk. 4 8 1 Pet. 1 16. Rom 11 8 26. 10 19 20 21. 12 19. 15 9 10 11 12 21. 14 11. Gal. 3 20. 1 Cor. 1 31. 2 Cor. 4 13. And Paul in his Apology doth plainly affirme Act. 26 22. that he delivered no other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come Fourthly Either it must be granted that some Illuminations stroâ—g Perswasions and the like that come as new Revelations may and must be examined by a Rule or it must be said that there are now no diabolical Injections or Delusions working upon the Fancie and Imagination and casting-in Wilde Fire and Wilde Light in the Minde or that all these Manifestations and Illuminations must be received as unquestionably good and beleeved obeyed whether they come from the Father of lights or from the Father of lies But no rational man will assert this last nor will the many Enthusiasts or Entheasticks or Ecstaticks and the like who have been to manifest conviction deceived and deluded suffer us to asserte the Other Therefore seing there have been and yet may be Satanical Delusions instead of Divine Revelations and seing these must not be received as good come it is manifest that they must be tryed by a Rule and we know no other Rule beside the Scriptures by which we can try the Spirits and the Insinuations of Spirits for we owne not the Doctrine of Swenckfeldius or of the Antinomians and Familists who said the word should be tryed by the Spirit and not the Spirit by the Word Fiftly may not the Lord give up some to strong Delusions Sure Paul giveth us to understand so much 2 Thes. 2 11. when then some are judicially deserted of God and given up to strong delusions to beleeve lies and to receive Impressions of lying and deceiving Light Either they sinne not in receiving and walking according to thâ—t light or they are under an obligation to reject such a corrupt guide The First cannot be said and if the Last be said then such persons are under an obligation to try and examine these Revelations and Discoveries by some certane Rule with whatsoever plausible and insinuating Glance they dazzle and affect their Mindes and Imaginations And if so we have our point seing it will be readily granted by Protestants that nothing can pretend to be this Rule beside the Scriptures only Sixtly The great doubt is if it be the Lords fixed and established way now under the New Testament dispensation when the Gospel is sufficiently promulgated and the Foundation of Gospel administrations abundantly laid to reveal his minde and make his will known concerning what we are to beleeve or what we are to do by Inward Immediat and Extraordinary Revelations and Inspirations And if this be uncertane as shall appear by examining what he hath said for it than it is more than manifest that such deep Apprehensions and fixed Phancies yea and it may be Injections or Insinuations of the Prince of darkness in the Mindes and Imaginations of men either naturally Melancholick or given up of God to strong Delusions which some may meet with and fondly look upon as divine Illapses of light may very warrantably yea must be brought unto tryal by the touchstone of the Scriptures As of old even when the way of Prophecy was more ordinary and common the false Prophets might warrantably have brought their diabolical Inspirations and phantastical Delusions to the tryal of the Law and of the Testimony so much more now when that extraordinary way of the Lords manifesting of his minde is ceased may this course be taken to prevent a deceit especially seing we have a full and complete Rule whereby we are to walk and to regulate ourselves both as to Faith and Manners 21. The reason which he addeth in the end of his Thesis to wit That a divine Inward illumination and Revelation is of it self clear and evident compelling the intellect that is well disposed and insuperably moving and bowing it to an assent and that by its proper evidence and clearness c. evinceth nothing contraâ—y to what we hâ—ve said for though a truely divine Illumination or Revelation Extraordinary and Immediate of which kinde we are here speaking will bring its owne credentials alongs with it and by its owne evidence prove it self Divine so powerfully perswade the soul that there shall no hinke or doubt remaine concerning its authentick Authority yet every Revelation or Enthusiastick Illumination which men may be carried away with and yeeld up themselves unto as fully perswaded of the Reality and Relevancy thereof will not pâ—ove truely Divine or such as ought to be received with a divine Faith without being once questioned or put to the tryal for as
was hinted just now then it must be said that the Devil the Prince of the powers of the aire the God of this World the Prince of darkness and the Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience cannot deceive any with his false Lightnings nâ—y not even such as are judicially given up of God to strong delusions to believe a lie which yet the experience of all ages would confuâ—e the Scripture also tels us that Satan can transforme himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11 14. that he hath his depths Rev. 2 24 his devices 2 Cor. 2 11. That he is the Ruler of the darkness of this world spiritual wickedness in celestials Ephes. 6 12. What meaneth I pray the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceivablness of unrighâ—ousnes in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth mentioned 2 Thes. 2 9 10 do we not hear Revel 12 9 that the great Dragon that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan deceived the whole world But not to insist on this which the many Energumeni persons obsessed with the devil and phanaticks with Enthusiasts and the like wherewith Histories of all ages abound will not suffer us once to call into question and whiâ—h the late relations of Iohn of Leidenâ— Thomas Muncer Iohn Battenburg Melchior Hophman David Georg Swenckfeldius Wâ—igelius in Germany and of Hacket Coppinger Arthington and the rest of the Grundletonians in England with the instances of Phanaticks among the Papists mentioned by D. Stillingfleet in his Idolatry of the Church of Rome Chap. 4. do put beyond all debate let us but consider how it was with the false Prophets of old in whom Satan was a Lying spirit to perswade Ahab 1 King 22 20 21 22. Were not they and the like deceived with false Impressions supposing they had the Spirit of the Lord when it was but a lying Spirit deceiving them 2 Chron. 18 23. 1 King 22 24 Is there not a Spirit of Error as well as a Spirit of truth 1 Ioh 4 6 22. But that we may put an end to this this Man 's own expression confirmeth what I say for he hath a restriction or qualification spoiling all his purpose while he saith that this divine Revelation moveth an understanding that is well disposed to an assent Whence we see that every Revelation pretending to be Divine is not to be submitted to as such but that Revelation only which proveth it self unto an intellect well disposed and discovereth thereunto its own proper Evidence and Perspicuity And therefore all Revelations even though supposed to be divine ought not to passe without examination But I had thought that all divine Revelations and Inspirations Extraordinary and Immediat for we speak not here of the Lords Mediat and Ordinary Illumination whereof all the children of God are made partakers in one degree or other did either finde or make the intellect well disposed for receiving the Impression of Light and Truth revealed so that a graceless Balaam could say Numb 24 4. Balaam the Son of Beor hath said and the man whose eyes are open hath said He hath said which heard the Words of God which saw the vision of the Almighty falling into a trance but having his eyes open Hence Elisha called for a minstrel that his Spirit might thereby be composed and he in case to receive the Revelations of God 2 King 3 15. So that while the Intellect was out of frame through one passion or other the man was not in case to receive the divine Illapses of Light and Revelations of God's minde Now while this man insinuateth that even divine Revelations may come into an understanding not well disposed it must be much more probable that other Revelations which are not truely Divine may affect a distempered understanding And yet I doubt if this Man can give such clear marks of distinction betwixt an Understanding that is Distempered and an Understanding that is Sound and well Disposed at the receiving of such Revelations whereby the Persons under these receipts of Illumination can certanely know whether their mindes and understanding were Well or ill disposed that thereby they may certanely know what to judge of these Revelations Yea I doubt if he can give instances of persons so immediatly Illuminated even by the Father of lies sensible and convinced of a distempered understanding while receiving these glances of new light So that even because of this and because it is possible that such Meteors of new Light may fall upon a distempered understanding and be received and entertained as Divine when nothing lesse it is certane that these Illuminations should passe under examination and tryal and there must be a Rule and Measure whereby they must be tryed and consequently that the Scriptures must be that Rule seing among Protestants nothing else can pretend to this umpireing Power 23. Having premised these things to facilitate our way in what followeth we return to the Examination of what he saith in his Apologie Upon the fourth and fift Propositions formerly mentioned His fourth Proposition is as we heard That these Revelations were of old the formal Object of the Faith of the Saints And by these Revelations he must meane Inward and Immediat Communications of the minde of God by Dreames Visions Vive Voice or the like such as these were which the Patriarchs and Prophets of old had or as we have shown he shall speak nothing to the purpose he would be at New let us see what way he proveth this He adduceth for this end the definition of faith given by the Apostle Heb. 11 1. saying that faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen But to what purpose I do not see seing it is a most certane Truth that all that have had and now have this faith have not had nor yet have these Inward and Immediat Revelations whereof we are speaking That the Object or ground of this Faith was the saying and promise of Iehovah is unquestionable but the thing that he should prove is this That this saying of God which saith gripped to and laid hold on was immediatly spoken by God to every individual beleever as for example that promise which was immediatly revealed to Adam That the seed of the woman should tread down the head of the Serpent or That immediatly revealed to Abraham That in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed c. and the like Doth he think that no man can beleeve a promise but he to whom this promise is immediatly spoken by God Let him prove this for I will not grant it He attempteth a proof from the Instances mentioned in that Chap. and adduceth only two Noah and Abraham And I willingly grant that not only these two but all others who had immediat Revelations from God whether touching matters of Faith or Duty had the Word and Authority
he hath gained nothing for I would say so that the Lord Jesus hath by his Spirit revealed Truths even Objectively unto us and even this way made good these promises but how By Inspireing Apostles and others to pen Scripture wherein all New Testament Truths necessary and sufficient for us to be believed and obeyed in order to Salvation are contained and revealed Is not this a proposeing of Truths Objectively Nay more I say the Spirit to this day is proposeing to us truths Objectively in by the work of the Ministrie and Ordinances which are established and maintained by the Spirit for this end to clear up the word of Reconciliation and to explaine all Gospel Truths which we are to believe and obey Here is also an Objective proposal by the Spirit But you will say it is not an Immediat Objective proposal I grant it and yet it is sufficient to confute his reason which mentioneth not this Immediatness nor will he prove any such thing out of these Scriptures in reference to all beleevers 29 Now followeth his Second Argument taken as he sayes from the new Covenant whereby he would prove that we are to be led by the Spirit not only Immediatly but also Objectively A strange conclusion as full of confusion as the former for any would think that by Objectively here he meaneth Mediatly But I suppose he would have said not only Subjectively but also Objectively For clearing of the matter and to prevent a fighting in the dark we would know That the work of the Spirit in order to the beleeving of Truths is either in and about the Soul of the man whom he is to give a Revelation of the truth unto or is in and about the Truth which is revealed and to be beleeved The First is that which is meaned by the word subjective because the man is the subject in which the Spirit is to work faith The Other is that which is expressed by the word Objective because the truth revealed is the Object which is to be beleeved and received Now the Subjective Operation of the Spirit in this matter is by enlightning the Understanding of the man taking away the vail that was over his eyes and thus enabling him to see the Object as when Christ cured the blinde man he put him in case to see the light which he could not do before so the Spirit openeth the eyes of the minde of the man that he may see the wonders out of his law Psal. 119 18. As to this immediat work of the Spirit though the Lord thinketh good to do this ordinarly in and by the use of meanes which he hath appointed so that the word Immediatly must not be so understood as to exclude these he maketh no debate with us But as to the Objective operation of the Spirit it is by proposeing of the Object or Truth to be beleeved unto the Intellect as true and as spoken by God and this is twofold either External or Internal External is when the Truth is proposed by God to the Intellect by outward meanes such as the Scriptures Preachers and the like and this may be also called Mediat Internal which may be called Immediat is when the Lord's Spirit doth immediatly propose the Truth to be believed as true and as spoken to them as a truth now to be believed because thus spoken by Him immediatly unto their souls unto which is requisite a real secret operation of the Spirit immediatly carrying the truth in upon the Understanding by Supernatural and Immediatly Infused intelligible Species's The former mediat way this man is not Satisfied with and this last immediat way is that whereby Truths were revealed extraordinarily to Prophets and Apostles and otherâ— who were Inspired and is usually called Prophetick Revelation and in this sense is the word Revelation ordinarily taken in Scripture And this is the Revelation Immediat and Objective which this man would plead for and which we deny to be common to all believers whether under â—he Old Testam or under the New And which we also deny to be â—he way by which we are to expect the Teachings and Leadings of the Spirit now seing we are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ himself being the chiefe corner stone Ephes. 2 20. 30. Now let us see how he proveth his point He adduceth two passages of Scripture Esai 59 21. and Ier. 31 33. with its parallel Heb. 8 10. where the Lord promiseth that the words which he shall put in their mouth shall not depart out of their mouth nor out of the mouth of their seed nor out of the mouth of their seeds seed from hence forth even for ever And that he will put his law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts c And what I pray can all this Evince Cannot the Lord put his words in the mouth and hearts of his People Mediatly Ay but saith he the Lord saith not that he will do this by Scriptures or other Means Nor doth he say say I that he will do it without them when he opened the heart of Lydia and when he caused the Thessalonians receive the word not as the word of Man though preached by Paul but as it is indeed the Word of God did he not put his word into their mouth and write it in their hearts But saith he hereby is the law and the Gospel differenced that the law was writen in tables of stone but the Gospel in the heart Ans. Said not David Psal. 40 8. that the law of God was in his heart And Ps. 119 11 that he hid Gods Word in his heart If it be so why said he before and went about to prove that the Object of faith of beleevers under the Law and under the Gospel was the same and how had all the Saints under the Law Immediat Revelations Other answers might be given here but these are sufficient to shew the mans Ignorance and Inconstancy when he hath reconciled himself to himself we will have less to do What he speaks afterward of Immediat Communion which is not the same with Immediat Revelation in respect whereof the state of beleevers under the Gospel is better than that under the Law is but to confirme further his self contradiction Let him reconcile this with what he said before of beleevers under the Law and of the sameness of the Object formal of the faith of both and we shall think ourselves concerned to notice what he saith But further to multiply his self contradictions he addeth an Untruth viz. That under the Law they had the high Priest immediatly receiving the Word of God in the holy of holies to teach the people and we say now under thâ— Gospel there is nothing but the external letter of the Scripture in the meaning of one verse of which scarce two do agree For neither can he prove that the High Priest had such Revelations alwayes in the Holy of Holies And we
Infallible Revelation of the Spirit of truth declared in the Scriptures writen by men infallibly acted by the holy Spirit of God and to beleeve and follow the dictats of the Father of lies As for the second Proposition It is unquestionable from history of all such Persons from the Montanists Circumcelliones Donatists Euchites and the like Enthusiasts of old from Mahomet that great Impostor and pretender to Revelations from the many Enthusiasts in the Church of Rome of which read D. Stillingfleet in his book above cited Especially Ignatius Loyola the Father founder of the Jesuites our Quakers great Friends if not Fathers from the Enthusiasts in Germany the Swenckfeldians Weigelians and particularly Iohn of Leyden and his complices in and about Munster c. to the Quakers this very day All which have given undoubted evidences of their delusions by their Errours Heresies sometimes Scandalous Actings Nay it hath been found that these desperat Adventures have pretended to these Revelations of purpose to put off with more cunning their desperat Errours and cheat souls unto the market of their pernicious Wares If this man be of another judgment I challenge him and all the Quakers this day to name to me a Seck of such Pretenders of whom this may not be verified And as for himself and the rest of the Quakers if the Scriptures be the word of truth and given out by Infallible Inspiration whâ—ch he dar not deny they bear as manifest Marks and give out as palpable Evidences of their being led and acted by a Spirit of Errour as any of their Predecessours as this and other of their writings put beyond all question Sure the Spirit which Christ promised to lead all his people by was a Spirit of Truth and a Spirit that leadeth into all Truth Ioh. 16 13. But thâ— Spirit acting them is a Spirit of Errour as the Scriptures of truth evidence The Spirit promised was a Spirit that would glorify Christ and take of his shew it unto his People but the Spirit acting them is a Spirit opposite to all the Institutions of Christ and a Spirit seeking to debase our Lord Jesus in his Person Offices and Work all which our following discourse will evince 33. Having thus proposed and enforced the Objection we need not take notice of hiâ— triffling Answers adapted to the shaâ—ow he made himself It â—s enough to us that he cannot say that such as the Spirit of â—od leadeth in seed are led into Errour seing by this fruite and their sinful carriage Christ hâ—th told us that we may know false Prophets Mat. 7 15 20. And that he himself confesseth that true divine Revelations are not contrare to the Scriptures and therefore having Scriptures and sound Reason on our side we value not his brag in saying that by happy experince they finde hithertil that the Spirit hath never deceived them or led them unto any evil seing all such Pretenders of old should have said the same with as great Confidence they that are given up of God to strong delusions to beleeve a lie know not that it is a lie which they beleeve Wisdome is justified of her children As for Munster business he professeth § 14. his abhorrence thereof but with all addeth that as great evils have been practised by such as owne the Scriptures which doth not touch the Objection framed by me Beside that it is not very probable that God would have left these Miscreants to such acts of villany if the way to which they pretended had been of God considering how they were the first that in that age and at that season of Reformation did appear for it and openly professe it a parallel of such as owned any part of Truth long under contempt and against so much opposition will not I suppose be showne The rest of this paragraph being a meer Rhapsodiâ— and with all an Excreation of much gall and nothing to the purpose in hand I meddle not with It wil satisfie him if I say that I am none of those who will reject the guidance of the Spirit of God though some profane Wreatches say that they are led by him He knoweth our disput is not about the guidance of the Spirit but about the manner of this Guidance and Teachings 34. What he saith § 15. in Vindication of the last part of his Thesis hath been obviated already See above § 18 and 19. only I shall take notice of a word or two which he hath To prove the self evidence of the Spirits working in souls he maketh use of these words of David Taste and see that God is good of Paul saying I am perswaded nothing can separate me from the Love of God and then citeth 1 Ioh 4 13. and as if it were to the same purpose addeth 1 Ioh. 5 6. and hence inferreth that the Revelations which they have being the Revelations of the Spirit who is truth must certanely be true and not contrary to either Scripture or Reason Alas doth not the man know that the Spirit may work grace in the soul and for a time for holy ends keep up the sensation thereof and that others may deny or not observe the work of the Spirit in their souls through Mistakes Prejudice or other Corruption as others may imagine a work of grace without ground Knoweth he noâ— that we are speaking here of Immediate and Objective Revelations which are Extraordinary and which himself in a few lines before said the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles had not naming any others and not of the Ordinary workings of the Spirit of grace Waving these Impertinencies I would ask only How came it to passe that Others pretending as much to Immediat Revelations as he have been deceived If others have been deceived why may not he It is true The Spirit of God is alwayes a Spirit of Truth but a Spirit of Errour and Delusion which some may take to be the Spirit of God is not the Spirit of Truth Why will he not try by the Scriptures and by sound Reason what sort of Spirit that is which acteth him the rest No that is needless And why so Because their spiritual senses are awake so that at the very first they can perceive their revelations to be of the Spirit no less infallibly than a wise Mathematician can diseerne the truth of the most clear mathematick demonstrations Happy they say I if it be so But hereby he must needs reproach his Predessours the Enthusiasts and Phanaticks of former ages as being asleep at best in the midst of their Revelations and not having their spiritual senses awake for they have been deceived and yet no doubt were as confident of the contrarie as this man is But this man's testimony is of himself and so the less to be valued and it is inward and invisible and so the harder to be confuted Only I would know how he will perswade us of it a Mathematician can demonstrat the grounds of his
sandy ground as Mr Rutherfoord witnesseth in his Spiritual Antichrist P. 19. Richard Farnworth said to Mr Stalham as he reporteth Pag. 3. of his forecited book That the Scriptures are the word of God and eternal life as thou wouldest have them thou canst not prove nor all the Magicians to help thee So P. 43. he tels us that one of them in a sheet called Christ exalted c. P. 4. had these words He Christ is the word and the Scripture is not He is the light and the Scripture is not He is the Rule and Guide and Teacher and Iudge and the Scripture is not but a Declaration of Him to be so By which and the like we may see how low an account they have of the Scriptures And how fond and absurd this is to debase the Scriptures under a pretence of exalting of Christ who seeth not Seing the Lord spoke in and by the Prophets unto the Fathers and spoke by the Mouth of the holy Prophets Heb. 1 1. Luk. 1 70. And the word of the Lord came unto them as unto Ieremiah Chap. 1 2 4. 2 1. 14 1. 29 30. unto Ezechiel Chap. 1 3. 3 16. to Hosea Chap. 1 1. to Ioel Chap. 1 1. to Ionah Ch. 1 1. 3 1. to Micab Ch. 1 1. to Zephania Chap. 1 1. to Zechariah Chap. 1 1. 7 4. 8 1. and by Haggai Chap. 1 1. And they declared what they spoke as the word of the Lord and the Lord owned it as His word See moreover 2 Chron. 36 21. Micah 4 4. Act. 28 25. Esai 1 20. Deut. 30 8 Num. 25.5 Ier. 23 28. and the like And seing the Scriptures containe nothing but a Revelation of the will and good pleasure of God it is manifest and clear that they are the Word of God and should bear that title To speak nothing of the Law which the Lord spoke and gave himself immediatly from mount Sinai what he inspired the Prophets to deliver and spoke himself in and by them and moved them infallibly in the very writing thereof cannot but be the Word of God That word which was given by immediat divine Inspiration cannot but beare the name of the Word of God Nay this name is expresly given unto the Scriptures for Mark 7. what is called the commandement of God vers 8. spoken and written by Moses vers 10. is called the Word of God vers 13. The roll written by Baruch Ier. 36 from the mouth of â—eremiah vers 4. is called the words of the Lord vers 6. The sword of the Spirit which is a piece of the Spiritual armour of Christian souldiers wherewith they resist the devil as Christ their Captane did Mat 4 4 7 10. with an it is written see also Mat. 22 31 32. is called the Word of God Ephes. 6 17. I shall not urge that place Heb. 4 12. because it seemeth more to be spoken of Christ than of the Scriptures though several take it as meaned of the Scriptures But that equivalent Expression of the Word of Christ Col. 3 16. may confirme us in this Truth as also that equivalent Expression the Oracles of God Rom. 3 2. and that the sincere milk of the word 1 Pet. 2 2. and that the word of the Lord 1 Pet. 1 2â— what else can the Psalmist's speaking to God and manifesting his affection to his word useing this expression Thy word above thirtie times Psal. 119. import but that the Scriptures are and are to be called the Word of God So these equipollent Expressions have the same import The word which I command you Deut. 4 2. I have written to him the great things of my law Hos. 8 12. when the Spirit of the Lord speaking of the Scriptures useth these expressions well spoke the Holy Ghost saying Act. 28 25 26. As the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 3 7. He spoke in a certane Place Heb. 4 4. He said in David vers 7. See Heb. 5 6. Exod. 20 1. Deut. â— 6. Heb. 13 5. Gal. 3 16. Rom. 10 21. 15 10. 1 Cor. 9 10. Others of this kinde might be cited If this man be of another judgment herein he should clearly express himself howbeit he thereby dissatisfie some of his Brethren But instead of this in his Apology P. 36. he alleigeth that we but calumniate them and speaking in the name of all the rest he saith they account them the most excellent writings in the world but how will he make this agree with their sayings formerly cited and afterward to be adduced He would do well to endeavour some reconciliation but I see not how he can do it 3. As for us we assert that no Prophecie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation For they were not conceived by the mindes nor framed and formed by the Understandings and Reasonings of men nor were they the product of their Study Paines as other books are of their Authors assisted by the Spirit of God Howbeit the penmen of the Scriptures studied the writtings of others as Daniel did understand by books Dan. 9 2. and David was much in the meditation and study of the Law yea they searched and made narrow enquiry after the meaning of what was spoken and delivered by themselves so far as concerned their own faith and Practice as Peter tels us 1 Pet. 1 10 11. yet the work of delivering the Scriptures by Word and Write was not the result of their studious Labour wherein their Mindes Judgments and Memories were exercised and busied nor did these Scriptures proceed from private phancied Revelations and Enthusiasmes they were not the issue of mens Dreams Imaginations Conceptions of fancie or self-Afflation because no way of private Interpretation or Revelation but on the contrary holy men of God spoke as they were not only determined but moved by the Holy Ghost and that in contradistinction both from the acts of mens Phancy and Imagination and the acts of their Will 2 Pet. 1 20 21. The Holy Ghost did Immediatly and Extraordinarily dictat what was written Matter and Expressions as well such things as they had Seen Heard Read Studied and Known before as these they were Ignorant of or had forgotten Hence it is that the Lord spoke in the Prophets by the mouth of the holy Prophets and his word came unto them and by them see Heb. 1 2. Mark 14 36. Heb. 3 7. 9 8. 10 15. Luk. 1 v. 70. 2 King 10 10. 21 10. 2 Sam. 23 2 3. and hence it is that this very word of Prophecy or Prophetical word coming thus unto the Prophets the holy men of God when it was to become a Prophecie of write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was also committed to write through the Spâ—cial acting of the Spirit singularly movâ—ng these Amanuenses hence the Scripture the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given by Inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3 16. on which place the words of Corn a
of their Inspirations and Prophecies it is at least possible that they may be deceived also And if so is it not every way saifest to try all by the unerring touch stone And doâ—h it not hence appear that if we speak in reference to their Revelations the Scriptures are unquestionably the Primary and Adequate rule 12. He addeth a reason in his Thesis which he prosecuteth at large in his Apology viz. That we know the certanty of the Scriptures only by the inward testimony of the Spirit But this reason is ambiguously expressed for it may either have this meaning That we know the certainty of the matter contained in the Scriptures only by the Inward Testimony of the Spirit Or this may be the meaning That only by the Inward Testimony of the Spirit we know certanely that the Scriptures are the word of God or that book which containeth the revealed will of God If he take this Reason in the first sense we may then in part know what he understandeth by a Secondary and Subordinate Rule which title he is pleased as we heard to allow unto the Scriptures that his meaning is consonant to what Will. Pen saith P. 47. of that book of his which Mr Hicks citeth Dial. 3. Pag. 48. viz. We dar boldly affirme that the greatest reason of our beleefe concerning the prophecies and promises recorded in the Scriptures is not from any outward thing but that inward testimony that we have received from that holy Light within us to the truth and faithfulness of those sayings And againe Pag. 48. cited by Mr Hicks Pag. 50 51. Though we do say men ought to live up to these hâ—ly Rules contained in the Scriptures yet the reason why is that conviction they meet with from the light of their own consciences Therefore the light within is both our warrant for Faith in and Obedience to them And this upon the mater is the same that Benj. Furley a known Quaker in Rotterdam saith most plainly in his letter cited by Mr Hicks in his Quakers appeal answered Pag. 16. There is nothing in the Scripture that is a duty upon me or which I am obliged to obey because there recorded whatsoever is a command to me I must not receive from any man or thing without me Nay not the Scripture it self Yea it is the greatest error in the world that ever was invented and the ground of all errour to affirme that the Scripture ought to be a Rule to Christians This is plaine dealing and so is that of Edward Burrowes Pag. 62. cited by Mr Hicks ibid. He that perswades people to let the Scrâ—ptures be the rule of faith and practice would keep people in darkness for who ever walks by the rule without them and teach men so to do would make void the Covenant of life and peace Now if this be his meaning the Scriptures shall be no Rule at all not so much as a Subordinate Rule for it shall hold forth no Truth calling for divine Faith from me nor shall it hold forth any Law or Command obligeing me to Obedience unless a new Revelation come or the Light with in me tell me that such a point is Truth and so to be beleeved and such an Exhortation is a divine Command and so to be Obeyed And if the Light within me say that such an Assertion contained in the Scriptures is not Tâ—uth I must not beâ—eâ—ve it or if it say that such a word of Command is not to be Obeyed there shâ—â—l be no force of a command in the word So that as with Papists the Scriptures are beholden to their Pope or to their Church for its authority so as it hath no canonick authority but what is given to it by the Pope or the Church So with Quakers the Scriptures are beholden to the Light within for its authority and no more is Scripture to be Beleeved and Obeyed as Scripture but what the Light within saith is to be beleeved and Obeyed And thus in effect it is not the Scripture nor the Spirit of God speaking to us in the Scripture that layeth any obligation on us to beleeve and obey but only the Light within so that if the Light within will any other book possibly the Turks Alcoran shall have as much authority to Command our Faith and Obedience as the Scripture hath Yet I must needs say we have much more advantage in dealing with Papists than in dealing with these Quakers for the Papists have but one Pope to whose determination they submit But here every Quaker hath a Pope within his brest And next we can know read and understand what the Pop's determinations are and how founded when he is pleased to condescend to give reasons at least we can know what truths he determineth and what not But we cannot know what the Spirit or Light within the Quakers saith we heare not and see not and understand not what it saith whether it be a white or a blake Spirit we know not It may say One thing this houre and the contrary the next and where are we then And what ever it saith we cannot know but as they report and whether their report be true or not we know not Nor can we know when we have used our utmost diligence to know it To this then are we come at length That every Quaker hath the Supreame judge of all controversies within his brest and the supream Law to regulate all duties So that it is impossible to convince them of an Errour either in Faith or Practice out of the Scriptures because the clearest Assertions of truth and the most manifest Commands have no auâ—hority but from the Light within them And what that Light saith we cannot judge because we neither hear it nor see it nor have we ground to beleeve that they cannot give us a false report of the testimony of that Light This is â— confess a master piece of Invention of the grand Impostor to keep these deluded souls out of the reach of conviction but such as all sober persons will judge ground sufficient to look upon that with a more than ordinary piece of abhorrence and to flee from these deluded and self deluding creatures But one thing more I would know of this man if this be his meaning Is it any otherways with us than it was with the people of God of old He must say no seing he hath formerly pleaded for the same formal Object and Ground to their faith and ours and then I enquire might not the people of God of old have put off thus all the Prophecies Exhortations Rebuikes and Commands which the Prophets immediatly inspired declared unto them from in the name of the Lord by saying till they had Revelations immediat themselves concerning these things to be beleeved or obeyed they were not under any obligation to notice them And if so how could they be charged with Disobedience Obstinacy Unbeleef and Wickedness as we oftentimes finde they were
hence the Perswasion or Conviction of this truth may be greater in some as more freed from Prejudices Doubts and Exceptions than in Others in whom it may be weaker through some admixture The impression also may be in some deeper than in others 16. If any enquire wherein this differeth from the Opinion of the Quakers I ans In those particulars 1 This which we speak of is not the Spirits saying by any new Revelation Voice or Whisper or Enthusiastick inspiration that this and not that Book is the Word of God The Quakers speak thus 2 By their way the testimony of the Spirit is an Argumentative Medium or an Inartificial Argument adduced to prove this conclusion to themselves that this or that Book is the Word of God so that they must first Perceive and Feel that the Spirit saith or witnesseth this book to be the Word of God and then they inferre that therefore it is to be received as the Word of God But we make no such use of the Spirits Testimony but Assert that He so illuminateth the Minde to see the characters of divinity as withall to work the Assent or Perswasion and that so as the Faith or Perswasion shall be felt oftentimes before the man reflect upon the Operation of the Spirit 3 The testimony we speak of is that Operation of the Spirit whereby the characters of divine Majesty and Authority which are natively inprinted in and do necessarily attend the Sayings of God are Discovered Received and Acquiesced in But the testimony which they speak of is distinct from and hath no connexion with the Objective evidence which is in the Scriptures themselves 4 The Quakers Revelation is purely Objective and New and Immediat declaring a new Truth The work of the Spirit which we speake of as it cleareth up the Objective Evidence which is in the Scriptures by removing Grounds of Mistake and Prejudice and the like so it worketh by these Evidences a Subjective Conviction in the soul and a Perswasion of the truth which only the man did not see before 5 By their Revelation a person getteth no new discovery of the characters of Divinity which the Scriptures carry along with them unless it may be by accident but the Perswasion which we speak of is rationally deduced from and founded upon these Marks and Evidences which the soul is now made to see clearly through the Operation of the Spirit 6 By our way the Scriptures do not receive their Truth and Authority neither in themselves nor as to us from this work of the Spirit as they do by the way of the Quakers for whether this Operation of the Spirit whereof we speak be or not the Scriptures are what they are the very Word of God as the sun is a shineing sun and light is light whether the blinde see it or not The word of the Lord is cloathed with Divine Light Majesty and Authority whether we see it or not Obligeth us though as yet wanting this perswasion and remaining blinde or blinded with prejudice to Imbrace and Receive the same as the Word of God and to yeeld all due Faith and Obedience thereunto as to the Word Law of the great God Lawgiver it is true without this work of the Spirit we cannot attaine to that heart-quieting Perswasion and soul-satisfying Assurance of the infallible Truth and divine Authority of the Scripture yet there is an infallible Truth divine Authority that inseparably attendeth whatsoever is spoken by God delivered as Assertions Lawes whether we see it and beleeve it or not And our blindness though it prejudge us of the rich advantage of Embraceing the Scriptures as the very Word of God yet it Endammageth not in the least the word of God it self But by the way of the Quakers the Scriptures have no Light nor Authority in themselves or to us until this Second Testimony come And thus it is supposed that either the Scriptures have no Characters of Light Power Life and Majesty divine in themselves or that whatever they may have of this kinde it is of no force to Oblige us to Faith and Obedience which were a contradiction till we receive this adventious and second Testimony and so all who want this are under no Obligation to receive the Bible by Faith and Obedience more then the Turks Alcoran which sure must be a very wilde and uncouth Position Let the Reader consult that satisfying Piece of the learned D. Own of the Divine Original c. of the Scriptures Chap. 5. where this is more satisfyingly and clearly expressed 1â— Now this being the very nature and native result of the judgment of the Quakers who sâ—eth not how absurd it is and who can be ignorant of the dreadful Consequences thereof which are so obvious For if their Opinion hold Then 1 there was no Ground for that Challenge Hos. 8 12. I have written to him the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing 2 Then the jewes wanting this testimony could not be blamed for saying Ier. 43 2 Thou speakest falsly the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say go not unto Egypt to sojourn there 3 This might have been alleiged for an excuse of the Unbeleef that Christ himself did meet with for the Jewes might have said we have not as yet the testimony of the Spirit perswading us that Christs sayings and sermons are truely divine or the very sayings and testimony of God and till we have this we are not bound to beleeve 4 This would annul all that Authority and Truth that is in the Revelation of Iesus Christ which God gave untâ— Him to show unto His Servants and sent and signified by his Angel unto Iohn who bare record of the word of God and of the testimony of Iesus Christ. Revel 1 2. So 5 it maketh null that saying Revel 1 3. Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this prophecy and keep those sayings which are written therein 6 It confronteth all these places following Deut. 11 18 19. and 18 19. Ier. 29 19. and 35.15 Psal. 50 17. Prov. 4 20. and 7 â— Ier. 6 19. and 1â— 10. and 13 10. Ezech. 3 4.10 with multitudes moe which might be cited 7 By this meanes the people of God of old were no more Obliged to receive the Word of God delivered by true Prophets than the lies and dreams of the false Prophets who were Prophets of the deceits of their owne hearts and there was no difference to be put betwixt the chaff and the wheat until this second Revelation came See Ier. 23 21-32 In a word 8 This rendereth the whole Scriptures of the Old and New Test. void and useless as we shall manifest more when we come to consider what he saith to the contrary 18. What he speaketh of the difference among the Ancients and doubtings concerning some Books of Scripture which are now received can prove nothing but that through Prejudice
6. Rev. 22 18. and others of the same import as Gal. 1 8. Mat. 15 6. So that it is hence cleare that the Doctrine contained in the Scriptures is full and Compleet for to it nothing must be added not must any thing be diminished therefrom Now to these this Maâ— replyeth with Bellarmine That Iohn in the Revelation meaneth only that particular book That notwithstanding thereof the Prâ—pheâ—s of old did adde their Prophecies But how vaine these shifts are who seeth not Seing what is spoken of that Book and elsewhere of the Commands of God is consequently to be understood of all and as none might adde to the law delivered by Moses nor to the Word held forth by the Prophets so the Canon being closed and the same prohibition renewed at the close thereof we are assured hence that the Canon is Perfected as for the Prophecies of the Prophets these were properly no Additions to but Explications of the law of God and beside the Lord did not binde up his owne hand when he tyed up mans from adding or diminishing But he tels us further that there were Prophets even after Iohns dayes and at the Reformation and since Which is nothing to the purpose for these who foretold events took not upon them to prescribe thereupon doctrines to others nor did they make any such Revelation the Ground and Rule of Faith and Manners eiâ—her to themselves or others far less did they plead upon this account against the Perfection of the Scriptures as our Quakers do Wherefore it is manifest that the Spirit of Divination which tâ—ey plead for is a corrupt Antichristian Spirit But in end he sayeth that these places are to be understood only of such as adde new doctrine contrary to the old of such as adde humane words to God's but not of them who only bring a new and more copious revelation of ancient doctrine As if additions of new Revelations to the canon did not â—eclare the canon Imperfect This is the same which Bellarmine and other Papists say for their Traditions viz. That they are not Additions but Explications yet both their Traditions our Quakers new Revelations must thereby be as highly valued as the writtings of the prophets and Apostles which were but further Explications and Revelations of the same old foundamental doctrine deliverd by Moses and thus what our Quakers do deliver by such Revelations as they pretend unto must be looked upon as of the same authority with what the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and with the Scriptures which are of divine Inspiration and what they speak thus are not mens words but Gods and must be received as such though they contradict what we have registrate in the Scriptures of truth Here is prodigious and blasphemous Audacity beyond what Papists though audacious enough dar be guilty of for they willingly grant that there is no place now left for adding to the Scriptures or doctrine delivered by the Prophets and Apostles any new Prophecies or Revelations But I would ask him one thing If he speak truth here when shall our Canon be compleated that no more needs be added Sure it must never he Perfected as long as they live or the time will come when they will need no moe Revelations and consequently according to their doctrine will nead no more help of the Spirit or of the Light within or that the Revelations which they shall then have will be useless Let him unriddle this mysterie if the can 31. Before I speak any more of their unreasonableness in this I would first see what Grounds he hath to decry the Perfection of the Scriptures Pag. 40. c. He tels us first That there are innumerable things which in reguard of particular circumstances are of great consequence unto Christians and yet there is no precise rule in the Scriptures concearning them But did ever any Rational man suppose that this was necessary to a Compleet Law and Rule to determine particularly and precisely of all and every particular action considered as to all its particular and individual circumstances Reasonable men will say that it is enough if it determine of aâ—l specifick actions and give general rules by which judgment may be made of all individual actions now this the Scripture doth richly and abundantly But he adduceth an instance to the contrary thus of a Minister called to preach the necessity of which office and ministrie himself denyeth though he make use of this argument ad hominem who can produce no call out of the Scriptures nor will the qualifications required of Minâ—sters evince that this man in particular is called nor can he be certaine that he is endued with these qualifications without the testimony of the Spirit and though he be endued and called no Scripture can tel him when and where he should preâ—ch Generals will not serve here for he may sin when doing this or preaching here when he should be doing that and preaching in another place Answere 1. I might tell him that by his reasoning here he must grant that he and the rest of the Quakers must have a Real New Distinct and Particular Revelation for every action every word or silence every thought or no thought and so for their Eating Drinking Sleeping Wakeing Walking Sitting Standing Looking Hearing c. or their rule shall be as imperfect as ours for in all these and in respect of their circumstances they may sinne and so bring condemnation on themselves and yet as we will hear afterward he dar not say so much His saying that the Instance which he hath adduced is a matter of greater moment will not helpe the matter for if he will I shall prove to him that in the least of these particulars I have hinted he can sinne against God and that is enough by his owne confession here to render the matter momentous 2 To him it is true who denieth the Ministrie it self its Work and Exercise it cannot be that the Scriptures should Regulate particular persons in their taking on of the Office and in the Exercise thereof But to us who owne this as an Institution of Christ and shall in due place vindicate it from his Exceptions there is no Impossibility in the matter For we can prove from Scripture and shall do it in due time and place that there is such a standing Ordinance in the New Testament That there is an established Order whereby persons shall be duely Invested with the Office That there are certaine Qualifications required in the Person who is to be admitted to the Office That there is concurring an inward Work of the Spirit inclineing the man whom the Lord calleth unto this Office upon pure and spiritual grounds and motives and for holy and heavenly ends and this may be cleared also out of Scripture Therâ— are passages of providence and circumstantial Works of the Lord which are great and sought out of all them that have pleasure
freely given to us of God 1 Cor. 2 12. I assert that He is the earnest in our hearts 2 Cor. 1 22. and that beleevers are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Ephes. 1 13. and that by him they aâ—e sealed unto the day of Redemption Ephes. 4 30. But all this is his peculiar work and by no shew of reason can or should be expected of a Rule as any man of ordinary judgment may see 34. But § 4. Pag. 43. He tels us that neither deaf persons nor idiots nor Infants can make use of it as a Rule and yet some of these may be saved That some of these may be saved and are I shall be loath to deny but what will this say for the Imperfection of the Scriptures Did not Paul know so much when he spok of their Perfection Or did not the Spirit of the Lord know this when he inspired David to say Psal. 19 that the Law of the Lord was perfect What I pray will his Revelations helpe the matter as to Infants and Idiots Are they capable of such Were there none such among the Jewes And yet he granted that the Law was a Primary Rule to them and consequently Perfect for he deducâ—th its not being a Principal Rule from its being Imperfect and therefore when and where so ever it was a Principal Rule then and there it was also a Perfect Rule Thus the man in stricking at us woundeth himself But what in case any of these persons kill a man what would the Law of the land do unto them would it punish them I think the Law of the Lord should warrand them if they did right And shall the Law of a Land reach persons that cannot make use of it and God's Law not What use can Children or Mad men or Idiots make of the Light within As for deaf persons they have Natures light and that is part of God's Law and if they have eyes they can see many things that may instruct them though they cannot read the Bible which was never penned for their immediat use nor yet for the use of Infants and Idiots But the saying that God can and when he will doth supply the want of Scripture as of other of his Appointments Ordinances in these extraordinary cases can be no impeachment either of the Usefulness or Perfection of the Scriptures Our Quakers will account their books and exhortations useful if not necessary and yet he shall hardly perswade me that deafe Persons or infants or idiots can make any good use of them 35. To the same end he mentioneth next such as cannot read And can he demonstrate that there were none such among the Iewes and can he tell me what this derogateth from the Perfection of the Lawes of a Land and I pray him tell me if he thinks that such as cannot read and yet live where the Scriptures are or within the Church can violat any of the precepts contained in the Scriptures or not If they can shall be punished of God therefore did not the Scriptures oblige them will their not being learned and able to read prove a sufficient plea for them in the day of accounts If not then the Scriptures remaine a Rule to them and if it remaine a Rule it must remaine a Perfect Rule for all that this argument concludeth which if it conclude any thing will conclude that the Scriptures are no Rule at all to such And as for the disadvantage such are at in the knowledge of the Rule they must blame themselves the Scriptures cannot bear the blame that they will not learne to read them no more than it can bear the blame of such as can read them and will not 36. After this he â—aketh together a number of things Such as peoples Ignorance of the Original Languages Errours in Translations whereof our owne is not in his judgment free Various Readings in the Originals difference among Learned men about the Points in the hebrew and about the Original authenticque of the Old Test. Some pleading for the â—o others for the Hebrew and he might have added the Papists pleading for the Vulgar latine Version for both old and New Testament All which can plead nothing against the Rule of the Scriptures as every one may see only â—t can be hence inferred that we are at some disadvantages in understanding some things in the Scripture and by this he rather disputes against the Providence of God and his Goodness that did not prevent these evils than against the Canon it self for he cannot deny thâ—t the Canon was once written by men inspired of God in one language or other nor will he say â—s we shall hear shortly that what was so written was written only for the good of these Persons or Churches to whom they were especially directed Beside that these Exceptions have been sufficiently removed by Learned Men particularly and that shortly and plainly by the learned D. Owen in his book above cited Himself calleth them the Scriptures of truth and § 2. Pag 38. he both wondereth and praiseth God that they are by the good providence of God keeped so pure and uncorrupt Yea Pag. 47. § 6. he confesseth thâ—t what errors are creept-in through the injury of the times are but small especially in substantial matters So that notwithstanding of all which he hath said the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation and what neeâ—s more what would he hence inferre 37. Towards the end of Pag. 44. he tels us what he would hence conclude viz That Christ who promised to be with his own and to lead them in all truth c. would never leave them to be led by a Rule obvious to so many doubts And yet we see he hath done so for we know no other Rule whâ—ch Christ haâ—h given whereby to point our unto us the Way and Counsel of God But he addeth tâ—at Christ hath therefore given his Spirit for the Principal and chief Leader And I say the same and account it a saying worthy of all acceptance The Spirit is the Principal Chiefe Only Efficient Leader Giving and implanting a new principle of life and grace in the soul Reforming Regenerating the whole man as to his Understanding Will and Affections Sending and conveying new Influences of Life Light Strength and Comfort whereby the Ignorant and blinde are made to see the way wherein they ought to walk the fainting and weary get new power and increase of Strengh so as they run and are not weary and walk and are not faint the Sick and swooning christian is made to revive and become strong in the Lord and in the power of his might the Dejected and sorrowfull Mourner is made to sing in the wayes of the Lord through the Consolations of the H. Ghost but all this is consisting with no way derogatory to the Vse Necessity Fulness Compleetness of the Scriptures as our Rule Law Here lyeth the ground of this mans
grosse mistakes He confoundeth the Spirits work the work of the Scriptures He confoundeth the Leader and Guâ—de with the Way wherein the traveller walketh I should think a man that could not put a difference here should be that wise as to forbear to preach forth his folly to the world trouble the world with his ignorant and absurd impertinencies whereby he but maketh himself ridiculous not only in contradicting himself but likewise in contradicting common sense and the Scriptures also Himself in that he confesseâ— once and againe above though contrary to his owne assertions that the people under the Old Test. had the Law as their principal Rule and yet he will not deny but they had the Spirit also because he said so much in and upon his Secod Thesis so then by his doctrine the Spirit and the Scriptures can consist together and the difference betwixt the Old and New Test. must be this that under the Old Test. the Law was the principal Leader and Guide and the Spirit the less Principal Subordinat but now under the Gospel the Spirit is the More Principal and the Scriptures the less Principal Are not these learned notions Do they smell either of Reason or of Religion He contradicteth Common sense for every one knoweth that the Guide and the Way wherein he guideth differ every Scholer knoweth that his Master and his Book are two different things And every Christian knoweth how to distinguish betwixt the Law of the Lord and the Spirit that writteth that Law in his heart He contradicteth also the Scriptures which throughout discriminateth these two let him pause upon these following Ephes. 6 17. 1 Pet. 1 22. 4 6. Psal. 143.8 10. Prov. 1 23. Esai 59 21. Ier. 31 33 34. Heb. 8 8. Ezech. 36 26 27. Psal. 119 27 32 33. Esai 35 8. Ier. 6 16. Esa. 42 16. 48 17. Psal. 25 4 8 9 12. 85 13 139 24. Prov. 8 20. Psal. 5 8. 27 11. 86 11 119 37. 91 11. Prov. 3 6. with many moe that might be cited 38. He tels us Pag. 45. That only by the evidence and revelation of this Spirit they are freed from all the forementioned difficulties about the Scriptures Unworthy man why doth he then envye us of this good Why will he not tell us how they get these difficulties loosed by Revelation Why will he not acquant the world with this matter that we may no more be perplexed with these scruples Or must this good and advantage reside only with them But it is like we must first turne Quakers and then it is true we shall have the gordian knot not loosed but cut in pieces for we shall lay aside the Scriptures as useless altogether and so need not trouble ourselves with those difficulties but leave them as bones for dogs to whet their teeth upon One instance of the benefite of their Revelations he giveth of some of their number who could not so much as read and yet could discover corruptions in our version of the Bible But the good luck was that himself was judge I know that a kâ—owing beleever that is acquanted with the work of God upon his soul can understand when any thing is spoken by Ministers or Others contradictory or not consonant thereunto but that they have been able especially when so illiterate as not to know a letter of the Bible to correct versions or faults in the original I have not yet seen I have heard it is true of some that in trances and ecstacies have spoken strange languages that themselves understood not when in their ordinary posture If his Revelations be of this nature we have reason to pray that God would deliver us from them 39. But lest some should think that by this his discourse he were utterly decrying the Scriptures and driving at a laying of them aside as useless he giveth us an account of the high esteem he hath of them and of their usefulness in his judgment And in this he doth wisely and hereby I perceive that the Quakers now have learned a little more policy than at first for then they could not speak reproachfully enough of the Scriptures so that if they could have gained their point ere now the Scriptures had been quite laid by as an old almanack but finding that by all their unworthy Expressions and Endeavours they were so farr from prevailing this way that it turned to their detriment for wise people did so much the more abhore them and keep off from their courses they became at length so wise as to speak more soberly of the Scriptures and not to Raile against them at such an high rate as formerly as Papists also in words seem to extol the Scriptures See Bellarm. de Verbo Dei Lib. â— C. 2. Yet this remaineth fixed among them That the Scriptures are not made use of in their Assemblies It is below them to Expound any portion of it there or to adduce any Testimony there from for Confirmation of their Assertions whatever they do when speaking and writing to others who ground their faith upon the Scriptures And by this Man we learn that their Opinion yet is That the Scriptures are not our Perfect Sufficient Fixed and Ordinary Rule whereby we shall know what is our duty before God But that we must be ruled in our walk by Immediat Revelations of the Spirit as these were who wrote the Scriptures And it is their constant Opinion and if this man be of another Judgment we shall know when we come to heare what he saith of the Light within that when one cometh to hearken to the Light within he hath obtained the whole end of the Scriptures so that they become wholly Useless to him 40. What saith he then of the Scriptures He saith § 5. Pag. 45. He giveth to them a secondary place detracting nothing which they assume to themselves citeing Rom. 15 2. 2 Timoth. 3 15 16 17. A Secondary place he granteth they have but in what Will he not say as much of his own writings We grant that the Spirit by them as a mean in his hand Illuminateth Leadeth and Guideth his owne people But as to a Rule and Law we know nothing above them for they containe the Law of the Supream Lawgiver and as a Law and Rule are able to make us Wise unto salvation and Perfect unto every good work for the whole Counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his owne Glory mans Salvation Faith and Life are either expresly set downe in them or by good and necessary consequence may be deâ—uced from them unto which nothing at any time is to be added whether by new Revelations of the Spirit or Traditions of Men. This is our doctrine contained in our Confession of Faith Chap. 1. § 6. And this we must maintaine or say that God's works are not Perfect and so reproach our Maker and Supream Lord Governour for prescribeing Lawes which are
terminus without all respect to sin because by it persons are appointed to punishment for their sins and whatever God doth in time execute He râ—solved and determined from eternity to do the same in the self same manner As for the Execution of this decree in time in reference to the denying or not giving of Faith Repentance Regeneration or Gâ—ace to recover out of the state of sin we say this act is Absolute as hâ—s giving of Grace and Regeneration upon the one hand is free as the Scripture richly declareth so thâ— withhoâ—ding of this Mercy Grace is an act of his Absolute Soveraignity and Free Will who hath mercy on whom he will and hardeneth whom he will As concerning the act of inflicting spiritual Iudgments the forerunners of hell this being an act of Iustice is not without respect to sin its procureing cause as the Scriptures lately cited evidence The same we say of adjudging impenitent and wicked persons unto hell for this is an act of justice conforme to the established Law of God 10. Though what we have said might suffice upon our part for clearing of the truth which we owne yet because this Quaker rageth so much against Absolute Reprobation by which he doth not meane the actual Execution of this act but the Act it self we shall in short propose somethings which will serve for confirmation of what we say And 1. There is a certane Analogy betwixt the decree of Election the decree of Reprobation so that the one giveth light unto the other the one cannot be conceived without the other for where there is an Election of some there must be a Rejection of others so the one is opposite to the other from this it is manifest that if Election be Free Absolute so must Reprobation be for the objects of both are supposed to be in the same state condition equally represented in the minde of God or considered when the act passeth upon them none deserving Election more than the rest nor none more meriting Reprobation than the rest If then Election be not upon the account of any good foreseen in the elected more than in others whether it be Faith or Obedience or Perseverance in both to the end or whatever else can be imagined as all our Divines have showne writing against the Arminians it is manifest cleare that Reprobation cannot be upon the account of the Foresight of the contrary Sin foreseen or considered in Iudas could not be a cause moving God to Reprobat him more than Peter because the same was to be seen in Peter And the Apostle cleareth confirmeth this when he saith Rom. 9 11 12 13. for the children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil it was said unto her the Elder shall serve the Younger as it is written Iacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Which place 2. Doth further confirme what we say for here is a Discrimination made one Loved the other Hated that is one Elected the other Reprobated Rejected without any consideration had of good in the one or evil in the other as a procureing cause of these Acts of Gods will for both Iacob Esau are considered as being in a like condition yet unborn neither having done either good or evil 3. The supream wheel moving all is here said to be that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth so there can be no procureing cause of this in man The one was preferred to the other that the purpose of God according to Election might stand the other consequently was made to serve that the purpose of God according to Reprobation might stand 4. Works both good evil are here in plaine termes excluded not of works there are no works excepted if Election be without foreseen works Reprobation must be so also or we must say that the Apostle argueth not acuratly that the Spirit of the Lord in the Apostle doth not cleare explaine the point 5 Vers. 17. from the instance of Pharaoh of whom it is said that God even for this same purpose had raised him up that He might shâ—w his power in him c. the Apostle inferreth that God hardneth whom he will as well as from the instance of Iacob preferred to his brother Esau he inferred vers 15. 18. that he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and that he hath compassion on whom he will have compassion 6. The Objection which the Apostle preoccupieth Vers. 19. Thou wilt say then why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will doth manifestly speak the truth we plead for for if Election Reprobation were not absolute but upon foreseen works what place could this Objection have Why would the Apostle speak to an Objection that were no way pertinent Should there be any colour for any to propose this scruple if the good evil works of man were the ground of all 7. The Apostles reply confirmeth this when he sayeth Nay but O man who art thou that repliest or dispurest or it may be rendered responsats or carps against God Importing that it is high arrogance in the Clay creature to call Jehovah to its barre to judge or quarrel with or disput against God whatever he do according to the purpose of his own will But what ground were there for such a Pride-laying Man-humbling Mouth-stopping Creature-abaseing felling answere if all this matter did run upon the wheels of justice or had its rise from man or were ultimatly founded upon something in him 8. The answere added putteth the matter beyond all further dispute Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour Where we see That man is but as a lump of clay in the hands of the great Potter as there is nothing in one part of the same lump of clay calling inviteing or moving the potter to make of it a vessel unto honour or a vessel unto dishonour so is there nothing in man calling or moving God to make this man a vessel unto honour the other a vessel unto dishonour And next we see That all is ultimatly resolved into the pleasure of God as the Potters mere pleasure is the cause of the discrimination of vessels which he frameth out of the same lump 9. These words vers 22. further confirme our point for saith the Apostle what if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted or made up for destruction c. Importing that it is so and that man hath nothing to say against it So we see That as the vessels of mercy are afore prepared unto glory so the vessels of wrath are afore prepared and
meer Genâ—ral Possible Râ—demption do strengthen the hands of â—he Socinians and joyn wiâ—h them against the Orâ—hodox but these Quakers with their old friends the Arminians will joyn wâ—th Socinians or any rather than with truth and we have seen alreaâ—y in how maâ—y tâ—ings this man taketh part with the Socinians But to our purpâ—se â—uch as Christ did thus die for and in their room place are accounted to â—ave died in Him so freed as in Ter. Proillo te ducam Ego prote molam 28. Moreover 17. If we consider the furniture whicâ— Christ as mediator had given to him of the Father we shall see moâ—e of the unreaâ—onableness of this Opinion which this Quaker with the Arminians embraceth Not to speak of what he had as God the Fathers Fellow and Equal let us but take notice of that câ—mmunicated furniture which he had as Mediator between God and man 1 Tim. 2 5. and our Immanuel Esai 7 14 We see He is called Wonderful Counsellour c. Esai 9 6 7. He is that Candlestick whence the golden pipes do empty the golden oile Zech. 4 12. He was full of grace and truth Ioh. 1 14. Was this fulness for a meer Possible effect Or had He it so and for such an end as none might possibly be the better thereof No and of his fulness have all we received grace for grace Ioh. 1 16. He had not the Spirit by measure Ioh 3 34. It plâ—ased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1 9. In him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2 3. and in him dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily vers 9. And wherefore is all this Even that all his might be compleet in him vers 10. Grace was poured into his lips Psal. 45 2 and he was anoynted with the oyle of gladness above his fellowes vers 7. And Esai â—1 1. Luk 4 18. c. The Spirit of the Lord God was upon him because the Lord had anoynted him And for what end To preach glade tideings unto the meek to binde up the broken hearted to proclame liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound See further vers 2 â— Sure this was no uncertain end nor lâ—st to the discretion of Free will So Esai 11 â— And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of wisdom and understanding c. Shâ—l all this be and further shall righteâ—usness be the girdle of his â—â—mes and faithfulness the girâ—le of his reines vers 5. And â—ay it notwithstanding so come to passe that the Wolf shall not dwell with the Lamb nor the Leopard lye down with the Kid c nor the earth be full of the knowledge of tâ—e Lord as the waters cover the sea Ver. 6 7 8 9. How absurd is it to imagine this And yet so it may be by the Quakers opinion All this furniture saith that it was no Uncertain Gâ—neral End which he had before his eyes in undertaking this work and the Father in sending him and granting to him this fulness 29. Adde to this 18. The Titles and Relations which Christ took upon Him for they cannot be meer inâ—igniâ—icant and empty Names He is called a Redeemer Esa. 4â— 14. 54 5. 49 26. 60 16. 43 14. 44 6 24. 48 17. 49 7. 47 4. 59 20. Rom. 11 26. And shall we imagine that He shall be a Redeemer and Deliverer and yet no man Redeemer or delivered No He hath a redeemed company whom he owneth as such Esa. 35 â— 43 1 2â— 44 22. 48 20. Ier. 31.11 Esai 51 11 52 3. 63 4. Zach. 10 8. Luk. 1.68 24 21. 1 Pet. 1 18. Revel 5 9. 14 3. He is called a Saviour Esai 4â— 3 11. 45 15 21. 63 8. Luk. 1 47. 2 11. Ioh 4 â—2 Act. 5 31. 13 23. 2 Tim. 1 10. Tit. 1 â— Ephes. 5 2â— Tit. 2 13. 3 6. 2 Pet. 1 1 11. 2 20. 3 2 18. 1 Ioh. 4 14. Shall we think that he was given sent for a Saviour and took upon him that title and relation and notwithstanding no man might be saved No there are also some designed the Saved 2 Cor. 2 15. Act. 2 4â— 1 Cor. 1 18. He is called a King Revel 15 3. 17 14. 19 16. 1 Tim. 6 15. Ioh. 12 15. Luk. 19 38. 23 2. Zach. 9 9. Mat. 21 5. Now is he an actual King and shall have none but potential Subjects Shall he be a King without a Kingdom See Ioh. 18 36. Col. 1 13. 1 Cor. 15 24. He is called an Husband 2 Cor. 11 2. Ier. 31 3â— And therefore He must have a Wife and a Bride Iâ—h 3.29 Revel 18 23. 21 9. 22 17. He is called an Head Ephes. 5.23 1 Cor. 11 3. Ephes. 4 15. 1 22 Col. 1 18. And so must have a Boâ—y Ephes. 1 23. Rom. 12 5. Ephes. â— 4. Col. 3 15. 1 24. 2 19. Ephes. 4 6. 5 23. 3 6. He is called the Vine stock and shall he have no Brancâ—es Ioh. 15 1 2. c. These things miâ—ht be further enlairged and pressed but we sâ—all haste forward 30. â—9 Our Adversaries say That Christ by his Death and passion did Absolutâ—ly even according to the Intention of God purchase Remission of sins and Reconciliation with God and that for all and every man Otâ—ers say conditionally But withal as to the application of this purchase it is made to depend upon faith and so they distinguish betwixt Impetration and Applicatiâ—n And though it is true the purchase made is one thing and the actual enjoyment of the thing purchased is another thing Yet we may not say with our Adversaries that the Impetration is for moe than shall have the Application or as this Quaker who in effect saith that it may so fall out that there shall be no Application for all this Impetration But we assert that both Impetration and Application in reâ—pect of the designe of the Father which is absolute aâ—d certain and the Intention of Christ the Mediator which is fixed and pâ—remptory are for the same individual persons so that for whom soever God 〈◊〉 Christ and Christ came to purchase any good unto these same shaâ—l it actually in due time and in the Method and manner Condescended upon prescribed be given and upon them and none else shall it actually be bestowed for 1. No other thing beside this Application can be supposed to have been the end of the Impetration And sure Christ was herein a Rational Agent Nay it was the Intention and designe of the Father that the Application of these good things should be by the meanes of this Impetration as is abundantly cleared above 2. We cannot suppose that either Christ or his Father should faile or coâ—e short of their end designed but by our
of his grace the soul lay hold on the offered salvation and accept of the alsufficient offered Mediator we utterly deny it affirming faith to be the pure gift of God wrought by the exceeding greatness of his power according to the working of his mighty power or according to the working of the might of his power Ephes. 1 19. 2 8. And that this faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom 10 17. So that we see nor how any without the Church or the hearing of the word of God and of the word of the Gospel revealing Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God can beleeve not how any wâ—thin the Church and who hear the sound of the Gospel daily can beleeve without the grace of God working Faith by the Operation of his Spirit and thus concurring with the word And therefore we deny Salvation to be Possible in this Quakers sense to any yea even to the Elect otherwayes we must reject the Scriptures of truth and embrace the Pelagian Errour and lay aside all prayer for the Spirit of grace to work faith and only make our supplications to Lord Free will and think to batter the wals of Freewill with meer Moral Swasion as Iesuites Arminians and Socinians with the old Pelagians imagine and sacrifice to our own net and burn incense to our own drag Free will because by it our portion is fat and our meat plenteous And so give thanks with the damned to God that hath made salvation onely Possible but to ourselves alone for making it Actual and for obtaining the crown and prize 12. Having thus in short proposed our Judgment after hearing of his Opinion we come now to examine the proofs of his Proposition which he layeth down Pag. 93. c. § 19. And first in general he saith That it is manifest from the complaints which the Spirit of God useth in the Scriptures against such as perish chideing and reproving them for rejecting Gods visitation and love and refuseing his mercy Ans. 1. His Proposition is Universal and these Complaints anâ— Reproofs are only Particular viz. against such as were within the Church so they can prove nothing 2. Neither will these Reproofs c. prove that such had power and ability to embrace mercy and love offered unto them without the grace of God as say Iesuites and Arminians for the Scripture tels us that God must give the new heart Ier. 31 33 34. 32 39 40. Ezech. 11 19 20. 36 26 27 Heb. 8 10. and that none cometh to the Son but whom the Father draweth Ioh. 6 44 45. and that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. 2 13. And to gather our Power and Ability out of the Commands and measure the one by the other is the very core of Pelagianisme and Arminianisme for upon this ground did Pelagius conclude that we could keep the whole Law perfectly as this man also saith Heare Pelagius himself ad Demetriadem cited by Vossius Histor. Pelag. lib. 5. part 1. Thes. 6. Duplici ignorantia accusamus Deum Inscientiae ut videatur nescire quod fecit nescire quod iussit quasi oblitus fragilitatis humanae cujus Author ipse est imposuerit homini mandata quae ferre non possit Simulque prô-nefas adscribimus Iniquitatem Iusto Pio Crudelitatem dum aliquid impossibile praecepisse conquerimur deinde pro his damnandum esse hominen ob ea quae vitare non potuit ut quod etiam suspicari Sacrilegium est videatur Deus non tam salutem nostram quaesisse quam poenam Itaque Apostolus sciens a Domino justitiae ac majestatis nihil impossibile esse praeceptum aufert a nobis vitium murmurandi quod tunc utique nascisolet cum aut iniqua sunt quae jubentur aut jubentis minus digna persona est Quid tergiversamur incassum Nemo magis novit mensuram virium nostrarum quam qui ipsas vires nobis dedit Nec quisquam melius quantum possimus intelligit quam qui ipsam virtutem nobis posse donavit nec impossibile aliquid voluit imperare qui justus est nec damnaturus hominem fuit pro eo quod vitare non potuit qui pius est Which in short is this That to say that God should command any thing which is not in our power to do were to accuse God of Ignorance as not knowing mans power and of Iniquity Cruelty and Sacrilege commanding that which he knew we could not do and thereafter condemning us for not doing of it This Quaker may see his owne face in this glass 13. He citeth further the words of God to Cain Gen. 4 6 7. and saith that this timeous admonition and promise of pardon upon condition he did well saith that he bad a day of visitation wherein it was possible for him to be saved That it was possible for Cain through the grace of God to have done well and obtained the excellency we affirme but that he had power without this grace all this admontion cannot prove so that as is said it is pure Pelagianisme for him to adde God could not propose that condition to do well to him if he had not given him sufficient strength to do well Had Pharaoh sufficiency of strength moral to let the people of Israel go when God had hardened his heart so as he should not let them go If not how could God send Moses to him with a word of command This man told us Thesis 4. That man in his Natural state could know nothing aright and that all his Imaginations Words and Actions were evil and only evil continually Now I enquire if such a man can be said to have sufficiency of strength to know God and things divine and to do well If not then it seemeth by this mans doctrine here that God can impose no command upon such to know God and to do well We know that God giveth the heart to perceive eyes to see and eares to hear Deut. 29 4. and that the carnal minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8 7. And that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them becauss they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2 14. He citeth to the same purpose Gen. 6 3. And we deny not that the Spirit speaking after the manner of men for such expressions cannot bâ— understood properly of God is said to contend with men to wit by his Word and Servants whom he sendeth forth to deal with men in his name So did he thus strive long with this old world by his messengers the Patriarches particularly by Noah called a preacher of righteousness 2 Pet. 2 5. But what of this This day of Visitation saith he which he granteth to every one is such as therein the Lord is said to waite and be
shown if it were worth so much paines let any who will Reaâ— the Jesuite Didacus Ruiz de Praedestinatione dispp 39 40.41.42.43.44.45 and especially disp 46. de Barbaris and he shall finde this Quakers doctrine at full length CHAP. X. Of Universal Grace and Light 1. We come to examine his Second Proposition containing a further piece of their divinity which he expresseth thus Pag. 79. § 11. That God for this end did comunicate and give to every man a certane measure of the Light of his Son a measure of grace or some manifestation of the Spirit which hath several names in Scripture as the seed of the kingdom Mat 13 18 19 light manifesting all things Ephes. 5 13. the word of God Rom. 10 18 the manifestation of the Spirit given to every one 1 Cor. 12.7 the talent Mat. 25.14 the Gospel preached to every creature Col 1 23 Ans. This must be a strange and wonderfull thing that is both Grace Gifts which are inward and placed in the soul the Word of God the Gospel which is outward preached declared to the eares of people what can we make of this or what can we understand by it Nay this with them is the Spirit of God it is Christ God Father Son holy Ghost and what not This I take to be peculiar to the Quakers for neither Pelagians nor Socinians nor Arminians nor any of their followers nor Iesuite ever spoke at this rate of non-sense vented to the world such Inconsistencies which are rather the foamings of a distracted braine than the discoursings of men in their wits how heterodox so ever But is it not strange that this man should imagine these things to be common to all mankinde The seed of the kingdom I no where read of but of the word of the kingdom which is compared to seed and was this word preached to all nations from the beginning of the word Or is it to this day sowen in all nations even amongst Heathens in Iapan other Regions Territories in the East West Indees or among the Turks Cannibals By whom I pray and upon whose testimony must we believe this The word of God Rom. 10 17. is the word that is heard preached by such as are sent whose feet are beautifull vers 15. by which faith cometh calling upon God vers 13 14 17. Is this common to all Nations The manifestation of the Spirit spoken of 1 Cor. 12. is concerning gifts peculiarly enumerated vers 8 9 10. such as the word of wisdom the word of knowledge faith gifts of healing working of miracles Prophecy discerning of spirits diverse kindes of tongues and interpretation of tongues And are these common to all men or were they then common to all the world Nay doth not the Apostle expresly restrick them to the Church of which he is there speaking in which the Lord did set Officers endued with these gifts vers 28 expresly say that they were not common even to all the members of the Church as may be seen through that chapter particularly vers 29 30 beside that the scope of the whole irrefragably evinceth this As for the talent mentioned Mat. 25. We spoke of it in the preceeding chapter And that Gospel whereof Paul speaketh Col. 1. Was that which he was sent to preach to all indefinitely as providence which sometimes stood in the way of his endeavouring to preach it somewhere as we see Act. 16 6 7. ordered it and which is called vers 26. the mystery which hath bin hid from ages and generations but now is made manifest to the saints Was this common to all before Christ came is it common to all this day How shall it be evinced that this Gospel is thus Universal will he take that word every Creature under heaven vers 23. without any limitation Then he must sâ—y that Paul preached this Gospel to Devils to Beasts all creatures without sense as well as to Men. But if he will restrick it let it be according to Reason we are satisfied his designe is crossed for as we cleared above Chap. VIII these Universals must be interpreted according to the nature of the thing spoken of the circumstances of the place so it will here but import an indefinite mission among the Gentiles and is an hyperbolick expression of the vast extension of the tydings of salvation now under the Gospel administration in comparison of what it was unâ—er the law when restricked to the limites of one kingdom to the posterity of Abraham Isaak Iacob with a few Proselites 2. To keep us from startling at the non-sense of the Proposition we have more more of that kinde to meet with in the further explication thereof set down in several Pages from Pag. 82. § 13. to Pag. 92. And though some may justly blame me for wasteing words spending time upon such a Nonsensical Self-contradictory Proposition yet considering that here lyeth the core of their delusions and that which though not as to mater yet as to expressions is peculiar to the Quakers and common to them all the Reader must have patience and heare all and then he will be better able to judge 3. He beginneth then Pag. 82. § 13. tels us That this Seed Grace word of God and light with which every man is enlightened and a measure of which every one hath in order to Salvation and which by mans pertinaciousness and the malignity of his will may be resisted extinguished wounded suppressed killed crucified is not the proper essence and nature of God considered in it self Before we enter upon a particular discussion of this mans words we conceive it will be of use to helpe us to understand him the better if he may be understood at all in this chiefe part of their heretical doctrine to take notice of some expressions of other Quakers concerning this Light and Seed of which they speak so much Mr Hicks in his dialogue giveth us some account of some of their expressions in this mater Dial. 1. Pag 3. G. Whitehead said in him was life the life was the light of men If the life be the divine essence the light must be so also for such as the cause such the effect must be And Againe Pag. 4. The light within must be God because to deny it so to be is to deny the Omnipresence of God Thus the light is the Essence of God the Omniprâ—sence of God And againe G. W. reasoned thus The divine life is immutable To say then the light within is not God is to say God is mutable Therefore it is blasphemy to deny the light within to be God Yea Pag. 5. he tels that one Robert West called the denying to worship the measure of light in every man damnable heresie and said that the Spirit which God breathed into Adam was not mans spirit but another the breath of our nostrils the anoynted
it the Spirit supposing that Paul 1 Cor 3 16. maineth every man breathing when he saith know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you and not remembering that the Apostle Rom. 8 9. maketh this the peculiar privilege of the Saints saying But ye 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 But this is a maine business it doth not a little concerne him and his cause to shew a clear difference if there be any betwixt his opinion and that of Pelagians and Socinians and yet instead of doing this he runneth out in extravagancies to bewilder his Reader telling us Pag. 87. 88. that when the principle or rational propriety exalts it self to reigne and rule in spiritual things above the seed then the seed is wounded We know that corruption and carnal reason can and doth fight and strive against the grace of God in God's people and that in others it will rise up against the Truth and authority of God in the Scriptures But to imagine such a thing as either of these in persons living in heathenisme without God and without Christ without the very report of the Gospel is to dream wakeing And to call it Antichrist riseing-up against Christ as he doth call it is but a Notional juggle to hide their blasphemies 21. He goeth on to tell us his dreams for he saith as God created the sun to give light by day and the moon by night so he hath given to men the spiritual and divine light of his Son to rule them in Spiritual things and the light of reason to rule them in Natural things c. These are but impertinent fancies for he should cleare to us here how that which he calleth the Spiritual and divine Light of Christ which is in every man differeth from Nature or the Natural Enduements which accompany the Rational soul that it may appear that he is no Pelagian nor Socinian for we grant that there is a spiritual and divine light of Christ which only can savingly make the spiritual things of God manifest to the soul but this is not common to all but peculiar to God's peculiar ones if we may believe the Scripture and in this sense it is true which he saith That reason must be illuminated with this divine light before it can rightly take up Spiritual things but that divine light is some other thing then the Light within 22. Againe He would make us beleeve that this Light in every man he talketh of is distinguished from the Natural Conscience upon this ground that the Natural Conscience can be defiled Tit. 1 15. but the light cannot for it maketh manifest all things that are to be reproved Ephes. 5 13. But how cleareth he that the light that is in every man by nature cannot be defiled The Apostle in that cited place Tit. 1 15. sayes that the Mindes and Conscience and what light is in men is there of unbeleevers are defiled And as for that light mentioned Ephes. 5 13. He will never prove that is a light common to all men especially when the next verse restricketh it to them that awake out of sleep and are arisen from the dead which cannot I suppose be said of all men get this light from Christ. Sure such as are yet asleep yea dead can have no Spiritual light And they that are yet darkness are not light in the Lord vers 8. nor can they prove what is acceptable unto the Lord vers 10. not having yet received the Spirit which is in all goodness and righteousness and truth vers 9. So that the whole scope of the place manifesteth this mans detorsion thereof The Apostle is exhorting them who sometimes were darkness but now were light in the Lord to walk as Children of light and to reprove the unfruitful works of darkness vers 8 11. shewing what is the true nature of that light whereof they are now made partakers being light in the Lord and brought out of the state of darkness viz. to discover and make manifest such unworthy actions to the end they may be shuned and thought shame of What he addeth of conscience challenging and vexing for what is not wrong according to its misinformation is nothing to the purpose now in hand unless to give a convincing argument against himself and to shew that the Light in Turks who are challenged by their misinformed and deceived consciences for drinking of wine prohibited by Mahomet is nothing different from the darkness of their blinded consciences for how will he prove that there is any spiritual light in them witnessing the contrary of what their blinded and misguided conscience saith Of the same nature and import is that which he addeth Pag. 89. of the blinded conscience of Papists challenging for eating flesh in Lent But he addeth that the light of Christ will never consent to such abominations but taketh away blindness openeth the Intellect and directeth judgment and conscience All which is very true of the true light of Christ bestowed upon beleevers and revealed in his word but is most false of his Light which is in all men naturally and common to all the Sons of Adam Heathens Turks and Cannibals as well as Christians in name and thing And while the Quakers preach up this as a sure guide to life eternal they are abominable Pelagian and Socinian deceivers who should be fled from as the most impudent and sworne enemies of the Grace of God and of His Gospel that ever appeared out of the bottomless Pit a company of pure Pagan-preachers whose doctrine is Paganisme and driveth thereunto 23. In the last place as a plaister to cover all the deformities of his opinion hithertil held forth he tels us that this light and seed is not the power and faculty of the mans soul whereof a man is master and can exercise when he will if no natural defect hinder for a man cannot stirre up when he pleaseth this Light and seed but it moveth and breatheth and contendeth with men as the Lord seeth good so that a man even though he hath some sense of his misery cannot when he will by his stirring up of this light attaine tenderness of heart but he must attend to that which at certain times cometh upon all in which it wonderfully mollifieth and warmeth the heart and worketh in the man at which time if the man resist not but joyn with it he obtaineth salvation thereby And he compareth it with the Spirits moving the waters of Bethesda not Bethsaida as he saith and addeth that God in love to all mankinde worketh so in the heart by this seed at certain singular times setting their sins in order before their eyes inviting to repentance and offering remission of sinnes and salvation which if man refuse not he may be saved
â—onveyed to beleevers by this Light and it is this light that is given for a witness to the people for a leader and a commander and so this â—ight is our prophet priest and king and then we have nothing to do with that Iesus of Nazareth of whom the Gospel speaketh whom the Apostles preached Thus the whole Gospel is overturned at one blow and all the New Testament is to be looked upon as a cunningly devised fable or must all be understood allegorically as speaking of this Light within which is Gospel Bible Saviour and all to the Quakers and of no other Christ of no other Saviour and Redeemer What a fundamental and antievangelick errour this of the Quakers is no man needeth now to doubt nor fear to call them pagan Preachers 40. Faith cometh by hearing saith he and hearing by the Word of God which is placed in every mans heart to be a witness for God and à medium by which they may be brought unto God through Faith and Repentance And because mans heart is naturally hard as yron God hath put this word in it to be as a fire and as an hammer Ier. 23 29. by whose strength and vertue if it be not resisted the cold and hard heart of man is warmed and made soft and receiveth an heavenly image and impression Ans. Here is a further confirmation of the desperate designe of these Quakers to overturne the foundations of Christian Religion for 1. The word of God by which Faith is wrought in souls is not with them the word of God which is preached or the Gospel which Christ his Apostles preached but a thing in every mans heart Heathen as well as Christian which they nickname blasphemously call the word of God Did Paul preach this word which is in every mans heart Or did any of the Apostles make this their theme text Did they ever say that by this word Faith was wrought in the heart Was this the Christ crucified that Paul spoke so much of Sure faith cometh by the hearing of that word which is outwardly preached by such as are sent and whose feet are bautiful upon the mountains bringing glade tideings Rom. 10 15. Esai 52 7. Nah. 1 15. and by such as was Esaias whose report was not beleeved Rom. 10 16. Esai 53 1. Hear what Peter said Act. 15 7. Men and brethrâ—n Ye know how that a good while agoe God made choise among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the Word of the Gospel and beleeve And what that word of the Gospel was which Peter preached to Cornelius to which passage this relateth see Act. 10 34. to 43. What meaneth Paul by the foolishness of preaching whereby such as beleeve are saved 1 Cor. 1 21. was that the preaching of a Light within Why doth he then call it the crosse vers 18. and Christ crucified vers 23 would the crying up of the light within be a stumbling block to the Jewes and foolishness to the Greeks No certainly But because the Apostles doctrine did lye so crosse hereunto neither Iewes nor Greeks could relish it except those who were the called and they indeed and they only saw Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God vers 24. What need is there that we should insist in disproving of this which overturneth the whole doctrine of the Gospel and rendereth all the administrations thereof useless and ridiculous 2. What Faith I wonder can be produced by this Light within It cannot be the Faith of God's elect for the mighty operation of the Spirit is required thereunto and as an external mean the out ward preaching of the Gospel which is called the word of Faith Rom. 10 8. and the hearing of faith Gal. 3 2. And Paul tels us Rom. 1 5. That he and others received grace and Apostleshipe for obedience to the Faith among all nations The Gospel and the preaching of Iesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which was keept secret since the world began but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of â—he Prophets according to the commandement of the everlasting God made known to all nations for the obedience of faith Rom. 16 25 26. Through the Gospel did the Apostle beget the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4 15. The Thessalonians were called to the beleefe of the truth by the Gospel 2 Thes. 2 14. It must thâ—n be the faith of Heathens or rather the faith of Devils for they beleeve and tremble and Nature can produce no other faith but a natural faith founded upon nature which is of the same kinde with the faith of devils Is not the Quakers Religion a noble Religion which would bring us the length of Devils 3. That which is left in every man to be a witness for God is nothing but a Natural Conscience witnessing according to the Law of Nature and the dim light thereof that is not yet extinct and will this Natural Conscience produce saving faith in a heathen Sure the devil hath a conscience as an intellectual creature witnessing that there is a God and so witnessing for God Shall we call this conscience the word of God the hearing of which will produce faith Then the Quakers Gospel is a Gospel for the Devils giving them ground of hope of Faith and Repentance if they will but obey that Gospel which is preached within them 4. What a bold and manifest perversion of Scripture is it to apply that Word Ier. 23 29. which is express of the word spoken by the true and faithful Prophets of God unto this dumb preacher in every mans bosome 5 We see then that the softening and warming Spirit of God who by his power and efficacy melteth the heart is in every man by nature in every Turk Tartar Barbarian c. And whatever the Scripture speaketh of this work of the mighty Spirit of God must all be understood of this Light within every man O desperat souls O wretched errour Will not the Lords hand be seen against these impudent audacious perverters of the right wayes of the Lord 6. This fire and hammer will do wonders if it be not resisted But when fire worketh upon water and a hammer beateth upon hard yron or stone can it but meet with resistence At length we see all the operation of grace which he talketh of is the sufficient grace that Pelagians Iesuites Arminians plead for which must have no more efficacy anâ— power ascribed to it whatever great names it get than may salve the honour and consist with the glory of Free will which must weare the crowne and have all the praise for this grace must not entrench upon the Lordly liberty of mans will but must stand off and petition Lord Free will to consent and yeeld if it will but if not it can do no more And so it shall be of him that willeth and runneth and not of God that sheweth mercy contrare to Rom. 9 16. And it is not
Light and Grace whereof he talketh and which he will have common to all men breathing His saying that the Word of which he spoke is lively and penetrating c. Is no proofe For that word is not a Word or Seed or Grace implanted in every man as we shewed He addeth this seed is called the manifestation of the Spirit given to every man to profite for it is written that by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body And Peter ascribeth this birth unto this seed 1 Pet. 1. being born againe not of corruptible seed c. Ans. 1. If this Seed be the manifestation of the Spirit whereof Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 12 7. It is not common to all the world for the Apostle is there speaking of the Church whereof the Corinthians who were sanctified in Christ Jesus called saints 1 Cor. 1 1. were a part and being an homogeneal part are called the Body of Christ 1 Cor. 12 27. Where doth this Quaker read in the Scriptures that Heathens and such as are without the Church are called the Body of Christ 2. Nay if this seed be the manifestation of the Spirit it is so far from being common to all men that it is not common to all Church members For these gifts as they are called vers 4. were peculiar only to some members of the Church given in order to Administrations Operations vers 5 6. are particularly specified vers 8 9 10. Therefore saith the Apostle vers 11 12. But all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit divideing to every man severally as he will for as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ. Which is abundantly confirmed by the scope and whole contexture of the discourse 3. The Apostle for pressing of union and concord among the members of the Church of Corinth with an edifying use of their several gifts saith vers 13. That by one Spirit all we are baptized into one body c. that is that by baptisme all the Professours of the Name of Iesus are outwardly made members of the visible body of Christ and such as are really baptized by the Spirit and made partakers of his grace are made members of the invisible mystical body of Christ and so should lay forth themselves in the use of their gifts and graces for the common good of the whole body And what I pray can this make for the Quakers point Doth the Apostle say that this is common to all such as never were baptized nor heard thereof or did never partake of the other Sacrament imported by these words made to drink c. in the end of the verse as some suppose And if not what way will this Quaker hence prove the operation of the new birth by that which is common to all men breathing The Apostle it is true saith here whether Iewes or Gentiles Yet he meaneth only such as are comprehended under we that is such as were already members of the Church Will this Quaker say that all and every man are baptized by the Spirit and have bin made to drink into one Spirit Then I suppose he will next say That all must needs be saved 4. As for that Word or Seed whereof Peter speaketh every one may see that will beleeve Peter himself Chap. 1. vers last that this word of the Lord which is the incorruptible seed which liveth abideth for ever is not any thing abideing in all men but is that which is preached by the Gospel 14. He proceedeth and saith Though this seed in the first manifestation be small as a graine of mustard seed Mat 13 31 32. and though it be hid in the earthy part of mans heart yet life and salvation is hid in it and is revealed according as they yeeld unto it And in this seed the kingdom of heaven doth potentially lurk to be produced or rather exhibited as it getteth ground is nourished and is not suffocated Answ. 1. Are not these noble proofs Do the Quakers think that we are bound to take their groundless and inconsistent assertions for probations 2. How can this seed have its manifestation and yet be hid and latent 3. Hath a natural carnal unregenerat and heathen man a spiritual part of an heart or is the heart of every man partly earthly and partly heavenly and why doth this seed lye hid in the earthy part and not in the heavenly part of the heart are these any thing but Quakers dreames or new Pelagian Notions sufficiently confuted above 4. This must needs be a hid salvation which is hid in a seed which is hid in the earthy part of mans heart and that even in its first manifestation What idle fancies do these men feed upon 5. This hid salvation must be a wonderful salvation for it is revealed according as these in whom it is hid yeeld unto it But must it not first work appear in its operations before men can yeeld to it who can yeeld to a latent lurking thing that worketh not nor appeareth not 6. If Salvation be hid in this seed the kingdom of heaven is more then potentially in it for we say not that an apple is hid in the seed especially seing he saith that this kingdom of heaven is not produced as the seed can produce in its way a tree its fruit but rather exhibited 7. This seed he saith is already hid in the earthy part of mans heart and if so sure it hath ground how can he then say that it is exhibited as it getteth ground 8. The summe of all is pur◠Pelagianisme or worse viz. that there is something in every man which is sufficient of it self to Produce Grace Glory Life and Salvation if man will be but that well natured as to suffer it to work not suffocate it so that there is no need either of the outward Preaching of the Gospel or of the inward Operation of the Spirit upon the minde which Pelagius at length did acknowledge let be of the special Operation of the Spirit of grace renewing the will and creating a new heart of flesh c. This is doctrine for Pagans indeed 15. But how is this proven He citeth Luk. 17 20 21. and would have n◠beleeve that Christ saith there that the Kingdom of Heaven was in the Pharisees But judicious Calvin thinketh these words were spoken to the disciples upon occasion of that question of the Pharisees And though we take them as spoken to the Pharisees it will not hence follow that this Kingdom was already in them though the greek preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be used which as was showne above doth not alwayes carry this import as might be evidenced by a number of places as Luk. 14 1. Mark 13 24. where it importeth after So Mat. 20 26. Luk. 16 15. Rom. 16 7. 1 Cor. 2 6 Rom. 8 29. 1 Thes. 5
be justified from the imputation of anothers righteousness is both ridiculous and dangerous whence came that usual saying amongst many professours of Religion That God looks not upon them as they are in themselves but as they are in Christ. And Pag. 25 See Mr Hicks Pag. 51. c. Iustification 〈◊〉 not from the imputation of anothers Righteousness but from the actual performing and keeping of God's righteous statutes and Pag. 25 30. It is a great abomination to say God should condemne and punish his innocent Son that he having satisfiâ—d for our â—innes we might be justified by the imputation of his perfect Righteousness And againe I caution and warne men by no meanes to entertaine this principle of Christs dying to make satisfaction to divine Justice by whomsoever recommended And againe Pag. 26. He i. e. Christ fulfilled the Law only as our pattern or example And ib. Christ is so far from telling us of such a way of being justified as that he informes us the reason why he abode in his Fathers love was his obedience he is so far from telling us of being justified by vertue of his obedience imputed that unless we keep the commands and obey for our selves c. And P. 30. was not Abraham justified by â—orks we must not conceive as the dark imputation of this age that Abrahams personal offering was not a justifying righteousness Ib. p. 30. I do say Abraham had not the imputation of anothers righteousness to him his personal obedience was the ground of that just imputation And elsewhere Apol. p. 148. justification by the righteousness which Christ fulfilled for us in his own person wholly without us we boldly affirme to be a doctrine of Devils and an arm of the sea of corruption which doth now deluge the world This is suâ—ficiently plaine And Sand. found Pag. 30.31 I farther tell thee that Iustification by an imputed righteousness is both irrational irreligious ridiculous and dangeroâ—s and Pag. 27.29.30 Iustification goes not before but is consequential to the mortifying of lusts and the sanctification of the soul. More might be added but here is I suppose enough to discover how these Quakers homologate in the point of Justification with Papists Socinians and Arminians in denying the imputation of Christ's Righteousness in Iustification and substituting another ground or formal reason thereof even works done by us And how dangerous an errour this is undermineing the very cardinal point of Christianity every true Christian may know The Quakers in this are one with their Predecessours the old Anabaptists too 4. We come now to our Quaker and must see how he expresseth himself in this matter In his Thesis he saith who receive the illumination of this light that is as we evinced above the dim light of nature it that must be the Light or the Natural Conscience becometh in them a holy pure and spiritual birth produceing piety righteousness purity and other excellent fruites most acceptable to God This sure is a wonderful metamorphosis But how cometh it that this light is so much beholden to man in whom it is that if he do not resist it but receive its illumination religiously it will become a glorious and mighty powerful thing but if he do resist it and receive not its illumination it remaineth what it was Is this the Christian New birth and Regeneration whereof the Scripture speaketh Is this to be borne of the Spirit There is no infusion of any gracious principle or habite of grace and virtue here for the seed of all was in the man from his mothers womb and his kinde nature in receiving the illumination of this connatural light blew the coale and it became a burning fire warming the soul into all Christian vertues Is this Gospel doctrine or rather is it not Pelagian-quakerisme What followeth upon this By this holy birth saith he to wit Christ Iesus formed within a goodly title but it is but the Quakers Jesus that is blake Nature or the product of Corrupt nature produceing his works in us these sure are nothing but works of darkness as we are sanctified so are we justified in the sight of God Then Iustification and Sanctification â—tand upon one and the same ground and if there be any difference betwixt them Iustification must follow Sanctification Thus it is manifest how he homologateth with other Quakers and how they all agree with Papists in the doctrine of Iustification He addeth and one may wonder at the mans confidence and boldness according to the Apostles words but ye are washed but ye are sanctified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God But if either his sanctification or Iustification as now explained to us be either in the name of the Lord Iesus or by the Spirit of God I am far deceived Nay it is manifest that they are rather by the Power and Authority Vertue and Efficacy of Free will and the Natural Spirit of man receiving kindly the Illumination of that natural Light in every man and so transforming that natural thing to produce such works as by which the man is both Sanctified and justified Though this be the native sense and import of his words yet marke his effrontedness Therefore sayes he it is not done by our works produced by our will nor yet by good works considered by themselves What a shameless man is this to deny these works to be mans owne works which flow from a principle borne and brought into the world with him and not only so but actuated and transformed into a new pure and spiritual spring by the sole will of the man not resisting its light but receiving the same If these be not properly the mans owne works it is a great question if man have any works that can be called his owne But let it be so that they goe under the name of works done by a new infused principle and yet the Quakers are more Pelagian then the Iesuites and all the Papists for these acknowledge infused habites which Quakers know nothing of yet they may be called mans works and works produced by mans will to wit now regenerated and principled of new otherwise they are produced in man and mans will hath no elicite or imperat acts thereanent This is indeed Phanaticisme in folio But how can men be Sanctified or Iustified according to the Quakers by that which is none of theirs nor wrought by them Againe he must know that the Scripture excludeth all these holy works even produced by that new principle from being the ground or formal reason or ratio formalis objectiva of our Iustification as all our Divines shew writting against the Papists on this head And in this he giveth further evidence of his conspireing with Papists against the truth Finally I wish he had explained that to us nor by good works considered in themselves for it importeth that good works considered some other way possibly in conjunction with some other thing and what that
know not whether our Quakers will homologate with them as to this or not as the same Author sheweth ibid. Thes. 3. He sheweth also Thes. 4. how that at length the Pelagians in disput were brought to speak only of a posse and not of an esse that is that man might perfectly keep the Law though they would not say thaâ— thâ—y did keep it perfectly and that he might easily keep the Law And in the Antithesis Pag. 485. He tels us that the orthodox answered That if man could so easily keep the Law some would be found who had done so And if none could be found beside Jesus Christ God-man who had done so there was no ground for ascribeing so much power to man At length as the same person showeth Thesi 5. Pelagius was driven to retract what he said of the facility of fulfilling the Law And was content to say simply â—hat we could keep the Law And because his making no mention of grace gave offence therefore he helped the matter by saying that by the Grace of God we could be without sin But as is clear in the Antithesis this did not satisfie the Orthodox because the word grace was but a cheat for Pelagius put another meaning on it than they did and they maintained that no saint did ever attaine to that measure of grace as to live without sin for that should take away the necessity of Christs death and say that Salvation might be by the Law and further to say so were to make themselves equal to Christ. 13. Thus we have seen how this Man agreeth with these wicked Pelagians The same Author Vossius Pag. 510 511. tels us of some called Begardi and Beguinae in Aleman or Germany who maintained such a degree of Perfection as we could advance no higher and were condemned by a Councel of moe than 300 Bishops conveened at Vienna some of their opinions condemned were these 1. That man in this life can acquire such a degree of perfection that he shall become wholly impeccable and cannot advance further in grace 2. That a man attaining to this degree of perfection needeth no more to fast and pray because then Sensuality is so perfectly subject to the Spirit and to Reason that he may let his body do what he will 3. That such as have attained to this degree of Perfection are no more obnoxious to mans Law for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 4. That man may be as happy in this life as in heaven 6. That it is the part of an imperfect man to exercise himself in acts of vertue The 5 7. 8. article condemned in them we mention not as being concerning other heads Hence we see what affinity our Quakers have with these Beguards Beguines Let us next see how they agree with the Socinians 14. As to the judgmâ—nt of the Socinians in this point of Perfection the learned D. Hoornbeek Socinianismi confut Tom. 3. lib. 1. Cap. 3. Pag. 61. giveth us a short summe of it which he fully thereafter cleareth out of their owne writtings They distinguish betwixt an Absolute perfection and Comparative by That they understand immunity from all sin and full conformity to the whole Law by which a man never committeth the least sin this they say was peculiar to Christ. By this comparative perfection they understand a perfection either as to the habite or as to the act as to the habite they say it is that whereby some never all their life time contracted the habite of any sin and so needed not to repent thereof and which all the regenerate partake of as for perfection as to the Act of sin they think all the regenerate do not attaine it but only such as attaine to the highest degree which some may attaine unto yea and it iâ— possible for all to attaine unto Smalcius contra Frantzium disput 6. Pag. 176. not only admitteth degrees in that perfection which is called Comparative but in that also which is Absolute The highest degree of which is peculiar to Christ who never sinned but an inferiour degree he yeeldeth to others whereby they sinne no more after they have attained unto it As to the other perfection which they call Comparative they give us three degrees thereof One of those who having shoken off the habite of sin set about Obedience but with much inward strugling of minde The Other of those who do this with less strugling The third of those who obey without any strugling at all yea with great delight joy and complacency and so sinne no more And Socinus himself praelect Cap. 26. Pag. 169. condemneth them who say that perfection which the Cathari held necessary is not attainable here that is who deny that it can be that any man can advance so far in this life as to sinne no more 15. The same D. Hoornbeek ubi supra Pag. 64. sheweth us that the Arminians in their Apology Cap. 11. say there are some who do their duty without any inward battel and with the highest of joy and chearfulness and Cap. 17. We by the grace of God can do and fulfill all the commands of God And that Episcopius Ad quaest 19. said Man could perfectly do the commands They will not grant that all the regenerat especially such as are in the second and third order they give us three orders or degrees of Regenerat persons have any baâ—tel in them betwixt the Spirit and the flesh See Apol. fol. 128. c. It is true theâ— say that they speak so in respect of Evangelical Perfection not of Legal by this understanding a most absolute and full immunity from all sin and that dureing a mans whole life or all impeccability and that for ever which excludeth all imperfection infirmity and inadvertancy and this they think morally impossible But as to the Other which they say hath its degrees they grant the highest degree thereof may be attained consisting in a doing of the commanded duty in a most perfect manner so far as is required by the Gospel and covenant of grace But as D. Hoornbeek well observeth all perfection is in respect of works and can no other way be judged than by the Law which commandeth them And if that be called Evangelical Perfection which admitteth of defects and imperfections it is no perfection to all but only catachrestically so called What agreement our Quakers have with these Men the sequel will evince 16. We are commanded even in the Gospel which doth not destroy the Law nor weaken its obligation for Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it to love God with all our heart with all our soul strength and minde and this sure taketh in the highest degree and intension of love and what is short of this is in so far defective and therefore imperfect I cannot assent to that which D. Baron saith in his Disp. de peccato Mortali Veniali part 1. sect 4. § 6. to wit That
comp with Ioh. 7 38 39. 2. It is affirmed that he is in them and abideth in them Psal. 51 11. Rom. 8 9 11 15. 1 Cor. 2 12. Gal. 4 6. 1 Tim. 3 14. 1 Ioh. 2 27. Rom. 5 5. 3. He Sealeth them unto the day of redemption Ephes. 1 23. 4 30. 2 Cor. 1 21. 4. He is a Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8 15. Gal. 4 5 6. 10. Fourthly If we consider the Covenant of Redemption betwixt Iehovah and the Lord Mediator this will be abundantly evinced For 1. The Father hath given a number to Christ to save Ioh. 17 2 9 11 12. 6 37 39. And Christ hath undertaken to save them Ioh. 6 37 39 40. 2. The Father hath undertaken that Christ shall see his seed Esa. 53 10. and see of the travel of his soul be satisfied Esa. 53 11. Psal. 72 8. 3. Christ had a commission to goe about this work to bring many sones unto glory was qualified for this end Esai 61 1 2 3. Esa. 42 6 7. 49 9. Heb. 2 10. 4. The Fathâ—r hath promised to give Christ what he asketh Psal. 2 8. 89 2â— 27 28. 5. Yea He hath sworne that he shall have an issue Psal. 89 35 36. Act. 2 30 31. Psal 132 11 12. 2 Sam. 7 12. 1 King 8 25. Luk. 1 61. 11. Fiftly The consideration of the nature of the Covenant of Grace will conâ—â—rme this for that is an everlasting and unchangable Covenant and haâ—h the promise of Perseverance in its bosome Gen. 17 vers 7. Ier. 31 vers 31 32 33. 32 vers 38 â—9 40. Ezech 11 17 18 19 20. Hos 2 19 23. Ioh 6 54 56. Esai 54 10. 12. Sixtly The Grace infused in souls according to the Covenant of grace is of an enduring nature especially considering how it is Watered Preserâ—ed and Cared for It is a remaining seed 1 Ioh. 3 9. sowne in good ground Luk. 8.15 by the rivers of water Psal. 1 3. And watered every moment Esai 27.3 See Ioh. 4 14. 7 38. And so is differenced from Gifts and Common graces and from temporary Faith and grace that evanisheth in the day of tryal 1 Ioh. 2 19. Luk. 8 18. Ioh 2 23 24. Mat 13 21. Ioh. 17 9. what this true faith is see Tit. 1 1. 1 Tim. 1 5 Gal. 5 6. 2 Pet. 1 1. 13 Seventhly The consideration of the hurt and dammage that the Asserting of the Apoâ—tasie of the Saints bringeth necessarâ—ly with it unto Christians may have its owne weight here For 1 Then they could not in faith and confidence pray for it for what is purely in the power of mans Free will and is not the sole work of God and of his grace we cannot we need not pray for contrare to Ioh. 14 13 14. Ephes. 3 17 18. 1 Thes. 5 23 â—4 and the Lords prayer teacheth us to pray that his Name be hallowed that his Kingdom come and that his Will be done in earth as in heaven 2. This would destroy their Hope and Confidence in God for preservation in the times of tryal and temptation contrare to Rom. 8 vers 35 38 39. 3. This would take away their joy of the holy Ghost anâ— Consolation and give ground of continual Anxiety Doubts Feares c. 14. Eightly The consideration of the blow that this doctrine would give unto many articles of our Faith and undoubted truths of our Religion may confirme us against it As 1 It would render the Obedience and Sufferings of Christ null and useless for he should then suffer and die and no man might be saved or healed by his stripes and death 2. It would also render his Resurrection Ascension and Sitting at the Fathers right hand ineffectual For notwithstanding thereof no man might be saved 3. It destroyeth his Death as the Death of a Cautioner for no man can be said to have died with him risen with him and to sit with him in heavenly places contrary to Rom. 6 3 4 5 8. Eph. 2 5 6. Col. 3 1. nor can he be said to prepare mansions for anâ— contrare to Ioh. 14 2 3. 4. It maketh the grand promise of the Spirit null of no effect 5. It taketh away the Catholick Church that shall certainly come to mount Zion and to the innumerable company of angels c. Heb. 12 22 23 24. 6. It would null that Christian Communion and sweet Fellowship of Saints 7. It would make Remission of sins of little comfort 8. And take away the faith of Life Everlasting 15. Having premised these things for clearing and confirming of the truth we come to examine what he sayes against it Pag. 167. § 2. He reasoneth from Iud vers 4. and supposeth that these that turned the grace of God into lasciviousness had once grace not knowing that this was not grace inherent or the true grace of God placed and planted in the soul and wrought there by the Spirit of grace but external grace held forth in the Gospel offer even that grace that shouâ—d have taught them to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to have lived soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2 12. It is that grace which is outwardly spoken and preached Act. 14 3. Ephes. 3 2. 1 Pet. 4 10. Next He reasoneth from 1 Tim. 1 19. supposing that that faith which some made shipewrak of was true and saving faith contrare to 2 Tim. â— 17. 4 14. while as it was nothing but the doctrine of faith as the word also is taken 1 Tim. 3 9. 4 1. Gal. 1 23. 3 2 5 23 25. Act. 6 7. Rom. 1 5 8. In the third place he reasoneth from Heb. 6 4 5. Not so much as noticeing that the words are but Conditional and not Absolute if they fall away And that there is nothing here no not one expression that is necessarily to be understood of true and saâ—ing grace and not of meer gifts and common graces given in a more than ordinary measure no one expression here of Regeneration of true Sanctification of Closeing with Christ of their being Justified or Adopted or Elected c. Nay the Apostle compareth them to ground upon which the raine falleth and yet beareth nothing but thornes and briars vers 8. distinguisheth them from those to whom he wrote of whom he expected better thingâ— that accompany salvation vers 9. and from true beleevers vers 10 11 12 13 14 17 18 19. When our Quaker out of his friends the Socinians Arminians shall say any thing to prove that these expressions import true and saving grace we may then think it time to spâ—ak more of this but seing he is pleased to give us no more here but his naked assertion we have said enough and so proceed 16. The next thing he alleigeth against this truth is a supposition that he hath undermined the ground thereof viz. Election But how superficially this was attempted we have seen But he sayes
whereof even a Pagan as such can be capable It is true the Apostle addeth as Stewards of the manifold grace of God But that by grace is meaned a gift is notoure from the whole context and scope of the place for it is that only which can be ministred and communicated by speaking let him consider what this word importeth Rom 1 5. 12 3. Gal. 2 9. Ephes. 3 8. 4 7. Phil. 1 7. 1 Pet. 1 10. 1 Cor. 3 10. 1 Pet. 5 12. But sayes he this cannot be understood of any mere natural vertue for by these God should not be glorified Answ. Let him therefore see to this who giveth us no other grace but what riseth out of the puddle of Nature But we acknowledge spiritual gifts which yet are distinct from grace that is saving 1 Cor. 12 1 4 9 28 30 31. 14 1. Heb. 6 4. Act. 8 20. 11 17. 1 Cor. 1 7. 13 2. His last Arg. is from 1 Tim. 3 2. Tit. 1 8. Which shew indeed what is very requisite and what should mainly be looked after so as such who give cleare evidences or pregnant presumptions of the contrary should not be admitted unto the ministrie but because real grace is hid in the heart and can not be infallibly demonstrated unto others so as they can judicially passe sentence thereupon we cannot say that the want of true grace doth really null all their Ministerial acts both before God and Man What he citeth from a nameless Author as also from one Franciscus Lambertus saith nothing against what I say nor proveth his point 4. He Pag. 194. § 17. Answereth contrary Objections the first whereof is That then all ministers should be saved And instead of answering and saying which he might have done with some shew of reason according to his grounds That none others but such as should certainly be saved were true aâ—d lawful Ministers finding this it seemeth too hask he chooseth rather to say That there may be a total falling away from grace the contrare whereof we have showne above Chap. XV. and so he yeeldeth the Argument Another objection taken from their Principles he proposeth thus Seing they affirme that every man hath a measure of saving grace it is not necessary that that should be a special qualification of ministers To which he answereth his mentioning a call as requisite to ministers is nothing to the point in hand That by grace which is the qualification of Ministers he understandeth not that meer and naked measure of light and grace as it is distributed to convince and to turne to righteousness but as it converteth the soul and worketh strongly in it and as men are fermented into its nature and bring forth the fruites of temperance righteousness and piety c. To which I shall onlâ— say That all this is a confirmation to me that this ministerial qualification is but a Pagan Qualification such as is produced by Natural strength and the power of Free Will out of that seed of grace which is in Pagans and in all by nature which is nothing but meer Nature and hath no affinity with the true grace of God which is saving brought to light by the Gospel and wrought by the Spirit of God according to the New Covenant of Grace And if this be all that he pleadeth for as it is it is only fit for a Pagan Preacher such as he is 5. He saith That Arnoldus Professor in Franeker objected the example of the false Prophets Whether it be so or nor I know not I should not presse that Instance so generally But what shall our Quaker say unto the Instance of Balaam calleâ— a Prophet not a false Prophet by Peter 2 Pet. 2 16. And to him God came Numb 22 2 10. and spoke to him vers 12 20 and Chap. 23 4. put a word in his mouth vers 5.12 16. See his Prophecie Chap. 24 3. c. And yet was but a wicked wretch What saith he to the Instance of Iudas He saith 1. That his commission was not purely Evangelick but limited to the house of Israel Mat. 10 5 6. Ans. This will make Christ himself to have been a legal preacher But their commission was vers 7 to preach saying the Kingdom of heaven is at hand And their being limited at first unto the House of Israel will not alter the nature of their work or commission which being after enlairged was still the same upon the matter See Act 13 48. He 2. saith That this case was extraordinary because he was immediatly called by Christ and endued with power to preach and work â—iracles Answ. All this doth but strengthen the Objection for if Christ called him as the rest to be an Apostle and endued him with power to preach who yet was but a graceless man at the heart though not yet openly scandalous or declareing his wickedness we can hardly say that the want of grace doth make a Minister no Minister What he addeth that it is not proven that at that time he had no grace Is but founded upon his errour of the Apostasie of the Saints and therefore deserves no new consideration What he saith of our leaving the other Eleven and choosing him for our patron Is but a calumnie and his inference that the most part of our Pastors are most like unto him is of the same nature and deserveth no further answere 6. The last Objection which he proposeth to answere is a gordian knot to him and therefore because he cannot loose it he must cut it It is this That hereby people should be in doubt whether any of their administrations as of the Sacraments c. were valide because they could not infallibly know whether they were gracious or not An Objection it is that might be further improven for hereby Ministers themselves should frequently be in doubt whether they should go about their work as doubting of their state which can oft be falleth the best Christian consequently doubt of their call of their being true Ministers And hereby Satan should play his game to some purpose prejudge the Church of the laboures of the best of her Ministers What sayes he now to this He saith this Objection doth not touch them for the worshipe which they owne is not attended with such external institutions That is They owne no such Worshipe nor no such Administrations They reject all They have nothing to do with any or all of Christ's Institutions whereof we will heare more afterward And what could a Pagan have said more 7. In the next place Pag. 196. § 18. He showeth that he doth not exclude all true learning from the qualification of Ministers But what sort of learning owneth he He owneth that which cometh from the inward instructions and operations of the Spirit whereby the soul learneth the secret wayes of the Lord and knoweth the inward labours and exercises of the minde c. and such sayes he as are thus
This man hath his fables ready at hand for we had such another before but few of his Readers can know whether he speaketh true or false all that I shall say is that this fable is impertinently here brought in for the question is not whether a Professour or Doctor may not have a failing memory Nor whether a mechanick cannot have a more happy one what more is in this fable I cannot see unless he would hence inferre that the Spirit teacheth them without book hearing or reading the very letter of the Scripture even the very translated words And if this be true it is little wonder they are at no paines in reading the Scriptures let be in studying of them But till I know the truth of this mystery better I crave his leave to suspend my beliefe 9. The next point of learning is Logick and Philosophy But whether is it Natural or Artificial Philosophy that he is against Though I judge that a man may be a minister yet be no profound Philosopher nor expert in that which goeth under that name Yet I think some measure of knowledge thereof can not well be wanted especially in such as have to do with wrangling sophisters like this Quaker that would pervert souls propagate errour it hath its owne profitableness to other uses also But what hath this man against it It is sayes he the root and original of all contention How doth he prove this we know the best things may be abused but the abuse of a science may bear its blame the science it self be blameless It draweth men away from that clear understanding of things which reason it self might furnish This if so is but its abuse He that is not very wise can be a perfect logician This may be doubted And it may be he will not deny that one not very wise may be a good Christian doth it not helpe in defending of truth refuting of hereticks The truth that is in men truely rational needeth not this help and it will not convince the obstinate but teacheth them many artifices and distinctions to oppugnate the truth saith he Ans. What meaneth he by that truth with is in men truely rational is it natural truth or supernatural common or saving Me thinks he had need of some science whereby to explaine himself for his language is dark 2. Though truth in it self should not need this help Yet it may stand in need of some such help to fix it in a subject that is doubting either because of the darkness of his owne understanding or because of the contrary argueings of Adversaries 3. This science is only used as an instrumental medium to convince or if not to convince yet to confute their errours and to defend truth from their exceptions and that in such a rational way as may be convinceing to such as will not be obstinate 4. If any use its distinctions to oppugne the truth they must beare the blame for this abuse the distinctions may however be good Truth saith he comeing from an honest heart and taught by the Spirit will sooner penetrate then thousands of demonstrations as the Instance of the old man convinceing the heathen Philosopher whom all the Bishops of the Councel of Nice could not overcome with their disputes Ans. This is only when it pleaseth the Lord to concurre with his blessing And such rare examples are not ordinary and are to teach us in all these wayes to depend upon the Lord for the blessing and not to loose us from the use of the meanes What saith he to natural logick He doth not deny the use of this because every man in his wits hath it he hath also used it in this treatise Ans. But if natural logick be so useful why is artificial or acquired logick so noxious seing it only serveth to accomplish and polish the other Though every man in his wits hath this yet I suppose some have more and some have less and such as have less may be allowed to take some help to increase it If he hath only used that logick here I could wish him to take some more of artificial logick to helpe it and yet I think he hath not wholly renunced it in this Treatise though by neither nor by both hath he been able to gaine his point whether in confirming his errours or in darkning of the truth What sayes he to other parts of Philosophy That part sayes he which is called the Ethicks may be better learned out of the Scriptures Which is very true they being a full and perfect rule in all morals But I think that this study should not be unprofitable for him who will not owne the Scriptures as a Rule and acknowledgeth the light of Nature for a guide and only rule which is in all heathens and by which light alone they wrote their morals or Ethicks so that I think if he would make use here of his natural logick he might see how consequentially he should speak to his owne principles if he would recommend to all the study of Aristotiles Ethicks or the morals of some other Hethenish Philosophers instead of the Scriptures For Physicks and Metaphysicks saith he they may be reduced to Medicine and Mathematicques But not to be too Philosophical in disputing here with him why may not the knowledge of them Yea and of Mathematickes too be of some use to whatsoever art or science they may be reduced I would faine heare what reason his natural logick could give us to convince us that they could not be useful because of that As for my dull natural logick it can perceive no reason nor shew of reason In fine He citeth Col. 2 8. and 1 Tim. 6 20. which speak nothing against the innocent and profitable use of philosophy which is all we defend we speak not of that philosophy which is vaine deceit after the tradition of men and which as Beza on the place thinketh is that Theology which is the product of humane vanity leaning only to Custome and Enthusiasmes let him consider this what Calvin on the place thinketh this Philosophy to be and it may be he may see his owne Theology comprehended under it if not mainely understood What is this Philosophy then in Calvines judgment Even wâ—atever men devise of their own head while they think themselves wise in their owne opinion and that not without some specious pretext of reason And a perswasive discourse insinuating in the mindes of men with faire and plausible arguments And nothing else then a meer corruption of spiritual doctrine And all adulterous doctrines which breed in mens braines whatever colour of reason they may have This is enough for Col. 2 8. And as for 1 Tim. 6 vers 20. The science falsly so called there spoken of is not Philosophy but a science of coineing and uttering new and vaine bombast words giving a sound without substance tending to corrupt and darken the simplicity of the Gospel A
science wherein I know none more expert and skilled than are our Quakers He may read Calvin on the place if he will And for a close to this How great a prejudice so ever he hath against Philosophy yet in the primitive times Christians who had been Philosophers was not by their Philosophy less fitted but more to defend the truth against heathen Philosophers as Iustin Martyr against Valentinus Tertullian against Marcion Origen against Celsus Chrysostome against Libanius and Prudentius against Symmachus 10. The last part of humane literature which he inveigheth against is that which is called Scholastical Theology by which I suppose he meaneth that only which now commonly goeth under that name as distinct from Polemick divinity handling controversies debated betwixt the orthodox and heretical or erroneous persons such as Pelagians Socinians Arminians Anabaptists Antinomians Quakers and the rest And as to it I shall say no more than I have said Chap. 1. § 12. and suffer him to go on in his ranting Only I must take notice of some expressions which he hath here and there in this discourse Though I cannot understand how Origen should be among the first who by this art gave himself to interpret Scriptures nor how hereby Arius fell into his errour seing this Theology is commonly commenced from Peter Lombard yet I am glade to hear him Pag. 201. calling that heresie of Arius who denyed the Son to be equal with the Father in power and glory and of the same essence horride for many of his Brethren the Quakers either doubt of or directly deny the Trinity Yea Mr Clapham in his book against the Quakers Sect. 3. tels us they call this doctrine a lie and citeth for it Saul's errand to Damascus p. 12. and the sword of the Lord drawn p. 4. And in this if he thinketh as he speaketh I would know how he will reconcile himself unto them but it may be he taketh Father Son and holy Ghost for one Person as well as for one essence as some other Quakers do He speaketh like a Quaker that is calumniously when he saith § 22. that this knowledge is accounted a necessary qualification for a Minister when the pure teaching of the Spirit of truth is contemned He may speak thus if he thinketh good against his old friends the Iesuites for we are for the teaching of the Spirit and preferre it to all other whatsomever but we are for the teaching of the Spirit in the way he hath appointed that is by waiting upon him in his ordinances meditating on his word and useing all other lawful meanes to come to the right understanding of his meaning in his word especially prayer But we dar not with this deluded bold generation tempt the Lord by looking for immediat Revelations and laying aside all Meanes and Ordinances in coming to the saving knowledge of his Name as revealed in the Gospel of his Son Jesus Christ. We account it also a calumny for him to say ibid. that he who is to be a Minister must lairne the airt of playing a hookster in the word because we say he must attend unto reading of what is written for the understanding of Scripture And whereas he thinketh the Devil could make as good a sermon as the most learned I only demand and may he not also make as good a discourse without book as they do I fear he hath too great a hand in all their discourses and scriblings too 11. What he saith Pag. 202. § 23. is but a groundless commendation of their way and of themselves as the only men raised up of God to be witnesses foâ— him If they have shaken the foundations of Babylon as he saith how cometh it that Babylon and they are so well agreed and that in principal matters as 1. In vilifying the Ministers of Christ and calling them deceivers 2. Denying our Churches to be true Churches 3. In calling the Scriptures but a dead letter 4. In denying it to be the judge of controversies 5. In refuseing to have all Spirits tryed by the written word 6. In crying up the sufficiency of a common light within 7. In maintaining Free will 8. Perfection 9. Apostasie of the Saints 10. Justification by inherent holiness 11. In confounding Justification and Sanctification 12. In mocking at the â—mputed righteousness of Christ. 13. In placeing holiness in outward observations of their owne deviseing 14. In Pretending so much to Revelations Visions Raptures c. 15. In pretending to Infallibility As for the Increase of their number whereof he boasteth it is a clear verification of that 2 Thes. 2 9 10 11 12. whoâ—e coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders with all deceivablenes of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Wâ—at he talketh further of his owne experience of the power of their discourses is but a further demonstration of what we said to wit of his being given up to strong delusion as this volumne of his putteth beyond all question with such as believe the Scriptures And for a recompense of his exhortation to us in the close I shall also obtest him in the Lord to consider his wayes over againe and search after the procuring cause of this dreadful judgment of the Lord 's giving him to up to those delusions that he may repent and be saved for what high thoughts soever he may now have of that way he will finde his delusion in end either here which I shall wish or when it shall be too late which the Lord prevent in mercy CHAP. XIX Of the Ministerial Office 1. WHen our Quaker beginneth to speak of this matter Pag 203. § 24. he followeth his usual manner of crying up themselves and loading all their Opposites with what expressions of disrespect and contempt he thinketh meet We are the men with him as the orthodox were of old with the Swenkfeldians Familists and Antinomians who alwayes adhere to Externals following our External Rule and Methods devised by our carnal and humane Wisdom because we follow and desire to cleave unto the Rules and Methods and all the Orders prescribed by Christ to be observed in his owne House And upon the other hand They are the men who follow the wayes of the Spirit and his immediat Help and Influence and he leadeth them as he saith in such an Order and Methode as becometh the Church of God though this order and methode of theirs wherein they suppose the Spirit leadeth them be no prescribed Order in the word but the meer Invention of their owne fantastick â—raine blasphemously Fathered upon the Immediat Teaching and Leading of the Spirit of God for we know no ground to imagine that the true Spirit of God will lead
any in Courses Opposite unto and Reflecting upon the holy Institutions of Christ because he is the Spirit of Chirst and sent by him from the Father and was to testifie of him Ioh. 15 26 and not to counterwork Him and trample upon his Appointments It is also said that he would glorifie Christ and receive of His and shew it unto the disciples Ioh. 16 14. But the Spirit that leadeth them is wholly set in them to dishonour and cry down Christ and to reject all his Ordinances not one excepted as we have seen already and shall see more Nay this evil Spirit that acteth them destroyeth and casteth away these very Orders and Ordinances which the Scripture tels us the true Spirit of God hath appointed and established and is such an enemy to all Gospel Order that it cryeth up only Paganish and develish Confusion 2. What he saith of the Papal and Prelatical Hierarchy I have nothing to do with but what can he say against that Order which Presbyterians maintaine to be Instituted by Christ by Officers of divine appointment and the Courts Judicatories which they owne Superior Inferior Whatever contention be among these concerning the Order to be observed in the house of God there is no warrand for him his party to cast away all Order bring in the confusion of Babel instead of that beautiful and edifying Order which Christ the Supream Head and King of the Church hath wisely for his owne glory for promoving the good edification of his Subjects Appointed signally Blessed 3. But sayes he Pag. 204. speaking of his party We say the substance is to be enquired after and the Vertue Life and Spirit who is one in all these different names and offices mentioned in the Scriptures 1 Cor. 12 4 Ephes. 4. Answ. We say also the Substance is to be enquired after and the Spirit 's Blessing Power Efficacy and Presence to be sought but so as the Ordinances and holy Appointments of the Spirit be religiously Observed for the Spirit of God hath not taught us to see any repugnancy here whatever that evil Spirit which acteth and leadeth them doth Sure had there been any such Repugnancy or Inconsistency as these Fanaticks dream the Spirit had never appointed these Orders nor instituted these Ordinances and Officers nor prescribed Rules to Regulate these Officers in the right and edifying manner of the discharge of their duty and Administrating the appointed Ordinances Himself cannot but confess that the Spirit did appoint Officers in the house of God the Scriptures by him cited are so cleare and plaine to which others might be added And I would faine know of him why this was done was this to divert the primitive Church from enquireing after the Substance and after the Vertue Life and Spirit of these ordinances He dar not say this The Spirit then that acteth them cannot be the same with that Spirit that ordered matters in the Primitive Church but an enemie thereunto and consequently the Spirit of the Devil directly Opposeing and Counter working the Spirit of God let him think on this for it will be found so 4. He goeth on to tell us That it was never the minde of Christ and his Apostles that Christians should establish the shadow and forme of these Officers without the power efficacy and Spirit of Christ. Answ. The Power Efficacy and Spirit of Christ is not in Christians power to Establish the Spirit bloweth where he listeth I understand not that Spirit which falleth under the establishment of men and of these Quakers It is not the Spirit of God that is so under their power and at their devotion and can be established by them as they please 2. We plead not for Shadowes and Formes but yet we owne the Ordinances and desire religiously to observe such as Christ hath appointed to remaine and continue for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes. 4 vers 11 12 13. even to the end of the world Mat. 28 20. especially seing we have no ground to think that all these Offices and Officers were appointed only for that time and age the work being of the same necessity now as then and no restriction or limitation to that instant being declared It is true there was a special piece of work called for then to wit the founding and setling of Gospel Churches and of Gospel Order Lawes and Ordinances to which extraordinary Officers were called qualified and impowered which is not now necessary the foundation being once laid there is no more required but a continual building upon that foundation to which ordinary Officers and a standing ordinary Ministrie is sufficient and necessary that the Ordinances of perpetual use may be administred according to Christs appointment for the constant edification of the Church And against this these Quakers set themselves with all their might that when the Church is denuded of her Officers and Watchers she may become a fitter prey for these grievous wolves who now enter in not spareing the flock speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them 5. This is saith he the work of Antichrist the mystery of iniquity erected in the dark night of Apostasie Answ. Then Christ and his Apostles wrouâ—ht the work of Antichrist and the Mysterie of iniquity And the dark night of Apostasie was in the very first Primitive dayes of the Church But what blashemy this is and what an Antichristian Spirit this must be that speaketh in these men let sober men judge Let us hear more But sayes he in the true Church of Christ which is gathered by God not only into the doctrine of truth but also into the life power and Spirit of Christ the Spirit of God is Governour and Regulator as in every individual so also in the general And when they meet together to worshipe God then such as God separateth to the ministry by his owne power and influence opening their mâ—uthes and giving unto them to exhort rebuke and instruct in the power and Spirit of the Lord cannot but be heard received and held in honour for their works sake by their brethren seing they are thus ordained and put into the ministrie by God And thus there is no monopoly hereof unto a certaine kinde of men called the clergy who for this cause are educated and taught this art as other carnal trades are that all the rest may be despised and excluded as laicks but the mater is left unto the free gift of God that he may call whom he will poor or rich servants or masters old or young men or women and who are thus called verifie the Gospel 1 Thes. 1 5. and they cannot but be received and heard by Christs sheep 6. Here
we have plaine dealing and a full discovery made of the principles and practices of these men and a demonstration given of the Opposition of that Spirit which is in them unto the whole Ordinance and Work of the Ministry appointed by Christ. And for Answere a few things may serve 1. Was the primitive Church Instituted and gathered by Christ and his Apostles a Church of Christ and gathered by God or not He dar not say not Then I ask how came it to passe that this way of their was not Universally and Constantly practized Was not the Spirit of God Governour and Ruler in their Assemblies He dar not deny it How then dar he speak thus 2. Were there no distinct Officers particular individual Persons separated and set apart for the work of the Ministrie in the dayes of the Apostles If there were it is manifest that their Order and Way is Diametrically opposite to the Order and Way used in the Apostolick Church If there were not what were the Apostles What were the Evangelists What were the other Ordinary inferiour Officers ordained and setled in the Churches Act. 6 v. 1 2 3 4 5 6. 14 v. 23. 1 Cor. 12 v. 28 29 30. Ephes. 4 v. 11. Phil. 1 ver 1. 4 3. 2 v. 25. Col. 4 vers 7 12 17. 1 Thes. 5 12 13 14. 1 Tim. 3 1 15. 4 v. 14 15 16. 5 v. 17 22. 2 Tom 2 2. 4 1 2. Tit. 1 5 9 Heb. 13 v. 7 17. Iam. 5 v. 14. 1 Pet. 5 4. Revel 1 20 2 3. 3. This destroyeth the whole Order of the Ministrie for hereby it is declared that there is no such thing as Officers established in the house of God distinct from other Church-members contrare to the places already cited to Rom. 12 6 7 8. 1 Cor. 12. thoughout Act. 15 4 6. 21 18. 2 Cor. 5 18 19. The contrary whereof is further evinced from the Titles Stiles or Peculiar Designations which we finde given to peculiar persons set over others in the â—ew Testament such as Pastors Ephes. 4 11. 1 Pet. 5 20. Act 20 28. Doctors 1 Cor. 12 28. Ephes. 4 11. Teachers Gal. 6 6. Stewards 1 Cor. 4 1 Tit. 1 7. Preachers Rom. 10.14 Overseers Act. 20 18. 1 Pet. 4 15. 5 2. Angels Revel 1 20. 2 1 8 12 18. 3 1 10 15. Stars Rev. 1 18. Ambassadours 2 Cor. 5 19 20. Such as are set over others Heb. 13 17. Rulers 1 Cor. 12 28. 1 Tim. 5 17. As also from the special Work imposed upon them called for from their hands not only included in the forementioned Titles the like but expresly mentioned such as Preaching of the Gospel Administration of Sacraments Care of the Poor exercise of Disciple c. As is clear from Mat. 28 19. 1 Cor 9 16.17 10 16. Rom. 12 6 7 8. 2 Cor 12.15 1 Tim. 4 13 14 15 16. 3 5. 2 Tim. 2 25. 4 2. Act. 6 2 4. Likewise from the duties required of others in reference to them See 1 Thes. 5 12. Gal. 6 6. 1 Tim. 5 17. Heb. 13 7 17. And from the Qualifications required in them 1 Tim. 3 2. 2 Tim. 2 2 6. Tit. 1 â— And Orders given about their Trial Ordination Act. 6. 1 Tim. 3 10. 5 11 12. Moreover this is evinced from the special Commands and Injunctions laid upon them to minde their work aright 1 Tim. 3 5. 1 Pet. 5 2 3. 1 Tim. 4 14 15 16. Act. 6 2 4. 2 Tim. 4 2. 2 25. 1 Cor 9 16 17 2 Cor. 12 15. Heb. 13 17. To which may be added the Promises of God's presence and assistance in the discharge of this work Mat. 28 20. Revel 1 1. and his Approbation of them in it Mat. 16.19 Ioh. 20.23 Mat. 10 40. Luk. 10 16. Ioh. 13.20 1 Thes. 4 8. 4. Hereby the work which God hath peculiarly committed to these Officers is made common And thus this man joyneth himself to the Socinians in this for upon this ground they go inveighing against a special Call which Officers ought to have See Hoornb Socinian conf lib. 2. c. 4. Sect. 3. Where their words are adduced confuted Nay this Quaker doth outstripe the Socinians for he will have every man according as his owne spirit falsly called the Spirit of God moveth him setting to this work while as they seem to be more for some Order for orders sake will allow something like a Call from the people or others though they look not upon this as a divine Institution But that the Lord hath restricted this work in ordinary unto the peculiar Officers is not only manifest from their Institution their call thereunto already cleared but also from expresse Prohibition of any such Encroachment Rom. 12 3 6 7 8. 1 Cor. 12. throughout 1 Cor. 7 20. 1 Thes. 4 11. from the Titles mentioned which not being common shew that the work thereby imported is not to be made common Qualifications not common shew that the work is special not common so also the Duties required of the rest in reference to these Officers aboundantly show that all are not promiscuously called to the work because it is upon the account of the work that these duties are to be performed unto them This I have aboundantly elsewhere spoken to in my book against Velchusius Assert 7. Pag. 67. c. and need say no more to it here 5. We no where read of men separated to the Ministrie and Ordained for one particular Act at one season but for a constant and continued Exercise in the work of the Ministry Act. 6. 14 23. Act. 20 28. 1 Cor. 12 28. Tit. 1 5. so that their ordained Teachers are not of God 6. These Preachers of theirs take upon them to be Officers without previous Tryal Examination contrare to the order established in Christ's house 7. Though we acknowledge a distinction betwixt the Officers appointed in the house of God and Others over whom they are set yet we owne not these Popish denominations of Clergy Laicks as he cannot but know though malice prompteth him to speak thus 8. That God is free to call whom he will we know but he hath told us by his Servant Paul that he will not call women to this publick Ministery and seing he haâ—h appointed an ordinary and setled way whereby persons are to enter unto this work we have no warrant to think that such as come not in by the door that he hath set open but creep in at windowes or such like unlawful wayes are called of the Lord but do rather run unsent in contempt of God his established Order 9. we think it no wonder that their Brethren who are under the power of that same delusion receive such hearken to them and honoure them and so it is rather a confirmation of their delusion then an argument evinceing the lawfulness of
think that this were indeed enough to satisfie us but see what the Apostle addeth further to enforce this for it is not permitted unto them to speak to wit in the Churches as if he had said they have no allowance thereunto permission or tollerance And as if all this were not enough he addeth all that is permitted unto them is to be under obedience as also saith the Law Whereby he giveth us to understand that woman their speaking in the Churches is inconsistent with that subjection that the Law of God hath laid upon them And withall he insinuateth that speaking in the Churches is an authoritative thing and therefore no way allowed unto Women whose proper deportment according to the institution and Law of God is subjection and to be under obedience Nay he will not suffer them so much as to ask questions under colour of learning in the Churches lest that should make way for their usurping of Authoriâ—y and taking upon them to speak wiâ—h Authority for he addeth vers 35. And if they will learne any thing let them ask their husbands at home And so even at home he enâ—oyneth them to ask contrare to what was practised by Mrs Hutchison in N. England called by some the American Iezabel who had her weekly lectures in her owne house and there broached her Familistical and Antinomian errors to the no small trouble of the Church of N. England Nay he addeth that it was contrary to that modesty and shamefastness that is the ornament of women for saith he it is a shame for women to speak in the Church What Patrons and abettors then of Immodesty and Shamlesness must Quakers be that plead for Womens speaking in the â—hurches 2. It is considerable also what the Apostle addeth in the following verses to confirme this injunction concerning Women as also his former directions which he had given to regulate the abuses of that Church What saith he came the word of God out from you Or came it unto you only Are ye the first and the last and so the only Christians that are Or must ye give Laws to all the â—hurches of Christ And must they all follow you Let the Quakers look to this who as to the particular we are now about would make us beleeve that the word of God came out from them and that it came to them only and not to any Church Primitive or Subsequent beside themselves Further vers 37 he sayes if any man think himself to be a Prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandements of the Lord. Let our Quaker ruminate upon this and let all of them take notice of it for when they contradict this expresse injunction of the Apostle they declare themselves say what they will to the contrary to be neither Prophets nor spiritual and further we see that what Paul spoke concerning this silence of women in the Church was the commandement of the Lord. And therefore is obligeing to all Churches who will owne any relation to Christ their Lord and Head and consequently the Quakers rejecting this commandement of the Lord renunce in so far their Interest in and Relation to the Lord as their Head and Lawgiver And the next words vers 38. But if any man be ignorant let him be ignorant have their owne weight also as if he had said if any will not yet for all this acquiesce let him take his pleasure no more needs be said for his conviction he is wilfully ignorant and he must remaine so And so say we in this particular if the Quakers will remaine ignorant we cannot helpe it we must follow our rule and declare them inconvinceable and so leave them 3. Another expresse passage we have against this Practice and Opinion of the Quakers 1 Tim. 2 11 14. Let the women learne in silence with all subjection but I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man but to be in silence Where we may see That Teaching publickly is an act of authority and that it is inconsistent with that silence and subjection which is enjoyned to women And therefore the Apostle as a faithful servant of Christ will not give way to it and acquants Timothy herewith that he may suppress any such practice where it is or hinder it if men would set it up Nor is this all for he addeth his reasons saying for Adam was first formed then Eve Whereby he teacheth us That such a practice is contrary to the Law of Creation the Law writâ—en upon the Creation and the Way and Method of Creaâ—ion which the Lord was pleased to follow and thâ—reby give Documents and Significations of his will to man This practice then of the Quakers must be unnatural and a plaine saying that God created Eve first and then Adam And further the Apostle addeth And Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in the transgression That is the woman being immediatly first deceived by Satan was the cause occasion of Adams transgressing therefore was her subjection to the man laid further upon her as a more grievous weight and burthen as a part of her punishment The Quakers then who would have women usurping Authority and Teaching in the Church do seek to annul the sentence past upon Women by the just Lord for Eve's being the cause of Adam's sinning and do in a manner declare that that sentence was unjust and that Eve was not the devils instrument to cause Adam sinne Let them see to it for it draweth deeper than they are aware 4. Let us now see what he sayes for this Seing saith he Pag. 210. male and female are one in Christ and seing he giveth his Spirit to one as well as to another when the Lord moveth in women by his Spirit we think it no way unlawful for them to preach in the meetings of God's people Answ. 1. That there is neither male nor female as there is neither Jew nor Greek but all are one in Christ we grant in reference to the privileges of the Covenant now under the Gospel dispensation in opposition to what was under the Law for of this Paul speaks Gal. 3 28. But that therefore women may as well Preach in the Assemblies of the Church as men is a Quakers consequence having no connexion nor appearance of reason 2. That God giveth his sanctifying Spirit to women as well as to men is very true but that he moveth in them for any such end as he here mentioneth is simply denied And by this we may see what sentence to passe upon these irregular motions which they talk so much of If the Spirit of God move in women it will be to prompt them to duty that is to keep silence in the Church and not to Teach there or to usurpe authority but to learne in subjection remembering what her sex is called to by the law of God and what that punishment is that
acts of worship by Immediat Inspirations and Enthusiastical motions of the Spirit and the unlawfulness of entering upon Worshipe at what time in what place and upon what occasion so ever or continueing in it without these Previous Physical and Immediat Inspirations Impulses and Enthusiastical Motions but we shall see some other things spoken to and more insisted upon by him and but little spoken to this which mainly called for proof 2. However we must see what he says leaving his preamble wherein according to his usual manner he layeth an imputation on the Reformed Churches as keeping still the root of false worshipe when they cut off the branches of Romish worshipe We shall consider what he sayes for clearing of the Quakers way first he tels us Pag. 222. § 2. That he speaketh here of worship now under the Gospel not as requisite under the Law Yet I suppose he is speaking of worshipe as a moral duty or in reference to what is moral or natural which hath place in all ages of the Church and of what is essentially and necessarily requisite to all moral worship for he saith here expresly that the ceremonies under the Law were not essential to true worshipe nor necessary of themselves I suppose also he should speak of Institute Worshipe under the Gospel but all that is by the Quakers rejected and denied as we shall hear He tels us next § 3. That they do not condemne all prescribed times and places for worshipe for they have such But may I not ask whether they assemble at these times and in these places by the Immediat Acting Motion and Impulse of the Spirit or not It seemeth not but when they are assembled they must waite for these motions But is not that a limiteing of the Spirit as if he could not Act Move to publick worshipe at other times in other places And is not the time of their abode together at these several occasiones limited also 3. What do they then condemne They condemne our having a Preacher to preach excludeing others But the lawfulness of this we evinced above Next they are not satisfied that these ministers come not to meet with the Lord. Neither am I. and attend not unto his inward motions and operations Nor am I satisfied with this Nor pray not preach not as the Spirit moveth and breatheth in them and giveth utterance What if I say that I am not satisfied with this either more then they But the mystery of the business is They acknowledge no Motion or inward Breathing of the Spirit but what is Extraordinary and meerly Enthusiastick without all previous study or preparation and abstract from all meanes as if the Lord could not move and operate in and by the meanes and could not help a minister who had studied his sermon by his breathing and inward assistance to preach the Gospel and give utterance and helpe to the carrying on of the work to edification This is to oppose the Spirit of God and his motions to all meanes of his owne appointment condemneth all study and meditation on the Scriptures taketh away all paines and laboure for abilities and putteth men upon a sure way of tempting of God and of inviteing the devil to deceive and delude as was shown above 4. That nothing may be wanting to compleat their Systeme of errour they proclame all dayes alike and so reject the Lords day our Christian Sabbath concerning which if this man have any minde to dispute on that head I will wait his Answer to what I have said on it elsewhere What he saith Pag. 225. § 5. of their charitie towards many living in Popery is no very great business seing he will grant as much to Pagans notwithstanding of their palpable and manifest Idolatry and Heathenisme But why will he not give us charity too 5. He cometh more home to the business Pag. 226. § 6. and tels us that when they assemble every ones work is to attend on God to goe out of their own thoughts and imaginations or rather to thrust these away to feel Gods presence and in his name to acknowledge that assembly where He is in the midst according to his promise And where every one is thus assembled in Spirit as well as in body the secret power and vertue of life is known to refresh the soul and they feel pure motions and breathings of the Spirit of God flowing from which issue words of declaration prayer and praise and thus acceptable worshipe is performed by which the Church is edified and God is pleased yea though not one word be spoken or heard outwardly yet true spiritual â—orship is performed and the Church is edified Answ. This is a short account of their manner of worship which in his following discourse he largely laboureth to explicat and vindicate I shall only propose these few exceptions against it 1. Spiritual worshipe which only is acceptable with God who is a Spirit and will be worshiped in spirit and truth being a matter of no small difficulty for sinners to get performed aright would require some preparation before hand that the heart might be put in some frame for such an high and noble work being made sensible of its distance from and unsuteableness for approching unto such an holy and spiritual God and of the necessity of some impression of that divine Majesty with whom they have to do and of divine help for the right discharge of that duty now I finde no mention made by them of any such thing or of the necessity of wrestling with God in private for a right frame of Spirit in going about that work and for the assistence of his grace and Spirit in the discharge of it and for his blessing upon it It seemeth their heart is alway in a like good frame and they are alwayes in case for this solemne addresse unto God or they come together to get preparation and all from the inward motions without which nothing must de done 2. When the members of the Church are assembled and publick worshipe to beginne Nature it self would teach that there should be a solemne address made unto God by Prayer acknowledging their unworthiness of such an honour and favour their unfitness for such a solemne work their necessity of his divine help and assistance therein and his blessing thereupon that He may be glorified and they edified but here no such thing appeareth no invocating of the great God no supplication made to him no prostrating of themselves in prayer before him at the entry of their work can this then be accounted an assembling for the solemne Adoration Worshiping and Invocation of God 3. No word is there here in all their Assemblies of the Scriptures as the Law of God which should be read interpreted and applyed for the Instruction Reproof Consolation and Edification of the people No as the Scriptures are no rule to them in their walk so nor are they any rule to them in their
worship as their worship is not grounded upon the Scriptures So nor have the Scriptures any place in their worshipe contrare to the practice of Christ and his Apostles Luk 4 vers 16. 21. Act. 17 2 3. 8 vers 4 25 35. 9 vers 22. 10 43. 13 5 15 16. c. 33 34 35 36 37 40 41. 18 28. 4. Though there be no approaching now for sinners unto God but in and through a Mediator and all our service and worshipe must be performed in him through him Col. 3 17. Eph. 2 18. Ioh. 14 6. 1 Tim. 2 5. Ioh. 14 13 14. 1 Pet. 2 5. Yet I hear nothing of Jesus Christ in all their worshipe It can therefore be no Gospel Worshipe which they goe about for as all that must be in the name of Jesus the Mediator as having his warrand so it must be offered to the Lord through him Hence 5 all their Solemne Worshipe is nothing else then may be gone about by Pagans and Heathens that never heard of Christ for there is no Gospel Worshipe no Gospel Duty no Gospel Ordinance to be found in all their most solemne service neither Preaching nor Prayer nor Praise nor Administration of sacraments nor any Duty instituted in the Gospel 6. Nay in this they seem to come short of the orderly devotion that is exercised by some Heathens who have their Priests publick Officers to carry on their worshipe with a piece of order and solemnity But they know no such thing their worshipe we see is carryed on without the orderly leading and foregoing of any Person peculiarly designed thereunto unto 7. They speak of going out from their owne thoughts or of expelling them and it is convenient and neâ—essary I confess that all carnal and worldly thoughts be laid aside when we are to approach unto the great and living God for our minds ought then wholly to be abstracted from all Impediments and taken up alone with God But how comprehensive their own thoughts may be I know not and whether he may not meane a laying aside of all use of Reason and Humanity that so they may be fitter receptacles of the In workings of Satan and of the Impressions of his delusions we may possibly heare something hereafter which may give ground for this supposal 8. He tels us that when tâ—ey are thus conveened they meet with a secret vertue and power of life refreshing their souls c. But is this common and ordinary to them all and is it so at all times Then they are all and that alwayes while about the worshipe of God in a good frame and the Spirit who bloweth where and when he listeth never withdraweth from them but is alwayes present in Love and in Power But what is this Life that hath such Power and Vertue If we call to minde the principles of the Quakers formerly considered and examined we will finde that it is not the true and real Grace of God bestowed upon them through Jesus Christ and wrought in them by his Spirit but the mere Operation and Product of nature and therefore all the refreshing of soul that they feel thereby must be but Natural and Carnal how sensible so ever it may be 9. He talks of Motions Respirations of the Spirit of God which flow forth but whence flow they From their owne Spirits or from that refreshing of soul or from the power and vertue of that life he spoke of But the chiefe thing I would have noticed here is How shall we know or how do they know that these Motions and Breathings are the motions and breathings of the Spirit of God The reason of the enquiry is because they have laid aside the Scripture the only sure teste for tryal of Spirits and of the motions of Spirits and not only so but they are now gone out of themselves and are no more Men having laid aside Humanity all the Cogitations Imaginations of Men How shall they how can they or any other know whether these motions be motions of the Spirit of God or of the Spirit of darkness Cannot Satan play his game in persons thus prepared for and laid open unto his workings and insinuations Hath he not thus wrought in many who thus gave up themselves unto his Power and Delusions 10. when these who are thus acted and moved by a Spirit blake or white utter words of declaration prayer or praise how shall it be known that these words are words of truth and righteousness It seemeth all is good coine that cometh that way and no doubt is to be made thereof no examination or tryal is to be made all is to be received by an implicite faith and sure if these Declarations Prayer Praises be suteable to and corresponding with their Doctrine and Principles we have ground to think that they are such as no Christian can with a good conscience receive or joyn with and though he think that what is so spoken is delivered in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and of power yet if we judge by the Scriptures of truth we must say that it is rather in the evidence demonstration of the Devil 11. When one is so moved and speaketh what do the rest Must they attend thereunto and joyn there with But what if they be at that very instant prompted by what is within them to utter words of declaration prayer or praise and this is not impossible must they all speak together where is then order and edification or must they be silent and listen to what the other speaketh till he have done How will he salve this from a limiting of the Spirit But next can the rest hearken and joyne without an inward motion thereunto If so then that part of worshipe is performed by them without the previous inward motion of the Spirit Or must the rest waite for their proper and particular motions then there is no publick worshipe performed by the Assembly 12. But as to that mumry and dumb service when nothing is uttered how can that be callâ—d a Publick Worshipe of God what publick worshipe is there and then performed by the Assembly and where doth he read of any such Publick Worshipe performed unto God in all the Old or New Testam How differeth this from the dumb service of some Heathens performed to their Idols And what mutual edification is there had hereby He tels us it is true that even then their souls are exceedingly satiated But where with or whereby Not by any publick exhortation prayer or praises for there are none that which is not cannot edifie He tels us also that their hearts are wonderfully replenished with the secret sense of the divine power and Spirit But how is this brought about This power sayes he is transmitted without words from vessel to vessel Sure this is no usual way of the Lord 's working and why should he imagine in this case a transmission from vessel to
of experiences yet thâ—y can speak from experience and appositely apply themselves to loose the doubts remove the difficulties that trouble weak consciences and in some measure in the strength of the great Master of Assemblies speak a word to such as are weary But he will say it is not so with all and I will not contradict him in this yet what I have said is sufficient to discover his unfaire dealing in stateing the opposition or comparison here And how shall we beleeve that any or all of the Quaker-Preachers do as he sayes His naked word is no very sure ground of faith to me 6. The maine difference now followeth to be spoken to He supposeth that our Ministers do all without the Spirit and their speakers do all in and by the Spirit As concerning Ours he must know that there are among them who depend upon the Lord in their preparation for preaching seeking by prayer from him what to say that he would lead them to and suggest unto them that mater and purpose which may be most for edification who when afâ—er Meditation and Prayer they have gote something to say give it up unto him that he may give it them to deliver or not as he thinketh good who depend upon Him even for Utterance and Expression who look to him and by faith depend upon Him in the delivery of what they had thought upon less or more that they may be helped to preach with that Faiâ—h Fear Awe Reverence Weightedness of heart Love Zeal and Faithfulness that becometh to his glory and to the edification of the Church who depend upon Him for the blessing knowing that all their words of Perswasion Conviction Rebuke Instruction expostulation and Consolation without the power and blessing of his Spirit concurring and carrying the same in upon the heart will prove ineffectual who receive with thankfulness what he offereth and suggesteth in the time of their preaching and with singleness declare it unto their hearers who often times being called to speak without fore-thoughts go in the strength of the Lord not seeking to commend themselves as able or learned â—en but to commend themselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God And who when they have finished their discourse give up all by faith into the hands of God that He may bless it as He thinketh good in Jesus Christ. He will possibly say That it is not thus with all and I shall readily grant it But will he be saâ—isfied with this and account this spiritual preaching or preaching in the Spirit I suppose he will not be satisfied And then it is not to him sufficient though all should study and preach after this manner 7. Let us therefore a little examine his way He first would have all Study all Meditation all Prayer and wrestling with God in prayer for this with us is a maine part of study preparation laid aside Ministers going to the Assembly as naked and void of all knowledg of spiritual matters as if they had never heard of any such thing Then being Tabulae rasae they must introvert unto that Grace or Gift which is in them there receive their Call their Furniture their Preparation both in matter words whether with a text or place of Scripture whereupon to ground their discourse or to explaine and clear up or without any such passage as that inward teacher will Lastly when they are thus called and fitted by this thing within then they speak in the Spirit are acted by the Spirit But now to canvass this not mentioning that which was spoken to before to wit that by their way all are alike preachers and none must speak but such as are thus acted by the Spirit and all thus called and prompted may and must I shall propose these things to the Readers consideration 1. This Gift and Grace within is as we saw above no singular thing it is common to all men and women breathing to Turks and Pagans as well as to Christian Ministers And therefore can have no affinity with the Spiritual gifts which Christ giveth unto his Church and endueth his messengers with all that they may be enabled for the work of the ministry and for building up of his house nor hath it any affinity with the special and saving grace of God which Christ hath purchased for and bestoweth upon his redemed oâ—es For neither of these are common to all the children of men as the whole Scripture declareth far less can it have any affinity with the Spirit of God which Liveth Abideth and Worketh in the Justified Adopted and Sanctified children of God It can therefore be nothing else than the relicques of nature the natural light and natural Conscience which God hath left in every man So that all the qualifications which the Quaker Preachers have and seek for are but what a Pagan may have that hath a Natural Conscience and the Light of Common notions concerning a God-head and equity and right among men This dim darkened and now malignant light is the Magazine and Storehouse of all their Enduements and Qualifications this is the sole fountaine and spring of all their furniture sufficient I am sure for none but for Pagan-Preachers 2. Their Introverting unto this to consult this Goddess as the Pagans did turne-in to the Cels of Apollos to receive the Oracles hath a more diabolick aspect for what can it be that they would thus consult after they have unmanned themselves or laid aside all motions of Soul and Minde which is not natural nor practicable without diabolick assistance if it be as he saith but some Spirit And what Spirit can we suppose to be in Pagans and every Son of Adam before grace come and make a change but the God of this world 2 Cor. 4 4. the Prince of the power of the aire the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes. 2 3. and that strong man that keepeth the house Is it not then manifest that this introverting must be a real consulting with or giving themselves up unto the instructions and directions of this Prince of darkness If he say that they are Regenerated and so under the power and direction of the Spirit of God I Answere I have seen and considered what he saith upon this and have found that it is nothing but the operation of pure Nature wrought by the strength of corrupt and wicked Nature that is an enemy to the Gospel and to all the wayes of God and if this hath not been sufficiently evidenced above the Reader is free to judge And if nature and this Prince of darkness who hath now a soveraignity over all the unrenewed Sones of Adam can or will destroy the works of Satan and of Nature and embrace the Gospel and the Spirit of Christ according to the Gospel let all who understand and believe the Gospel judge 3. This Spirit then which acteth and moâ—eth them or in them can be
remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee seing gifts were of no use and the stirring up of gifts were in vaine because all without gifts or stirring up of gifts was to be done by the immediat impulses and motions of the Spirit 12. in vaine also should he have said as 2 Tim. 1 13 14. Hold fast the forme of sound words which thou hast heard of me That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost For he was to regard no forme of sound words nor take any notice of that gooâ— thing which was committed to him but do and say as he was acted and inspired 13. what roome is left by this opinion to that word 2 Tim 2 14. Of these things put them in remembrance charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words For he could remember them of nothing nor lay any charge upon them if they were to do all as the Spirit moved them 14. The following injunction vers 15. is made also useâ—ess by this way Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly divideing the word of truth For it taketh away all care and study in this matter and the preacher can make no other division of the word of truth than what is of and by the Spirit and that must alwayes be right 15 All that the Apostle sayeth 2 Tim. 3 14 15. should also be in vaine and to no purpose 16. If this way be the truth why did the Apostle say 2 Tim. 4 1 2. I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom Preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine might not Timothy have replied I have nothing to do with that charge I cannot I may not preach either in season or out of season nor can I Reprove Rebuke nor Exhort nor have I Doctrine wherewith to do it The Spirit doth all must move me and inspire me to every Doctrine Preaching Rebuke and Exhortation and that at every time and season 17. Hâ—reby that should be also rendered useless which is said 2 Tim 4 5. But watch thou in all things endure afflictions do the work of an Evangelist make full proof of thy ministry 18. If this be the way why did Paul say to Titus Chap. 1 17 wherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith seing Titus could have said againe I shall do as the Spirit moveth and more I cannot I may not 19. So it taketh away the force of Paulâ—s injunctions Tit. 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 15. For Titus was to have his eye upon no Doctrine but speake what the Spirit moved him to speak nor was he to speak to either one or other age or sex or quality but as the Spirit acted him and what Uncorruptness Gravity Sincerity was requisite in his doctrine he was not to be anxious there about all would be so because dictated and inspired immediatly by the Spirit And what sounâ—ness of speach was requisite the Spirit would see to that and therefore he was not to regard what the Apostle enjoyned vers 15. These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority 20. The command Tit. 3 1 2. Put them in minde to be subject to Principalities c. must hereby be laid aside as not obligeing Titus who was purely to follow the Motions of the Spirit 21. How opposite unto this opinion is that word Tit. 3 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirme constantly What was not Titus to waite upon the motions of the Spirit 22. If matters be thus how could the Collossians say to Archippus take heed to the ministrie which thou haâ—t received in the Lord that thou fulfil it seing Archippus was to follow the free and arbitrary motions of the Spirit 2â— This opinion rendereth that injunction of Paul's unto the ministers of Thessalonica 1 Thes. 5 14. useless Now we beseech you brethren warne them that are unruly comfort the feble minded support the weak c. as to preaching 24. It would hence follow that all that such ministers spoke were infallibly true for what the Spirit speaketh through men or by men as his meer organs must of necessity be truth and nothing but truth and that certainly and infallibly and so must be esteemed of and regarded as Scripture 25. If the matter be thus it is all one thing whether the preacher be Young or Old a Childe or a Mâ—n of experience for it is not he that speaketh but the Spirit in him yet Paul requireth that he that is put into the Ministrie be not a novice 1 Tim. 3 6. 26. Thus did the Prophets and Apostles preachâ— and declare their visions as undâ—r moral commands though they were under no such commanâ—s to receive the visions where they had no election Ier. 1 v. 17. 26 15. Esa. 6 8 9. Ier 15 19 20. 1 Cor. 9 16. 9. More might be said upon this head but this may suffice and I have said the more of it because they use to make it one of their common theames while they would in their popular discourses inveigh against the Ministrie seek to make it contemptible with people Let us now come and consider what he saith And first he beginneth to speak against the methode Pag. 249. And what is this methode Ministers are free to follow what method they think most edifying and are not bound to one certain prescribeâ— methoâ—e But sayes he when Christ sent his disciples to preach he told them they should not premeditate what to say nor speak of themselves but the Spirit should in the same houre teach them Mat. 10 20. Mark 13 11. Luk. â—2 vers 12. Ans. Knoweth he not that at that time Christ gave them their preaching with them telling them what they should say saying And as â—e go preach saying the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Mat. 10 7. Knoweth he not that in these places by him cited our Lord is speaking of their appearing before Magistrates and Higher powers where they might through fear and anxiety be so discomposed as not to know well how to speak in their owne defence and that our Lord addeth these words to free them of all anxiety about the matter But sayes he if it was so with them when standing before men much more in preaching when they stand before God Ans. This consequence is weak and contradicted by the Text it self where we see they had their sermon taught them before hand and beside when they were sent out to preach they knew what they were to say but when called before Magistrates they could not know before hand what questions might be proposed unto them and upon that account might be anxious and troubled which to prevent this promise is made
10. He proceedeth After the pouring forth of the Spirit Act. 2 4. they are said to speak as the holy Ghost gave utterance and not what they had studied Ans. It is very true The Apostles then gote their divinity and knowledge in the mysteries of the Gospel miraculously taught them by immediat Infusion and withall gote the gift of tongues to speak to all people and languages And such as would expect such teaching now may as well expect the extraordinary gift of tongues which the Apostles gote And who seeth not how absurd this is Beside what was granted to the Apostles was not granted to all the Church Officers in those dayes no not to Evangelists who were extraordinary let be to ordinary Pastours and Doctors Nay none of all the extraordinary officers had all that the Apostles had One thing I would learne of hâ—m Can he tell me when and wherâ— theâ—e Apostles did Introvert to the gift within them in order to the obtaining of these rare qualifications or to the preaching of the word If he cannot do this he will finde no ground for his methode in this that is said of the Apostles They were infallible and acted by an infallible Spirit in their Teachings and Writings thinks he that this is expected or required of all Ministers now Or thinks he that his Quaker-Pratters are such Whatever he may dreame the Christian world may see the contrary What he citeth out of Lambertus I freely assent unto for my part 11. Next he tels us Pag. 250. § 19. That our way of preaching is hurtful and destructive because contrare to the nature of the Christian and Apostolicke Miniâ—trie 1 Cor. 1 17. Wherein It is not by the motion and acting of the Spirit but by mens Invention and eloquence by natural strength and acquired learning the Apostles preaching was not so 1 Cor. 2 3 4 5. Ans. The Spirit helping by ordinary meanes is not contrary to himself helping in an extraoâ—dinary way The Apostles way was peculiar to themselves It is a groundless imagination to think that all that is spoken by dependence upon God in the use of ordinary meanes and not by immediat Inspiration is wisdom of words making the Cross of Christ of none effect or is entiseing words of mans wisdome opposite to the demonstration of the Spirit and of power If any man study painted words and rhetorick to darken the wisdom of Goâ— in this mystery I will not approve of it but to study to finde out acceptable words as the Preacher did Eccles. 12 10. And words to render the Gospel plaine and intelligible to the hearers with a single dependance on God for his assistance herein I shall never think that Paul condemned this But sayes he the Preachers themselves confess that they are strangers to the Spirit of God and to his Operations Ans. Not all I hope though I hope also that none of them will with these bold and blasphemous Quakers pretend to immediat Inspirations This Quaker it seemeth knoweth nothing of the workings of the Spirit of God in and by meanes and will have all by immediat Revelations and Inspirations and before he want these he will go to the Devil to get them as Saul did go to the witch at Endor when the Lord would not answere him by the meanes then usual 12. Againe he sayes Pag. 251. It is contrare to the order and methode of the primitive Church 1 Cor. 14 20. c. Not considering that these were extraordinary Prophets Readeth he that these Prophets did Introvert into the light within them to get these Revelations However we see that Quakers are all Prophets in their owne account But sure I am they are not Prophets of the living God nor are the Revelations which they boast of divine but diabolick His last argum is that by our way the Spirit of God is excluded What way He tels us not and we can not beleeve him But he addeth And the natural wisdom and learning of man is exalted This is his mistake which he could see if the beam were out of his eye All their learning and wisdome is the pure product of Nature if not worse as we have oftentimes manifested for it cometh not from the Spirit of God neither mediatly nor immediatly but riseth out of the dung hill of nature and is extracted thence by the natural strength of man and all its works and effects are like the cause and original except where the Devil getteth in his finger in a more immediat way This is sayes he the chiefe and great cause why preachings are so unfruitful Poor man knoweth he no better Did not Christ and his Apostles preach to many that were not converted thereby Thinks he that the only cause why our preachings are so unfruitful is because we preach not by Inspiration And are their preachments so fruitful It may be too fruitful but that is no proof to me that they preach by the true Revelations and Inspirations of God for I read that when the Lord sends strong delusions men will beleeve a lie I read that all the world wondered after the Beaâ—t I have heard it said too that all the world became Arian All the world is not yet become Quakers see also what is said 2 Pet. 2 1 2 3. Yea sayes he according to this doctrine the Devil himself may and ought to be heard seing he knoweth the notion of truth and excelleth any of them in learning and eloquence we see when the Devil confessed the truth Christ rejected his testimony Ans Why doth the man thus speak untruth Do we say that every one though he were the Devil if he speak truth should be heard What countenance doâ—h our opinion in this matter give to this dreame I should think his judgment speaketh fairer for it for I trow the Devil needs noâ— study nor read books but can give out Revelations and Enthusiasmes as many as you will And be it in whomsoever he speaketh by Revelations or Inspirations or Enthuâ—iasmes Quaker or other Christ and his Apostles will reject his testimony though it should be true upon the matter And therefore after the example of Christ and his Apostle Paul we receive no testimony from Quakers themselves giving such palpable evidences of the Devil speaking in them and by them 13. To an Objection taken from the experience of all ages since the Apostles dayes to wit that God by his Spirit hath concurred with our way of preaching to the conversion and edification of many He answereth § 20. thus That though he will not deny this yet it will not follow that that practice was good more then it was good for Paul to go to Damascus to persecute the Saints because he did meet with Christ in the way Answ. His simile is a dissimilitude and hath no correspondence with the thing in hand Our Argument is That since the Apostles dayes and the ceasing of extraordinary gifts there hath been no other way of preaching but
requisite for the right performance of that duty Rom. 8 26 27. Psal. 10 17. Zach. 12 10. And therefore in the very description of prayer Quest. 178. the help of the Spirit is taken in We owne as absolutely necessary unto the right performance of this duty the Influences of the Spirit of God putting the heart in a frame for the work stirring up blowing upon and enlivening his graces in the soul and contributing his assistance in the carrying on and performance of it But the Motions and Inspirations which he pleadeth for as the only ground and call to the action and which we do not owne nor expect are the extraordinary and immediat Impulses of the Spirit carrying the soul forth unto the duty such as the Prophets had when inspired to write Scripture and to declare the minde of the Lord in several cases And as to this I see no ground to assert that even the Apostles who had an extraordinary measure of the Spirit of grace and of supplication and of the ordinary Influences and Assistances of the holy Ghost in this duty were thus alwayes called and carryed forth unto this duty of prayer I meane by these extraordinary Impulses and physical Motions of the Spirit which they could not withstand but yeeld unto or by these immediat Revelations calling them to the discharge of this duty hic nunc What might be and possibly was at some certain times and occasions I determine not but that which I affirme is that I see no ground to assert that to all their acts of Preaching and Prayer they had an immediat and extraordinary Revelation Inspiration and Impulse calling them forth and setting them on to the duty hic nunc so as they never acted therein upon the ground of a moral command or were pressed thereto out of conscience to a command or from the consideration of an ordinary call whether because of the work they were about or the circumstances of time place and accasion inviteing thereunto or the like 3. But why supposeth he that we account all motions of the Spirit unnecessary It is because we have certain and prescribed times viz. before and after sermon morning and evening in private devotion before and after meate Ans. This is the old plea of Familists but though we owne no Canonick houres nor the superstitious observation of fixed times and places for this or any other religious act of worshipe knowing that we are every where to pray lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting 1 Tim. 2 8. and to continue instant in prayer Rom. 12 vers 12. and to pray without ceasing 1 Thes. 5 17. and that we ought alwayes to pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and to watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints Ephes. 6 18. And therefore dar not restrick the exercise of this duty to determinat times and places invented and prescribed by men without warrand from God Yet we say there are special times wherein the Lord calleth for this duty not only times of trouble Psal. 50 15. times of affliction Iam. 5 13. times of mourning Esai 22 12 13. Ioel 2 12 17. Esth. 4 3. Ezra 9. Neh. 9. Dan. 9. Ier. 31 9. and the like but also solemne times as when the Lord is solemnly to be worshiped in the assemblies of his people as 1 Cor. 11 4 5 13. Act. 2 ver 42. and other occasions when either the work we are about or the season calleth for it for Nature it self teacheth and Christian prudence saith that when we are assembled to the solemne worshipe of God prayer ought to be offered up unto God and that to do it before and after sermon is most suteable and corresponding with Christian order and decency which ought carefully to be observed in the whole worshipe of God 1 Cor. 14 40. and the work of preaching and hearing which ought to be gone about with all Reverence Attention Faith Understanding and Seriousness Iam. 1 21 22. Act. 10 33. Mat. 13 19. Heb. 4 2. Esa. 66 2. calleth for prayer to God for his blessing and breathing without which the work will be fruitless and that both before and after when withall there ought to be an Acknowledgement of our unworthiness and of Gods rich mercy and grace following us with such gracious opportunities and a serious begging of pardon for sinnes committed both before and in the work of Preaching and Hearing so that all things plead for the performance of this duty then As also the very law and light of nature would call for a solemne Acknowledgment of God by Prayer and Supplication Morning and Evening and oftner too and that fixedly providing no dispensation of providence occurring did call off for that time and that both by families and by private persons in secreet Ier. 10 25. Deut. 6 6 7 8. Iob 1 5. 2 Sam. 6 18 20. 1 Pet. 3 7. Act. 10.2 Hence we read of praying in the morning Psal. 5 3. 88 13. 119 147. and evening Psal. 141 2. and of morning and evening both Psal. 55 17. and of day time and night Psal. 22 2. Yea we read of prayer performed three times a day Psal. 55 17. Dan. 6 10. 9 4. And the morning and evening sacrifices whâ—ch were offered under the Law do point this forth to speak nothing of that solemne houre of prayer Act. 3 1. And that word in the Paterne of prayer taught by Christ give us this day our daily bread Mat. 6 11. saith that prayer is a duty daily to be performed And as for our acknowledgment of God in the use of his good creatures the very light of nature might instruct us as to this and that petition in the paterne of prayer but now mentioned pointeth forth this duty which is also clearly laid upon us by that word of Paul's 1 Tim. 4 4 5. For every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer and the example of Christ and of Paul is not I suppose to be slighted see Mark. 6 41. Ioh. 6 11. Act. 27 35. By all which we see that the Christian observation of times and occasions for this duty of prayer is well consistent with the ordinary Motions and Inspirations of the Spirit which we owne and are to laboure for in the discharge of this duty but are utterly repugnant to and inconsistent with these extraordinary and immediat Calls and Impulses whâ—ch he looketh upon as the only warrand of performance of the duty And hereby it is also manifest what unfriends they are unto this great and necessary duty of Prayer and what an irreligious Religion that is which they owne and profess and what a tendency their doctrine hath to banish Prayer away which is the native and kindly breathing of the Spirit of Adoption Gal. 4 6. Rom. 8 15. and is the distinguishing Mark of the
peopleâ— of God from the wicked that do not call upon him Ier. 10 25. Psal. 10 4. 14 4. and the neglect thereof hath been charged by the Lord upon his owne people Esa. 43 22 Hos. 7 7. and acknowledged by them as their sin Esai 64 7. Dan. 9.13 4. Yet he granteth that prayer is Profitable and necessary a duty commanded of God frequently to be gone about by Christians What would he then be at But sayes he as without Christ we can do nothing so neither can we pray without the help of the Spirit And this is very true But will this say any thing against what we hold Or make any thing for his way Knoweth he no difference betwixt the ordinary and usual Assistance of the Spirit without which we can do nothing aright and that extraordinary Impulse of the Spirit which he would be at and supposeth to be the only lawful call unto this duty and really taketh away all conscience of duty or obligation to it Nay doth he think that that more ordinary assistance of the Spirit Prepareing Disposeing and Frameing the heart for the work by blowing away the ashes from the coal of grace within stirring up the graces of his Spirit enlarging the heart giving a deep sense of unworthiness and necessities setting faith love zeal and fervency a work and so putting the soul in case to sail faire before the winde doth he think I say that this work of the Spirit is the only ground and call to the performance of this duty and that till this be once there is no warrand to set about it or attempt it When we heare his proofs for this we shall consider them At present I shall only say That as there is nothing in all the word giving ground for this conjecture so the frequently reiterated command of God which himself acknowledgeth and which we finde not qualified and restricted as some commands are laying on an obligation taketh all coloure for such a pretence quite away the word of command being our rule the obligation to duty flowing therefrom is not enfringed by the Lords free not-blowings or restrainings of the Influences of his Spirit wherein he acteth according to the good pleasure of his will sometimes out of meer soveraignity because so it seemeth good in his eyes sometimes in way of holy Justice punishing for misimproving his former breathings for not watching over the heart nor guarding against such sinnes as grieve the Spirit These motions of the Spirit are no rule to us being the free and arbitrary actings of the Lord who giveth an account of his matters to none The Law is our fixed rule and by this opinion the Law and Command of God is made of none effect for to all injunctions this shifting returne might be given Let the command be never so peremptour and pressing Yet till the Spirit breath first and act upon me I can do nothing and therefore am under no obligation And thus all conscience of and mourning for sin all godly sorrow for our indisposition for neglect of the duty and all serious and earnest prayer and wrestling with God for his breathing and gracious quickenings are taken away and a plaine path made for Neligence Security Indifferency and Deadness And if this hold as to prayer it will hold also as to all other Christian duties Yea and to all duties enjoyned by the law and light of nature for neither can we performe these acceptably and in a gracious manner without the special Breathings and Communications of divine Influence and Assistance and so until such quickning upstirring breathings gales of the Spirit come we are not to love God nor our neighbour to eate drink and sleep nor may the labouring man plow or sowe nay nor must we abstaine from murther adultery incest and other wickednesses that the very light of a natural conscience condemneth as if all those commands were not given to us as rational creatures under subjection or as Christians under the law and command of the Gospel but only as creatures and Christians so and so spiritually qualified and disposed and as if the Lord 's gracious communications which are acts of soveraigne grace let out freely according to his owne will and pleasure without the least of our deservings were to restrick and limite the obligation of his lawes and as if his free restrainings and withdrawings of these qualifying and disposeing influences did put a check unto and controle his Authority as King Lawgiver Whatever this man may think of this I can put no other construction upon it than that it is a turning of the grace of God unto lasciviousness This same was the opinion of Swenckfeldus H. Nicholas the Father of the Family of love Iohn Waldesse the Antinomians of N. England of Del Saltmarsh 5. He tels us next in order to the clearing of the question Pag. 253. That there is an inward and an outward Prayer Answ. We know there is a speaking to God in the heart when the voice is not heard 1 Sam 1 13. Neh. 2 4. there are ejaculatory Prayers swift postes sent to heaven in thoughts sighes and groanes Rom. 8 26. Psal. 6 6. 12 5. 79 11. And there is a speaking to God with words a glorifying of him with our glory and tongue Psal. 57 8. 108 1. which we are here mainly to consider being speaking of solemne worshipe but this though outwardly as to the expressions differenced from the other yet not rightly separated for in all Prayer the heart must speak to God for Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God Psal 62 8. and in publick and solemne Prayer the heart must so speak as the tongue must speak also and the gift of Prayer be imployed for the solemne and professed glorifying of God and for the edifying of others who must hear and concurre 1 Cor. 14 14 15 16 17. Let us hear how he explaineth these Inward Prayer sayes he is that secret introversion of soul which being secretly done and the Light of Christ being wakened in the conscience and so being humbled in the sense of sin and unworthiness breaths to God and sendeth up constantly secret desires unto Him and to this he applyeth Luk. 18 v. 1. 1 Thes. 5 v. 17. Ephes. 6 18. Luk. 21 v. 36. Answ. That there are secrete groanings and breathings unto God I have showne That to these sense of sin and unworthiness as also sense of want and dependence on God is requisite with Faith Love Zeal Submission and other graces I teadily grant and hence inferre that if the places by him cited command this as I think they do and also a constant habitual frame and disposition for Prayer with a readiness to go about it on all occasions offered without disputing or delay and that with constancy and perseverance we cannot shift this inward Prayer upon pretence of the want either of a gracious frame through the breathing of the
any thing in the matters of God 7. If he had spoken here as he speaketh a little afterward of the Lords powring forth a Spirit of Prayer and exciteing his people to it he had been better understood for we acknowledge with thankfulness the Lord hath made such a promise and doth performe it unto his owne by his Spirit moveth and exciteth their drouzie and sleeping souls to a serious calling upon him Cant. 5 4 6. But that this is common to all as well without as within the Church as well such as never heard of Christ as those who are truely unite unto him by faith or to all who can make this Introversion is a quakeristick antiscriptural dream And beside what will this contribute unto the maine business to wit to prove that there ought to be no prayer in publick or in private till this sensible Impulsion Excitation and Influence with liberty come anâ— set the soul and all its wheels agoing And what will this say against calling upon God at times and seasons by him appointed His saying Pag 254. that praying to God without the feeling of the Influences of the Spirit were a coming unto God without due preparation and so a tempting of him Is but a groundless imagination and is ill helped by his Introversion for the Lord no where requireth such a preparation in us before we pray He no where saith that we must not praâ— but when we feel his influences yea the sense of the want of them is ground and warrand for his children to go and seek to him for them Hence we finde David so oft Psal. 119. crying for quickening vers 25 40 88 107 154 159. See also the Church crying for this preparation Psal. 80 vers 18. quicken us and we will call upon thy name as also Psal. 143 vers 11. But this mans preparation is a meer Pelagian preparation wrought by the strength of nature and which a Pagan may attaine unto by his owne industry and paines Nay if this were true all the commands to pray which are innumerable in Scripture were useless and might be eluded by this we dar not pray till we feel the influences of the Spirit and when they come to excite us and drive us to the duty then we shall goe but then where would obeâ—ience appear for to goe when the Spirit driveth is not filial obedience for then nothing is done out of conscience to a command This way is the loose way of Libertines making the law of God of none effect taking away all conscience of sin in this matter looseing the wicked from obedience to the Law putting the blame of all not-praying on the Spirit who breatheth not and breatheth not so as we may feel it This excuse of the Quaker to wit fear of tempting God is like Ahaz's colouring his disobedience to the command of God with this I will not ask neither will I tempt the Lord Iesa 7 12. The ground of all this is the Pelagian maxime which this man hath laid downe as a principal ground of all his Religion to wit That God requireth no duty of us but what we have full and compleat strength to do if we will use it Yet he tels us afterward that they sin who neglect to pray But wherein lyeth their sin In this sayes he that they turne not into that place where they may feel that whereby they may be led to pray Ans. Though I plead not for rash and inconsideraâ— rushing into the presence of God knowing that this is another extremity to be shunned yet there is a midst betwixt this and a waiting till extraordinary Impulses come or till we feel the Influences of the Spirit And as for that Introversion or turning-in to that place which he speaketh of he must cleare it and prove it better to me than he hath done before I can say that it is any mans duty to do so and that in order to prayer or any other commanded duty And then seing he told us before that they may be long Introverted and yet the Spirit not suffer them to pray the duty is not done and they want not the preparation and so are guiltles How then can all the non-performance of this duty be charged on this He saith afterward God may ofttimes call and invite to prayer anâ— thâ—y through negligence do not heare Which is very true whether we speak of the call and invitation of his word or by passages of his providence clearing up the present exigent but will he say that this was all which he meaned by the inspiration superadded motion and influence powerfully inflowing strength and liberty to pray given by the Spirit to the soul sisted in this Introversion And is this the exciteing with the poureing out the Spirit of prayer which he talketh of Is this the drawing of the Spirit which he spoke of in this same Pag What inconsâ—stancies are theâ—e 8. After this confused and inconsistent yea self-destroying stating of the question he cometh Pag. 225. § 22. to prove their method in praying And first he citeth these passages where watching is joyned with prayer such as Mat. 2 42. Mark 13 33. 14 38. Luk. 21 36 Ans. Put Mat 24 42. maketh no mention of prayer We willingly grant that Watching and Prayer should go together and that we shâ—uld watch in prayer Col. 4 vers 2. and unto prayer 1 Pet. 4 7. But this waching is not Introversion but quite opposite thereunto This watching is an exerciseing of all the sanctified powers and faculties of the soul to keep the heart in a right frame to guard against all temptations tending to slacken diligence in this duty or to marre the right discharge of it and a watching unto all opportunities of setting about this duty and so a plaine careful circumspection and eyeing of adversaries both within and without And so hath no affinity with their abstracting from all Exercises Thoughts and Motions of soul aâ—d minde and going in to consult we know not well what No sayes he this watching can be nothing but the souls attending on the Spirit that it may feel him leading unto prayers and so watch that opportunity Ans. This is the thing which he should prove and not poorly beg Though we willingly grant there are kindly motions of the Spirit fixing the heart and oyling it for this duty and stirring up the leazie sleeping soul through preventing grace and such sweet opportunities should not be carelesly looked to but the thing which he should prove is that the soul should never set about this duty of Prayer till it feel all this and be sure of it and that this may be attained and felt the soul is to go in by his Introversion to natures light or to common â—ifts within which Pagans have as well as Christians or to some Demon. And when he shall bring some Scripture evidence to prove this we shall consider it 9. He citeth next Rom. 8 26 27. by which
This is Quakerisme indeed 13. What he addeth Pag. 256. § 23. of some turning superstitious some idolatrous and others formal upon this account if he meane it of all that oppose him and contradict his opinion I look upon it as a groundless calumny if he meane it only of some I have no minde to defend them in it Nor shall I need to retaliat and say that their leaning to these false Inspirations and diabolick Excitations having forsaken the good old way are direct meanes through the judgment of God to confirme them in their Paganisme and Paganish Antichristianisme for the matter is notoure enough though I mention none of their other miscarriages even after their Enthusiasmes wicked Inspirations and Introversions 14 Before he come to answer Objections he speaketh Pag. 25◠§ 24. to the defence of their irreligious profane and contemptuous carriage in our Assemblies for worshipe where they love to come to do open affront both â—o God and men for even in time of prayer or praise they will remaine covered He saith they do this only to keep their conscience unhurt But if there were such hazard of sin in joyning with us in our worshipe why come they to the place of Worshipe Their end can be nothing else but to do open contempt if they beleeve as he saith that our worshipe is an abomination they should keep far aback from it But the truth is their Antichristian Spirit which acteth them to an hight of rage will not suffer them to see Christ worshiped in his way And how knoweth he that our ministers pray alwayes without the Spirit Hath he the gift of discerning Spirits And can he go in to the heart and see how maters stand there We profess that we pray without the Spirit and have therefore our limited times sayes he But he is a liar we say no such thing The gift and the grace of Prayer both is of the Spirit and though it too often falleth out that there is not that faith in dependance on the Spirit that there ought to be both for the gift and for the grace yet it is not our profession that prayer should be without the Spirit and this praying with the Spirit can well consist with praying at such and such times But that Spirit without which we say we pray is your Spirit of delusion or your fantastical Dreames Impulses Drawings and Inspirations which for any thing we can see are diabolical But it seemeth they have a sagacious Spirit of discerning when one prayeth in the Spirit and when not for he sayes though one in our presence should beginne to pray not expecting the Spirit yet if it appeared that the Spirit of the Lord concurred with him we would also joyn And what is that I pray that will make this manifest unto them Is it talking in the Quakers dialect Or the Mimical posture of the body Or what is it I am apt to beleeve it must only be something of that nature As for Alexander Skeins Propositions I meddle not with them because some other hath answered them and the substance of them I have already confuted 15. He cometh after this digression to examine Objections Pag. 260. § 25. And the first is this If such inward motions and impulses be necessary to Outward acts oâ— worshipe why not also to Inward Nay much more they must be necessary for the special motions of the Spirit are more necessary unto the grace of prayer than unto the gift and in the outward exercises of worshipe there is more of a gift required than in inward What answereth he Vnto these general duties the motion and influence of the Spirit dureing the day of visitation is alwayes present striveing with the man so that if he but stand and be abstracted from his evil thoughts God is near to help him But external actions stand in need of greater and more particular influences Ans. Not to insist here on the confutation of the marrow of Pelagianisme which is laid downe for his ground thaâ— being done sufficiently above I only take notice here that with our Pelagian Quakers an Heathen or a Pagan can love God with all his heart adore fear believe in him and performe all inward worshipe of this kinde easily when he will he hath divine influences at his command nay the Spirit is within already for that end so that if he will but sist his course and abstract from his evil thoughts which he may very easily do God is at his hand and the work will go on but as to uttering of words much more is requisite that is if I be not far mistaken Nature can help him to perform â—ll Inward worshipe but he must have the supervenient Influence of an evil Spirit to act him before he performe any publick act of worshipe Such an enemie is this Spirit that acteth the Quakers unto all Publick profession of the name of Jesus and worshiping of him openly that he will never suffer any thing that looketh there away to be done until he have his hand so in it that he shall be sure it shall be more worshipe service to himself than to Christ 16. It is Objected againe That by this principle no man should do a morall duty as honour his parents do justice to his neighbours plow the land until the Spirit move him for no service else can be accepted He answereth There is a difference betwixt those general duties and particular acts of worshipe These are spiritual and are commanded to be done by the Spirit Those some way answere their end as to them whom they immediatly concerne though they proceed from a meer natural principle of self love Ans. Who denieth that there is a difference betwixt them yet each of them must be performed in the right manner else they are not acceptable and the right manner cannot be without the Spirit This he confesseth And therefore must yeeld the argument And we deny that worshipe is to be done in the Spirit according to his sense and no other way that is only by the immediat Inspirations and Imâ—ulses and Drawings of the Spirit we affirme worshipe ought to be performed in the Spirit that is by his gracious Assistance graceing the soul and breathing on his graces that they may act seasonably But sayes he further As a natural Spirit is required to performe natural acts so the Spirit of God is requisite to the performance of Spiritual acts All is granted yet he knoweth that to performe natural acts in a spiritual manner the Spirit of God is requisite and if natural acts be not performed in a spiritual manner they are not accepted of God and therefore according to his principles we must not eat drink sleep walk work plow c. till the Spirit stirre us up immediatly and carry us to the duty because without this previous motion of the Spirit we will but commit abomination in all these actions as well as in worshiping without the Spirit So
of our formal and common way of singing Answ. The Scripture mentioneth singing and commandeth us to sing but it is true prescribeth not this or that particular mode of singing but leaveth that to our liberty that it may be done according to the general rules of the word that is that it be done with gravity in a way suteable to the worshipe of God without vanity lightness and affectation and such I suppose is our manner Will he sing none till he finde what mode of singing is particularly prescribed in the word I fear he shall then lay it aside altogether or will he waite till the Spirit inspire the notes and manner as the matter where is his warrand for this is there a promise of such a communication 3. He saith next our way hath this peculiar abuse attending it that thereby frequently horride and abominable lies are uttered unto God while every profane wreatch must personate David's condition and others also must sing Psal. 22 15. 6 7. Answ. But he little considereth that the same abuse if it be an abuse did attend their singing of old as well as now for these same Psalmes and particularly Psal. 6. â—2 were put into the hands of the chiefe musician and so were to be sung publickly by others And we conceive the same of the rest that want this express title because of what we read 1 Chron. 16 17. for there the 1â—5 Psalm which in the book of the Psalmes hath not these words To the chiefe musician c. prefixed is expresly said to be delivered by David into the hanâ—s of Asaph and his brethren And why may not we sing with the words of David and of Asaph the Seer as well as they did in Hezekiah's dayes 2 Chron. 29 30 Could the Levites and others that joyned say all that of themselves that David did say of himself Hence then he may see the ground of his mistake for he supposeth we should sing nothing but what is our owne particular case as if the dispensations of Godâ— towards others of his Children did not concerne us but what then meaneth the Psalmist Psal. 66 6. to say He turned the sea into dry land they went thorow the flood on foot there did we rejoyce in him How could he and others say that they rejoyced at the red sea when the Lord brought his peâ—ple thorow it when they were not then in being And how is it that such as had gotten victory over the Beast did sing the song of Moses the servant of God Revel 15 2 3 As the joyful so the sad condition of others being turned into a song may be mater of a song to us as we are members of the same body the favours deliveries bestowed upon others should be looked upon by us as favours conferred upon ourselves 3. What next And sometimes immediatly after singing they will sayes he in their prayers confess themselves guilty of these vices for redemption from which they had been praising God with David The inconsistency here is in owne imagination for he supposeth that the case of others which we sing we sing it as immediatly our owne But may we not blesse and extol that God in praises who hath redeemed others from these sinnes under which we yet groan And may not the singing of this contribute to the strengthening of our faith and hope of the like redemption And may not we in the singing of such experiences of others be raised up to see what an high and rich favoure it is to be blessed with such a redemption And cannot all this be done without hypocrisie 4. But now I would know what sort of praises and songs they would offer unto God These sayes he that proceed from a pure heart that is from the word of life in the heart And cannot we sing from â— pure heart in the words of David as well as they did in the dayes of Hezekiah But what is this word of life in the heart which is made the original and leader of their songs It is that sure that is common to all men Turks Pagans Scythians Barbarians And we look not upon that as grace from whence spiritual songs can arise I would enquire if the Spirit ever moveth them in their Assemblies to sing and what for Psalmes they sing Are they immediatly Inspired by the Spirit or not If not how can they according to their owne principles sing them If they be immediatly Inspired how can others concurre who never heard of them before What if they do not agree with the present condition of every member of the Assembly And how can others sing with them without the same previous motion of the Spirit Or is it enough if one sing alone And if so how can that be an act of publick worshipe performed by the whole Assembly These things if he be for singing at all in the publick worshipe of God he would do well to cleare to us And withal tell us if the Spirit inspireth also the meeter in the song and the tone of the singing 5. He tels us next that there is no warrand in tht New Covenant for Organs which I plead not for nor for any such instrument nor for artificial musick with the voice But if there be warrand for singing as there is himself not denying there must be warrand for some sort of artificial musick for singing is something else than reading or speaking and how is it distinguished but by notes of modulation and that must be either natural or artificial and the first musâ— be helped by the last else in an Assembly where one and the same thing is sung by all there will be a discord instead of a concord And for the artifice I shall not plead that it be very fine if it be modest and grave I am satisfied And he knoweth there is no great ground of exception against our manner of singing upon this account in Scotland This is all he hath to say against our singing of Psalmes and why he doth not declare unto us what their peculiaâ— way is I know not CHAP. XXVI Of Baptisme 1. TO manifest the perfect and compleet hatred which this Paganish Antichristian Spirit which reigneth and rageth in the Quakers hath at all the Instiâ—utions and Appointments of our Lord Jesus Christ we have here a clear demonstration of the hieght thereof and of their designe as acted by the same It will not satisfie them to plead with other Anabaptistâ— against the baptisme of Children and so be Antipaedobaptists but they must be Antibaptists and joyne with the late Ranters H. Nicholas Antinomians as enemies to the whole of the Institution and so not only be against all the Churches of Christ from the very beginning of christianity to this day but also against all the Several Sects of Anabaptists or Catabaptists that we have heard of and joyn with Socinus who at first would have had this Ordinance wholly laid aside And dispising
are other wayes such as a Promise which is different from a precept and divine Institution virtually including a promise And because he taketh no notice of these wayes his whole discourse is to no purpose for we grant there is no Relation here flowing from the nature of the thing And we see not what way a precept hath any efficacy to the making of such a Relation It is not because God hath commanded us to be holy that therefore such as are holy shall see God's face but because of a promise What will he now do his light hath confounded him so as he knoweth not what he saith But howbeit a precept hath no interest here while speaking of his Relation Yet least he boast as supposing we could not maintaine that there was a command for the use of this ordinance we must see What he saith here If there were any such precept saith he it should be found there where the institution is Which is very true for the very Institution hath the force of a command though there were no more Matthew and Mark saith he mentione no command and Luk only saith this do in remembrance of me Answ. Here is an express command mentioned by Luk and what needeth more The Institution say I hath the force of a command and that the Apostles after practice declared and the practice of the primitive Church and beside all this we have Paul's large commentary upon this 1 Cor. 10. 11. for if there had been no command for this why was the Apostle at all that paines to rectifie abuses among the Corinthians about this mater why spoke he of a cup which he blessed and of bread which he brake 1 Cor. 10 16 Why did he deliver this unto them and tell them that he had received it of the Lord 1 Cor. 11 23 Why doth he not discharge this altogether as he doth the Love feasts why saith he not There is no such ordinance of Christ There is no command for it Is there no precept presupposed nor included in all this wonderful The end which paul expresseth saith he 1 Cor. 11 26. is to declare the Lord's death but this hath no necessary â—elation to or connexion with partaking of Christ's body and blood for though such as partake of this cannot but commemorat his death yet his death can be commemorated without this participation Ans. 1. That declaration of Christ's death is a comprehensive end and includeth a Christian improvement and application of Christ's death to all the ends for which he is held forth in this Sacrament which appeareth by the whole context for where this is not there is an eating of the bread and drinking of the cup unworthily and an incurring the guilt of the body and blood of the Lord vers 27. and to which is required self examination as a necessary preparation and an eating of the bread and drinking of the cup so And such as includeth a discerning of the Lord's body the want of which maketh persons eat and drink judgment to themselves and was the cause why many were weak and sickly among them and many were asleep vers 29 30. And such as requireth self judging to this end that we may prevent God's judging vers 31. Thus we see that such a Commemoration of the death of Christ as is here understood cannot be without this partaking 2 This same end includeth a command to use this Sacrament until Christ's second coming 3. What thinks he of the ends mentioned 1 Cor. 10 16 17 4. How such as partake of Christ's body and bloud in his sense cannot but declare his death is a mystery to me Let him clear to me how a Pagan that never heard of Christ or of his death can by introverting unto the light within him declare Christ's death 5. Though Christ's death could be commemorated without partaking of his body and blood in this Ordinance Yet it will not hence follow that it must not be commemorated by this Ordinance He might as well argue that because Christ's death can be declared in this Ordinance therefore it must not be declared in the Word but the truth is this man would have all declaration of it laid aside that it might be quite forgotten or no otherwise declared than as may be by a Pagan introverting to his Light 12. What saith he to these words This is my body and this cup is the New Testament in my blood As Christ saith he used by the use of natural things to lead the mind of his disciples up unto spiritual things so here Christ took occasion from the bread and the wine which was before them while supping to tell them that as bread and wine served to nourish their bodies so his body and blood should be for their souls Answ. Are not these excellent Commentators Is it any wonder that they will not take this word for their Rule Who ever heard even mens words so abused and perverted O the patience of God! Though I think the very reciting of his words were enough to shame him if he could be ashamed and them both yet let me soberly ask him a few things 1. Why doth he not give us a like instance That which he mentioneth of Christ's speaking to the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4. is nothing to the purpose for Christ sayes not there This well is my body Or this well is the New Testament in my blood 2. What signified Christ's blessing of the bread and blessing of the cup if this was all 3. To what end did he break the bread and give it to his disciples and said take eat c. when they had been eating and drinking already 4. Why said he of the cup drink ye all of it if there was no more imported 5. Why said he this do in remembrance of me 6. Was this all that Paul delivered to the Corinthians 7. Was this all that he received of the Lord 8. How cometh it that the Spirit of the Lord in Paul giveth us not that commentary of the words But enough of this piece of profane blasphemous boldness 13 What sayes he to 1 Cor. 10 16. The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ He answereth Pag. 298. That in all this Chapter Paul is not speaking a word of this ceremonie he should say Ordinance Answ. For as bold as he is we will not beleeve him Let us yet hear his reason He saith vers 21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils c. but they could drink of the cup of Devils and of the outward cup. Answ. Not morally and lawfully because the Apostle here disswades them from having communion with idols upon this very account though they might physically as Robert Parclay may steal and murther But sayes he Paul speaks of one bread vers 17. and this cannot be outward bread
otherwise the inward should be excluded Answ. Both may consist for by the inward they become all one body really and spiritually and by the outward they became one body in profession and open declaration And what inconsistency is here He next tels us that he can see no ground or occasion in the Scripture for this figment of Sacramental union And what remedie seing Institutions of Christ must be figments with him it is no wonder he cannot see what others see But some are so far master of their sight that what they desire not to see their eyes can not see But it may be it is worse with him He cannot but see and yet the light within will not let him see We have mentioned lately some passages to this purpose both in the Old and New Testament and that may satisfie such as will see 14. He findeth the Apostles discourse 1 Cor. 11. A great mountaine in his way therefore Pag. 299 he laboureth all he can to blow it away He must grant that the Corinthians were in use of celebrating this Sacrament and that Paul rectifieth the abuses that were committed in their manner of going about it Yet he saith that the express and special use hereof in the Apostles judgment was to declare Christs death but this is far different from partaking of Christ's flesh and blood Ans. One use doth not destroy another the Apostle had in the preceeding Chapter mentioned the other use and needed not here againe repeat it expresly and we have showne already that this was a comprehensive use and could not but take in their eating of Christs body and drinking of his blood and this is clear in that the Apostle saith that whosoever did eat and drink unworthily were guilty of the body and blood of the Lord and did not discerne the Lord's body Nay himself granteth in the following words that to such as use this it hath an immediat relation to the outward body and death of Christ. And so there is a Sacramental union But he addeth It hath not a necessary relation to the participation of the Spiritual body and blood of Christ. Answ. We grant it as to that which he taketh the spiritual body and blood of Christ to be For there is no relation of the world there But that true beleevers partaking of these elements by faith are really and spiritually made partakers also of Christ and his benefites we assert and he dar not disprove it He addeth That these words of Paul vers 27. say only That seing the Corinthians would needs performe this ceremony as an act of religion they should do it worthily otherwise bring condemnation on themselves Answ. 1. If the Corinthians performed this ceremony as an act of Religion without a divine warrant they were guilty of will worshipe And shall he make us beleeve that Paul or the Spirit of the Lord rather in Paul would not discharge this superstition Nay not only not so but denunce such judgments on them for doing of it but amisse 2. Shall he make us beleeve that Paul would have taught and delivered to them modes of will-worshipe and prescribed the exercise of Superstion Yet Paul sayes vers 23. that he delivered this unto them 3. Shall he make us believe that the Lord would give Paul commission to establish among the Corinthians will worshipe and Superstition Yet he sayes vers 23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you 4. What way can people go worthily about an act of will-worshipe 5. Would God have punished them with sickness weakness and death for an escape in the manner of will-worshipe and not for the will-worshipe it self What wilde and bold conceits are these He needeth not tell us that from their practice it will not follow that this was a religious act incumbent to others also for we lay not down their practice as our ground but what was their ground is ours the Institution of Christ which he delivered unto Paul and Paul received to deliver unto the Corinthians And therefore it is not a thing indifferent and so not to be compared with that Rom. 14 5. as he dreameth and the practice of things indifferent as such is no act of Religion or of worshipe such as this is And therefore what he addeth Paâ— 300. is but a laying of a further imputation of unfaithfulness on the Apostle for fomenting the Corinthians in their errour and mistake and never once rectifying or informing their erroneous consciences What wonder is it that these proud Quakers account our Ministers unfaithful and what not when this Man dar lay such a foule imputation in Print upon the Apostle Paul Nay blasphemously impute this to the Spirit of God that acted Paul 15. In the next place he thinks he will prove that this Ordinance is not a lasting ordinance § 6 Pag. 300. c. Passing what is but a repetition let us hear his arguments Matthew and Mark sayes he expresseth this as done while they were eating And this was usual among the Iewes as Paulus Riccius observeth for at their eating of the passeover the master of the family took bread and brake it and did distribute it and so did he with wine So Christ who would fulfil all righteousness and would observe the Iewish feasts used this ceremony for his disciples only and took occasion thereby to raise up their mindes to higher things Answ. 1. To this last we have spoken before and why did not Christ take occasion to give this Christian document before this time while they were eating 2. It is true Christ instituted this Supper before they rose from table and what then 3. As for what is reported of the Jewish practice not only by this Paulus Riccius but by several others I doubt if all that is said shall demonstrate that the Jewes had this custome before Christ's dayes seing the eldest of the Jewish writters out of whom they have it wrote not till a considerable time after the Temple was brunt And what credite is to be given to what they wrote when their purpose and designe was to deface and annull Christianity let sober men judge 4. Sure I am there was no divine command for this practice at the eating of the Paschal Lamb and how our Quaker can say that Christ would do this because he would fulfil all righteousness I know not seing righteousness stands in obeying the command of God 5. Though Christ did observe the feasts prescribed to the Jewes by the Lord Yet he would not observe their sinful additions and traditions No he condemned these Mat. 15. 6. That which we are to look to is Christ's practice and we are sure that that should oblige us more then the Jewish practice could oblige Christ. 7. We not only have Christ's practice but a command mentioned by Luk do this in remembrance of me This evinceth no more saith he but that seing that was to be the last occasion of his eaâ—ing with
but walk upon fixed and certaine grounds which may fully quiet the consciences of such as stand in awe of the word and I cannot but wonder how he who denieth the word to be the rule of faith and practice can thus press the words contrare to the scope and intendment of the Spirit of the Lord and stand so stifly to the express words yea and for any thing I see ground their judgment and practice wholly and alone upon these words but as we heard above though the light within them be their supream and only Rule they can alleige the Scriptures and pervert them too against us 4. He cometh next Pag. 354. § 11. to reply to our grounds We say that Christ forbiddeth all Oaths by creatures and all vaine and rash Oaths To which he replyeth That the Law did forbid these Oaths but Christ forbiddeth here something that was free under the Law to wit to swear by the Name of God and so dischargeth even such Oaths as were made by the Name of God Mat. 23 22. And he addeth by any other oath Answ. That the Law doth forbid both swearing by the Creatures and also rash and unnecessary swearing by the Name of God is true but the Law did not prohibite but enjoyn swearing in some cases before Magistrates as we see Exod. 22 7 11. Num. 5 19 21. 2. That Christ correcteth or amendeth the Law or dischargeth any thing which was lawful by the moral Law of God is but a Socinian dream without any ground or warrand as is apparent through that whole Sermon and from the very first words of this part thereof vers 17 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but fulfil for verily I say unto you till heaven and earth passe one jot or one-title shall in no wise passe from the Law till all be fulfilled But sure if Christ had added to the law or taken away from it he had in so far destroyed it and made it an imperfect law and had taken away from it many Jotes and Titles contrary to his owne expresse profession and declaration 3. The place Mat. 23 16 23. doth clearly explaine this for there their unlawful wayes of swearing are reproved and they discovered to be fools in alleiging such grounds as they did for their profane licentious swearing and satisfying themselves with such pretexts but not one word declareing it unlawful in all cases to sweare by the Name of God 4. These words by any other Oath are to be explained by what went before and so to be understood of any other such like Oath as he had instanced in otherwise Christs discourse shall be incoherent 5. To that which is said That swearing by the Name of God was commanded by the Father and so cannot be now contradicted by the Son who is one with the Father he saith That the father appointed many ceremonial Lawes which were shadowes of good things to come whereof Christ was the substance Answere This is very true but nothing to the purpose for he shall never prove that swearing by the Name of God was a ceremonial thing being a part of natural Worship taught by the Law of Nature Gen. 21 ver 23. Iosh. 2 vers 12. 2 Chron. 36 21. and is several times put for the whole moral Worshipe Esai 19 v. 18. 45 23. Psal. 63 11. And where I pray and when was this ceremonial precept if it be such first given But this one thing is enough to confute this dream not to mentione that we cannot understand whereof it can be a shadow or type nor how then as we shall hear it was used when types were abrogated to wit that Christ did not so early beginne to cry down and to annull the force and power of the ceremonial Law but being made under the Law ceremonial as well as moral was observant thereof in all points to his dying day for in the very night wherein he was betrayed he observed the feast of the Passeover and he came to fulâ—il all righteousness How shall we then imagine that in his very first Sermon he should abrogate the Ceremonial Law and that in moe points then one if our Quaker be to be believed For he will have the mater of Warres a ceremony too and will affirme that Christ abrogated that ceremony also in the last words of this Chapter as we heard 6. He moveth this Argum. in the next place Pag. 355. That Oaths cannot be a part of the ceremonial Law because they were in use before the promulgation of the law An Argument wherein I see little strength yet I think it concerneth him to tell us when this ceremonial law was first given and to whom What answereth he It must be showne saith he that it is an eternal and immutable precept Answ. And what needeth more for this then to show that it is a part of worshipe performed unto God which the law of Nature hath taught all nations and which hath no affinity with what is typical and figurative having a manifestly moral import for it is a solemne acknowledgment of Gods All-seeing eye of his Truth and Veracity of his Righteousness and Justice and of his Power and Might for therein he is called to witness a secret and hidden truth and the swearer doth professe that God is acquanted with the secrets of all things and with the Intentions of the heart Therein we acknowledge that God abhorreth lying and dissimulation and will be a swift witness against false swearers and in justice will be avenged of such as mock him in calling the God of truth to bear witness to an untruth and shew his power in punishing and pursueing such all which being ingraven on the heart of Man by nature and being laid as the ground of this practice among all Nations and having nothing ceremonial in it evince this duty to be moral and the commands enjoyning it perpetually obligeing He tels us that Abel and Cain did offer the tythes of their fruit and the first fruites of their land But I read not this in Scripture I finde it said Gen. 4 3 4. that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground and Abel of the firsilings of his flock but no more no word of Tithes nor of First fruites 7. He moveth another Objection after his owne minde as if we said that Swearing by the name of God is a moral duty because it is mentioned with God's essential and moral worshipe But what he meaneth by essential worshipe I know not nor know I who useth that terme This argument I shall thus urge If swearing by the name of God be not only urged together with other acts of moral worship but also as a comprehensive part of moral worshipe and as further exegitical and explicative of other parts of moral worshipe mentioned then it must be a part of morall worshipe But the former is true Therefore c. The Major I suppose needeth
up and to the Creator againe that is infinite in it self which the hand goes against him that does evil in which hand the soul which is immortal and infinite which hand is infinite which brings it up to God is infinite Though little good sense can be made of this yet blasphemy enough is legible therein And G. Fox saith Is not the soul without beginning come from God It is not horride blasphemy to say the soul is a part of God for it came out of him and that which came out of him is of him Fisher in his Velata quaedam revelata Pag. 13 calleth that whereby man became a living soul and a soul that did partake something of Gods owne life a living principle of the divine nature And P. 17. He calleth the Spirit of man the immortal and incorruptible seed of God even something of the living word which is said to be made flesh Pennington Q. 27. calleth that which is in the saints that which the Lord from heaven begetteth of his owne image and likeness of his own NB. substance of his own Spirit and pure life Declaâ— against Popery queree 2. Whether do you waite and believe to have the same minde which was also in Christ Iesus who thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet he was no Pharisee though of the Pharisees judged a blasphemer and as be is so are we Is not this plaine enough 4. Hence also is it sayes he further that because we say that the inward light and Law and not the outward letter is that which can truely discover to them their state and bring them out of all evil they say that we vilify the Scriptures and honour our own imaginations more then them Answ. We would rather say upon this account that they vilifie the Spirit of God then the Scriptures for hereby these expressions it is manifest that they ascribe that unto the light within which only the Spirit of God and of Christ can do viz. truely and effectually which may be imported by his revera discover the state of a sinner to him and bring him out of all evil This last we do not ascribe unto the Scriptures But as to their vilifying of the Scriptures we have heard enough above from this mans own mouth and some others whose words we cited Mr Faldo in his book against the Quakers part 1. Ch. 3-12 helpeth me to much more Let us cull out of a great heap a few instances 1. Do not all the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be the word of God Do they not say that it is blasphemy to say the letter is the word of God and it is the Devil that contends for the Scriptures to be the word of God And what can more be spoken to the disparagment of the Scriptures than to deny them to be his word or the signification of his minde who spoke them and did indite them by his Spirit immediatly inspiring the Prophets and Apostles and other holy men of God in the writing of them Is not this directly to devest them of all that Authority which they have from God as his Law Is not this to render them contemptible when they are denied to be that which only maketh them have weight with consciences 2. Do not the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be the rule of faith and manners and the judge of Controversies in the maters of Religion We remember what himself aid above Hear Parnel in his shield of the truth p. 10. And he also that saith the letter is the rule and guide of the people of God is without feeding upon the husk and is ignorant of the true light which was before the letter was Hear Smith Prim. p. 10 And if thou lookest upon the Scripture to be for a rule and for trying thou givest that unto them which belongs unto Christ. And is not this enough to disparage the Scriptures to deny that chiefe use and end of them for which they were given If any should say of the Lawes of any Land and of the acts of Parliament that they are not a rule to the Subjects would not that be accounted a disparagment done to the Lawes Were not the Scripturâ—s given as a revelation of the minde of God concerning our faith and concerning our walk How can any thâ—n dâ—ny these ends and not disparage and vilifie the Scriptures 3 Do not the Quakers speak more highly of their owne writings than they do of the Scriptures The Scripâ—ures with them are but the letter which killeth Paper ink and writing the old and dead letter Part of it words of the Devil and of wicked men Precepts and traditions of men they have no light in them they sheir not our faces an earthly root a shadow and dangerous to feed on c. But their oâ—n writings are the voice of the Son of God by which the dead are raised a shield of the truth spoken in the freshness and quick sense of life written from the Lord a Spiritual glass opened light rise out of darkness and by revelation of Iesus Christ and by the Spirit of the living God See for this Mr Faldo ubi supra paâ— 40. c. Can men devise a way more effectual to effronte the Scriptures 4 Do they not preferre the light within them unâ—o the Scriptures See Smithâ—s Catech p. 2. Q. doth God manifest himself within Man Answ. Yes and man cannot know him by any other way but by the manifestation of himself in his light within him See the Scorned Quakers account p. 20. Christ by his light within shewes you in a gâ—ass your owne faces which the Scriptures cannot do Parnel p. 10. And by the same light do we discerne and testify against him to be in darkness and blindness and is a deceiver who putteth the letter for the light and so draweth peoples mindes from the light within them to the light without them seeking the living among the dead Iohn Story in his short discovery p. 2. saith and although the holy Scripture without and the Saints practices are lights in the world Yet far be it from all true Christian men so to idolize them as to set them in esteem above the light which is sufficient to guide or to esteem them equal with the light and Spirit of Christ within And Smith Prim. p. 12. tels us that Christ the light within alone searches the heart not the Scriptures Martin Mason in his loving invitation p. 4. 'T is not your flying to the Scriptures that can save you from the fire of his wrath nor overcome the least corruption for you no verily nothing then but a Christ within you come thou then O come with boldness to God's faithful witness within you Fisher where above p. 7. saith such were the Scribes who were ever scraping in the Scriptures to finde God and his life Yet never knew him at any time nor saw his shape because they heard not his voice nor heeded not his word within
sowing these tares Thirdly We would labour each of us to have our souls deeply impressed with the preciousnesse of Christ and the absolut necessitie of making use of him for salvation for the Devils great and manifest designe is by these his Trustees and Traffickers to dispute men and debauch their spirits into a contempt of the precious Saviour and that great salvation which is purchased by his death and never since he began hath he made use of a mean which hath so cleare and close a connexion with that end Now Christ can be precious to none he can be prized by none who is not vile in his own eyes he who lives not within sight of his own loathsome leprosie and who is a stranger to the plague of his own heart will reject the counsel of God against himself and despise the great salvation And it is cleare beyond debate that the Devil do his best can never proselyt any man into this delusion and damnable haeresie of Naylorisme aliâ—s Quakerisme till as the God of this world he have first perfectly blinded their minds that he may harden their hearts into a final rejection of the true Christ the Saviour as the alone and onely way to be clothed with a sufficâ—ent righteousnesse and cleansed from all that filthinesse of the flesh and Spirit whereby they are defiled and from which they can onely be cleansed by that blood which these blasphemers tred under foot Let every one therefore who would keep himself in the love of God and of Christ keep his finger upon his sore that his eye may be keept â—â—xed upon the remedie for if the Devil get not his finger into a mans eye and blind fold him as to the uptakings of his own miserie and the precious remedie he will never turne him into a Naylorist that he may turne and tumble him into hell with his own câ—nsent Study thy self till what thou seest force thee to say I am the cheife of all sinners and then all that the Devil can say to the contrare will never put thee from thinking it is a saying faithful and worthy of all acceptation that Christ came in the world to save sinners Growing in this grace of the right knowledge of a mans self and of our Lord Jesus Christ is the onely expedient to defeat the designe he drives by these drivers and to be preserved from being led away with the errour of these wicked Fourthly Study to know the great principles of the Oracles of God and to have these impressed upon thy soul that so when assaulted by Satan thou mayest hold fast that truth which can onely make thee free And let the fallings away of others make thee the more closely cleave to that blessed Guid who leadeth in all truth In a word Let each one be busie in studying the word of God and his own heart and be much in holding up his heart to him who writs the Law in it that so his heart may become the Epistle of Christ and then he is guarded against taking on blasphemous and cursed Naylors blake marke Let the sad sight of that swarme of Apostats put thee to studie to know the truth in its power and sweetnesse And then when by the fallings away of others Christ is saying unto thee wilt thou also leave me thou will answer with that man whither shall I go from thee for thou hast the words of eternal life This will blessedly arrest the soul to an aboad with him when others will be carried away and never be seen any more to walk in Christs company Now to make thee give thy self in some seriousnesse to studie the precious Truths of God and to know him whom to know is life eternal thou mayest observe and be provoked to that exercise by thy observation what the Devil who is still going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour is a doing and what he is thereby designing When he had for a long time bawled and blasphemed in not our non-sense lest his trade should decay and the market of these traffickers for the souls of men for the precious souls of men are the commoditie they deal in should misse their marke to the end that he may make merchandise still of such with feigned and fair words he prompts some to polish as well as they can with their parts and pen these blasphemies and give them some colour for which service his Apostle the Author of the Theses and Apologie is shaped and set apart as the sharpest and neatest pen. I shall not here as I intended digresse into observations upon the addresse of this book wherein he Chartals all the learned men in the world since it can escape no mans observation who reads his book with judgement and compares it with the addresse that this novice being lifted up with pride is fallen into the condemnation of the Devil Neither shall I take upon me to hint any thing as to the bulk of the abominations wrapt up in his voluminous fardell of blasphemie that being so excellently handled by what thou hast read in this exquisitly cleare Examen Onely as it seems that as the Devil thought to serve himself by a Barclaij Argenis the scope whereof was to teach how effectually to destroy Protestant Religion and swallow up the Truth in the See and sinck of Romes abominations so we have a second Barclaij Argenis the scope of which is under sceptick and introverted notions and new coined names to destroy Christianity and introduce pure Paganisme and thus with a confidence peculiar to that partie and like him who prompted him to the undertaking he would rant and Romance us into heathenisme But since he hath taken upon him to give us a Confession of a kinde of faith after he and his complices have made shipwracke of precious faith and flout without fear at the faith of Gods elect which is a systeme of Paganisme And since he hath published to the world the Naylorists Alcoran whereby he intends as Mahomet's Mufti to Mustelman the Christian world and Mancipat us to the Turks gallies or worse The Good Lord to prevent the Devil and this desperado's designe hath found out and fitted for the undertaking amongst the men whom of all others he most despiseth and abhorreth the singularly acute solidly learned and truely gracious Author who hath in his Masters cause and strength undertaken the work and taken this Turke to taske and in his convincingly cleare examen so discussed and dissected that carcase and carrion of all abominations as by the light of that Spirit of truth which hath led him in the Examen he hath manifestly discovered Barclay's pretended Revelations to be the horrid illusions and hellish suggestions of a Spirit of a blaker colour then Mahomets pigeon and himself to be the Devil in Samuels mantle perswadeing us by the assistance of his Mephystophilus instead of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ that we may be found clothed upon with that rob
16 17. Pag. 217 Chap. Vers. 22 Pag. 346 IAMES Chap. Vers. 2.17 c. Pag. 320 Chap. Vers. 4.1 Pag. 517 Chap. Vers. 5.12 Pag. 523 524 Chap. Vers. 14 Pag. 499 1 PET. Chap. Vers. 1.5 Pag. 358 Chap. Vers. 2.22 Pag. 305 Chap. Vers. 3 18 Pag. 305 Chap. Vers. 20 Pag. 222 Chap. Vers. 21 Pag. 472 Chap. Vers. 4.2 Pag. 421 Chap. Vers. 7 Pag. 424 Chap. Vers. 10 11. Pag. 379 II PET. Chap. Vers. 1.12 Pag. 83.84 Chap. Vers. 3.9 Pag. 151.207 Chap. Vers. 15 Pag. 222 Chap. Vers. 20 Pag. 222 I IOH. Chap. Vers. 1.7 Pag. 255 Chap. Vers. 8 Pag. 346 347 Chap. Vers. 2.1 2. Pag. 20â— Chap. Vers. 27 Pag. 45 Chap. Vers. 3.9 Pag. 333 Chap. Vers. 4.10 Pag. 304 Chap. Vers. 13 Pag. 48 Chap. Vers. 5.6 Pag. 48 Chap. Vers. 14 Pag. 459 IVD Chap. Vers. Vers 14. Pag. 557 Chap. Vers. 20 Pag. 458 REVEL Chap. Vers. 3.20 Pag. 489 Chap. Vers. 19.10 Pag. 542 Chap. Vers. 22.8 Pag. 542 Chap. Vers. 14 Pag. 320 Chap. Vers. 18 Pag. 74 READER I intended once to have given thee some short animadversions on G. Keith's way cast up so far as concerned maters of doctrine but finding that they would make this book too big I thought best to reserve these to some fitter occasion Only to fill up some vacant pages I shall present thee with some heeds of abominable Quakerisme contained in that book which together with the Index insert after the Preface will give thee a fuller view of the many blasphemous heterodoxies which the Apostate Quakers maintaine The pages here cited are of his book and such as have it may if they please see that I wrong him not 1. CHrist and his Apostles preached Christ within men as well as his coming in the flesh in that prepared body which was crucified 72 2. Christ as Man was and is before all the first the last 38 93 96 97 101 3. To say there are three distinct persons in the Godhead is to darken that mystery 86 87 4. The Godhead of Christ is not properly a person but an invisible power and life 89 5. It is a most foolish distinction to distinguish betwixt the Personality and the nature of man in Christ 89 6. Christ as man excelleth all other men in nature and substance as far as heaven doth the earth 90 7. Of this distinction betwixt the nature and soul of Christ as man the souls of other men speaketh Paul 1 Cor. 15 45 47. 90 8. The man Christ influenceth all men by his life and is in them 90 106 107 108 109 9. The Word made flesh created all things anâ— the â—ord only is not properly the Christ 93 10. Christ as Man came down from heaven 94 11. Christs flesh and blood came down from heaven 94 12 Thus Christ hath spiritual flesh and blood 94 95 13. Of his spiritual flesh and blood did the saints of old eat and drink 95 14. The Man Christ Jesus is the mediator 96 15. The Man Christ is to be understood Prov. 8 23. Psal. 110 1 2 3. 97 98 16. The Man Christ is God's High-Priest 98 17. A measure of the life of the Lamb lived in Adam in innocency 99 18. This measure came to be slain by transgression and to undergo deep sufferings 99 19. Thus Christ was the lamb slaine from the foundation of the world 99 20. It was this life of Christ as man that was pressed as a cart c. Amos 2 13. 99 100 108 21. Thus Apostats crucify to themselves againe the Son of God Heb. 6 vers 6. 100 108 109 22. Thus hath Christ been crucified by the wicked from the beginning 100 23. Christ the heavenly man liâ—ed in Abraham and Moses c. 100 24. Christ was true and real man before he was borne of Mary 102 25. The soul of Christ or the inward man that dwelleth in the outward flesh is the man 102 26. This is the man that was seen Ezek. 1 26 27. Dan. 7 9. Rev. 1 13-19 Esai 6. Gen. 3 8 9 10. 102 27. The Word was made flesh from the beginning and dwelt in us 103 28. The centre and spring of Christ's soul and life was for the most part in heaven until it descended and clothed it self with the likeness of our flesh in the Virgines womb 103 29. In all the Scripture it will not be found that Christ became Man and took to himself the soul of Man but only that he took flesh 104 30. According to his heavenly nature even as Man he was the Son of God 104 31. Christ is not only in Men but in all the world else he should be discontinued in discontinued places 110 32. Christ is hid and vailed in unbeleevers 112 33. Christ is otherwise in the Saints then he was in that Vessel or Temple that suffered at Ierusalem 113 34. The spring centre of Christ's Soul light life is in that Vessel 113 35. Christ hath given to all mankind eternal life as to its seed principle 115 116 36. The Man Christ is the object of divine Worshipe as well as the Father 118 37. Christ as Mediator is to be Worshiped 121 38. The Man Christ is every where 123 39. That is his soul is extended into all in his divine seed and body which is his heavenly flesh and blood 123 40. And this they prove by their Worshiping of this heavenly body praying to it 123 41. It is not enough to say Christ is present as God for if the Man be not present he is not to be Worshiped 124 42. The Man Christ could not know our inward prayers if he were not immediatly present in us and with us 125 43. That which Christ hath left with us of his divine body is God's throne of grace in which we have accesse Heb. 4 15 16. 126 127 44. It is of the same nature and one entire being with that above the altar the mercy seat the cherub Ps. 18 9 10. 127 45. This Cherub is the Man Christ 127 46. Christ is the heavens that God boweth ibid. 47. Christ as Man knew the thoughts of men in the dayes of his flesh 128 48. Christ as Man is omnipercipent and therefore omnipresent 129 49. Christ thus near us in his divine life soul seed and body is the Incarnat Word 133 50. The word made flesh which Iames calleth the ingraffed word dwelleth in them 134 51. And that by way of an emanation 136 52. The blessed Deity is as centrally and essentially in us as in the Man Christ Jesus 136 53. The soul of Christ is that ladder Ioh. 1 51. 142 54. This soul of Christ is not the Nephesch of his soul but the Neschamah 143 55. Even that divine Spirit of life that God breathed into Adam the candle of the Lord the ingraffed word the word made flesh ibid. 56. The Nephesch is that of the soul of Christ which is common to the souls of other men ib. 57. By the Neschamah they underderstand the substantial dignity and excellency thereof ib. 58. Whether these two be two distinct principles or two faculties of one principle he determineth not ibid. 59. Christ cannot sanctifie us but by his soul extended to us 144 145 60. The Spirit or Soul that was in the Son of Mary is in all men but not in its fulness as it was in him but by emanation from him 157 61. And thus Christ is in us immediatly and God through him 157 62. If Christ be mediator in the Saints then he is Man and the word incarnat in them 158 63. Christ sowed the good seed of Regeneration in all ages and in all places of the world and not in some corners only 159 64. This seed is a measure of the same divine and heavenly nature that is in himself ibid. 65. The universal presence of Christ as Man is proved from Luk. 2 49 50. 160 By all which considered and laid together though mayest see What the Apostate Quakers think of our Lord Jesus Christ and how this Man more then confirmeth the charge given-in against them in that Postscript to Mr Rutherfoords letters Edit 3. which I would desire all to read and read over againe that they may see their duty in this day wherein the very aire of Christianity is made blak and infected with Quakeristick Antichristian Blasphemies FINIS
Lord. This is that true light c. And Pag. 6. He tels us that commonly they call this light within Christ or a measure of Christ. And Pag. 7. That Crisp said that it was sufficient to heal helpe and save them tâ—at take heed to it and that because if it ought to be obeyed then it must be sufficient c. So Pag. 9 10. They say they do obey the commands of the Living and Eternal Word in them that is the Light to them is the living and eternal Word So. Pag. 16. He tels us that some of them call the seed Christ others a measure of God others say that it is the Spirit Pag. 47. he tels us that Naylor sayeth That Christ is the election and the elect seed and that Fox sayeth The seed to which the promise is is that which hath bin laden as a Cart with sheaves by the sinner which seed is the hâ—pe Christ. And Pag. 82. that W. Pen sayeth this light within was and is sufficient to bring about remission of sins eternal salvation whâ—ch was the errand for which Christ came into the world In his 2 Dial. Pag. 45. he tels us that Ed Burroughs called this seed the Church which is Christ's body Pag. 46. that he said also that such as denyed Christ to be the light in every man were Antichrists and that G Whitehead said To say the light in every man is a meer creature is contrary to plaine Scripture this life and light is divine and increated In his 3 Dial. Pag. 8. He tels us that they say That the life of God is the light of men with which every man is enlightened is sufficient to salvation And that they who obey it are the good subject and childeren of God and obtaine favour lâ—ve and the recompence of the reward of righteousness and how they speak thus Thou confounds the light within and the creature together concluding Imbecillity Insufficiency and Ignorance in the light which are the imperfections of the creature And againe Pag. 10. It is impious to charge mens infirmities upon the Light and reput that insufficient because they are rebellious And againe p. 43. that they say who or what was Christ in that manifestation it self but that divine word light and life manifested in flesh And pag. 52. This argument springs in my minde for the divinity and sufficiency of the Light That which in all ages hath bin the just mans path and there where the blood of cleansing is known and by which fellowshipe is enjoyed and the light of eternal life obtained is ever was ever will be a divine sufficient and saving way But such a way is the Light c. Mr Stalham in his book against the Quakers part 1. giveth us some others of their expressions concerning this light in prejudice of the Scriptures such as Pag. 60. that G. Fox said the light was the true teacher and the light within life the light in Scripture is death so p. 74. that the same person said It is the light that gave forth the Scriptures and will open the Scriptures and is a more sure word of prophecy yea and the grace that appeared unto all men And Pag. 83. that I. Nayler said that this light if we did know own and obey it would lead us out of the fall Many such expressions may be found I suppose by others who are acquaint with their books and by these expressions we may in part conjecture what they meane by this Light that upon the maâ—er it is the same the old Begards said to wit that every intellectuall being hath enough within it self to make it happy 4. But to returne to our Quaker we see 1. what various titles epithets he giveth it he calleth it the Seed Grace the Word of God and the Light which certanely is not to cleare and explaine the mater to us but to inveagle us cile our eyes and leave us more in the mist that we should not know what it is 2. He saith this whatever it be is in some measure given to every man and sure what is common to all men can be nothing but Nature or the Pelagian grace of God that is mans Free Will as Vossius sheweth us Hist. Pelag. Lib. 3. Part. 2 Thes. 1. Pelagius thought and said that this Rational Will or the Possibility of Nature created by God was the grace of God by which all might be done though afterward he added to coloure the business better a supernatural grace but this was nothing else but the external doctrine of the law But whether the Quakers will come this length I know not When all this addition of Pelagius did not satisfie the orthodox he added the grace of remission of sinnes but he thought not this necessary to all See Voss ibid. Thes. 2. when this did not satisfie he made another addition of the grace of Christ consisting only in his Doctrine and Example At length when all that would not satisfie he added the divine help of the Spirit working in men but restricked it wholly to the Understanding granting no operation of the Spirit upon the wil. Now whether our Quakers will come all this length I doubt seing this grace that Pelagius acknowledgeâ— can not be said to be common to all men How much less can that be called grace which they talk so much of and how can so great things be said of it while it cometh short of the very Pelagian grace 3 He saith this is given in order to Salvation But what is the meaning of this Is it sufficient without any supervenient grace of God to effectuat salvation and is it given of God intentionally for this end that it may lead unto salvation Then we need no more Gospel no more Preaching no more Grace of God no more Help of the Spirit This must be the very first exscreation of Pelagianisme And the setting of corrupt rotten Nature on the throne 4. where â—ead we that that which is common to all men is called the Seed the Grace and the word of God or that the Light of nature which is in some sense common to all men hath a native and kindly manufucture or tendency to the salvation revealed in the Gospel 5. The Scripture tels us that the seed of God remaineth and that it is proper to such as are borne of God 1 Ioh. 3 9. and so it is not common to all nor can it be exstinguished or killed 6. I would faine know how this Word of God can be crucified it may be he with other Quakers meaneth hereby the crucifying of Christ whereof the Gospel speaketh 7. He saith this seed c. is not the very essence of God how in this he contradicteth others whose expressions to the contrary we mentioned just now let all judge But he lenifieth the mater by saying that it is not the essence and nature of God taken precisely in it self So then it seemeth that it is the