are herein named 8. That the Quakers are clearely under a degree of blasphemy and in what perticulars evidenly demonstrated 9. That they are acted and mooved by an evill and malitious spirit which is not of God prooved from Scripture 10. That they shall bring upon themselves swift destruction unlesse they humble themselves greatly in the sight of God and repent and turne 11. That Naylor for all his profession of perfection and infallibilitie and knowing of all things yet hee teacheth us nothing except lyes but what wee knew before the which is clearely Illustrated 12. That James Naylor and his complices are sent with strong delusions and for what end and cause cleared from Scripture 13. That Satan hath Commission to be a lying spirit in their mouthes 14. That they shuffle up their lyes closely amongst many knowne truths to make them feizible 15. That if the Ranters doctrine had been feizible the Devill would never have transformed his Ministers so like to the Ministers of righteousnesse Though his designe is the same in the Quakers as in the Ranters in some chiefe respects 16. Some Queries proposed to Naylor Requiring Scripture-ground for what hee asserteth which he never yet gave nor can I suppose 17. That Christ who is the true light and inlightneth every one that commeth into the world yet doth not inlighten them all sufficiently by immediate lumination no not all the Elect themselves so as to bring them to salvation But doth it mediately by the Scriptures and teachings of men to bring them to the knowledge of God and of Christ for the saving of their soules 18. That it is the same designe of Satan in the doctrines of the Quakers which hee had in the Popish Hierarchy when they inhibited the Scriptures to be read or knowne in their owne mother-tongues to the Layitie to wit to keepe them in Ignorance one of the chiefest policies that Satan hath to perpetuate his kingdome in the darke world 19. That James Naylors Directorie is quite contradictory to the Directorie of Scripture And is as much to some men as if hee should expresly bid them to eye and observe and obey Satan instead of the Spirit of God 20. That yet they have not Commission to deceive the Elect totally and finally but such as received not the truth in love 21. That in the Judgement of charitie wee may well beleeve at least that all those people are not obstinately thus lead but Satan deceiveth them and maketh them beleeve that it is no other but the Spirit of God that acteth and teacheth them when notwithstanding it is but himselfe And how he deceiveth them is shewed at large 22. An objection is answered to wit how they come to be so spirited and acted and changed from what they were before If it be not indeed the Spirit of God In answer whereunto is shewed by what stepps and degrees they attaine these things 23. A serious Admonition to beware of the least of those stepps whereby they come to be delived up of God to such strong delusions and to be spirited and acted by that lying spirit instead of the Spirit of truth which stepps are chiefely these 1. Satan by his Ministers worketh them up to a dislike of the Ministers of God and of the Christian professors 2. Of all the Ordinances of God 3. Of the Scriptures themselves as all but carnall and a dead letter and vaine unto them 4. To Reproach and despise them which is expresse blasphemie and then hee hath power to spirit them and act them at pleasure 24. Here is also added a paralell List of some of the manifest contradictions betwixt the teachings of that spirit in the Quakers and the expresse teachings of the Spirit of God A BREEFE ANSWER To some erroneous TENENTS held forth by JAMES NAYLOR In his Answers unto Baxter and some others that have publickly opposed that black Spirit in the deluded QVAKERS to wit HE alledgeth that Scripture Rom 10.8 The word is nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth And further he saith that this word of Faith the Apostles preached which was in peoples hearts All which in some sence is true and he saith further that such were not Ministers of the letter but of the Spirit The which in some sence must needs also be true for it is in the scripture But he saith further Nor did ever say the letter was the Word The which I utterly deny if he mean by the letter any part of Scripture the which I shal make appeare by the help of God from many Scripture grounds which he owneth in his Answers unto Baxter as truths of God I mean the scripture But first I must clear the meaning of those words of the Apostle to wit Not of the letter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life 2 Cor 3.6 Now it is plain what rhe Spirit of God intendeth by it if we read the Verses following to wit 7 8 9. where the Apostle maketh a comparison betwixt the glory of the Law and that of the Gospel the ministration of Moses and that of Christ and therein maketh the Law as a ministration of condemnation and of death but the ministration of the Gospel the ministration of the Spirit and of Righteousness which is through Jesus Christ and so of life So that his meaning is clear to any that wil understand that he doth not mean as though the Apostles did not Preach and ground their Doctrines from sacred Scripture but that by preaching of Faith from scripture grounds they minister life to those that were spiritually slain by the letter of the Law For in regard that no flesh can be justified in the sight of God by keeping of the Law in regard they cannot fulfil it in every point and therefore lye under death and condemnation spiritually I mean being condemned by it in their souls and Consciences and as it were bound over unto death and hel without hope of recovery and that unto all eternity in their own apprehensions in the fight of God having transgressed the Law They so remain as it were without hope and without God in the world til it pleaseth God to revive and quicken them to a lively hope and confidence in God by the ministration of the spirit of life which is not ministred by Preaching the works of the Law but by the hearing of faith preached see Gal 3.2 So that it is clear what the Apostle meaneth and intendeth to teach us when he declared that they were able Ministers not of the letter but of the spirit and that spirit within if it be of God doth so apprehend it and wil own it as a truth of God And therefore James Naylor is either much mistaken and so is but fallibly guided or else obstinately wicked in drawing such inferences from this scripture as to account them no Ministers of God that are Ministers of the letter and ground their Doctrines thereon For the Spirit is
that in every place the Spirit witnessed that bonds and afflictions aboad for him And Agabus signifyed the same to him And in those dayes it is said of some that they were full of the holy Ghost and wisdome Steven being so full that his face shone and Philip was caught away from the Eunuch that he saw him no more yet hee was found at Azotus preaching the Gospel And the holy Ghost said Seperate Paul and Barnabas for the worke whereto I have called them But I was yet short in these things having not yet attained so much acquaintance and familiaritie with God And I hardly know how so to walke in the Spirit that I shall not fullfill the workes of the flesh lesse or more I have not yet attained to such a degree of faith as to aske what I will and it shall be given mee though I have a promise for it of him that cannot lye but many times my faith failes and I begin to sinke and come short of attainement of what I earnestly desire to wit the best of things and the best gifts and things needfull and lawfull to aske and desire after I have not yet learned so full as I ought to cast all my care on him whom I know careth for mee but am many times too much troubled with cares of this world I have not yet learned to keepe my heart with such diligence but the Issues thereof are sometimes evill I am too much troubled with carnall thoughts and vaine Imaginations which sometimes produce Idle and vaine words and actions of which I know I must give an account at the day of Judgement I am too much addicted to love the world and the things in the world though I well know that if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him And though I allow not my selfe in any of these things but desire and pray to him that hath power to helpe and deliver mee in these Respects that I may get victory and full conquest yet I have not attained it unto this day And whether the wisdome of God hath so determined it that it shall yet be thus because his power is made perfect through weaknesse as hee said to the Apostle or it be because of the weaknesse of faith or coldnesse of my desires after this conquest I cannot well determine yet I am resolved by the grace of God to presse on forwards and to fight the good fight of faith whiles I shall remaine in this tabernacle but I will get victory through Jesus Christ my Lord and life and onely Saviour who alone is able to make mee Conquerour in these respects for power belongeth unto God And I know him in part in whom I have beleeved and that hee is able to give mee victory I shall not deny but he is fully able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him and to guide them infallibly and leade them into all truth But I will not neglect either to reade the Scriptures or exercise my selfe in prayer unto God nor the teachings of men but shall be glad to learne of the meanest Christian that can teach mee further then I have attained I will not scorne to learne at James Naylor if he can teach me any truth of God of which I am ignorant though he would much disdaine to be taught by mee or by men whomsoever as so I cannot but judge in regard hee blameth and despiseth such who run after men and heape up teachers as being resolved for his part that he is infallible and without sinne or imperfection having the Spirit of God which is infallible and of power sufficient to inable him fully to doe the will of God yea to doe it on earth as it is done in heaven As so no man that knoweth God but will acknowledge his power and wisdome is all-sufficient if he so pleaseth And therefore the question doth not lye whether the Spirit of God be an infallible guide yea or no But whether James Naylor and others be infallibly guided by that infallible Spirit yea or no in all things that they doe Now though I shall confesse that what hee speaketh or writeth being mooved thereto by the Spirit of God is infallibly true and it may truly be called the word of God if the Spirit of God hath spoke it by him Yet when he speaketh or writeth that which is not true but quite contradictions to the Law and testimonie and that I know it so to be I shall never confesse that hee was mooved thereunto by the Spirit of God but that he hath done it presumptuously out of the vision of his owne heart or by Satans instigation And therefore when he dareth be so presumptuous as to disparage the Scriptures reproaching them that call them the word of God And when hee directeth men rather to the light within which in some for the present is clouded with darknesse rather then to the Scriptures for their guide to direct them to eternall life I dare not confesse he was mooved thereunto by the Spirit of God And so when hee directeth men still to eye their light within and to own it as sufficient without any word at all of the teachings of men And when he blameth Ministers of the word of God for taking of a Text and preaching from it as sometimes Christ and his Apostles did I shall not confesse hee was mooved thereunto by the Spirit of God And when hee blameth men for praising and singing of Psalmes in the Spirit unto God as the Apostles did I shall never beleeve he was mooved thereto by the Spirit of God nor that he was ever so merry I meane in the Lord as to rejoyce and delight so to expresse himselfe by singing of Psalmes as the Saints of God are many times and as for that end they were given forth and ordained of God and held forth by David and others And when he blameth men so much for having a Law without and morrall as well as the same Law written in their hearts and for having light and a word without as well as that within And a Church without and a Christ without and in heaven as well as within in their hearts As so he doth in his Epistle to all the faithlesse generation of the world and all that desire to know in what saith and hope they live and what faith and hope they deny I can never beleeve that hee writt this profession of faith being mooved thereunto by the Spirit of God Nor can I beleeve that their refusing to give honour to whom honour is due and feare to whom feare and shewing love to whom love is due is from the Spirit of God Nor can I ever beleeve that their uncivill uncourteous and brutish carriage and their harsh opprobrious disgracefull language and darke and dismall countenances so farre off from the least shew of love and amiablenesse is from the Spirit of God Nor can I ever beleeve that their
testimonie whether it be of God yea or no for this calling of the scripture carnal and a dead letter is not like the testimony of the spirit of God which cals it spiritual and I rather beleeve that the Law is spiritual and James Naylor carnal then the Law carnal and he spiritual Now can I think that James Naylor was ever quickned and received the spirit by the hearing of faith preached nor by the operation of the word and spirit joyntly together as other beleevers for then he would never cal it but a dead letter and carnal c. if he had ever received spiritual life from it but he would love and own it above all other words and also acknowledg that he hath received light and comfort from it But he saith in his Answers to Baxter that the scripture holds out but one light and Word which I say is not true and therefore first I shal make it appear from Scripture that it houldeth out more light then one and then I shal prove my former assertions that there is more words of God then one held forth in scripture and so properly called in scripture which the Quakers cal blasphemy but the blasphemy is theirs And first for Lights Christ himself saith who is the essential Light and as it were the the original Luminary of all inferior or lesser Lights in his Sermon upon the Mount Ye are the light of the world speaking to his Disciples and let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven see Matt 5.14 and 16. And again John was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light see Joh 5.35 And David saith The entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding unto the simple Ps 119.130 So that here is clearly more lights then one and these held forth in scripture though all proceeding from that one fountain and see also 2 Pet 1.19 We have saith the Apostle a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do wel that yee take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn and the day starre arise in your hearts But I suppose James Nailor wil not acknowledg that he ever received any light from that sure word of Prophecie as from a ligh shining in a dark place but only some little brain knowledge of the bare letter Else he would not so reproach and disparage those that do take heed to the sure word of prophesie til they be enlightned thereby in what they were dark and did not understand For he intimateth so much as though he never needed any scripture light but had all immediatly and that by voice or immediate inspiration or both from the spirit of God all which if it were true yet it would become him better not to despise others that have it mediatly and it may be at the second third fourth hand especially some things that are hard to be understood with men that are dul of hearing as some of the Saints were to whom the Apostle writes see Heb 5.11 And lest I should seem to mistake his intimations he plainly expresseth himself in his Book against Thomas Moore pag 43.9 10 11 line where he saith I witness against thee who have received the word from his own mouth and immediate calling And that he accounteth their Ministry litteral who know not what it is to inquire at the mouth of the Lord. These are his words speaking to Thomas Moore to wit he saith he had reckoned up the names of many of the Saints of God which makes little for thy purpose who were all men that were taught in spirit and need not to run unto a Book to seek their knowledg but had the word of the Lord from Gods own mouth and there was the oracle whereat they enquired which thou wouldest make to be the letter who never knew what it was to enquire at his mouth whose Ministry is litteral see pag 28. line 16 to 24. Now these are his words and I shal not deny but even in these daies there is such men as may truly say with the Apostle to wit And trulie our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonn Jesus Christ. But not all in a like measure the gifts and graces of God and the measures of them are various as the Lord said unto Aaron and Miriam Numb 12.6 7 8. to wit Hear now my words If there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known unto him in a vision and will speak unto him in a dream My servant Moses is not so who is faithfull in all mine house with him will I speak mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold wherefore then were ye not afraid to speake against my servant Moses From whence it appears there is different dispensations even amongst the Prophets of the Lord some have more apparent acquaintance and familiarity with God and those are such who are faithfull in all Gods house And some have a more dark and hidden acquaintance with and knowledge of God as it pleaseth him to communicate unto them in different measures and degrees according as they are different in measures and degrees of faithfulnesse Now Moses was faithful in all Gods house but so were not Aaron and Miriam nor the rest of the Ptophets then living though yet they were faithful in a good degree and were true Prophets of the Lord. Now I never read that Moses spake any thing at all to the disparagement of those that were inferior unto him in acquaintance with God though they spake against him as though he had assumed to much honour Say they Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses Hath he not spoken also by us And the Lord heard it and the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and he departed See verse 2. to 16. And the Lord himselfe vindicated Moses and was wroth with them but Moses being a meek man in stead of being angry prayed for Miriam that the Lord would heal her immediately but it could not be granted till after seven dayes so that the Lord himselfe was more severe then Moses whom she had spoken against But I find little of this meeknesse in James Naylor who accounteth himself the highest and all below him either Dwarfes or nothing like unto Christians insomuch as if they have need of a book either the Bible or any other they are despised by him as literal men in his book against Moore But Paul advised otherwise even to give attendance to reading and to exhortation and doctrine and not onely to a light within and biddeth not onely to bring his Cloake but the Books and especially the parchments In all likelihood then he himselfe made use of books and parchments Nay Christ himselfe disdained not to use a book or to read thereon
word of God 3 Assertion To wit What ever Christ hath spoken who is the essential word is also the word of God Reason First because he is the Sonne and Heire yea and even God himself and not only man For in him dwelleth the sulnesse of the Godhead bodily He whom God hath sent speaketh the word of God John 3.34 Therefore what words he spake were the words of God and therefore it was truly said of him by the people to wit Never man spake like this man Coloss 3.16 And therefore it behoveth us not to let the words of Christ slip but to let it dwell richly in us in all wisdom John 3.34 For his words are the words of the word of God He whom God hath sent speaketh Gods words The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life The fourth and fifth Assertion proved Rom. 7.14 For we know that the Law is spirituall but I am carnall Deut. 4.2 You shal not add unto the word that I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that yee may keep the commandements of the Lord your God which I command you Observe that he enjoyns them that they shall take heed unto the word which he commands them speaking in the singular number as if it were but one word But when he shewes them the end of this his Take heed he expresseth it in the plurall number and maketh that plurality the same in the conclusion to wit That you may keep the Commandements of the Lord your God which I command you Clearly shewing that that word which he commanded them in the singular number was the Commandements of the Lord their God in the plural number So that it is evident that all the words and commandements of God in the whole Scripture being the words of God by whomsoever held forth may properly and truly and justly be called the word of God in the singular number Reason For as God spake those ten Commandements and writ then upon two Tables see verse 13. so all the rest of the scripture is not onely spoken but written and every part of it written or spoken by Holy men of God as they were moved by the spirit of God that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope And there is none that is ordained to eternall life but if hee read the Scriptures or heareth them read or spoken but if he understand them he doth believe them And there is no man justified through faith in Christ but he loveth the Scriptures and will own them as words of Spirit and Life and not account them as a dead Letter but as the word of God and as words of eternal life in which there is spirit and spiritual life communicative unto them yea even every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is as spiritual food and nourishment whereby they grow up unto greater degrees of spirituall life where it is begun and whereby they presse forward unto perfection Those precious promises therein contained are the savour of life unto life unto them and they cannot but relish them as sweeter to them then the hony and the hony comb They cannot but with David love Gods Law and it is their meditation continually they doe esteem of the words of his mouth more then their appointed food they doe account them as a Lanthorn unto their feet and a light unto all their paths they grow thereby to be wiser then their Teachers because they keep them and to have more understanding then the ancients because they keep his precepts His words are sweet unto their taste yea sweeter then hony unto their mouth They vow and doe resolve that they will keep his righteous judgements Read much of this Psalm 119. All that are men and women after Gods own heart have the same spirit of love to and delight in and beliefe of and benefit and comfort by and from the sacred Word Law Precepts Judgments Statutes and Promises contained in the Scriptures and therefore cannot but hate every false way or contradictious way or way and works or words whatsoever that tend to the disparagement or contradiction thereof And therefore it was that our dear Saviour honored them so much as that he kept all Gods Law and fulfilled it perfectly and witnessed also that Men therefore erred because they knew not the Scripptures nor the power of God And he opened the understanding of his Disciples that they might understand the scriptures And he opened the heart of Lidia that she attended to the things that Paul spake And it is enjoyned unto Kings that they shall write them a Copie of the Law in a book which shall be with them that they may read therein all the dayes of their life that they may learn to seare the Lord their God and keep all the words of the Law and of the Statutes to doe them that their hearts be not lifted up above their brethren and that they turn not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end that they may prolong their dayes in their Kingdome See Deut. 17.18 19 20. Timothy was commanded to give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine 1 Tim. 4.13 These and many such like which I might produce are farre unsuitable to the Spirit and Doctrine of James Naylor which directeth onely to a light within which in many is clouded with sottish ignorance till they hear the Word which is ordained of God to save them that believe and is the meanes which they ought to use for getting that light and spirituall understanding which the Fountain of wisdome holdeth forth therein and doth thereby communicate to his poore dull ignorant creatures his Spirit being with it and as the Porter of their understandings that they may understand them and comprehend in measure those internall hidden and secret mysteries therein contained The Apostle Paul had served God with pure conscience from his fore-fathers and yet his light within informed not his conscience but that he thought it his duty to doe many things against the name of Jesus insomuch as through pure zeale persecuted the Church and wasted it exceedingly til he was called to from heaven See 2 Tim 1.3 And that notwithstanding all his learnednesse in the Scriptures and blamelesnesse of life concerning the Law For the reason was not because he knew not the Scriptures or did not search them but because he did not understand them aright but according to the false glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees which had clouded them so to him so that he did not know them in their genuine sense and proper meaning but under a false glosse For else he should not have erred for saith Christ ye therefore erre because ye know net the Scriptures nor the power of God And biddeth Search the Scriptures for they are they that testifie of me And the Scriptures are alle to make us wise unto salvation yea to make
Ingrossing of all the Ministers of God under the name of Antichristian Ministers if they owne a Law without and a light without and a word without and a Church without a Baptisme without Praises and singing without and a Christ without and righteousnesse without as well as within as so they ought is from the Spirit of God but they doe at presumptuously Nor doe I thinke it any lesse then under a degree of blasphemie against Christ so to vilifie and reproach his Ministers for so hee accounteth it Hee that despiseth you despiseth mee and hee that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee c. And all such poore ignorant people as by their example and ministration are perswaded to speake and act against the Ministers of God in such an opprobrious blasphemous manner it is great marvaile if the Justice of God doe not deliver them up to the power of Satan to be acted by him and to be led captive by him at his will and pleasure who like a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom hee may devoure or whom hee may possesse for the destruction of their bodyes or their soules or both as the Lord in Justice shall give him leave And if I be not deceived it is so with some their countenances bewray them that they are acted and mooved by an evill and malicious Spirit which is not of God Those darke and stolen spirits that looke through their eyes I meane of some of them that I have seene are at the greatest distance from the spirit of love which is the Spirit of God of any spirits that ever I discernd through the eyes of men where they are to be discernd or not at all for spirits are invisible unlesse they assume a shape of some thing that is visible yet they are discernable through the eyes of men if well considered And the discerning of spirits is one of those gifts of the Spirit of God that are given unto men to profit withall see 1 Cor 12.8 9 10. But their rancorous and bitter carping and catching at every misplaced word or syllable and following it so close and vehemently to the disparagement of mens persons and professions what in them lyeth by giving them hatefull and reproachfull language in stead of clearing up the truth by dint of argument And the vilifying of those whom I know to be Saints and servants of God doth fully confirme mee in this opinion that they are not acted by the Spirit of God but by a wicked malicious and lying spirit For the Spirit of God reproacheth not his Saints But especially and above all their under-valuing of the Scriptures calling them but the letter as if they were not spirituall and denying to owne them as the word of God as so the Devill and the prophane Ranters have done before them who were the first that ever I heard doe it Which cannot possibly have any other end or tendency but to perswade the people to slight and neglect them and to eye onely what light they have already within them that so if any be possessed with a false and lying corrupt spirit or if the Prince of the ayre who ruleth in the children of disobedience be there already hee might still continue and not be cast out but keepe his credit and power and dominion which the knowledge of the Scriptures would discover and dissipate if they should attend and listen thereunto For what other tendency can it have to direct them so much to a light within but to make men beleeve that what ever motion cometh into their mindes is of the Spirit of God and ought to be obeyed that so they may follow the wayes of their owne hearts and the vanities of their owne mindes and so run headlong to destruction without trying of the spirits whether they be of God as the Scriptures injoyne them and will direct them also for how should they try them but by such Rules as are held forth in the Scripture which was written for our learning and not to be slighted and laid aside as a dead letter or as uselesse and unvaluable or like a nose of wax pervertible at pleasure for though it is true that some doe pervert it and wrest it for their own ends and purposes yet it is saith the Apostle to their owne destruction As so doe but marke the successe of James Naylor and all his complices unlesse they repent and humble themselves greatly before the Lord if it doth not bring them to destruction at last 2 Pet 3.16 It is as dangerous to the soule to wrest or pervert or disparage the Scriptures as kicking against prickes is to the body hee that undervalueth and disparageth the Scriptures doth it to the Lord himselfe whose word it is as hath been clearely prooved But I looke for no other but like Jannes and Jambres they should resist the truth yet the promise I expect to be fullfilled against them that their madnesse and folly shall be discovered and made manifest unto all men even as theirs also was see 2 Tim 3.8 9. Their wrestings and turnings of devices shall be but as the potters clay their bed is too short and their covering too narrow they cannot wrap themselves See also 2 Pet. 2.1 the end of such â—â—e teachers who deny the Lord that bought them whether they shall not bring upon themselves swift destruction As so it is manifest James Naylor doth for hee utterly denyeth the manhood of Christ who dyed for us and who was in all things like unto us sinne onely excepted and therefore hee maketh no account of a Christ without us and at a distance nor one that is visible having a visible body which the heavens must containe till all things be restored And hee shall appeare againe the second time without sinne unto salvation The Scripture is cleare that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us saith the Apostle and they saw his shape as the shape of the onely begotten Sonne of God full of grace and truth But great is the mystery of godlinesse God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seene of Angels beleeved on in the world and received up into glorie It is indeed such a mysterie as James Naylor understands not else hee durst not sleight it and so undervalue the person of Christ or of his words either as now hee doth But this is so grosse and palpable a doctrine that hee dareth scarce expresly owne it when men of understanding are present there being thousands of Scriptures make it so clearely manifest both in the old and new Testament which makes him dumbe and silent when questioned in that point And yet he will needs be accounted infallible and as some great Prophet and as though he had some extraordinary Revelations that no man else had knowne before him And yet he teacheth us nothing except lyes but what wee knew before Who that is versd in Scripture but he knoweth that Christ is the true light who lighteneth every
one that cometh into the world with what light they have of understanding and rationalitie And who knoweth not that Jesus Christ is in us except wee be Reprobates by his blessed Spirit in lesser or greater measure And who knoweth not that the word is nigh us even in our heart and in our mouth to wit the essentiall word which is Christ by his blessed Spirit if wee be his Elect And who knowath not that the ministration of the Spirit is not by the workes of the Law by which no flesh can be justified but by the hearing of faith preached because the letter of the Law killeth spiritually but the Spirit giveth life through faith and love which are in Christ Jesus And who knoweth not that God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth or not accept it But hee will be worshipped with the body also And who knoweth not that men should sing with the Spirit and with the understanding But what singing or praising of God is that which is not with the mouth I never heard such nor shall doe I thinke unlesse I heare the Angells which have not any proper mouthes And what Church is that which is in the heart our bodyes indeed are the Temples of the holy Ghost and I reade of the Church of the first-borne written in heaven but are these the Churches of the Saints spoken of in Scripture which yet some of them had their failings And who knoweth not that all that are without God and his Righteousnesse are in the world and strangers as yet to the Covenant of grace And who will not deny that faith and worship which God denyes And who knoweth not that those who have an unction from the holy One and know all things have no need that any man should teach them but as the same Anointing teacheth them of all things see 1 John 2.20.27 But those who have this unction will not follow James Naylor nor his crooked and perverse doctrines for those that goe out from us are not of us see vers 19. For a stranger will they not follow for they know not the voyce of strangers Joh 10.5 But James Naylor is sent with strong delusiens to some that they might beleeve a lye that they all may be damned that receive not the truth in love but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse Qu But how is hee sent may wee Imagine Ans Not properly of God nor by his Spirit but Satan hath got commission to be a lying spirit in his mouth and in the mouthes of all his complices as hee was in the mouth of all Ahabs Prophets to deceive those who receive not the truth in love but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse If hee had a paire of hornes of Iron such as Zedekiah the sonne of Chenana made that hee might bring them to Fox and tell him that with those hee should push downe all the Ministers of God till hee had destroyed them It is very likely that Fox would beleeve him yet so doth not any Micaiah any true Prophet of the Lord though James Naylor himselfe hath prophesied so much concerning all the Ministers of God in England and elsewhere yea even all the generation of them who ever they be that will not receive and beleeve his lyes Which truly are so palpably grosse that I verily beleeve that not one Minister that is sent of God in all the world will owne for truthes though hee shuffle them up never so closely amongst the truthes of God as in that art hee is extreame cunning and it is no marvaile if that old lying spirit hath skill to teach him and be in his mouth for hee hath long used that very art and of all the arts that hee hath yet learned it is the most deceivable and therefore he hath used it longest hee deceived Eve with it when shee was pure from sinne and perfectly wise no marvaile then if hee deceive so many now that are laden with sinne and lead with divers lusts and not so wise as shee But I hope it is his last and cheifest Refuge I cannot but rejoyce to see him play this carde to transsorme himselfe into an Angell of light and his Ministers into Ministers of Righteousnesse I hope it will be to his losse in the end If the Ranters doctrine would have taken amongst us hee would never have owned so many truthes and good things but that not taking hee was glad to transforme himselfe and his Ministers in new suits of apparrell not all out of course but finer wooll and smoothly woven and drest yet the designe and doctrines against the Scriptures being not owned as the word of God and in respect of disowning the teachings of men as utterly needlesse they being taught of God as they say to love one another They are just the same which the Ranters used Their designe being clearely the same with the Ranters to wit to preach downe all preachings and teachings of men though never so holy and spirituall teachings And why forsooth but because there is a promise that they shall be all taught of God using the very same Scripture-grounds which the Quakers doe and quite perverting them for the same use as the Ranters did which any spirituall understanding knoweth for certaine that they were never given forth by the holy Ghost for any such ends or uses but quite the contrary which were easie to demonstrate if it were needfull But let mee fall to question James Naylor a little as hee hath done us First Where the Scripture giveth any such directories for attaining unto life and power c. To wit That wee should onely give heed to that light within us and utterly desert all teachings of men save onely of themselves who onely direct us unto that light though it be but darknesse in comparison of what wee may learne from Scripture and from men likewise who teach us from thence by the Spirit of God Secondly Where doth the Scripture tell us that hee that is the light of the world and that inlighteneth every one that comuteth into the world doth inlighten all sufficiently and so as to guide them insallibly or that hee inlighteneth all alike and that immediately without the knowledge of the Scriptures or the teachings of men so as that they need not to teach one another saying know the Lord because all doe know him from the greatest of them even to the least of them Is the case so now that all know him what need is there then of the teachings of James Naylor and his complices if their light within them be sufficient it can teach them all that hee doth and all that he knoweth and how to eye it onely and to looke within for light and to desert and despise the teachings of men as so he doth and what else doth hee teach which is not taught by men from sacred Scripture and with more spirit and power then hee teacheth any thing and farre more rationally and convincingly in
observe that lying spirit then ruling in them and to love and obey and follow his motions and instigations and to looke no further but to obey the light there in their consciences whiles they make no conscience of any sinne but follow the lusts of their flesh and of their minde being by nature children of wrath even as others see Ephes 1.4 2.1 2 3. What is it else but to advise them to obey Satan and let him keep his hold whiles he hath it And what better way to perswade them to it can either Satan or the Quakers devise then to keepe them from searching the Scriptures or getting knowledge thereby to discerne of spirits and so then to perswade them that it is no other but the Spirit of God that worketh in them and giveth them light And what more politicke way can Satan devise to make them so beleeve then to moove and incline them to forsake their grosse sinnes and carry themselves in an humble selfe-denying posture like holy men for such who have been educated where the Scripture is read and the Gospell preached hee can hardly deceive them any other wayes to make them beleeve that hee is not Satan but the Spirit of Christ But when hee hath once done that hee can rule at pleasure and act them at pleasure in all other respects and puffe them up with spirituall pride and imperiousnesse and disdaine of others and to thinke themselves the onely spirited men above all others after Satan hath wrought a change in them and made them a little more active and spiritfull then formerly they were in their dead condition But then what ever lyes hee findeth most usefull for maintaining his kingdome hee easily perswadeth them they are truths of God and inspired into them by the Spirit of God which they thinke is in them For if ever hee get them up to that conceite of themselves that they are infallibly guided by the Spirit of God which is indeed infallible then they never care nor regard at all what the Scripture witnesseth nor what any man saith by way of contradiction to what they hold But are ready to cry out against them as blasphemers and resisters of the Spirit that doe but in meeknesse and wisdome from Scripture-grounds oppose their doctrines and wayes and blasphemies which they hold and maintaine being most implacably malicious against any that oppose them and call them but as they are a seduced people turned after Satan blasphemously reproaching the Ministers of God and all his Saints that approve not their doctrines and workes and wayes As hath been shewed before And how cleare a blasphemie is it to father such wicked assertions on the Spirit of God and to professe themselves mooved thereunto by the Spirit of God when if the Scripture be true it is certainly true that they are wicked lyes and therefore must needs proceed from the father of lyes and not from God And that they are lyes and that dangerous and blasphemous is clearely prooved already and I hope satisfactorily to any rationall apprehension Object But it will be said against all this that without all question there is something in these men more then ordinary and more then was in them before for they are so spirited for acting in their way and to maintaine their doctrines and principles and are found to be so quaint and wittie more then what they were or had before that it is cleare they are acted by some spirit or other which they are perswaded is the Spirit of God as appeares by their boldnesse and confidence and comming to the light and their zeale and selfe-deniall which for the most part is evident in them And therefore how can this be from any false or lying spirit which maketh them so bold and confident and that to come to the light that their deeds might be made manifest that they are wrought in God And they are so expert in Scripture as few Christians are like them and that as they thinke by inspiration from God they having not been so before but dull and uncapable and such as could learne nothing of that nature but were utterly non-proficients in the Schoole of Christianitie and knew nothing at all but were as deafe or dead men under spirituall ministrations And therefore how can this change come and how come they by this Renovation and this Spirit and zeale and boldnesse and confidence thus above ordinary And to plead for so many good things and sharply rebuke and reprove so many evill things Is it possible that this spirit should not be of God but a deluding spirit how can this be or come to passe I answer That it can be no other but a deluding spirit the which as I conceive they obtaine by such meanes and proceedings as I shall name and I desire they would search their owne hearts whether it be not so with them that so if they be deluded they might forsake and renounce that deluding spirit and so deliver themselves out of the snares of the Devill that are taken captive by him at his will and pleasure And first let them but examine themselves whether they were not of those that had heard the Scriptures read and opened and the truthes of God held forth by and from them which now they owne and witnesse too But whether they were not then of those that received not those truthes in love but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse And if so whether there be not cause of jealousie least God hath purposely sent them strong delusions for that very cause And secondly whether they were not first wrought up to an implacable malignitie against the Ministers in generall and against the most part of professors in so much as they did speake evill and gave forth reproachfull language against them calling them hirelings and Priests of Ball and covetous and carnall and such like language as they give them now which wee doe account as a degree of blaphemie for hee that speaketh evill of the Ministers of Christ speaketh evill of him And what is blasphemy but speaking evill of God or Christ or of his word or wayes or ordinances or people But if so and that they received that spirit within them upon acting according to such principles which they can never cleare from a degree of blasphemie May they not well be jealous that God hath delivered them up to the power of Satan to be spirited and guided and acted by him at his will and pleasure And is it not very likely that it is thus with them and that their blasphemies are the cause why they are so deluded with a false spirit in stead of the Spirit of God And is it not just with God thus to give them up that receive not his truth in love And how certaine is it that they never received the truth in love that love not the Messengers and Ministers of it but can so easily and bitterly Revile and Reproach them and not them onely but all
ministred by the hearing of faith preached as wel as sometimes immediatly both which administrations I own as true But I come now to his other main Tenent which chiefly tendeth to the disparagement of the Scriptures and which chiefly ingageth men to oppose him in it as a work of Sathan And why should not I whiles I am in the world what in me lieth indeavour to destroy the works of the devil see 1 Joh 3.8 He saith further in his Book against Baxter speaking of the Apostles that they did never say the letter was the Word And in his 7th Querie in the end of his Book he enquireth whether the word of God can be changed or can it admit of several meanings as to one particular thing A I Answer that James Naylor may wrest the Scriptures to his own destruction and he is not so infallible but he may misunderstand the genuine meaning 2 Pet. 3.16 2. He enquireth whether it be visible or invisible A I answer the Word was made flesh and dwelt on earth and is now visible in Heaven and yet is here invisibly in spirit in the hearts of his people but how the word was made flesh James Naylor understandeth not 3. He enquireth is there any word but one or whether was that word before the letter and shal be when the letter is turned to dust A. To which I answer that Christ the essential word is but one we own but one Christ who shal remain when the Quakers have burnt their Bibles if they wil burn them as some of them have said it were all one to them if the Bibles were all burnt Foster by name hath so exprest himself and they say they are all of one mind then such esteem they have all of the sacred scriptures which we account of as not only the word of men but the word of God as so I shal make to appear that it is not blasphemy as they most wickedly assert but our bounden duty to own and call it the word of God and that it is blasphemy in them to deny it and cal it carnal and a dead letter And the Lord assisting I shal prove 1. That there is not only one but many words yea words of God so taken in scripture 2. That what God hath spoken is his word 3. That whatever Christ hath spoken who is the essentia word is also the word of God 4. That all scriptures given by inspiration of God and all expressions of men unto which they are moved by the Holy Ghost are the words of God and that it is not they that speak but the spirit of their Father that speaketh in them 5. That every word of God is pure and also true by whomsoever spoken but nor such lies as these of the Quakers but they are the words of another spirit then the spirit of God as I trust in God to make it manifest as so I ought And before I begin for fuller satisfaction how they account of the scriptures take notice that I find it in a little Book called The holy Scriptures clearing it self from scandals or an Answer to a Book written by Richard Farnworth who is commonly called a Quaker written by Thomas Polard who had opposed them by argum nt in a publick way Which Thomas Polard saith that they cal the scripture carnal and a dead letter and say it wil never bring a man to the knowledg of God but that all that is gotten from the scripture is but brain knowledg And I find in a Book of Naylors against one Thomas Moore how he answereth this to wit being asked by Moore whether the writing of the Prophets and Apostles be a dead letter He answereth that without the spirit it is nor can any without that spirit that gave them forth understand them or know the voices of Prophets or Apostles aledging Luk 24.45 Act 13.27 A 1. But where doth the scripture or the spirit of God cal the scripture a dead letter or carnal and that it wil never bring a man to the knowledg of God but that all that is gotten from it is but brain knowledg A 2. Where is it said in scripture that the spirit of God and the scripture are seperated The words that Christ hath spoken they are spirit and they are life and Moses said unto the people set your hearts unto all the words that I testifie unto you this day which ye shal command your Children to observe to do all the words of this Law for it is not a vain thing for you for it is your life and through this thing yee shall prolong your daies Deut 32.46 47. And again the law is spiritual faith saith the Apostle I am carnal Rom 7. and Prov 2. My sonn if thou wilt receive my words and hide my Commandements with thee so that thou incline thine ear to wisdom and apply thine heart unto understanding if thou seekest for her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledg of God see v 1 2 3 4 5. See also Pro 3.1 2. My sonn forget not my Law but let thine heart keep my Commandements For length of daies and long life and peace shal they add to thee see also ch 4.1 2 3 4. Let thine heart retain my words keep my Commandements and live And ver 13. Take fast hold of instruction let her not go keep her for she is thy life Consider I say whether the wisdome of God so pathetically expressing her self to us if possible to perswade us to attend and hearken to the words of his mouth and to keep his Commandements and instructions and treasure them in our hearts as words of life to our souls and marrow to our bones as in another place and that for this end we should teach them to our Children as I might be large upon any of these Texts But whether I say doth the wisdome of God account the scripture as a dead letter let all wise men judg and whether they have not in them more spirit of life and power then the words and writings of James Naylor and whether they ought not rather to be observed and beleeved and trusted in for eternal life Now it is evident that the directions of James Naylor as a way to be infallibly guided and to attaine unto life and peace and rest for our souls is one thing and these directions are another his directions are to attend and hearken to that spirit and light within though it be a question whether it be the spirit of God or a lying spirit and a question whether there be at all any light within but grosse darkness and he that is in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth til he be enlightned by the Word and Spirit But he that hateth his Brother is in darkness until this present time it were wisdom therefore for James Naylor himself to try his spirii and light by the Law and
the cleare evidence and demonstration of the Spirit And doth hee not herein teach men to despise his teachings also Have all a like measure of the Spirit and of power and of understanding But such who have more both can and ought to communicate it and to administer it what in them lyeth to such who want it or have the lesse But they that have it not cannot possibly administer it nor obtaine it neither but as it pleaseth God to give it forth unto them mediately or immediately And have all the people a like measure of light or are they alike capable or comprehensive of it though it be taught them precept upon precept and line upon line here a little and there a little as it were by drops distilled into them let wise men judge Are there not some people spoken of in Scripture that were a people of no understanding therefore hee that made them would have no mercy on them and hee that formed them would have no compassion on them And are there not some spoken of in Scripture that are sensuall having not the Spirit Jude And is not the manifestation of the Spirit given to every man to whom it is given to profit withall and whom shall they profit if all be alike qualified and need no teaching And is there not diversities of gifts of that selfe same Spirit and all for edifying of the body of Christ till wee all grow up to a full stature which is not yet attained no not by Naylor himselfe for all his boastings of his infallibilitie and purenesse from sinne And I doe beleeve that he keepeth within compasse and as free from any notorious sinne in the sight of men as hee possibly can and that for credit of his doctrine And so without all question Satan is willing to cloake them with any externall righteousnesse and with good words and doctrines and faire speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple and especially on this condition that hee may but stablish their doctrine and draw men off from the use of meanes and ordinances and from the teachings of men and to neglect the Scriptures For this would still continue and increase his kingdome unto all generations for where the Scriptures are not knowne nor the ordinances administred in power and puritie his kingdome is in peace and hee ruleth at pleasure in the children of disobedience and persecuteth the Elect and keepeth them in ignorance as is well knowne to all that know any thing What blindnesse and darknesse and sottish ignorance is in all places where the Word is not preached nor the Scriptures minded and searched and knowne So that give him but the reception of this doctrine and it is the best foundation for his kingdome that can be laid It is just suitable to that doctrine of the Papists to wit that ignorance is the mother of devotion and upon that they forbid that lay-people should meddle with the Scriptures in their own mother tongue which hath been a meanes to keepe them in such ignorance that their Priests have lead them and kept them so long in such grosse Idolatry and superstition to their utter destruction both of their soules and bodyes doe but paralle the cases and they are just the same and from the same spirit and principles which is a blacke author Hee well knoweth that where the Scripture is knowne and accounted of as the word of God his kingdome must downe in the hearts of the Elect and therefore it is that hee would have it sleighted as but a dead letter and as unusefull unto them till they have the Spirit But the Scripture would teach them how to obtaine the Spirit and how to obtaine wisdome if any man lacke namely to aske it of God which is none of Naylors directions but quite the contrary I never heard nor saw it in any of his bookes that ever hee advised men that lacke wisdome to aske is of God Jam 1.5 6. nor men that lacke the Spirit or desire greater measures of it to aske it of God though it is promised to them that aske him c. if they seeke him with all their heart hee will be found of them Luk. 11.13 1 Cor 28.9 And this is the directory of the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive But hee adviseth them to seeke it within before they have it and to follow and love that light within them which yet for the present is but grosse darknesse for ought hee knoweth A most grosse directory hee might as well bid some men follow and observe and obey the Devill for he ruleth Thirdly And againe in what part of Scripture is the Gospell called the Letter or the preaching of the faith the preaching of the letter answer if you can how much more is it not called a dead Letter Fourthly And where is it said in Scripture that God is not to be worshipped with reverent gestures of the body as well as in spirit and truth Fifthly And where doth the Scripture forbid praying praising and singing with the mouth and voyce as well as with the heart and with the understanding and Spirit Sixthly And where doth the Scripture forbid the assembling together of the Saints and faithfull for worshipping of God and for spirituall ministration in his sacred name of the Word and Sacraments which Christ hath appointed for their edification as the Churches of the Saints did in the primitive times and were so enjoyned by the holy Apostles Seventhly And where saith the Scripture that every one that commeth into the world hath an unction from the holy One and knoweth all things and needeth not that any man teach him but is the same anoynting teacheth him of all things Nay where saith the Scripture that all the Elect have it now for the present or at their comming first into the world But if none of these things be asserted in Scripture how shall James Naylor make his doctrines feizible amongst rationall creatures much more amongst the Elect For hee is not sent to deceive the Elect but such onely as have not received the truth in love but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse as hath been said before For it is not possible to deceive the Elect totally and finally though they may for a time be lead away with the errour of the wicked and fall from their owne steadfastnesse Eightly And let mee inquire further did not the Saints that were at Ephesus and the faithfull in Christ Jesus that were the Elect of God chosen in Christ before the foundations of the world In times then past to wit before they were quickned I say did they not walke according to the Prince of the power of the ayre the spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience Ar But if this be true that the Elect of God before conversion be under the power and government of Satan as the most predominant and ruling spirit then within them Qu What a directorie is this to them to eye and
the Saints and servants of God almost over all the world accounting them all but Litteralists as hath been shewed in part and is easily demonstrated from divers of their books those of themselves onely excepted And is it not alwayes so with Satan in his trading with Witches that before hee granteth them a familiar spirit to be their servant hee ever ingageth them under a degree of blasphemie as to speake evill of God or Christ and of his holy Spirit and it may be to renounce and curse them in a fearefull manner And then hee knoweth that he hath them sure as quite from under the protection of God and so ingageth them in covenant and league with himselfe in a mutuall way for hee knoweth his libertie and commission from God and that hee is chained within such bounds and limitts that hee cannot passe For till the Lord hath delivered them up to his power and government hee cannot act them at his will and pleasure And hee well knoweth that hee must bring them under some degree of blasphemie or such a measure of sinne as will provoke the Lord to deliver them up to his will and pleasure else hee cannot doe them the least harme at all much lesse can he use them as Instruments for his owne service and to make them his slaves and vassalls to doe his drudgery and act for him in things that concerne his kingdome yea and such things likewise as hee could no wayes effect without their assistance as I might instance in many examples that I have read in Histories concerning divers Witches how it was with them in that case by their owne confessions to which Histories I shall referre the Reader But in my apprehension the case is just the same with these deluded people called Quakers For they being a people that beleeved not the truth so as to receive it in love but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse see 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. Though they heard the Word both read and preached and that with authoritie and power yet it did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith And so could not possibly worke them up to receive it in love because they having pleasure in unrighteousnesse the word was unto them unsavourie yea the savour of death unto death and therefore put away from them and not beleeved and embraced as they ought to have done In so much that not loving and receiving the word of truth they could not love and receive the Ministers and Messengers of it in regard they brought no glad tidings of peace unto them whiles they loved unrighteousnesse Upon which occasion of advantage Satan sent forth his Ministers first the prophane Ranters perswading them to forsake the teachings of men and to liften to that light within in their consciences for they were all taught of God to love one another and that light within was the teaching of the Spirit and that of men was but carnall nor the Scripture it selfe was but carnall and a dead letter and the Bible might be burnt and bought and sold and might be read all their life without any profit or benefit to their soules whereas that light and spirit within them was of an eternall nature and an infallible guide so that obeying that light they could not erre but should be sure of perfection and of eternall life Now these poore ignorant unstable soules finding it true that they had not received any great benefit nor life and comfort by the word and ministrations of men in any other way or ordinance of so long time They immediately embraced and received their doctrine and so fell in with them to despise all ordinances and ministrations of men and even the Scripture it selfe and fell to reviling them and calling them carnall and hirelings and traders with the Word and such as looked onely for gaine from their quarter and such like language as is notoriously knowne But then their spirit within taught and lead them to such prophanenesse and excessive open wickednesse as to commit adultery and fornication and to father the same on the Spirit of God as moved by him which was outragious blasphemy such horrid impietie that no man almost that ever knew what belonged unto common civilitie could for shame owne them or their wayes or doctrine but cryed out shame against them But Satan perceiving his doctrine and kingdome to decay by reason of this excesse of wickednesse Hee put his Ministers into another garbe and also some little refined his doctrine in some inferiour points provided alwayes that his maine might stand to wit against the Scriptures and the teachings of men and ordinances c. and that they should onely listen to that light and spirit within For this they still preach and father blasphemously on the Spirit of God But then for much of outward prophanenesse they cry out against as much as possible and as if they were indeed the Ministers of Christ and plead extreamely for perfection professing themselves to have already attained it And Satan hath so farre moulded them as to make some shew of holinesse and of humilitie and righteousnesse in externall things and hath so farre deluded them as that some of them thinke and are fully perswaded that they are perfect and free from sinne and that it is certaine that it is no other but the spirit of God that hath so moulded them and that dwelleth in them and acteth and mooveth them so that what ever they are taught or mooved unto by that Spirit they dare not disobey nor cannot beleeve that it is not true or just c. Nay though an Angell from he even should teach them contrary in so much that they are bold and consident in the maintenance of their doctrines and ceremonies and wayes as if they were certainly witnessed by the Spirit of God as is publicity knowne And so being deluded themselves they are the more powerfull to delude others for Satan acteth them at pleasure and they are spirited by him to preach and pray and promulgate his doctrine in all places where they come and that with life and power even subverting whole houses and beguiling many unstable soules First By working them up to a dislike of the Ministers and then of all ordinances and then of the Scriptures as all but carnall and dead and vaine and unprofitable unto them as is easie to doe with those who never loved them And then they bring them one step further to wit to reproach and despise them and speake evill of them which is a degree of blasphemy And then they are left to the power of Satan by the Justice of God and so are spirited by him and familiarly taught by a spirit within and acted and mooved at his will and pleasure and yet doe confidently beleeve it is the Spirit of God that sometimes speaketh with an audible voyce and they obey accordingly And thus poore soules they are led blindfold with the strongest and strangest delusions that ever
not be well accepted if wee justifie our selves in such poore degrees and measures of love both to God and men 3. For hee requireth fruit suitable to his tillage as is easie to prove the moralitie of such duties from the nature of love as it may be I shall the Lord assisting mee 4. But without all controversie in such cases as abovesaid to give more then a tenth yea if need require to sell all that wee have and give it to the poore or if called to it even to lay downe our lives for the brethren which is the most of all yet it is nothing too much under Gospell-dispensations for it was never so plainely and properly required of the Jewish Nation for it is commanded even by Christ and by his holy Apostles And suitable promises both of treasure in heaven and a supply on earth both to us and ours that wee shall not want nor have lacke of any thing As in the primitive times it was really exemplified They trusted God and obeyed his word and even made all things common and his promise was made good so that there was none that lacked And this in all likelihood will be so againe when the hearts of the fathers are turned to the children and the hearts of the children unto their fathers Which is as much to say as when the Spirit of God in the Ministrie of his Word taketh a kindly Impression in the hearts of his people so as to naturalize them to himselfe and the Ministers and people one to another so as to make them one as God is one yea like the primitive Church Of one heart and of one minde For then they proove and exemplifie the naturallnesse of the Law For then onely and not till then nor but onely with such who are so joyned can it ever be expected nor will it ever be suitable to have all things common nor could it else be expected that none should lacke and be neglected And without all question wee ought to be one as God is one as Christ hath prayed for us and as it may therefore certainly be expected for all his prayers were effectuall And therefore wee ought to endeavour after this unitie in the spirit which is the bond of all true peace and amitie And so often as wee pray that the kingdome of God might come with power that is to say that the Spirit of God might Rule in our hearts so often we pray that the kingdome of God might come so with power to all his people and that wee might be one as God is one and that wee might be one in him see John 17.21 ver 22 23. Nay if it cannot be denyed but that not onely our goods but even our lives and all should be readie at hand to be offred up in behalfe of our brethren and for the glory of God in witnesse to his truth if wee are called too it And if the love of Christ and the love of the brethren should be so ardent in us as to make us willing even to part with our lives in such a case How much rather should it easily induce us to part with our goods and that not onely a tenth but all that we have For as the Apostle John affirmeth Hereby perceive wee the love of God because hee hath laid downe his life for us And wee ought to lay downe our lives for the brethren But whoso hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his bowells of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him My little children let us not love in word nor in tongue onely but in deed and in truth Even so I also conclude this infallible resolve from the same ground Resolve That whoever hee be that hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his bowells of compassion from him There is no signe of the love of God in that man But much more when they shutt their bowells from supplying the wants of their faithfull Ministers who teach them in the Word who come unto them in the name of the Lord and bring them glad tydings good newes a rich treasure precious promises blessings from on high Christs owne Embassage representing his person delivering his message and blessing them also in the name of God and the Lord Jesus Christ yea in the name of the most high God possessor of heaven and earth Surely I say it and that without all peradventure that neither the love of God nor the love of Christ nor the love of the brethren nor of his faithfull Embassadors dwelleth in that man Rea For if a man loveth not his brother whom hee hath seene how can hee love God whom hee hath not seene yea the Invisible God whom never man saw neither can see but onely in spirit through an eye of faith save onely in man who is his Image when once perfectly renewed And whom wee ought to love and respect and honour accordingly as wee see his Image repaired in him yea though never so poore and despisable in the world and in the worlds account And therefore to make it cleare that these dutyes of Communication and distribution are morall duties required in the morall Law of God and that they are not Ceremoniall abrogable Lawes but must abide till all be fullfilled Take these further grounds 1. They were not onely Commanded in Horeb but by Christ himselfe and by his holy Apostles see 1 John 3.23 This is his Commandement that wee should beleeve on the name of his Sonne Jesus Christ and love one another as hee gave us Commandement Now the measure of that love which Christ hath Commanded is not a little and so away but the measure is Even as Christ hath loved us But without all controversie if the measure must be so as Christ hath loved us Then it will ingage us if occasion require even to lay downe our lives for the brethren But if it will ingage us to lay downe our lives Then much more our estates as hath been said not onely some but all if need so require for the glory of God and the good of the brethren and for the furtherance of the Gospell Resolve And therefore there needeth no stinting as in the time of the Law to a tenth part For where they are taught of God to love one another with that measure as they ought it will naturally ingage them so as they cannot be satisfied with giving a tenth nor any part at all if need so require but they will part with all and their lives to boote for the name of Christ and rather than any should lacke that belongs to him And though a tenth was sufficient in the time of the Law yet I cannot finde in all the new Testament any ground at all to build our faith That a tenth is sufficient in the dayes of the Gospell nor any stint at all under all that wee have if wee finde it needfull for the
lyars and by what spirit they are acted and therefore their testimony will not serve to excuse our consciences before God 2. And secondly let them not perswade us to desert the Ordinances of God For unlesse wee could thinke that the Quakers are wiser then the Lord himselfe that appointed them wee have no ground nor reason to beleeve them God never appointed any Ordinances in vaine but they are profitable if in the use thereof wee waite for him and for his blessing upon them for the good of our soules hee never failes them that waite for him And therefore if wee doe not finde them so spirituall and so efficacious to us for the present as wee doe expect let us rather blame the hardnesse of our owne hearts than the Ordinances of God or the Ministers of them or much more then the holy Scriptures which are a spirituall word and if they doe not seeme so to us it is doubtlesse because that wee are yet carnall And to presse us on to a full Resolution so to doe let us call to minde that Parable concerning Dives and Lazarus Especially the saying of Abraham unto Dives to wit They have Moses and the Prophets let them heare them see Luke 16.29 And note this If they heare not Moses and the Poophets neither will they be perswaded though one should rise from the dead see vers 31. For doubtlesse if the Ministers of God and of his holy Word and Ordinances which the wisdome of God hath thought fitt and appointed to save them that beleeve Be not effectuall to the perswading of us and saving of our soules It is without all question because wee are not ordained to eternall life As it was said in the Acts that as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Acts 13.48 It behooveth us therefore to waite on the Lord in the use of all his Ordinances and not to thinke our selves wiser then hee least he giveth us up unto strong delusions and to beleeve a lye and so proove our selves fooles as so it is but just if wee thinke our selves wiser then hee 3. And thirdly let us above all things take heed that wee be not provoked by these delusive doctrines of the Quakers to reproach or speake evill either of the Ministers or the Ordinances of God or of the holy Scriptures It is without question a very haynous sinne in the sight of God so much as but to thinke evill of them But it is an high degree of blasphemie to speake evill of them in the least degree Now speaking evill of them is when we speake any thing tending in the least to the disparagement of them to cause them to be undervalued and disesteemed as carnall and vaine and uselesse or unprofitable c. And especially for the Ministers of God to call them Priests of Baal and hirelings and Wolves in sheepes cloathing and covetous and such like Epithets as the Quakers give in generall unto all that are not of their way Which can be accounted no lesse than speaking evill of him that sent them But least the Quakers should deceive us and make us beleeve they are such indeed Consider with mee first who they are and by what spirit they are guided and acted that speake so of them As for that I shall onely desire your serious consideration of this little Treatise and the Contents thereof whether it be not fully prooved that they are acted by a lying and malicious spirit to speake evill of the things they know not and of many hundredths and thousands of Ministers and faithfull Christians which they never saw nor heard of in their lives either good or evill and yet they damne them all as eternally lost and for the pitt of hell And let us not thinke it strange that Satan should threaten damnation to the Elect of God for what in him lyeth hee seeketh to destroy their faith above all other graces because when our faith faileth wee beginne to sinke and to decay in love and all other graces and so are laid open to his wiles and stratagems And therefore when wee heare the Quakers call men damned and carnall which they never saw before nor it may be never at all wee may well imagine whose spirit is in them for Satan would gladly perswade any man living on the face of the earth save onely his deluded instruments that hee hath assured to him already That there is no hope of salvation for such as them at all nor for any but such as are really acted and guided by him And therefore knowing who they are that speake evill of them wee have the more cause and ground to thinke well of them and to love and honour them But it will be needfull to answer some Objections whereby they delude so many unstable soules to wit 1. First it may be objected because it is true and well knowne that some Ministers are carnall and worldly minded and covetous and therefore to maintaine such is a sinne 1. I answer first that because of some wee must not condemne all 2. Secondly wee ought not to be uncharitable in judgeing or censuring any Now it is beyond the Rule of charitie to judge or censure further then wee certainly know and it is a great signe of malignitie against all if wee be so apt to censure any further then wee know 3. Thirdly wee ought not to judge according to appearance but righteous Judgement For wee may see failings and humane frailties in the best as so there was also in the most of the Prophets and Apostles and holy men of God that wee reade of in Scripture And therefore if we doe not finde them in a way of wickednesse let us take heed of censuring them least wee condemne the generation of Gods children as David had like to have done And therefore if wee doe not finde in them any way of wickednesse and know it for certaine let us judge and hope the best and forbeare censuring 2 Object Secondly it will be objected that though wee cannot clearely condemne them for any way of wickednesse yet if wee know them not certainly to be godly and faithfull Ministers such as are sent of God how can wee so freel communicare unto them as is required of us and as wee ought in case when wee know them such Answ I answer that if wee be godly and faithfull our selves wee shall doubtlesse know them by their fruits whether they be such or no for so Christ hath promised Yee shall know them by their fruits But in case wee are are not able to judge and resolve our selves whether they be so or no Then let us communicate freely and liberally unto them in regard they are in place as such appointed to be our Teachers through the providence of God and are the best wee have And above all things Beware of covetousnesse in this respect for if that sway us it will make every little fault an excuse to hinder us from communication And therefore let us
who value their carnall worldly things above God and Christ and the furtherance of the Gospell and things of an eternall nature Nay how can or dare they blesse such covetous men whom the Lord abhorres which is onely proper to wicked men I say it is onely proper for wicked men to blesse the covetous whom the Lord abhorres see Psal 10.3 And what greater signe of covetousnesse can be exhibited then the neglect of this duty And the love of money is the roote of all evill therefore how shall any man expect any good branches or sprouts from it I am very confident and not without many good grounds from Scripture which I can easily shew that this sinne of covetousnesse doth and may raigne in professors of Religion and they not discover it in themselves but may expect salvation through Jesus Christ till they depart this life and yet be eternally damned see onely for this Mat 25.41 to the end where their sentence is pronounced against them altogether for their neglect of duty even to the least of those little ones that beleeve in Christ and is really accounted as a neglect of duty to him to wit I was hungry and yee gave mee no meate c. The place is well knowne I wish it were as well laid to heart by all that professe Christianitie There would not so many goe blindfold to hell One would thinke it sufficient to know these things before-hand to warne all men as the Apostle doth to beware of covetousnesse as the most dangerous roote of sinne that can be least growing in the heart of man And the rather because it hath so many cloakes and covers both to hide it selfe from our owne eyes and the eyes of others As frugalitie good husbandry providing for our families the examples of other men that are well accounted of for Christianitie and the expectation of others that are nearer in relation for doing such works as are required of us and the faults discernable or suspected to be in the objects of our charitie or beneficence or because wee have not enough for our selves but that wee may come to want it for our selves or ours or wee are not yet sufficiently rich in lands or goods our neast is not throughly feathered for our selves and ours our ambition is not satisfied and such like many which are easily produced they are so common and every one hath them ready upon all occasions to hinder them from doing good the answering whereof would make my booke swell to a great volume But this I say briefly that if any of these or any other beare sway in us to hinder us in the least from our duties this way it is a great signe that covetousnesse raignes in us for the present and that so continuing it will bring us to hell one would thinke it enough to know that the Lord abhorres us if wee be covetous to make us to abhorre our selves and repent in dust and ashes for the least token of it to be found in us For whom the Lord abhorres wee ought to abhorre likewise wee ought to hate covetousnesse where ever wee see it in our selves or others And where wee see it raigne in any man wee ought to abhorre such a man as odious and abominable yea as a base spirited and ignoble person such as is not worthy of any Christian fellowship or communion The Apostle hath enumerated covetous persons amongst such as are so scandalous as that they are not to be compared together with if they be of such as are called brethren see 1 Cor 5.11 And so doe I likewise if they appeare to be such but these many cloakes doe so hide and cover them both from themselves and others as Judas was hid from the Disciples under specious pretences and covers to his utter destruction That they are not easily found out but goe for Saints of God and without so much as being suspected And were it not for swelling my booke over great it were easie to discover this odious sinne and such in whom it raignes and to make them appeare odious by convincing arguments and that from Scripture-grounds such as no man can deny But it would require a prettie volume I must not be so large in this Treatise but shall leave the further prosecution thereof till another opportunitie A paralell list of some of the manifest contradictions betwixt the teachings of the Spirit of God and of that spirit by which the Quakers are guided spirited and acted to wit 1. Their spirit teacheth them that there is no light but one spoken of in Scripture and that this light is within in every mans conscience and so they must turne their minds inward to looke for light and obey that measure of light they finde there for it is sufficient to leade them into all truth and to guide them in all the wayes of God and is an infallible guide so that if they obey that light within they cannot eire nor commit any sinne and that if they have but the least measure of the Spirit of God it is sufficient so that they need not to search the Scriptures for attaining to the knowledge of God and of Christ nor the teachings of men for they have that within them which will teach them sufficiently And all have this light they say yea every one that commeth into the world and this light is Christ the eternall light But the Spirit of God teacheth us That there are more lights than one though all from that eternall light For saith Christ As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world John 9.5 And saith he Yee are the light of the world speaking to his Disciples Mat. 5.14 15 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes c. And John was a burning and a shining light Now these inferiour lights are not lighted to be put under a bushell but on a Candlesticke that they may give light to the whole house to wit the whole Church they were lighted from that eternall light for that purpose and not to be covered Nor shall their light held forth in Scripture be covered from the true Church but they doe and shall give heed thereto as to a light shining in a darke place Nay though Satan himselfe be transformed into an Angell of light They shall not beleeve every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God seeing many false Prophets are gone forth into the world And by their fruits they shall know them and finde them to be Theeves and Robbers and shall detect them by the light of God held forth in Scripture which is a sure word of Prophesie containing many sure examples and patternes and commands which are and shall be as a lanterne to their feete and a light unto all their pathes And therefore they will give attendance unto reading and to exhortation and to doctrine and they will teach them to their children and to their childrens
children for so they are commanded by the Spirit of God in the holy Scriptures And to take heed to the Law and Testimonie whereby they will try the spirits whether they be of God for if they doe not speake according to these it is because there is no light in them but the spirit of darknesse that Ruleth in the children of disobedience as is more at large in the booke 2. Secondly their spirit teacheth them to deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God and to call them carnall and a dead letter But the Spirit of God teacheth us that every word of God is pure and that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and that the words which Christ hath spoken to us are spirit and life to them that beleeve them and receive them in love 3. Their spirit teacheth them to speake evill of all men that embrace not their lying doctrines and wayes But the Spirit of God teacheth us to speake evill of no man but to honour all men and as much as in us lyeth to have peace with all men 4. Their spirit teacheth them to Revile and disparage the Ministers of God and to blame and Revile those that heare them and maintaine them But the Spirit of God teacheth us to love and honour them and to communicate freely and liberally for their maintenance that they may have lacke of nothing nor need to labour and intangle them with the affaires of this life they being ingaged in a spirituall warfare against princiyalities and powers and spirituall wickednesse c. For if it be true that God hath so ordained that they that preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell Then it also followeth that such Churches or people whomsoever that doe not so ordaine and take care or doe not so communicate to those that teach them as that they may live of the Gospell and have lacke of nothing for themselves or theirs but doe inforce them to labour with their owne hands and to intangle themselves with the affaires of this life They are not obedient to the Gospell of Christ nor followers of God as his deare children neither doe they walke in love as Christ hath loved us nay they are so farre unlike Christians as that they are worse then Infidells for if it were an unjust thing and a worke of crueltie to mussle the mouth of an Oxe that treadeth out the corne How much more cruell will it one day appeare to mussle the mouth of a Minister and Messenger of God that Ruleth well and laboureth in the Word and Doctrine Are they not more in value in the sight of God then many sparrowes yea then many Oxen Doubtlesse they are so in the sight of God and ought to be so in the sight of Christians But how much pressing will this point need before it be effectuall so as to naturalize Christians like Christians indeed I have much more in a Manuscript that I writ long since concerning this point which when the Lord seeth good may likewise be held forth But 5. Their spirit teacheth and ingageth them also and that upon paine of eternall damnation not to use the word You but thou or thee to a single person But the Spirit of God never gave us any such charge nor are wee so limited by any Rule in Scripture but quite the contrary For wee are commanded to give custome to whom custome is due feare to whom feare honour to whom honour Now it is the Custome of all true Christians in our English Nation to use this word You when they direct their speech either to man or woman especially if they be their superiours or if but their equalls and that in meere civilitie as it is accounted fitt And is seldome otherwise amongst civill men that have any breeding or humanitie in them and are not brutishly Irrationall and besotted in their minds save onely in case when men are transported with passion as sometimes civill men may in case when provoked by some injurie or incivilitie offred them and when they shew their displeasure or it may be are ready to fight they beginne to thou each other and to Revile and reproach and miscall one another just as the spirit of the Quakers also acteth them but never at any time whiles they are in love and friendship and sobrietie And that is the reason as I suppose why the spirit in the Quakers will not allow them to give us any civill language because hee cannot love us nor indure to be at peace with us but must needs shew his wrath and malice against us it is so implacable and bitterly seated and habituated in him for there was enmitie put betwixt the seede of the woman and the seede of the Serpent even from the beginning And therefore it is that if the Quakers should love us and give us civill language hee could not indure to have any fellowship with them nor would hee owne and spirit and act them as hee now doth if they did not obey him in acting so malitiously and opprobriously against the people of God and against all Gods Ordinances yea against the Scripture it selfe and so by consequence against the Spirit of God which gave it forth But it is wonderfull to mee how hee ever wrought them up to such a height of exorbitancies in all these things For it cannot be but meere civilitie and rationalitie and their wonted customes of civilitie ingaged them to be shie and unwilling at the first to use them it being so Improper a language and carriage for children to thou their Parents servants their Masters subjects their Majestrates and inferiours their superiours of all sorts and Relations and bringeth them into such a snare as that they are made uncapable of living amongst and conversing with men or occupying any trade merchandize especially and chiefly with strangers who cannot but thinke them either to be naturall fooles or distracted persons or some angerie uncivill malicious men which will make them afraid to have any trading or dealing with them And the truth is this their grosse incivilitie doth much hinder their growth and multiplying And without all question Satan would give them a full dispensation in many of these things if it were not so that hee is forced through his malice onely to act with and in such men as are really mal gniz'd against the people of God and are first really ingaged to him in voluntary obedience in something or other that he well knoweth will worke a separation from the children of light else hee could not exspect to keepe them in darknesse But to keepe them in darknesse hee first perswadeth them that it is their duty to God to observe the language held forth in Scripture and the examples of Christ and his Apostles and upon paine of damnation not to varie from it Now it is true that thee and thou were commonly used in Scripture-language But for ought wee know not because the word you had been a sinne for
it is not forbidden in Scripture and where there is no Law there is no transgression But the reason was because it was the customarie language in those dayes the which then to have aborated from had been offensive as the contrary is now And then againe hee telleth them that it is Improper to use the word you to a single person and they stand much upon the proprietie of the language thee and thou and thinke themselves wise and all others fooles that use any other Yet in case when they speake to more then one they use the word you and doe allow it as orthodox in their Religion Now if they will grant us this wee shall need no more to warrant our practise Rea For wee say with Solomon Eccle 4.10 Woe to him that is alone for when hee falleth hee hath not a second to lift him up And so also our blessed Saviour said of himselfe I am not alone but I and the Father that sent mee Joh 8.16 And I am one that beare witnesse of my selfe and the Father that sent mee beareth witnesse of mee vers 18. And in another place I and my Father are one Now the Quakers beleeve and are very confident and boast much of it that the eternall Spirit of God which was in Christ Jesus is in them also and if so then they are not alone but God is with them as hee was with Christ in some measure And as Christ said to his Apostles It is not you that speake but the Spirit of your Father speaketh in you And the truth is If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Now then if they be not alone they are not meerely single persons And therefore may properly use the word you one to another which yet they doe not And suppose that others who have not the Spirit of Christ ' have the spirit of Satan in them as the Quakers say that wee have Then yet such are not alone nor properly single but the word you may be properly used to such also and therefore if they sticke but upon proprietie of language if they will get a dispensation from their spirit to use it to us wee have a dispensation from that Spirit by which wee are acted to use it to them And I also beleeve that as Christ could truely say I and my Father are one So also may some of them say properly and truely I and my father are one For some men are as properly one with the Devill as Christ was with God and are as properly guided and acted by him and therefore are not alone in that respect but are two persons united so together as that they are properly one in one sence and properly two in another And therefore the word you nor the word thee or thou is Improper language to be spoken to any that is so spirited So that the proprietie of our language being cleared If they cannot finde it forbidden in Scripture wee have not onely a dispensation to use it but doe account it our dutie in regard it is the Custome of our Country least wee should offend For wee must give no offence neither to Jew nor Gentile neither to the Church of God And it is such grosse incivilitie and such an angerie kinde of language that any stranger would beleeve that wee are ready to fight them And so in stead of provoking one another unto love and to good workes wee are more likely to provoke them unto hatred and wrath and to doe us some injurie in regard wee give them such disgracefull language And by that meanes in stead of As much as in us lyeth to have peace with all men wee should bring it about to have peace with no man And that for no cause but to please the adversarie the accuser of the brethren and his complices the Quakers whom hee enslaveth and befooleth in these and such like things 6. And againe their spirit teacheth them not to put off their hatts nor bow their bodies in reverence or respect to any man at all in what place or Relation soever hee be nor in way of curtesie when they meete with friends neither to drinke one to another in a modest and moderate way for this they call worshipping of men and drinking one to another they say is to provoke them to excesse c. the which wee deny for they are not alwayes used for such ends But the spirit of God teacheth us so clearely to the contrary that wee need not to plead the custome of the Country to excuse us in these for they are all included under this command of the Apostle to wit Bee yee courteous and tender-hearted towards all men And it were easie to proove that bowing of the body was the customarie reverence in old time But I need not I shall rather aske them what courtesie at all they shew to any man upon any occasion And that taking off the hatt is a proper Reverend duty to those whom wee honour and doe and ought to reverence is easie to proove And wee are commanded to honour all men So that if wee know them to be dutyes either of love or honour wee are bound to use them Nay if they be proper expressions of love or honour and that wee have any spirit of love or honour in us it will naturally ingage us to use such expressions one to another if wee were not so commanded But there is doubtlesse some men in these last dayes are without naturall affections accoring as was prophesied 2 Tim 3.3 And those like bruit beasts made to be taken and to be destroyed 2 Pet 2.12 From such it is not to be expected no more then love for they should but dissemble if they should make a shew of what they have not And it were better to be without then to be deceived by their outward shews And therefore by my consent they shall never be perswaded to use them at all till their cordiall love and respects ingage them sincerely to it which can never be till they love us better And wee may not expect any love from them whiles they are acted and guided by our old adversarie the enemy of mankinde who hateth any thing in us that in the least resembleth the Image of God And wherefore is it required that wee should honour all men but because there is at least some Remnant of the Image of God excistent in them For man is the Image and the glory of God as I might shew at large but I have been too long about so cleare a point yet this further I shall make bold to assert namely That where the Spirit of God dwelleth there is also the Spirit of love for it is but the same For God is love And where there is love it will act curteously and tender-heartedly and that towards all men And doe but marke the Quakers how many of those fruits of the Spirit of God Gal 5.22 23. you can finde in them
or so much as the least shew of them and then you may judge by whose Spirit they are acted But saith the Apostle the fruit of the Spirit is love Joy peace long-suffering gentlenes goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance against which there is no law Now for my part I see not so much as a shew of any of these in them but the quite contrary are manifest in them to wit hatred sadnesse of spirit and countenance no peace with any man no long-suffering but hastie rage no gentlenes but severe austeritie and imperious bitternes no goodnesse but cleare malignitie against all goodnesse no saith in God but in a lying spirit within them whom they obey and serve and worship as God no meeknesse for they are hastie and angerie and revengefull no temperance in their tongues and pens And therefore every Law of God is against them let them try themselves by this if they please and try them who will and they shall finde them such and so farre off from loving or honouring any man at all in whom the Image of God is in a great measure renewed As that they doe what they can to disparage and dishonour and to cause them to be abhorred For if they discover any fault or weaknesse or frailtie in any man they are readie with all the wit and skill they have to publish and aggravate the same to the highest pitch But I never heard them speake good of any man unlesse of themselves nor tooke notice so of them as to commend them for their vertues in the least degree but the Spirit of God doth otherwise Rev 2.2 though he have somewhat against them vers 4. c. 7. And againe their spirit teacheth them as much as in them lyeth to destroy and pull downe mens faith and hope which they have in God telling them they see death in their faces and that they are eternally damn'd and such like language judging all men they meete with before the time now the end of Satan in this is to destroy their weake faith telling them if they be not perfect and free from sinne they are sure to be damned But the Spirit of God teacheth us to judge nothing before the time but to edifie one another in our holy faith and not to quench the smoaking flax nor breake the bruised reede but to support and strengthen one another and to comfort one another by holding forth the promises and that to sinners for Christ came not to call the rightous but sinners to repentance and if any if any man saith hee hath no sinne hee deceiveth himselfe and the truth is not in him And if any man sinne hee is not presently damned by the Apostle as the Quakers would doe but hee telleth us Wee have an Advocate with the Father c. who is the propitiation for our sinnes And the truth is if none must be saved but such as have no sinne there will but few be saved indeed I beleeve all the Quakers will come short of heaven For if those their doctrines and wayes and practises be not manifest sinnes there is no sinne at all in men or Devills And what was the end for which Christ came into the world but to save sinners they would make his blood of none effect for if men could be saved by their owne righteousnesse Christ dyed without a cause And who ever is justified by the Law is fallen from grace for it is not of grace but debt if men be perfectly just of themselves But if it be of grace then it is by faith and that in the righteousnesse of Christ which is not properly ours but by the application thereof through faith which faith also is the gift of God and given freely of meere grace also and that to whom hee pleaseth yet it is given to all his Elect and that in due time And this will exclude all the Quakers boastings and trusting in themselves that they are righteous and despising others as Pharisaicall 8. And Eightly Their spirit teacheth them not to put off their hatts when they pray unto God or preach and that in publike Congregations so that it evidently appeareth that they give no honour or worship either to God or man but onely to to that lying spirit within them And surely if they thinke themselves too good to worship or honour God it is no marvaile that they give no honour or respect unto man who is but his Image at the best when perfect But the Spirit of God teacheth us That every man praying or prophesying having his head covered dishonoureth his head see 1 Cor 11.4 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head for as much as hee is the Image and glory of God vers 7. 9. Ninthly Their spirit teacheth them most prophanely to call the Psalmes of David Davids Rimes and Balads and jeare towards us because wee sing them in meeter Oh prophane spirits But the spirit of God teacheth us to sing them with grace in our hearts unto the Lord and biddeth us If any be merry let him sing Psalmes James 5.13 Coloss 3.16 They know not what it is to speake unto themselves in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs singing and making melody in their hearts unto the Lord see Eph 5.19 No such strangers as they shall intermeddle with the Saints Joy It is too unspeakeable and full of glorie to be communicated unto them Though they sport themselves with their owne deceivings sometimes But it will not reach to such a measure of Joy as to expresse themselves in singing of Psalmes in praise unto God and thankfullnesse of heart as he requireth of us Neither doth any inforce them nor any other till they doe it heartily as unto the Lord yet the Saints are commanded see Psal 30.4 Sing unto the Lord yee Saints of his and give thankes at the remembrance of his holinesse But it is no marvaile at them in this for where is there any ordinance of God but they despise and jeare them and such also as observe and keepe them in sinceritie of heart Which maketh cleare to mee that they have no knowledge of God at all but of a wicked lying malicious spirit that is an enemy unto all goodnesse But I have raked too long in these stinking puddles that are so nautious to the stomackes of all the truely godly as that they will scarce reade them much lesse will they daigne to answer them in every particular accoridng to their folly Save onely in regard that their mouthes must be stopped because they subvert whole houses see Tit 1.11 Yet the holy Ghost biddeth us answer a foole according to his folly least he be wise in his owne conceite So that it is lawfull and a duty also to answer such who are in folly and thinke themselves wise in such their foolishnesse that so if possible at least their conceite of their owne wisdome might be remooved For a man once wise in his owne conceite there is more hope of a foole then of such a man And such I conceive some of the Quakers to be and therefore have little hope of prevailing with them Yet perceiving so many that are counted religious to plead much for them and rather incline to embrace their doctrine being seduced thereby and too much deluded I have taken some paines in searching their bookes to finde out the bottome and tendencie of their doctrines and wayes and practises and the depth of Satan and his enterprises therein that some of them at least might be undeceived and have endeavoured to discover them and make them to appeare in their owne native colours and from whence they come and whither they tend committing the successe and event thereof to the great Lord both of heaven and earth the God of the spirits of all flesh to make it effectuall as it pleaseth him and to take impression on whom he pleaseth according to his infinite wisdome and goodnesse and mercy To whom be for ever ascribed as it is justly due all the honour and glory and power and praise for ever and ever Amen Amen FINIS
supplying of the necessities of the Saints and faithfull and more especially of the Ministers if it may but any way tend to the furtherance and glory of the Gospell of Christ And therefore give mee leave to argue for the furtherance of the Gospell upon this occasion Ar 1. If all that wee have yea our lives and all be due unto God when he calleth for them upon these accounts before named 2. And that hee hath not stinted us to any lesser part than all as sufficiently due and liberall when need requireth 3. And if the primitive examples in giving all they had to the common stocke whiles they did continue to be of one heart and of one minde was spoken of as a commendable thing and that which was but suitable to the professors of the Gospell 4. Nay if it was no more but what the love of God and the love of the brethren did naturally ingage and induce them too least there should be amongst them any that lacked either of the Apostles or brethren 5. Nay if God requireth and expecteth fruit suitable to his tillage And therefore the more free and splendorous and glorious dispensations that God holdeth forth in the dispensation of the Gospell of Christ Even speaking to us by his Sonne whom hee hath made heire of all things and by whom also hee made the worlds see Heb 1 2 3 4. and to the end of the Chapter wherein appeareth that he is our Land-Lord 6. And if wee should give the more earnest heede to the things which wee have heard least at any time wee should let them slip 1 Rea Because if the word spoken by Angells was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward Then wee cannot possibly escape if wee neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witnesse both with signes and wonders and gifts of the holy Ghost according to his owne will see Chap 2.1 2 3 4. 2 Rea Because it is dangerous to refuse him that speaketh from heaven to wit Christ And more dangerous than refusing him that spake on earth to wit Moses see Heb 12.21 3 Rea Because wee ought to consider and to honour and obey the Lord Jesus Christ as the Apostle and high Priest of our profession yea more and rather and that by many degrees above Moses by how much the more hee that buildeth a house hath more honour then the house and as hee that is the Sonne hath more honour then the servant see Chap 3.1.3.6 Nay as hee that hath built all things hath more honour then hee that hath built but some thing see vers 4. 7. And if Christ himselfe hath commanded this manner and measure of love to be found visibly amongst his Disciples That all men might know that wee are his Disciples 8. And if this boundlesse love cannot nor ought not nor never was limited to pay a tenth part nor any under a tenth but that it naturally produceth all if need so require 9. And if wee ought to prove and exemplifie the naturallnesse of our love Conclusion Then without all controversie or peradventure when need so requireth to give a tenth part of that wherewith the Lord hath increased us is but a sparing due in comparison of that which Christ hath commanded when hee commanded it as due First in the Law To love God above all and our neighbour as our selves And secondly when hee commanded such manner of love and such a measure also as hee himselfe had really exemplified and shewed to us And that wee should shew it forth not in word onely but in deed and in truth Not in having of bowells of compassion and shutting them up but in giving of those things that are needfull and convenient and that may expresse our bountifullnesse and not sparing spirits to be really in us Else wee doe not realize the love of God to be dwelling in us see John 3.17 And againe saith hee plainely This is my commandement that yee love one another as I have loved you And greater love then this hath 〈◊〉 then that a man lay downe his life for his friends see John 15.12 13. And againe These things I command you that yee love one another vers 17. And againe as answering an objection which hee foresaw in their minds to wit That if they loved one another and shewed such peculiar love one to another then the world would hate them the more The which he cutteth off clearely as altogether invalid saying If the world doe hate you yee know that it hated mee before it hated you see vers 18. and to the end And give mee leave a little to ingrate upon the spirits of men yea that whoever readeth or heareth these Resolves might consider with mee and so freely acknowledge as sure none can deny but that these very words are the words of Christ and the commands of Christ And therefore as wee doe know them and faithfully beleeve that they are his words Let us take heed yea diligent heed and the more heed also least wee let them slip Even because they are his words whom wee ought to love honour and obey in all things And that not as man onely but as God himselfe And therefore let no excuses serve our turnes like them that heard the Law at first because they could not abide that which was commanded see Heb For wee must abide and obey also what Christ hath commanded wee cannot be excused as the Israelites were For he likewise exemplified what he hath commanded in his owne person and in our nature And therefore whoever he be that will not hearken to the word of God which Christ hath spoken in his name God will require it of him see Deut 18.18 19. And therefore let no man deceive us with vaine words For God is not mocked but wee shall finde that his words are true when all men living on the face of the earth shall be found lyars And these are his words concerning such measure and manner of love as hee requireth of us let us take heed therefore least wee let them slip or least wee finde excuses as if wee will give eare to excuses wee shall finde too many and all but such as will not serve our turne nor cleare our consciences in the sight of God 1. And first beware of giving eare to the Quakers For they tell us if wee can beleeve them that our Ministers are carnall and hirelings and looke onely for gaine from their quarters and much to that purpose as hath been shewed And likewise that all professors are carnall that frequent the Ordinances and have need of the teachings of men or of the Scripture it selfe and that all Ordinances are vaine and uselesse and shall come to nought But doe not beleeve them I hope there hath sufficient proofe been held forth in this little Treatise to prove them