more righteous then if they had kept the Law in their own persons shall more abundantly please God He that beleeveth in Jesus shall be justified from all those things the Law of Moses could not justifie him from Acts 13.38 39. He that beleeveth shall be saved Mark 16.16 This Law of grace was enacted by the councel of heaven and is published in the Gospel this righteousnesse is revealed therein and freely tendred to all that will receive it and in thankfulnesse give up themselves to honour and serve their Surety and Redeemer from the sense and apprehension of this his love upon their hearts 2. On mans part there must be through the mighty operation of the Spirit of Jesus Christ accompanying the preaching of the Gospel the obedience of faith to this Law published The sinner being convinced of his own sin and unrighteousnesse and of the sufficiency and excellency of this righteousnesse of his Surety and the free tenders thereof in the Gospel must come in as with a rope about his neck with Benhadads servants humbly confessing his sinne and unrighteousnesse accepting of Jesus Christ heartily as his Surety and Redeemer taking the gift of his righteousnesse thankfully pleading for pardon justification and life through the same and giving up himself in thankfulnesse to love and serve his Redeemer Now these things being done it 's most easie to understand how this righteousnesse of Jesus Christ may so be ours though not inherent in us that we may be justified by the same how common is it amongst men for the debtor to be discharged of his debt and the bond to be cancelled upon some friends paying the debt for him yea may not thus a Malefactour be acquitted of some bodily punishment to be inflicted if a friend with the consent of the Magistrate shall suffer in his stead In the way of justification sinful man is much debased and hath nothing to glory in himself the grace of God is highly magnified which is Gods great designe in the work of mans redemption by finding out such a way to justifie and save man and we have more full assurance and consolation having now a perfect * It is in respect of Christs perfect righteousness imputed that beleevers are said in Scripture somtimes to be perfect and in respect of uprightness of heart c. but never in respect of any absolute compleat perfection inherent in them compleat righteousnesse to present before God which the best of men could never have found as before was shewed inherent in them even after regeneration and conversion And thus for the clearing up of this great doctrine of Justification From all this that hath been said it is most evident that the Quakers as they have another Man-Christ then him the Scriptures preach and another God then the true God who is one God in three persons so they have another Gospel then that which was preached by the Apostles and hath been received by the Saints and therefore are to be accounted accursed though they should in outward shew and appearance seem Angels from heaven Gal. 1.8 That this doctrine of justification is no enemy to Sanctification and holinesse of life as the Papists have formerly and the Quakers do now charge it shall be shewed fully in the tenth Section where we shall speak of the doctrine of Sanctification and prove the Quakers to be subverters of the same And thus much for the fifth general charge SECT VI. The Quakers deny the Resurrection of the body the last judgement Heaven and Hell IT must be here remembred which was before hinted that it is not the practise of Seducers ever to deny in down-right words the great and fundamental truths revealed in the Scriptures but often whilest they pretend to own the Scripture expressions they pervert and deny the truths themselves this is the most likely way to deceive people Now as this was manifest in many other weighty points before named so is it apparent in these fundamental doctrines of our faith the resurrection of the body the last judgement heaven and hell The Quakers have these in their mouths frequently and will speak of them but they look upon them as transacted in themselves now in a mystery sure it must be a mystery of iniquity and hold no other resurrection judgement heaven and hell but what is now in men As for the resurrection of the dead body they will not deny in words but the body shall rise but if it be asked what body they will reply the body is Christ thus have I been divers times answered by them but not our bodies of flesh bones c. these they say shall never rise again and they ignorantly wrest that Scripture for it 1 Cor. 15.50 Flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdome of God It is known to most in this Town that they have argued publickly against the resurrection of the dead bodie when they have been present at burials and therefore I need not adde further evidence to shew this is their opinion And as for the last judgement Nailer to F. B. p. 10. they have often affirmed Christ is now come in his Saints to judge the world and therefore they take upon them so freely to judge and censure all even such whose faces they have never seen before and they scoff at others that make the day of judgement a thing yet to come and to be at the last day James Nailer love to the lost p. 20. cites that Scripture See Nailer love to the lost p. 44. and 46. Heb. 6.2 where the Apostle speaks of the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgement to defend their judging of men now this is all the judgement they speak of they own not a judgement after the dead bodies of men are raised up again And for heaven and hell they grant no other then what is now in men and indeed this will necessarily follow upon the former opinions for if the body shall never be raised and if the soul be no distinct being from God and is after its departure out of the body to be swallowed up into God and so God to be all in all it 's a vain thing to speak of judgement heaven and hell thus do these wretches pervert these great and fundamental doctrines of the Scriptures and whilest they pretend so much light within them they deny that which the blindest Nations in the world have acknowledged for there is no Nation so barbarous but hath beleeved an heaven and hell a future state of happinesse or misery after this life is done as will appeare more fully by and by For the confirmation of the weak in these weighty points of Christianity let me adde a few things First for the Resurrection of our bodies this being a fundamental doctrine of Religion whereon our hope and comfort doth depend Acts 24.15 1 Cor. 15.16 17 18 19. Heb. 11.36 and which hath much influence into an holy life and conversation Acts 24
sufficiently convince God would have us to heed his word more and try the spirits by that and the grosse and palpable blindnesse of such as want the direction of the Scriptures may shew God is not pleased to use this way of immediate revelations now nor indeed is it the work of God holy Spirit to discover things to us now immediately having already made a full discovery of them in the Scriptures but to open our eyes to see the wonderful things of his Law to apprehend those discoveries of God made in his word and to sanctifie our hearts so as they may close with those truths revealed and rellish them and to remove the natural enmity that is in as to the things of God 3. It hath pleased the Lord of his infinite goodnesse to give his holy Scriptures the Word of God for so now I will call them whether the Quakers will or no that this may be a direction and rule to us of faith and obedience how we are to believe in God and worship and serve him and to direct us to eternal salvation this is a special pledge of Gods love to us though the enemies of truth will not acknowledge it The Lord hath not done so to all Nations neither have the heathen knowledge of his Laws Psalme 147 19 20. and the end of writing them was that we might be directed in our faith and obedience John 20 last These things are written that ye might beleeve c. we are to try the spirits now by them whether they be of God as the noble Bereans did Acts 17.11 we are to go to the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8.20 to search the Scriptures John 5.39 or otherwise we shall be necessarily exposed to errour Matth. 22.29 They are now a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our steps Psal 119.105 and through the words of Gods lips we may be kept from the path of the destroyer Psal 17.4 in a word they are able to make wise to salvation to furnish to all good works they are profitable for doctrine reproof correction instruction in righteousnesse c. 2 Tim. 3.16 17. The Lord accompanying them with the blessing and efficacy of his Spirit And let not any ignorantly pretend it is a disgrace to the Spirit to be tried and regulated by an outward rule for gold may be tryed by a touchstone why may not any doctrine or revelation or practice now though pretended to come from the Spirit be tried by the Scriptures which we are more sure came from the Spirit of God they being a surer word of prophecy then any voice we can heare spoken from heaven 2 Pet. 1.18 19. 4. Now let the weakest Reader if he be not wilfully blinded judg whether these people be not extreamly ingrateful to God for his goodnesse in giving the Scriptures to deny this principal use and end of the Scriptures and whether hereby they declare not themselves enemies thereunto I might shew other uses and ends of the Scriptures that they subvert but this may suffice for this second particular to prove the charge that the Quakers be enemies to the holy Scriptures III. They make Scriptures to be but a declaration of the Saints condition an expression frequently to be found in their writings insinuating thereby as if they belonged not to us now Burroughs p. 30 Glory from North. p. 8 9. but concerned the Saints only in former times for so much its clear they intend by comparing this with the former particular they are the declaration of the Saints conditions in former times but they are no rule of faith and life to us what do they then concern us what need we regard them what benefit have we by them A most unworthy expression when God hath written to us the great things of his word and we account them a strange thing Hosea 8.12 as if they did not at all concern us and the Lord had not spoken those things to us but to others But as it delares their enmity against the Scriptures so is it a very false assertion There be some part of the Scriptures that do more concern us now in these last dayes of the world then they did the Saints in former times as many Prophetick Scriptures in Dauid and the Revelations and for other Scriptures the Apostle faith what ever was written was written for our learning Rom. 15.4 and for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world be come 1 Cor 10.6 11. The example of Christ and his Apostles teaches us to make use of the whole Wood of God they frequently cited the writings of Moses and the Prophets in the book of the Psalmes applying them to that generation why may not we then apply the same as also the writings of the New Testament for our benefit In Heb. 13.5 The Apostle applies that promise made to Joshuah to the beleeving Hebrews I will not have thee nor forsake thee See 1 Cor. 7.1 where the Apostle applies the promises made by the Prophet Jer 31.1 to the Corinthians and presses them to duty from thence and indeed to what end are they written down and by the gracious providence of the Lord preserved to this day but for our use and benefit it 's needlesse to adde more here that which was spoken in the former particular will also clear this IV. They call the Scriptures reproachfully a letter a dead letter c. as may be seen in their writings frequently which is but a piece of Popish Rhetorick for this hath been the language of Papists before them who have called them a dead letter divinity of ink and paper with many more such opprobrious tearms But whether we should beleeve Papists and Quakers in vilifying the Scriptures or credit the holy penmen their commendation of them judge ye David saith The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule the testimonies of the Lord are sure making wise the simple the Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart the Commandments of the Lord are pure enlightning the eyes c. and Psalme 119.50 Thy word hath quickened me The Apostle James 1.18 saith he begot us with the word of truth Paul saith faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's not said by the personal word Jesus Christ but by the word that is preached by men not that we exclude the co-operation of Gods Spirit with preaching for we are workers together with God 2 Cor. 6.1 but that the word written and preached might have it's due place and commendation being mighty through God the power of God to salvation and therefore no dead letter It is a grosse perverting of that Scripture 2 Cor. 3.6 to alledge it for to prove the Scriptures to be a dead letter for the Apostle there compares the doctrine or ministration of the Law and the old Covenant with the ministration of the Gospel Covenant disputing against such as commended the
his last part in the world it 's likely he will use his utmost subtilty in deceiving Our great care therefore should be to preserve our selves from the errours of the wicked and to take heed of the leaven of such seducers how many cautions hath the Scripture given to us herein when Christ had foretold of those seducers Mat. 24. he bids Take heed that no man deceive you and believe them not this being the end of his forewarning us that we might be forearmed against them Heresies are reckoned amongst the fruits of the flesh Gal. 5.20 and are therefore sooner drunk in by people then the precious truths of the Gospel for we cannot receive these without the special help of Gods Spirit to let them in to our hearts how soon did the Arian heresie over-spread the world only one Athanasius visibly withstood it All the world wondered after the Beast and worshipped the same Rev. 13.3 4. Popery soon over-ran the West and North parts of the world and Mahumetanisme the East and South even there where those famous Asian Churches sometimes were seated are now the impure Temples of Mahomet no gangrene sooner over-spreads the natural body then errours and heresies do the Ecclesiastick body 2 Tim. 2.17 What care then should Christians have lest they be infected with the same Adde hereunto these are no lesse deadly to the souls of people then gangrenes or plagues are to their bodies such doctrines eat as doth a canker or gangrene saith the Apostle heresies may prove as damnable to men as moral wickednesse 2 Pet. 2.1 lesser errours indeed men may hold and yet be saved whilest they build upon the right foundation Though they build hay or stubble thereupon they may be saved yet so as by fire 1 Cor. 3 13. their spirits may be scorched their peace and comfort lost but to miscarry in the foundation is damnable who can reckon up the evil consequences of false doctrines they blind the mind and extinguish the true knowledge of God they harden the heart they undermine the comfort of Christians and destroy the Churches peace they mortally infect the inward vitals of Christianity and outwardly deprave the conversation corrupt principles wil at length produce corrupt practises they provoke the Lord to have a controversie with a people where they are tolerated Rev. 2.14 15 20. and will exclude men the Kingdome of heaven Gal. 5.20 21. Let not any Christian therefore look upon the errours and heresies of the times as things of small concernment but make it his great care to be preserved from the infection of them as men do in the time of pestilence to be preserved from the same I shall for the benefit of such humble and sincere Christians as fear the infection of the errours amongst us and are willing to use such preservations against them as the Scriptures afford collect from thence a few antidotes of special use for that end the blessing of the Lord accompanying them Directions showing how Christians may be preserved from the errours and hreresies of the times I. Labour to be rooted and grounded more in the truth if you would not be shaken with every wind of doctrine Col. 1.23 2 Pet. 2.14 it 's ungrounded and unstable Christians who commonly are seduced who never saw on what grounds they took up their Religion but take it on trust from others and then when they meet with such arguments against the truth as they cannot answer they yeild to errour whereas that may be neverthelesse a truth Mat. 22.29 though they cannot defend it therefore search the Scriptures more and labour to see how the principles of the Christian faith are established upon them and be not ashamed to learn your Catechismes wherein you have the fundamentals of Christianity extracted out of the Scriptures and plainly set down even in the Primitive times they had such first principles of the oracles of God Heb. 5.12 and forms of wholsom words 2 Tim. 1.13 for the better grounding of weak Christians and the greatest proficieoâ—â— did first begin there and therein are contained such truths as may exercise us in searching further into all our life time Luther that eminent servant of Christ professed himself a Scholar in the Catechisme Had the Quakers ever been well grounded in the first principles or rudiments of Religion how is it possible they should so soon have been turned from the truth and denyed the doctrine of Christs humanity of the holy Trinity of Justification of Sanctification of the resurrection of the dead c for my part I know but few of them if any that I can judge ever had any clear distinct knowledge of these things and could tell how they were confirmed by the Scriptures Let therefore weak Christians if they would not be seduced use this direction conscionably give diligence to be setled more in the truth and to get a clear knowledge of the great doctrines of the Gospel such things as be fundamental and necessary to be known unto Salvation are clearly set down in Scripture that weak Christians if they study them with humility prayer and diligence may attain the understanding of them as for more difficult points that they cannot yet comprehend let them not too much be troubled about them but waite till God reveale the same unto them and in the meantime it s far safer for them to adhere in such things to what is commonly received by the people of God and embraced by the Saints in all ages Cant. 1.8 to follow the footsteps of the flock of Christ then to be led away by pretenders to new-light the Scriptures having given so many Cautions to beware of seducers in the last times This first direction is given by the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.17 18. Beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your stedfastnesse but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ II. Rest not in a notional embracing of the truth but receive it with love and obedience and labour to finde your hearts bettered therby and then you shall not so soon be induced to desert the truth and embrace errours when men receive not the truth with love they are soon brought to beleeve lies 2 Thes 2.10 but when men taste the sweetnesse of the wayes of God and are in love with Gospel truths for that goodnesse they find in them they will hold them fast such as have experimented the efficacy of the doctrines of faith changing and renuing their hearts quickning their spirits pacifying and comforting their consciences and quelling their corruptions will not be easily induced to exchange them for errours but it 's those that never found those benefits by the same that so soon part therewithal Let therefore the truths of Christ dwell in your hearts and season them as leaven labour to finde your hearts molded by the same and changed into the image of truth the more you grow in grace the more
and light of reason unto man Now this light of reason though it be an excellent gift of Christ for by it man excels other creatures yet to distinguish it from that special illumination of Gods Spirit in conversion and regeneration we call it the light of nature gifts of nature as well as of grace being from God and in themselves good And the Scriptures give the same name unto it 1 Cor. 11.14 that light in men that condemns long hair is called nature and that light and power whereby the Gentiles who had not the Law of Moses did the things contained therein is called nature Rom. 2.14 how vainly then do these men cavil against us for calling this the light of nature seeing the Scriptures stile it so as well as we Secondly This common light of understanding and reason with which all men in the world be endued called the light of nature because connatural with man is not sufficient to enlighten men unto conversion and salvation unless an higher and supernatural light be communicated to them this hath been formerly maintained against Papists and Pelagians the enemies of Gods grace and I maintain it against the Quakers by these reasons 1 Constant experience shews it evidently amongst those Nations who have had no other light but that in the conscience and wanted the preaching of the Gospel and saving illumination of Gods Spirit not one amongst them was ever known by that light in them to have attained to the knowledge of Jesus Christ without which there is no salvation the very Name of Christ they have been ignorant of much more ignorant of the mysteries of his incarnation death satisfaction of the new Covenant founded in his blood c. but they have worshipped false gods devils c. how then is this light sufficient which never sufficeth to convert and save any one to this day 2 The Scriptures shew in many places the miserable condition of such people as have not the preaching of the Gospel amongst them they are in darknesse and the shadow of death Mat. 4.16 under the power of Satan Act. 26.18 without God without Christ without Hope Eph. 2.11 and they cannot beleeve in Christ without hearing of him by a preacher sent Rom. 10.16 Sure then the heeding of the light in the conscience was not sufficient to their Sanctification and Salvation 3 Let it be considered what knowledge in the things of God men may attain by the light in their consciences and what they cannot attain without an higher light and hereby the insufficiency of this light will plainly appear The Apostle Rom. 1.19 shews that there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heathens that want the preaching of the Gospel something of God they may know from an impression upon their hearts remaining after the fall When an enemy demolishes a City some foundations of houses remain so some relicks of knowledge and principles of good remain in man after the ruines of Gods image in him and he may improve this knowledge further by the works of God which are seen and may know there is a God that this God is a powerful wise holy merciful just God that he is to be worshipped feared loved and served by man that grosse sins are not to be committed so far may this light in every man guide him as appears in the very Heathens who had no other helps but this common light but alas this is far off from bringing men to conversion and salvation this knowledge of God is but dark groping knowledge they had no clear distinct knowledge of God to know him One in three could not discern the least knowledge of Jesus Christ come in the flesh dying rising again c. nor of the new Covenant of the benefits obtained by his blood could not know the Ordinances of Gods worship instituted by him nor the duty of believing in Christ for salvation and for sinne they could not discerne concupiscence to be sin by the light in them but only by the Law Rom. 7.7 how insufficient then is the light in the conscience to lead men unto conversion and salvation Object But the Quakers have objected to me if they heed this light God will give them further for to him that hath shall be given Mat. 25.29 Answ This is an Objection borrowed from the Papists and other enemies of Gods grace who have frequently perverted this Scripture to overthrow special grace in conversion and therefore the answer that hath been given to them may serve the Quakers That promise of Christ there made to the improvement of our talents doth not speak of an increase in another kinde but in the same kinde of gifts which we improve he that shall improve Ministerial gifts of which Christ there speaks shall have further Ministerial gifts given to him not that he which improves common and general gifts shall have saving converting grace given to him the contrary we see by manifest experience in those Heathens who have improved best that common talent in searching after the knowledge of God and following moral vertues God hath left them wholly without the knowledge of Jesus Christ and hath called some more prophane and barbarous therefore the Scriptures attribute mens effectual calling and conversion to Gods free grace and good pleasure not to mans improvement of a common talent given to him Mat. 11 26. Rom. 9.16 Besides this objection is grounded upon another rotten Romish doctrine to wit that men before conversion and regeneration have power to improve the common light and grace they have so as to obtaine of God special and saving grace a doctrine as contrary to the Scriptures and derogatory to Gods grace as the former 4 It is clear this light in all men is not sufficient to lead men unto salvation because those that have been most zealous followers thereof have been lead thereby further from God and the way of salvation they have indeed been something eminent in morality and civil conversation but further off from Christianity then others Saul before his conversion following it was blamelesse in a moral conversation but a bitter enemy to Christ this light leads some to think they do God good service in persecuting his servants and how wretchedly some have been deluded that leaving the light of the Scriptures have heeded this light in them appears sufficiently by the relations of Gilpin Toldervy and others Thirdly we therefore maintain besides the common light that God hath given to all a necessity of special illumination by the Word and Spirit of God unto conversion and salvation Christ teaches us John 3. Except we be regenerate and borne again we cannot see the Kingdom of God therefore sure what we have at the first birth as we come into the world suffices not Acts 26.18 Christ sends Paul to open the eyes of the blind and turn men from Satan to God by his preaching what need that if they had before a light in them sufficient to salvation Psalme 119.