God are known for Sin which they shake off on another mistaken Account and in this Mystery the Devil works most subtilly and vigorously against the Light of Christ within and its True and Holy Birth § 3. But says he How Know God's Omnipotency experimentally Very well say I against the Folly of this cavilling Priest Experience is Demonstration and the World without and the Redemption I know within which no Power but what is Almighty could ever have effected make up that Demonstration which is that Experience therefore I only know God's Omnipotency by Experience § 4. But is it thus that you know Christ died that there shall be a Judgment and an Immortality I answer not altogether thus One Part is Matter of Story and is believed first Historically upon the Credit of History and then upon the Account of Inward Conviction too The other is Knowable only upon Experience For we feel in our selves Rewards and Punishments for Good and Evil in this Life and receive them as Earnests of what will attend Man-kind in the next And we have an inward Sence of a never dying Life which as we are Gather'd into it and Grow up in it we shall Inherit Eternal Felicity and as there is an Erring from that Holy Spirit of Life the Wages of such Rebellion will be the direful Portion of Death and Misery to every Soul forever § 5. Nor does this clash with Faith whatever the Priest would suggest For Faith is a believing in or relying upon God with respect to a further Knowledge and Enjoyment of him which no wayes impugnes or withstands a Knowledge of God upon Experience so far as Men do experience wherein they simply believe they do not yet so perfectly experience which ends Faith yet it abides certain that when they do experience that further Revelation of the Goodness and Mercy and Riches of the Love of God as the End of their Faith then and not before they may be said to know those things Why then should we be denyed to conclude and that most rightly that to Know and to Experience are equivalent Terms No Knowledge without Experience no Experience without Knowledge And though Men may believe in a further Enjoyment of what they now have but an Earnest of yet that as such they know not consequently they experience it not And so much this insolent Vilifier of that serious Expression confesseth to us and disputes for as he thinks against us when he sayes where is Faith all the while and if none but Believers be Saints such as W. P. are professedly none Since then my Affirming no Knowledge of God without Experience strikes not at Faith because Faith says our Adversary is not a clear knowing but believing or relying upon God as to things not yet clearly known and enjoyed what has the Man been a doing all the while But here was his shameful Mistake and Contradiction That Knowing and Believing are one and the same thing and this I will make appear from his own Words and a Contradiction to himself at the End of it § 6. He quarrels my affirming all Knowledge to rest upon Experience and opposes to it this question Can we experience his Omnipotency as much as to say yet we know it else he queries impertinently If so then that God's Omnipotency may be known and not Experienced the purport of his Query it must be only by Faith and if by Faith then a Man may certainly know any thing to be what it is and yet at the same time only believe it to be so which he as earnestly withstands when he asks Where is Faith all the while c. I would then sain be resolv'd whether that Man suppose J. Faldo who says that Knowing and Believing are One and Knowing and Experiencing are Contraries be more ridiculous or W. P. who affirms that Faith which stricktly taken is but an Evidence of things not yet clearly seen experienc'd or known and Knowing are not one and the same thing and that experiencing and knowing can never be Contraries § 7. I would advise this Priest to be less conceited and better grounded the next time he has to do with us for even in those places where he seems most Insulting he appeares most Weak Reader what we experience we know and from hence are taught to believe that Fulness to be in God which we can never comprehensively Know so that our Knowing God from Experience does not weaken Faith but as Enjoyment is the End of Faith so from thence great Encouragement is to be taken to press on from Faith to Faith till there is an Arriving at the Measure of the Stature of the Fulness of Christ But he leaves not off here § 8. I shall not Comment on his ravening comprehending Brain a most affected Pharisee among the Quakers nor his clear Mysteries as clear a Contradiction as it is nor Fleshly Comprehensions as much Untruth and Non-sense as according to their Meaning of it it Comprehends for I have not Room to spread all his Rubbish I wonder not at his course Usage of me 't is like a Man of his Breeding Fury and Profession there is abundantly more yet behind some of which will be observ'd in a more proper place But to reply Ravening is a most proper Word and due to J. Faldo with his whole Tribe of Priests and if he will Raving too some few more moderate ones excepted for we commonly understand by a Ravenous Dog one that is Greedy Sharp-set that hunts hard for Prey that snatches and ketches at every thing it likes or may answer his hungry Appetite now whether this may relate to that greedy pursuit of the Priests after Hire the Bason the Box the Purse or that insatiable Thirst they have after Knowledge of those Religious Matters which were the dear-bought Experiences of ancient Saints whilst Strangers to the Fiery and Refining Judgments of the Lord through which alone it is obtained certain it is that the Word is most aptly used by the Quakers against that Ravenous Generation § 9. Comprehending Brain is compassing or mastering of any thing in the Understanding and where People are more studious to fill their Heads with Knowledge then to adorn their Hearts with Righteousness we use those Words in a way of Reproof Since having learnt of God what we know of him through the Operation of his Light in our Consciences it is our Testimony and our work in the World to beat down that Thirsting Spirit after much Head-Knowledge and press all to the continual Observance of an humble and constant Obedience to the Grace of God manifested in their Hearts that teacheth to deny all Ungodliness and Worldy Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godlikely in this present Evil World which is the Undefiled Religion Nor his Clear Mysteries as clear a Contradiction as it is It was not Clear but Clean in my Copy which I suppose I can produce and has been so corrected by me Ingenuous Men
serve thee with all Sincerity for the Truth 's sake as it is in Jesus William Penn. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. THE Introduction Our Adversary's Definition of Christianity Defective True Christianity stated Quakerism mistaken by him It is prov'd True Christianity and a Quaker a Right Christian Page 1. CHAP. II. How Christianity was introduc'd it hurts not the Quakers The Question is not of Christ's Visible Coming that is Owned by them Nor is their Religion a New One from that of Christianity but the Recovery of Lost Primitive Christianity since the Reign of Anti-Christ in the World That Quakerism as call'd made its Way by Purity Sorrow and Rejoycing as well as Christianity The Priest's Vilifying Expressions Rebuk'd That the Distinct Times of their Appearance is no Argument against their Harmony or being but Two Words for the same Thing since the same Truth may appear at Two distinct Ages of the World It would strike out J. Faldo as well as the Quakers if the Contrary were admitted That he grosly Contradicts himself as to Time Christianity has more or less been in the World where Godly Men and Women have been as well before as since that Appearance We intend no New Dispensation but the Renewed Revelation of the same Power which is the True Gospel p. 11. CHAP. III. J. Faldo's Charge That the Scriptures are not the Word of God Reasons for it The Scriptures by him urg'd against us clear'd and prov'd to be for us They are the Words of the Word a Declaration of the great Law Word or Commandment but not that Law Word or Commandment p. 24. CHAP. IV. His Charge What he quotes proves it not Revelation Infallibility and Inspiration consider'd The Priest prov'd Uncertain of his own Faith Our Friends debase not the Scripture but Lift them up His Objection about our Books Titles answer'd The Use of Scripture asserted The Light vindicated from Insufficiency Something of the True Rule p. 32. CHAP. V. The Charge Stated not Proved The Scriptures not the most Excellent nor only General Rule God may speak by Instruments The Instruments not the Rule but that which useth them That the Scriptures being Obligatory does not conclude it the General Rule under the Gospel The Dis-ingenuity of our Adversary in citing the Apostle's Words Reprehended The Scriptures no Judge in that sense wherein they are not the General Rule The Scriptures Confest to p. 52. CHAP. VI. We deny the Charge His Proof no Proof but against himself We Own Believe and desire to Obey the Scriptures they afford Comfort and are as Lights in the World but not that True Light The Light and Spirit Superior to them p. 63. CHAP. VII Commands upon Conviction to be obeyed All General Commands Obligatory Particular not but upon particular Commission Our Adversary's Dis-ingenuity The Scriptures a Means by which God may be known but not the Principle p. 70. CHAP. VIII His Charge of our Denying the Scriptures any Means by which God doth enable Men to resist Temptations And that we say they are Dangerous to be read rejected His Proofs lame The Scriptures are believed to be a Means c. The true Knowledge of them Divine No Knowledge of Divine Things but upon Experience It does not destroy Faith W. Penn's Words safe and sound The Priest a meer Shuffler Learning a Servant to Truth Christ the Word of God Faith by our Adversary preferred before Scripture The Scriptures ought to be Read Believed and Obey'd p. 76. CHAP. IX That we do not put the Scripture and Holy Spirit in Opposition The Wickedness of the Priest in his Proof They accord and we acquiesce in their Testimony We do not say that they are not to be obeyed without extraordinary Apostolical Revelation as basely suggested His Proof fictitious and forged Such only are by us deny'd as are only Literal Formal Christians The Scriptures own'd and believ'd in by us according as they testifie of themselves p. 91. CHAP. X. He chargeth us with a Denial of all the Ordinances of the Gospel First in general then in particular His Proof of the first Invalid His great Dis-ingenuity in wresting our Words especially I. Pennington's p. 102. CHAP. XI The first of the particular Ordinances he says we deny is the Ministry His Proof lame W. P. and his Friends defended J. F. and his Gang Reproveable We own a Gospel one but not his The Calling abused by such Pretenders p. 105. CHAP. XII The Second particular Ordinance is a Gospel-Church His Definition for us by its gross Contrariety to the Scripture His base Inference of our Denial of Religious Societies and Outward Gifts from our Friends asserting of but one Catholick Church and that it is in God A Gospel-Church owned Our Adversary proved Heterodox about Apostolical Preaching Inward Sence preferr'd before Intelligence p. 112. CHAP. XIII We deny Preaching says he His Dis-ingenuity in stating our Principles We hold and practise true Gospel-Preaching No Difference between what the Light teacheth and the Scripture Our Gospel is Peace Our Adversary's is War c. True Preaching Converts our Adversary's not p. 117. CHAP. XIV His Charge of our Denial of Gospel-Prayer inverted The Prayer he pleads for Anti-Gospel True Prayer stated asserted and defended with plainness from Scripture and Reason That as well in Families as Meetings and at Meals as both False Worship detestable to God All False wherein God's Spirit is not the first and Chief Mover and Assister The Subtility of Satan in putting upon unacceptable Prayer to prevent true Prayer p. 121. CHAP. XV. His Charge of our Denial of Baptism and the Sacraments introduc'd with a Discourse of positive Commands Destructive of the Foundation of Religion The Priest against God Scripture and Reason He confounds himself Baptism of Water prov'd John's and not to continue Mat. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 1. 17. Ephes 4. 5. cleared and vindicated The One Spiritual Baptism defended p. 129. CHAP. XVI The Supper he says we deny not denyed but fulfill'd The Scriptures consulted No Perpetuity proved That it was a Sign and that Signs were done away in Christ demonstrated The present Practice in the Case not Primitive Our Faith left with God in the Matter p. 141. CHAP. XVII His Charge of our Denying Christ's Transactions to influence into our Justification consider'd His Proofs not for him His Abuse of our Friends words Justification distinguished upon as Remission and as daily Acceptance The Transactions of Christ largely own'd by us The Scriptures confirm our Faith in Christ as a general and particular Saviour No Works of Man Meritorious p. 147. CHAP. XVIII He says we disown the True Christ It is prov'd that He denies in Contradiction to himself what we deny and that we are Scriptural and sound in our Belief And though we cannot exclude that Divinity from the true Christ Yet we also own that the true Christ took Flesh that he appeared for the Salvation of Mankind and that his Bodily Appearance was instrumental in the Point Christ
Nature of a Light unless to acknowledge their Testimonies to be as Lights be to deny them to have any Light at all Is this the great Originalian Linguist Critick Philosopher and what else his own conceit will have him What is it but to say that six burning Candles are six Lights but not that they give a Light either joyntly or separately But 't is below us to pursue every Advantage his Ignorance gives us I find him more in Words then Matter a great deal and I suppose more are of that Mind or else what means his great Pains to be made waste paper of already Quakerism no Christianity has exchang'd the Book-Sellers Stalls for the Tobacco Shops Poor Man perhaps he will write another Book to complain of the Deadness of Professors Hearts that they make so ill Use of the Labours of painful Ministers I am confident nothing but his Fear of loosing by it could divert him from such a Lamentation But to his Reflection upon the Light as our Idol and their Folly who attend upon the Scriptures when they have so excellent a Light in their own Bosomes the Substance of the rest of the Chapter I thus return God is that Light which hath enlightned Mankind and to have the highest Reverence for him and believe in him can be therefore no Idolatry And for the Scripture all grant that there is a State above them For I hope the Man does not think that People shall have Bibles in Heaven and the more any approach to the heavenly Life and Glory the less need there will be and yet not the less value of them But this we also say that they are profitable for Instruction and Comfort in this World And God hath spoke does and yet will by the Scriptures speak to the Consciences of Men For being given forth by the Spirit of God they do declare that Reproof Exhortation and those Promises which being felt in some Sence of the same Divine Light do administer Knowledge and Refreshment But we do also and again declare it as our Faith that the Pouring out of the Spirit is a Gospel Priviledge yea the very proper and peculiar Promise and Blessing of the Father in that State and that as the Spirit is superior to the Letter so we earnestly contend not against the Scripture but for that Living Experimental Knowledge of them which all witness who are truly taught and led by the Spirit and which can't be obtained by any meer Writings whatsoever Nor does it follow that because God has given a sufficient Light therefore all other Means should be superfluous Certain I am this Argument is fitter for Bedlam then one who more then once Vaunts himself to be a Critick indeed a Quibler For what is it but to say that though every Man has Reason enough in him to know that Intemperance is below a very Brute yet because he is Intemperate his Reason is not sufficient to inform him better Or if it be sufficient he ought to despise anothers Admonitions however seasonable his Reason being enough to his Information Was Nathan of no use to David who had so secret and sufficient a Teacher And here I do observe that all our Opposers split themselves and will forever unless better inform'd They ignorantly or basely infer a Fallibility or Insufficiency to be in the Light from the Fallibility and Rebellion of those Persons whom we say are lightned by it And on the Contrary hand that all should be necessarily Infallible who are Inlightned by an Infallible Light not considering that neither is the Grace of God Insufficient to Save because Men refuse to be Saved by it nor though it be sufficient and Infallible in it self that therefore all those to whom it is tender'd are sav'd or therefore are Infallible without any Consideration had to their Obedience How False How Injurious How almost Unpardonable is this Priest then Who seems to charge us with believing that all Power in Heaven and in Earth is in every Particular Man because sayes he this Light in every one is God Christ Spirit c. For though we confess that as to every individual Person all the Power which is requir'd to redeem that Soul from the Pollutions of the World unto the pure and undefiled Religion is in that Divine Principle which with respect to the great Darkness of the World is very aptly denominated Light yet that therefore the whole Light and Power of it should be comprehended by or contained in every Individual Soul I utterly Renounce as no Consequence of our Doctrine For that were to say in every Room where the Sun shines there is a distinct Sun These are but some of the Priests old Bulbeggars to scare the Simple and they will at last do as much for their Inventors It shall suffice us 1 that though the Light shines not alike into all habitable Places yet the same Light by Nature shines into all such Places For illustration only If a Man has six Rooms expos'd to the Sun there may be more Light in some one then another yet not therefore another Sun or Light 2 If People refuse to see by it it implies no Deficiency in the Light but argues manifest Rebellion in the Party 3 That whatever Means it may please God to use to stir up Men to observe obey the Light they withstand they ought not to be thought superfluous or the Light therefore Insufficient 4 That all such Means as can be effectual proceed from that Divine Principle in others and with Design of turning the Rebellious to the Grace which they resist in themselves So notwithstanding the Quakers do own and assert the Spirit to be Superiour to the Scriptures especially in this Administration yet they do not deny the Scripture all Service or Benefit by no means but believe it ought to be Read Believ'd Honour'd and Obey'd as that by which God has doth and may yet reach to the Hearts and Consciences of People And to the Righteous Lord God of Heaven and Earth do we make our Appeal in this Matter against the Unrighteous Dealing of this traducing Priest who is the Searcher of the Hearts of all Men. CHAP. VII Commands upon Conviction to be obey'd All General Commands Obligatory Particular not but upon particular Commission Our Adversaries Disingenuity The Scriptures a Means by which God may be known but not the Principle § 1. THough indeed we need not concern our selves any further in this Subject after the Disproof of his Premisses namely that because the Quakers Deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God therefore they deny them to all Intents and Purposes much less that we should esteem our selves oblieged to consider what remains after such plentiful Confutation being but Consequences of the Priests drawing from his own False Assertions already enervated or a mistaken Understanding of ours plainly discover'd and which indeed seems both to resemble and follow the old way of two and twentiethly Beloved to
to be God are not like to be much the wiser for what they read This cuts off all Hopes of J. Faldo's being wiser for I suppose he read what he writ as blind as he is However for the sake of others I will endeavour to reconcile this seeming Contrariety In the first Passage he grants that within Man was not mentioned and by his Silence I suppose I may conclude it Orthodox For no Man that believes Scripture will dare to deny that God is Light That every Man is enlightned by Him and that by Him who is call'd Light all things are upheld and that He alone is Saviour A Doctrine J. Faldo teaches pag. 84. 85 89. To the other Scraps of Matter I answer That we never did do nor shall assert the God that made Heaven and Earth to be comprehendable within the Soul of Man No it is more impossible then that the Sun in the Firmament could be contain'd within the Body of any individual Person But that God who is the great Sun of Righteousness doth as truly cause his Light Spiritual to arise upon the Souls of Men as his Sun Natural upon their Bodies and as what Knowledge we have of the Natural Sun is by its Light Operations and Effects upon the World so our Knowledge of the Eternal Sun of Righteousness God who is Light and in whom is no Darkness at all is only and alone by his Divine Light Operations and Effects in and upon our Understandings and Consciences so that when we say that the Light is within any we do not intend the whole Being of Light nor was it in this gross sense that G. Fox the Younger ever meant it But that He who is the Eternal Fountain of all Life and Sun of Light causeth his Light to visit the Hearts and shine into the Consciences of all Mankind as well of such as Rebel against it and scorn it to reprove them as those who Receive it and gladly submit to it to direct and justifie them Wherefore we utterly deny that the Manifestation in Man strictly consider'd is the most-high God but a Manifestation of or from God by the Inshinings of his blessed Light And we cannot be said to Worship the Manifestation but that Eternal God which is Light that is thereby manifested and all Worship otherwise founded is not of God nor pleasing to him but of the Invention of Men which he will confound and this Scripture and Reason are ready to defend Scorning the Light in them and not owning the Light in them by our Adversary so strongly insisted upon is no more then scorning and disowning him who is the Light that shines in them and that gives Light to them What very vanity then is all his Boast And how does his Charge retort upon himself But that we may send it quite back to the Pit from whence it came le ts hear how he proves our Belief of the Soul to be God which he begins to do with no small Shew of Assurance that he shall cleaverly compass his End § 2. Every Man has that which is one in Union and like the Spirit of Christ even as good as the Spirit of Christ according to its measure E. Burroughs True Faith c. And what 's this to the Purpose Can any Man be so stupid as to think that E. Burrough ever intended the Soul of Man that purely simply constitutes him such For he is speaking of that Universal Grace Light and Spirit which God has given unto all whereby they may be led to Eternal Felicity And unless he will say that a Measure of the Holy Spirit a Scripture-Phrase which God hath given to every Man to profit with is not in Union with Christ nor as Good in Kind as the Spirit of Christ which our Adversary sayes is God it will evidently follow that what E. B. writes is found and Scriptural however this makes nothing for our Adversaries present Charge But he ends not with him Now my Soul and Spirit is center'd in its own Being with God and this Form of Person must return from whence it was taken F Howgil Test of E. B. This Expression is deliver'd to us by Francis Howgil as Edward Burorghs's a little before his Departure in that sensible Testimony he gave to the late Life Labours and Death of that worthy painful effectual Labourer and his Companion in the Gospel of Jesus But to help J. Faldo's Intellects that they may no more look asquint upon such weighty dying Words Let him know that E. B. spoke not of God as his Souls Being by Nature or as of that very Being for so the Soul would be God indeed and yet subject to all those Pollutions and Punishments which do and will attend Wicked Men Blasphemy with a Witness but God as that Being which by Regeneration the New Nature and Spirit of Adoption all the Righteous Souls are gather'd too and center'd in as their Everlasting Habitation and Life Eternal The World may perceive with ease at what rate and what Tearmes J. Faldo swaggers over the Quakers But let him boast that puts off his Armour § 3 The next Person he singles out is G. Fox thus answering a Priest But God and Christ is in the Saints and dwells in them and he the Priest is a Reprobate and out of the Apostles Doctrin Great Myst pag. 16. I perceive J. Faldo will rather quarrel Scripture when he meets it in a Quaker's Book then not have something against them But certainly if that be the Way to prove that we believe the Soul is God to wit that God and Christ are in the Saints what will become of the Scriptures Will they escape J. Falao's heavy Censures who say That Christ is in his Saints the Hope of Glory I in them and they in me The Tabernacle of God is with Men and he will dwell in them Must every thing that is in another be necessarily of that in which it is But I hope his Heat being abated he may discern the Weakness of his Attempts against us To proceed I. Pennington he also brings in to make good his Charge How serviceable he may prove will better appear when we have examin'd the Passage That which the Lord from Heaven begetteth of his own Image and Likeness of his own Substance of his own Seed of his own Spirit and pure Life Quest 27. But J. Faldo has mist his Aim and mistaken his Man For I. P. is not now speaking of the Soul of Man simply consider'd but of that Divine Life Nature Image and Birth that God by his Word of Life creates or begets in the Souls of those who once lived not to God but themselves bearing the Image of the Earthly and do turn at his Reproof to walk in the Way of Life This will not move the Business one Jot further on the behalf of our Enemies Charge § 4. We will close this Point with a Passage out of Samuel Fisher's
the readiest nay the only Right Way to come to true Faith in Christ as he then appear'd and to receive any Benefit by him And it is not another then that Blessed Light Power Wisdom and Eternal Righteousness who then appeared by whom we have received any true Spiritual Benefit How then can our ascribing particular Salvation in this Age to him who thus now appears to our Souls render him no Saviour in that or invalidate his then Appearance whose Doctrine pierc'd whose Life preach'd whose Miracles astonish'd whose Blood atton'd and whose Death and Resurrection confirm'd his then Manifestation to be no less then God who is Light manifested in the Flesh Priest The Quakers set up Works and Meriting by Works like the Papists Whereby Faith in Christ is layd aside Quaker We say That True Faith in Christ cannot be without Works no more then a Body can live without a Spirit Nay by the Comparison if they were separable Works being compared to the Spirit would have the better The very Believing of any is an Act of the Mind and therefore a Work to God and no sooner is that Faith begotten but it falls to Working which is both the Nature and End of it Nor do we say that our very best Works proceeding from True Faith it self can merit No nor Faith joyn'd with them All that Man is capable of Believing or Performing can never merit There can be no Proportion as there must be in Merit between the best Faith and Works of three score and ten and Eternal Felicity Wherefore all that Man can do even with the Assistance of the Holy Spirit can never so merit but that Right Faith and Good Works which will follow it may and do obtain that blessed Immortality it pleaseth Almighty God to give and priviledge the Sons of Men with who perform that necessary Condition and that we groundedly and therefore boldly affirm So that we deny all Merit from the best of Works especially by such as the Papists are wont to conceive Meritorious But as we on the one Hand do stifly deny them so neither can we joyn with that lazy Faith which works not Let not Good Works make Men Papists because they make Men Christians I am sure Believing and not Working and conceiving a Salvation from Wrath where there is no Salvation from Sin the Cause of it is no whit less un-scriptural and abundantly more Pernicious and Damnable Blessed is He that hears the Word of God and does it The Blessing is to the Doer Priest They acknowledge no Resurrection nor Rewards to come Quaker In this also are we greatly abused We deny not the Resurrection but are cautious in expressing the Manner Are People angry with us for not Believing or Asserting what is Hidden and they know not themselves THOU FOOL is to the Inquirer We shall be contented with that Body God will please to give us and think it to be both our Duty and Wisdom to acquiesce in that For Eternal Rewards we not only own them but above all People have the greatest Reason so to do for otherwise who so Miserable Do we inherit the Reproach and Suffering of all that have separated from time to time That is Are the Out-crys that have been against the Protestants by the Papists and theirs against Puritans Brownists and other Separatists fallen upon us And shall we hold Principles inconsistent with an Eternal Recompence of Reward By no means It is our Faith and the contrary both a Malicious and Foolish Suggestion of our Adversaries J. Faldo's KEY Prov'd Defective I Was not willing J. Faldo's Key should go wholy Unconsider'd The greatest Part of which I here publickly acknowledge to have done us such Right that if his Explanation of many of our Words be not True I am not asham'd to pronounce that the Scriptures must be False so agreable to and consonant with Scripture has he spoken on our behalf And not only with Scripture but that Sense of it too which the Best Wisest and most Learned both of the Fathers and first Reformers have unanimously had and on which Foundation in some measure both Puritans and Brownists began their Building Low Meek Spiritual and Plain as is yet well remembred But how grosly he has mis-represented us in other Parts that the True may not give Credit to the False with any I will observe a few with what Brevity I may J. Faldo pag. 62. ASSEMBLING says he Meeting in Spirit W. Penn. This is not Ingenuous For with such as know us not nor our Practice it insinuates a Denial of Publick Worship which we ever own'd and hope shall to the End It is well known who have most shrunk from that Testimony And if J. Faldo means that they do not Worship in Spirit because he makes it Criminal in us we have Reason to say He and They are no Gospel-Worshippers For People must either worship in or out of God's Spirit If out of his Spirit then no Worship in Spirit and Truth but the Device of their own Hearts If in the Spirit then the Quakers assemble as they should do and J. Faldo is to be rebuk'd for little better then an Upstart Scoffer at Assembling in Spirit The once avowed Principle of the Ancient Brownists now call'd Independents J. F. pag. 69. THE WILL OF THE FLESH says he All that is chosen by Man though he be thereby disposed by the Will of God revealed in the Scripture W. P. This is false Many things may be and are daily chosen by Man that is not in the Will of the Flesh nor by his own Will much less when any should be disposed thereto by the Will of God revealed in the Scripture An Abominable Untruth and so Notorious that I need say no more only Challenge him to produce any of us in Proof of his Exposition if he can otherwise he hath Slandered us and our Principles For the Will of the Flesh is that which is quite contrary to God and inconsistant with the Good of the Creature J. F. pag. 69. STATE OF GLORY says he The State of Peace and Joy resulting from the Witness of the Light within in this Life W. P. It is true That Glory is revealed from Faith to Faith in this Life But to stint the State of Glory to the Peace and Joy of this Life only may justifie his wrong Opinion of us that we deny Rewards to come but it cuts off from our stedfast Faith in an Everlasting Mansion of Glory and Blessedness which from the Light within to all who obey it shall spring as a River and flow as an Inexhaustable Fountain And J. Faldo shall never know true Peace another way That is the Word of the Lord to him J. F. pag. 70. PREACHING FOR HIRE HIRELINGS says he to have a Provision for the Outward Man as a Maintenance for Preaching though no Bargain be made yea though such who receive it would Preach if they had never a Penny Reward in this World from
and none such had ever yet come to my hand But upon my sober Perusal of the Matter I found this to be the Upshot That the Quakers Deny them to be the Word of God therefore they deny them altogether Whence I take good Heart to show his Ignorance or great Dishonesty § 3. I will allow to him without going any farther that the People called Quakers do deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God and therefore shall take for granted what he quotes out of J. N. F. Howgil J. Parnel and W. Smith But that we do consequently Deny the Scriptures we shall oppose we hope to the Death § 4. I do declare to the whole World that We believe the Scriptures to contain a Declaration of the Mind and Will of God in and to those Ages in which they were written being given forth by the Holy Ghost moving in the Hearts of holy Men of God That they ought also to be Believed Read and Fulfill'd in our Day being Useful for Reproof and Instruction that the Man of God may be perfect And that they have been and are Instrumental to great Good upon the Spirits of People by the secret Power of God which often strikes and presseth home to the very Conscience the weighty Truths declar'd therein yet We do Deny them to be the Word of God ascribing that alone to Christ himself and that not without Scripture and Reason § 5. First It is granted on all hands that Christ is expresly called in Scripture the Word of God but no where that the Scriptures are so styled Secondly That though I should allow it to be a Figurative Expression and therefore says our Adversary Improper yet because a Word among Men conveyes the Mind of one unto another and that Christ is the great Word of God that in all Ages hath convey'd or spoken the Mind of God unto Mankind and so the Author of all good Words he only may by way of Right and Excellency be so styl'd of Us. Thirdly I shall easily grant to him that one Word may stand representative of many and that the Ten Words were not Ten Numerical Words because each Word contained many yet this I will say that Word in Scripture is taken for Commandment and they have an equivalent Signification as in Deuteronomy may be seen And since that was the Import of the Ten Words to wit Ten Commandments each Word has its own Commandment Therefore it is no more against us to allow those Ten Words to be more then Ten Words then Ten Commandments to have more then Ten Words And whatever our Adversaries may say or think of us We therefore Decline to call the Scriptures the Word of God because we believe It to be a Title only due to that Living Quickning Word by which God vouchsafes to disclose his Mind and Will unto Man-kind Christ the Way to the Father § 6. But sayes our Adversary to this Argument The Word was God therefore the Scriptures cannot be the Word because they are not God Let me tell you that the Scripture may be the Word and Christ the Word also and yet though Christ be the Word of God the Scriptures the Word may be quite another thing Certain I am this is quite another thing then good Doctrine How can the Scriptures be the Word of God and Christ the Word of God too Are there two Distinct Words of God the one quite another thing from the other O shameful Arguing If he had said Christ is the Word of God and the Scriptures a Word of God he would have a little better hit the Mark But to assert Two General Comprehensive Words of God sounds Harsh and Inconsistent I would fain know in Case we should admit this absurd Assertion how he would distinguish between these Two General Comprehensive Words For my part I think it as good Sense to call a King's Letters King or an Ambassador's Credential's Ambassador O no says our Adversary you Mistake Christ is called a Light a Rock a Lyon will it thence follow that there are no other Lights Rocks or Lyons I Answer There is no other Light Rock or Lyon then Christ with respect to That for which He is so call'd Neither is there any other Word then Christ with respect to that for which he is so styl'd to wit God's Living Powerful Word And this decides the Controversie and plainly adjudges us the Matter against the utmost Force of our Adversary to the Contrary For if he is therefore a Light because he only can and doth Discover the Unfruitful Works of Darkness a Rock because whoever build on Him is Safe and a Lyon because the King of all whose Utterings are able to Terrifie all Destruction from his Walks but what he brings upon his Adversaries and therefore there is not another Light to inlighten Man's Soul or Rock for Christ's Church to be built on neither any other Lyon to secure them from the Devourer consequently because he is the Living Spiritual Powerful Word of God there is not another that 's The Word of God § 7. But he further says That the Word of God is so exprest in Scripture as it must needs be understood not of Christ but the Scriptures He that regardeth not the Word of the Lord. He that feared the Word of the Lord Stand thou still a while that I may shew thee the Word of God the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God And the Cares of the World choak the Word and it becometh Unfruitful Mark 4. 19. which saith he cannot be understood of Christ or God and that a little Skill in the Original would free us from these Mistakes and to that Purpose To which I answer that the Word of the Lord mention'd in Exodus and Samuel are properly to be understood of the Living Spiritual Word of God which spoke to the People through those Servants of the Lord For who Received or Rejected the Mind of that Word exprest in many Words received the Word and it had a place in their Hearts or else rejected it and it had no place in them This makes nothing against us in the least For that Passage in the Ephesians Beza whom he quotes I suppose as embracing his Judgment has determin'd the Matter for he has it the Spiritual Sword Then let us read the Words thus The Spiritual Sword is the Word of God or The Word of God is the Spiritual Sword For Christ is as truly a Sword an Ax a Fire which the Word of God is call'd as a Lyon a Rock a Door And for the last Passage out of Mark which seems to carry most of Weight in it for our Adversary it may rightly be understood of that Truth which Christ the Word livingly sows in the Hearts of Men Women the Word of Advice Reproof Instruction and the like But of the Scriptures it cannot be understood as neither can any of the other places For first those
will I The Things following which I have declared of are not the Things of Man nor by Man did I receive them but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ W. Dewsberry thus The Word of the Lord to his Beloved City through your Brother and Companion in the Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience in the Lord Jesus Christ Now what to say here in their Defence when he lays nothing to their Charge but what hath been generally exprest I know not Certain it is that No Man knows the Father but the Son and Him to whom the Son REVEALS him The Inspiration of the Almighty giveth Understanding and No Man can know the Things of God but by the Spirit of God Well may we conclude then that J. Faldo knows God no better then I do Terra Incognita for he denyes all Knowledge of him by any Internal Discoveries What he knows is by Man and from Man What Offence or Undervalue I would fain know can it be to the Scriptures that Men should know God that only Way by which they testifie God can be known of Men Or Why should he be Angry at his Author for Confessing to have known God that very Way by which the Scriptures declare him only to be known But indeed it happens ill to the Priest for all this is to prove too that We deny the Scriptures though hereby we fulfil them § 3. For W. D's Words they are also firm for God promised the Repouring out of his Spirit and the Repreaching of his Everlasting Gospel And since the Question is not whether we have it but whether it be an Invalidating the Scriptures for any under the plentiful Pourings out of the Spirit and Power of God to say This is the Word of the Lord I say it is firm that so Saying may therefore be in the Latter as well as Former Dayes allowable and no Detraction at all from the Scriptures And for the Conclusion of his Epistle it is what every good Christian Man can say What Folly what Impudence is it in J. Faldo to make that an Equaling our Writings to Scripture or Preferring them before it which both his own Tribe I am able to make appear hath frequently us'd though by Themselves Irreproveably And which indeed is the Condition of every good Christian-Man namely to be a Brother and Companion to the Children and Family of God in the Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience in the Lord Jesus Well! If this Man's manifest Weakness make not for our Cause I should very greatly strange § 4. And therefore says he Pennington prays seriously My Upright Desire to the Lord for you is That he would strip you of your Knowledg of the Scriptures according to the Flesh By Flesh says he their Sense is the Use of our Understandings though Sanctified as will appear in the Key c. But this Expression serves for a Notable Key to open his Ignorance and Dishonesty His Ignorance is evident in Reputing it a Slight of the Scriptures to desire that Men might be stript of their Fleshly Knowledg of them I do affirm it to be both Seasonable and Serious and did not J. Faldo stand upon a tottering Basis he would not so declaim against us for Undermining it But let all behold his Dishonesty to say that we desire to be Script of the Knowledge of the Scriptures after our Sanctified Understandings making a Sanctified Understanding and that Flesh which can never inherit the Kingdom of God to wit the Carnal Dead Dark Unregenerated Understanding to be all one O Disingenuous Man Art thou fit to be a Gospel Minister who hast not learnt to do as thou wouldst be done by I leave it with the Conscience of the Reader how Justly or Unjustly thou hast dealt with us in this Matter and what all or any of it concerns the Scriptures For if Men will not understand them as they are is it the Fault of the Scriptures No surely shall then Isaac Pennington's Desire that their wrong Knowledg of those weighty and Holy Writings be interpreted a Dis-Respect to them and a preferring our own Writings before them which so heartily seeks their Right Knowledge of them If this be the Way to prove Quakerism no Christianity we need not much fear the Issue of his Attempt § 5. But he proceeds to prove our Equaling of the Scriptures two Wayes First from our pretending to Infallibility Secondly our Plea for the Necessity of Inspiration He quotes G. Whitehead's Letter to him Whether Infallibility be attainable by any in these dayes which we affirm is to true Believers which if thou denyst we question thy Call Of Inspiration he cites J. Story 's short Discovery thus Therefore may I say much more it is not in the Power of that little Book either to throw down Self-Will in any in whom it is not yet subdued or to exalt the Truth in general because it is only Queries gather'd by the Author from the Letter of the Scriptures without and no Message of Heavenly Prophesie Doctrine or Exhortation received by the Author from the Lord through the Divine Inspiration of his Light and Spirit within Therefore I say It is a very Vain and Idolatrous Exhortation To all which sober Matter I have no other Answer from him then that the Quakers Writings are full to this Purpose Indeed I am glad of it or we had little Reason to Suffer what we do for our Descent from the Carnal Professors of Religion in the World But I have this to say to him He that doth not Infallibly know what he knows of God or Religion knows nothing certainly which concerns either Now if Men cannot attain to any such Certainty Farewell all Religion For That a Man should affirm and not know whereof That he should profess God and Religion yet be uncertain of both But that J. Faldo should Preach of both and profess himself Errable in all such Doctrine Who ought to believe him Why spends he his Breath at a Venture Rather let him Eat Drink for to Morrow he shall Dye for Death is certain This is your Independent Fallible Errable Uncertain J. Faldo Preacher to a People at Barnet and God knows a Lamentable one too What Reason have any to Believe him against Us who is Uncertain of the Truth of what he says against us by his own Principle § 6. For Inspiration the Scriptures are not more express in any one thing No man can know the things of God by the bare Spirit of a Man But the Spirit of a Man or a Man distinctly considered from the Inspiration of the Almighty can read Scripture and form Queries and call them Christian too yet who will dare affirm this Man's Queries to be Christian Can they beat down Self-Will They may talk of it or exalt the Living Truth that came not from it This is the Scope of J. Story 's Answer to the Questioner For what is this but Stealing the Prophets and Apostles Words when they are made Use of
out of that Sense in which they were given forth and to an other End then that for which they were given forth which proves to us that the Sense and not the Words shows the End of their being so given forth The Scriptures are a Sealed Book to all but those who know them by the same Hand which Originally gave them So that however Common they may be in the World they are Strangers to them that understand them not And though Old respecting the Time when they were revealed to the Saints yet New to every Age so that we assert not a Revelation of New Things but renewed Revelation of those Things God made former Ages Witnesses of otherwise Men are no more benefited by them And to be benefited they must be made ours by the Spirit which made them the Holy Ancients § 7. In short No Man can understand Spiritual Things but the Spiritually Discerning None can so be without the Inspiration of the Almighty or Spirit of God This is Scripture Now the Author of those Queries and J. Faldo also Denying Inspiration they consequently deny themselves to be Spiritually Discerning and for Men not Spiritual to Judge of Religious and Spiritual Matters much less to Write of them and bid their Writings go and throw down Self-Will and exalt the Truth is Vain and Idolatrous For the Scriptures themselves consider'd meerly as such are unable much less Writings founded on the Authority of Self Will for it is the alone Priviledge of God's Power and Spirit and no Writing whatever distinct from it can perform that Great and Mighty Work in Man § 8. And for Equaling our Writings with the Scriptures because we assert Inspiration and that what we have received and do declare of the Things of God is from the Revelation of his Spirit in our Hearts it is a Foolish Inference Truth was and is Truth all the World over and there was and is but One Way to come to it in all Ages I mean Inspiration The Scriptures are True and our Writings are True but will it therefore follow that we bring them upon a Vie Is this your Disputant But to determine this Case He should first have prov'd if he could what Power God gave to the Ancients and what to Us. How much of his Spirit to those Ages and what to This or else he loseth himself If he can Experimentally tell what were their Discoveries and Experiences and what are Ours he would be a Proper Judge But to think to run us down by Exalting them or to lessen what we are by Increasing their Praise is an old Artifice of the Devil and Sober Men will be more True to Themselves and Just to the Matter then so to censure us Cannot one Man be another Man's Brother and not the Elder Brother Doth it follow that because God has made what we know our own by his Holy Inspirations and Operations that therefore we put our selves upon the Comparison with the Ancients If true Christians fill up or add to Christ's Sufferings yet behind why should their Writings be shuffled out of all Relation to the Scriptures There may be a Relation where there is not an Equality much less a Preference and that we do assert against all Opposers § 9. But now let us see what he says of our setting the Scriptures beneath our own Writings and I will take his own Way to do it The Characters of the Scriptures given by the Quakers as says J. Faldo Characters of their own Teachers Writings and Sayings given by them Feeding Death with Death The Letter which Killeth Declar. from the Minist of the Word p. 7. The Voice of the Son of God was utter'd forth by him by which the Dead was rais'd F. H. Life of E. B. p. 20. Seeking the Living among the Dead J. Parn. Shield His Words Ministred Grace to the Hearers Fox jun. Life E. B. A Mistake for he dy'd before E. B. Reconciliation Death is a State without the Living Experimental Knowledg of God and his Work in the Heart And that State will talk of the Fame of Wisdom as saith the Scripture and that from the Scripture that is from or in the words of Scripture being Ignorant of the true Sense of the Scripture thinking there to have Life which Literal Knowledg it feeds upon and contents it self with where Nations have lain Apostatized from the Life of God and Power of Godliness The Letter Killeth that is the Literal Knowledge or rather their Imaginations from the Letter not being Divinely Inspir'd so as to understand it by which Men buoy and lift up themselves as Christians in the World and yet are Strangers to the inward sensible Work of God And it does Kill the Soul with respect to that true Life the Spirit and Power of God begets in all right Christians through whom the Voice of the Son of God has does and will utter it self to the Ends of the Earth for the Raising the Dead in Trespasses and Sins as that worthy Servant of God did which is now with his Lord. This disreputes not the Scriptures but those who make a wrong Use of them nor is there any Comparison betwixt Reading what God's Spirit requires immediate Hearing his Voice and being sensible of his present living Touches upon the Soul Writings are but holy Things at second hand a Living Ministry is the very Life Power and Spirit present and more immediate In short the Testimony of F. H. we prefer not before the Testimony Luke gives of holy Stephen We prefer the Scriptures before all Writings but before God's immediate Power we dare not do Paper Ink and Writing the same pag. 7. A Shield of the Truth Title J. P's Book Reconcil What 's this to the purpose We say that the Scriptures or the Writings not the Things written of mark that are Paper Ink and Writing which was spoken abstractively and upon a Comparison of them with the Word of God that was with God and was and is God over all blessed for ever Doth any Man think that we believe greater things of J. Parnel's Book By no means He call'd not his Book consisting of so much Writing Ink and Paper a Shield of Truth but that of which it treated was the Truth and with respect to the Controversial part of it as it was writ in Defence of the Truth it might be tearm'd a Shield in which sense the Scriptures by him urged have the upper-hand of his Writing by whose greater Authority with Men he abets and maintains the Doctrine contended for Shews you I suppose the Light your own Faces which the Scriptures cannot do Scorned Quak. accounts p. 20. A Spiritual Glass opened Smith ' s Cat. c. Morn Watch. Reconcil This can be no way hard to reconcile For when we say the Scriptures cannot show Men at all Times and in all States their Conditions but the Secret In-shining Light of God alone we are not so unworthy as to intend that any Book of
the best of Heathens and Quakers walking up to the Light within and to affirm for all that the Quakers have to judge to the contrary they acted by a Divine Power Ranking the Quakers Faith in Christ upon an Equality in Evil with their horrid Blasphemies The Top of all Uncharitableness a very Lye for this is to say That the best worst of Heathens were all alike that they wanting Scriptures could not rightly discern the Difference between the Bad and Good that those who live up to that Light as he cannot deny the Quakers to do in a great measure are but in Julian the Apostate and scoffing Lucians Ranck In short that the Quakers Believing in one God that he has Enlightned all Men that he has Striven by his Light and Spirit in the Consciences of Men through all Ages and by it in the Hearts and Mouths of his Prophets and above all by that blessed Appearance of Christ Jesus who Tabernacl'd among Men in that Body prepared for that purpose who there in preach't the heavenly Kingdom within worked Miracles laid down his Life for the World rose again and ascended to the Father leading Captivity captive and gave Gifts for Men that who believes in him and takes up his Cross shall be his Disciple and persevering have Everlasting Life That the Quakers Faith I say in this Solemn Conscientious Manner upon which they place the Eternal Happiness of their Souls should scarely be a Jot better then the APOSTACY OF JULIAN AND THE IMPIETY OF LUCIAN AND BUT ONLY SERVE TO RENDER US AS GREAT DESPISERS AND CONTEMNERS OF CHRIST AND ALL HIS RELIGION AS THEY WERE O strange Comparison̄ Well they tell us of a Book coming out of our Hard Sayings to our Opposers But match this impartial Reader But however the Devil blinds and hardens this J. Faldo sure I am the Devil himself knows better What shall I say Truly nothing more but leave it with the Righteous God of Heaven and Earth to plead our Cause in the Hearts of all People and avenge himself upon his Adversaries to whom Vengeance belongs § 16. For his Comparison of us with the Papists we little heed it He tells the World the Papists own Revelation which he proves at large and the Quakers hold Revelation also Therefore the Quakers are Papists or very near them as his Story indeed an arrant Lye either in him or the Papist will inform us where he says that a Papist upon being ask't which of all Sects in England approach'd them most replyed the Quakers How near we are to the Papists in Faith Worship and Discipline shall be left to them that know and have seen more then this conceited Priest But Argumentum ad hominem Thus The Papists own a God a Trinity of Persons c. and J. Faldo owns a God and a Trinity of Persons also therefore J. Faldo is a Papist or very near a Kin to one Would this be just If not neither is his Conclusion of Force against us What is Truth is not discommendable where ever and by whatsoever held It is high Weakness to exclaim against true Christians for holding any Truth in common with the very Turks and much more Condemnable to conclude them Turks But we must be run down if they can and therefore no matter what ugly Skin they cast over us so the Dogs will but fasten The Lord God plead our Cause on Earth CHAP. V. The Charge Stated not Proved The Scriptures not the most Excellent nor only General Rule God may speak by Instruments The Instruments not the Rule but that which useth them That the Scriptures being Obligatory does not conclude it the General Rule under the Gospel The Disingenuity of our Adversary in citing the Apostle's words Reprehended The Scriptures no Judge in that sense wherein they are not the General Rule The Scriptures Confest to § 1. HIs Fifth Chapter designs to Prove That we Deny the Scriptures to be a Rule of Faith and Judge of Controversies And that he may sufficiently prejudice his Reader against us and our most Holy Faith He not only tells him that to deny them to be the Word of God is a good Reason why he should conclude us to deny them to be a Rule though at the same time it manifestly shows that we would acknowledge them to be such were they the Word of God and that therefore the Word of God is our Rule but he suggests that we believe a Conformity to their Guidance cannot render a prophane Man less prophane To prove this he quotes James Parnel thus And he also that saith The Letter is the Rule and Guide of the People of God is without feeding upon the Husks and is ignorant of the true Light which was before the Letter was Shield of Truth p. 10. William Smith thus And if thou lookest upon the Scripture to be for a Rule and for Trying thou givest that unto them which is due unto Christ for He is the Rule and leads his People and he alone searches the Hearts and tryes the Reins and not the Scripture Again But if you will see a Mouth full of Blasphemies against the Authority of the Scripture read with Horror and Amazement the following words God is at Liberty to speak to his People by them if he please and where they are given by Inspiration he doth so but says J. Faldo the Sting is behind and in the Tayl of this non-such Sentence and so he is at liberty to speak by any other created thing as to Balaam by his Ass Nayl Light of Christ c. p. 19. In Answer to all which he says just nothing but thinks it is enough to have cited these Passages and seems to triumph as reasonably as the Man which dreamt he did eat but awaket anhungry delighted himself in his sleeping Feast Let us trie to rouse him out of this Lethargy of Ignorance and Conceit § 2. I shall freely confess that for the same Reasons that we deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God we cannot own them as the General Rule of Faith But also as we acknowledge them to be the Words of the holy living and powerful Word of God so that they express and declare unto us many holy Rules for Godliness and I declare in the Name of all the Right-born Quakers in the World that we utterly reject all such as Deny the Scriptures to be profitable for Reprehension Instruction Exhortation and Eaification How vain then is this Man's Impeachment of us as Persons void of all true Respect for them § 3. In short as the Scriptures are not the Word of God but a Declaration of the Word of God so the Scriptures are not the general Rule but a Declaration of the true general Rule which I prove thus That which alwayes was and is a more general Rule then the Scriptures must needs be and is most properly THE general Rule and not the Scriptures but that was and is the Light
possibly can be which he makes them but to be § 9. In short either the Scriptures are not obscure a thing we daily see or if so yet sufficient which is impossible or they must have a Judge which is most true and necessary and what Judge but the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth And so far are Decrees from determining because written that they are therefore determinative of Controversie because of that Conviction the Power from whence they came works upon the Conscience So that though what is true in it self is not the less so because written yet is not the Writing subject to an hundred Casualities nor Matter therein declared as there eminently the Rule much less the Judge after our Adversaries Notion of a Judge But that Living Powerful Spirit which gave it forth and who are made spiritual Men by it For the spiritual Man judges all things Such Writings may be declaratory of the Mind and Determination of the Living Rule or Judge I grant but also I utterly deny that the Writings themselves are that Rule how People are to believe them and a Judge how to determine of the Difficulties and Obscurities within themselves A meer Begging of the Question and a thing altogether absurd We cannot end this Chapter without an Acknowledgment of the Goodness of God in Opening things so clearly to the making known his Divine Light and Truth and manifestly Discovering the great Darkness and Blindness of its Opposers CHAP. VI. We deny the Charge His Proof no Proof but against himself We Own Believe and desire to Obey the Scriptures they afford Comfort and are as Lights in the World but not that True Light The Light and Spirit Superior to them § 1. THe next Charge he brings against us is a Consequence of his already mistaken Judgment and untrue Assertions concerning us viz. That we take People off from Reading the Scriptures and Looking into them for Instruction and Comfort to prove which as he thinks for none else can that is not either as deeply Ignorant of us or as Malicious against us as J. Faldo shows himself in almost every particular he brings out W. Smith speaking thus in his Catech. pag. 95. And this is the Meaning of our Doctrine to bring People to the Everlasting Word of God in themselves O Ungodly Man What Evil Spirit hath possest J. Faldo into this wretched and impious Consequence Certainly he is grosly blind or he has sinned against the Light of his own Conscience if he hath Conscience enough to think it a Sin which I profess I doubt when the Malignity Frothiness Envy and Impious Unjustice of the Man are set before me For 1 let any tell me if it be a Sin to bring People to the everlasting Word of God in themselves though he Dirts us not a little for so doing 2 If we do hereby take Men off from reading and looking into the Scriptures I do affirm against this Ungodly Priest and that by Authority from God the Scriptures Reason and the first Reformers too that no Man on Earth can understand them but by being first brought to the Everlasting Word of God nigh in the Heart by which the Lord speaks forth his Will to the Creature and the Scriptures themselves direct to this and never said that of themselves some over-doing Priests assert concerning them whose whole End is this that by Exalting the Letter and Excluding the Spirit they may lock up all Knowledge in their own Areanum and plead the Impossibility of Knowing the things of God any other way then by their literal Ministration for should Men be but turned to the Certain Witness of God in their own Consciences there placed of the Lord their whole Trade Power and Reputation would fall and their Deceits be made manifest in the View of the World which God the Righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth is now accomplishing § 2. But he says that J. Parnel censures such that draw Peoples Minds from the Light within to the Light without putting the Letter for the Light c. Shield of Tr. pag. 10. And what then Because we say that he who inlightens all Men God that is the Sun and Fountain of all Divine Light and in whom there is no Darkness at all is greater then the Scriptures therefore will it follow that we take People off from Reading or Looking into them Behold your Priest you that hear him Is this Man to be accounted of as a Minister of the Gospel that thus unrighteously deals with us But God will recompense upon his Head in the Day of his terrible Vengeance for all his Hard and Ungodly Sayings against us We do say and that rightly Whoever puts the Letter in Opposition to or above the Spirit is an Idolater For there can be no Comparison rightly made between them the Heavens don't excell the Earth more then the Spirit does the Letter and the Power the Form But if we do not therefore deny the Form of Godliness because we prefer and press more earnestly the Power neither do we exclude the Scriptures because we prefer and press the Everlasting Word of God nigh in the Heart And this I will tell him that to busie the Minds of Men with the Depth of those Truths the Scriptures declare of by reading and exercising their Minds in Meditating thereon before they have been turned unto the Measure of the Light or Grace of God in the Heart to believe and obey that in its secret Discoveries Reproofs and Strivings is to set Men about Images to conceive a God a Christ a Salvation a Damnation an Heaven an Hell by which the Inward Work of God is overlook't and they become Rich in Notion whilst most barren in Obedience and of all People that live upon the Earth the Greatest Idolaters because they bow down to their own Imaginations for real Truths And this is the State of every Opposer to the Sacred Light within how full soever of the meer Literal Knowledg of the very Scriptures themselves for indeed who knows the new Birth though the Scriptures declare of it but who really experience it § 3. But J. Story he thinks has Contributed much to prove his Assertion in this Passage And although the holy Scripture without and the Saints Practices are as Lights in the World yet far be it from all true Christian Men so to Idolize them as to set them in Esteem above the Light which is sufficient to guide or to esteem them Equal with the Light and Spirit of God within J. S. Short Discourse Pag. 2. To this he objects that J. S. confesses them to be as Lights but not a Light and that our Commendations of that Idol the Light within are such that if they were true he were a stark Fool that would direct his Eyes to the Scripture But here the Priest fail's egregiously For if the Scriptures are as Lights I cannot see how they should be denyed to be as in the
they resist the Grace grieve the Spirit turn from the Way of the Light and are in a State of Death God hath been frequently pleased to move in the Hearts of the Obedient to visit the Rebellious that the Inward Strivings of the Holy Spirit might be the more Efficacious by its Strivings through some Outward Instruments but still it is the same Light Grace or Spirit of God Nor is the Light within any whit the more Insufficient to reclaim the Rebellious if minded for it is the same Light with that which moves in the Hearts of the Obedient to bear Record for God against their Ungodly Deeds Only Mens Minds being far strayed from that Holy Light or Word in the Heart and gone abroad into the wide World of Lusts and Vanities it hath pleased God to visit Mankind so degenerated by those who have been Obedient Children to the End they might be the more easily gained to a Subjection unto the Holy Light in themselves so that all Conviction and Conversion are to be ascribed to the Light Grace and Spirit of God whether immediately in the Creature or mediately by any Instrument Only take this by the way that whatsoever is Efficacious mediately is not to be understood simply of another Man's Measure of Light or Grace but in Conjunction with what God hath given and may be at work in the Party convicted and converting for every Mediate Conviction gives and Addition of Life and Strength to the Immediate Conviction that is wrought by the Operation of that so long neglected Measure of Light Grace or Truth in the particular Conscience We appeal then to every Impartial Person that reads us if we own not the Scriptures in that very Sense he would have People believe that we deny them to wit That God may and doth speak to People through the Writings of the Holy Prophets and Apostles which are commonly call'd Scriptures and consequently we do not deny the Scriptures to be any means by which we may come to know God Christ and Our selves so often as it shall please the Eternal God to reach into the Hearts of Men by any of those Truths therein declared of CHAP. VIII His Charge of our denying the Scriptures any means by which God does enable Men to resist Temptations and that we say they are Dangerous to be read rejected His Proofs Lame The Scriptures are believ'd to be a means c. The true Knowledge of them Divine No Knowledge of Divine Things but upon Experience It does not destroy Faith W. Penn's Words safe and sound The Priest a meer Shuffler Learning a Servant to Truth Christ the Word of God Faith by our Adversary prefer'd before Scripture The Scripture ought to be Read Believ'd and Obey'd § 1. HE further charges us with denying the Scriptures to be any Means whereby to resist Temptation and that we say That they are Dangerous to be read For Proof of which he quotes a Book called Love to the Lost and mine Entituled The Spirit of Truth Vindicated The first is this For those only are Children of God who are led by the Spirit of God to whom they who were led by the Letter were Enemies From whence he concludes That we account it a very dangerous thing to read the Scriptures Now if this Passage hath any relation to his Charge or Conclusion no Man ever saw the like the whole Scope of which is but this That there are Children of the Fleshly Literal and Historical Knowledge of the Scriptures and Religion who are Strangers to and therefore Persecutors of the Children born of the Spirit And that in all Ages there hath been more or less of this among Inward and Outward Jews and Christians and let J. Faldo deny it if he dare How Wicked then is he to extort indeed invent an Inference so forreign to the Matter and then charge it upon the Quakers in general and as if it were prov'd by that Passage in particular which can no wayes be concern'd in any such Unrighteous Doctrine I perceive it is as impossible for our Adversaries to do any thing against us without they have the Making of our Consequences as we are sure to find them mis-shapen enough by that time they get clear of their Hands but blessed be the Name of our God who has given us an Understanding and Boldness both to search the Reins of our Enemies Cause and defend his which he has put into our Hands in this our Day § 2. But hear him further if it may be worth while That this Abominable Tenet is the Quakers Take one Instance more out of their Famous Author W. P. or William Penn. But I will assure them they shall grope in the Dark till they come into the dayly Obedience of the Light and there rest contented to know only as they experience and not from a ravening comprehending Brain that would in its Unregenerated State grasp at the clear Mysteries of the Kingdom into which Fleshly Comprehensions and Notions can never enter but all must be as Unlearned from their first Birth Education and Traditional read Knowledge as he is unman'd that is again become a little Child before the Secrets of God's Work come to be made known Spir. Truth Vind. p. 23. Upon which hear his Comment That W. P. of all others should talk at this rate is most Ridiculous What! Know only as they experience know what God is no farther then they experience Can we experience his Omnipotency What! Know the Death of the Man Christ Jesus the Life to come and judging of all Men by the Lord Jesus only by Experience Where is Faith all the while If none but Believers are Saints such as W. P. are professedly none If Reader we are got beside the Matter charg'd against the Quakers to wit that they deny the Scriptures to be any Means whereby to resist Temptation our wandring Adversary who led me thither is only to be blam'd But since I am here I shall endeavour to clear the Truth and My self before we return to the Point in hand It cannot be so ridiculous in W. P. to assert the Impossibility of any Man 's Knowing God or the Things belonging to his Everlasting Kingdom but by Experience or as God hath been pleased by the Inspiration or Illumination of his Light or Spirit to demonstrate or discover unto Mankind as it is Impious and Antichristian in J. Faldo to assert the Right Knowledge of God obtainable any other way then by Experience And this Reader choaks J. Faldo and the rest of his Partners more then they are willing their Followers should know who for all their Cries against us as Overturners of a Gospel and Establishers of a Legal Righteousness dread the Consequence of having their own Strivings Runnings Willings and Literal Knowledge laid aside in which their Life Faith Worship and whole Religion mostly stand and of being reduced to the very Alphabet of Inward and Experimental Religion where the Righteous Judgements of
Flesh and Blood the Birth that persecutes the Son and Heir Graven Images Morn Watch p. 22 23. It would amaze sayes he a Christian to read what is contain'd in the two Pages quoted of vilifying Reproach to the Scriptures and the Doctrines from them received If this be not Opposing the Spirit of God to the Scriptures and rendering them advers to each other the Devil himself must dispair of Inventing Words to express it by And now Reader it is time for me with a Soul full of Grief to make my Appeal to the Righteous Lord God of Heaven and Earth and his equal Witness in thy Conscience if ever Quakers writ or said any such thing of the Holy Scriptures O far be it from us and very great and heavy will the Damnation of J. Faldo be in the Day of the Lord unless he shall unfeignedly Repent because of these detestable Lyes that he seems wilfully to fasten upon our Writings What William Smith said reflected not in the least upon the Scriptures nor yet those Doctrines which were truly received thence No such words can be produced by our Adversaries had W. S. written any such thing he that adds so much that was not we are to suppose would not have omitted mentioning of that if it had been But W. Smith addrest himself to that Adulterated Spirit which had defiled Nations that nevertheless were under the Profession of God Scriptures and Religious Worship though in Works they deny'd God and as concerning Scripture and true Worship grosly err'd not knowing the Power of God nor how to Worship him in Spirit and in Truth not that he ever durst to entertain so Blasphemous an Apprehension of those Holy Writings or those Doctrines that are truly received thence as is suggested by our most unfair Adversary And is it not the height of all Unrighteousness to our Neighbour that when he condemns the Degenerated Spirit Knowledge and Worship of any People however professing the Scriptures and it may be pretending to believe accordingly as W. Smith does all Apostate Christians J. Faldo should infer that his Neighbour calls the Scriptures themselves and not a wrong Knowledge of them Will-Worship Corruption Rottenness Deceitful Whore's-Cup Apostacy Earthly Root Graven Images c. and that he should intend nothing less then Opposition betwixt the Spirit and its own Scriptures There needs no further Confutation then the gross and black Envy of our Adversary about this one Passage Be it known to all we do affirm the Scriptures never did jarr with the Spirit nor the Spirit oppose himself against the Scriptures and thus much our Writings can plentifully prove to all sober Enquirers § 3. But he offers another and the last Proof of his Charge from J. Naylor That of this sort are they false Prophets as I suppose he means who have their Preaching from Study and other Men's Mouthes and not from the Mouth of the Lord. From which he infers that what we have in the Scriptures is not from the Mouth of the Lord and queries I would know saith he of the Quakers what they will make of the Mouth of the Lord It was said to Jeremiah Jer. 15. 19. Thou shalt be as my Mouth Our Meaning is still over-look't by this disingenuous Adversary and a quite contrary thing substituted The natural Purport of the Words can be no more then this That though the Things declared of in the Scriptures were the Word of the Lord to the holy Ancients and Jeremiah as God's Mouth not his Mouth therefore to the People of Israel yea and much of it the Word of the Lord to us too yet for Men to say any part thereof by wrote especially if they add their own Comments and Glosses fraim'd from Study to any part of the Scriptures and cry Thus sayes the Lord or Hear the Word of the Lord and not in the same living Sense nor upon the like Commission every such one doth Rob his Neighbour and Steal his words And He is no more a True Prophet for so doing then a Parrat is a Man because he can talk If then no such Creature is therefore to be reputed Rational nor what he says Reason as to him though so in it self because it proceeds not from the Root and Principle of Reason but by meer Imitation and consequently a Prater in no case to be minded Neither is he a true Prophet nor that the Word of the Lord with respect to that Prophet who has not received what he delivers from the immediate Word of God himself but by Hear-say or meer Imitation No he is but a very Babbler and begets People no further then into meer Words and Imaginary Glosses which is the Ground of that Uncertainty that is in the World about Religion The Scriptures then are to us oblieging as the Things they declare of were the Word of the Lord to several Ages Temporal Commands excepted and they are not without a Mouth yet they and Jeremiah too are Inferior to the Mouth of the Eternal Word which speaks in this Evangelical Dispensation the Will of God unto Mankind after a more living and immediate Manner as was prophesied of old And I may thus far gratifie our Adversary's Curiosity about God's Mouth and tell him that the Word of God is the Mouth of God and the true Prophets and Apostles in all Ages have been the Mouth of the Word of God and the Scriptures are the Writings of those holy Prophets and Apostles as they were the Mouth of the Eternal Word revealing God's Will in their Hearts that they might declare it whether by Word of Mouth or Writing to the People and this is the true Order and Descent of things § 4. But he has one Kick more at us before he gives up the Ghost in his Mis-representation of us concerning the Scriptures The Quakers hold it is a sin and the sign of Idolatry to Believe and Live according to the Instructions and holy Examples expressed in and by the Scriptures except we have them by immediate Inspiration and at first hand as the Apostles received them And now says he I am come to the highest Round of their Ladder Indeed those Rounds of Ladders are very dangerous places I will not say how often nor for what an Army Chaplin might deserve to be so high exalted but since his eager pursuit after an Innocent People has brought him actually thither and it falls to my Lot to be his Executioner I shall take all the care I can to acquit my self well of my Employment I will warrant him for ever coming down the same way he went up In order to which let us first hear what kind of Speech he will make us to the Point in hand William Dewsbury in his Discovery of Mans Return pag. 21. All People may search the Scriptures and see how you have been deceived by your Teachers who have caused you to seek your lost God in Carnal and Dead Observations which they have not any
Scriptures for What this is to his purpose I cannot understand to be sure it is for ours For W. D. is so far from making it Idolatry to live up to the Scriptures that he condemns their seeking for the true God where he was not to be found which sayes he they HAVE NO SCRIPTURE FOR As much as to say that they seek after God not according to Scripture and therefore are both Deceivers and Deceived Certainly this is a Miserable Farewel he takes of the first part of his Book and the Quakers Denial of the Scriptures that they should therefore affirm a Practice according to Scripture without immediate Inspiration Idolatrous because they assert such to be deceived who seek after God not according to Scriptures If so much Impertinency should fall from a Poor Quaker's Pen what Reproach Insolence and Triumph would there be But he has another Witness that by the Mouthes of two Witnesses his Charge against us may be not establisht but evidently disprov'd § 5. And this is Babylon the Mother of Harlots viz. to read and practice as the Saints did and the Apostles of the Scriptures of the New Testament and the Abomination of all Uncleanness W. Smith's morning watch p. 23. Forgery in the abstract as base black and dishonest as Man can be to Man What! rob him of Truth of a good Conscience foist in put out alter gloss pervert and what he pleaseth What make us lve against God his Servants Scriptures the Light within and our own Souls But I have the less need to make our Defence where his manifest Corruption of our Words accuse him and my Answer to the first part of his Charge in this Chapter has done it at large Only thus much give me leave to say That if Words urg'd upon one Subject shall be apply'd to another of a different Nature and that our Adversary can never prove his Charge against us but by abusing corrupting mis-rendering and interlineating our Words there is no Reason that we should much concern our selves in the Consequence of such Debates that Way of Demonstration will save us the Labour of a Vindication with all Sober Persons But he has not done with us yet § 6. I am e'en tired with searching the sulphureous Veins of the Pit and Mire of Quakerism the Root of all which is the Deified Light Within if you have not enough of this Smoak to satisfie you it is the Bottomless Pit it rises out of I will give you two Ebullitions more and then leave you satisfied or to get better Senses So amongst the words you find how the Saints in some things walked and what they practised and then you strive to make that thing to your selves and to observe and do it as near as you can and here you are found Transgressors of the Just Law of God who saith Thou shalt not make to thy self any Graven Image nor the Likeness of any thing And sayes J. Faldo it follows now what Difference is there in the Ground betwixt you and the Pope though in the Appearance there seems to be such a great Space I have been the more punctual in the Recital of this that I might show to my Adversary I will be just to him though he be most egregiously Unmanly with us He says That he is e'en tired indeed he has Reason for it though for nothing else For who ever got any thing by Beating the Air or Spitting against the Heavens The Sulphureous Pit of Quakerism we can in one sense allow and J. F. may be better acquainted with it For the Plagues which the never-dying Worm the sharp reproving condemning Light Within will inflict upon the Spirits of them who resist and gainsay the Truth are aptly resembled to a Sulphureous Bottomless Pit Sulphureous because of the Insufferableness of the Smoak A Bottomless Pit by reason of a Dismal Endless State and Condition of Wo. And I doubt not but J. Faldo has an Earnest of this for his Attempts against the Light and the Children of it This long Discourse is no more to us then the rest of his Trash that we have already rejected as his own Invention and base Perversion of our real Meanings Take W. Smith in his own Sense and Belief and all is well But receive him in J. Faldo's Disguize and truly we should not know him our selves He intended that all those real Experiments of other Persons of which the Scriptures are full talkt unexperimentally over by Unregenerated Spirits can be no wayes beneficial Nay that what Ideas or Notions they may have to themselves of the Holy Ancients Enjoyments while altogether unacquainted with them are but a kind of Images which their believing in and bowing to as indispensible Gospel-Truths is to be reputed nothing below Idolatry it self Yet far be it from us to say that to believe the Truth as declared in the Scriptures is Idolatry as well as that it is manifest Folly in any so to say or think of us when not only we are most careful and desirous of rendering what we believe purely Scriptural But I do declare that as no man can live the Life of the Scriptures without the Operation of that Spirit which gave them forth so to live up to what they do exhort and declare is the highest Pitch of Purity Man's Nature is capable of aiming at and attaining to § 7. He now intends to wind up his Discourse on the present Subject with a retrospective and contracted Argument of all those particular distinct Charges viz. They who deny the Scripture to be the Word of God equal their own Writings Sayings deny them to be a Rule of Faith and Life a Judge of Religious Controversies take Men off from Reading them deny the Scripture to be any Means whereby we may come to know God or Christ or our selves affirm them to be no Means whereby to resist Temptation and are Dangerous to be read deny them to be Profitable but as Experienced put Scripture and Spirit in Opposition affirm the Doctrines Commands and Holy Examples expressed in the Scriptures as such to be not at all binding to us hold it as the Sin of Idolatry to believe and live according to the Instructions and Holy Examples expressed in and by the Scriptures except we have them by immediate Revelation as the Apostles They who do all these things mentioned in the fore-going Particulars Deny the Scriptures But the Quakers do all these things therefore they Deny the Scriptures To which I return this Argument If to Deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God to make what Writings are given forth by the same Spirit relative of the Scriptures if not to prefer any Writings before the Scriptures nor equal them to the Scriptures if to deny the Scriptures to be most properly the General Rule of Faith and Life and Judge of Controversie and not the Spirit rather if not to take Men off from Reading the Scriptures for Instruction c. if
he ow's all that he hath But why poor Non-Conformists after all their preacht up Battles Spoyls Plunders Sacriledges Decimations c. Rich and Covetous as ever As Rich because the Bason walks and takes its Rounds two to one of which it did and Covetous because they remain as discontented as if they were starving witness a Late begging Book from a Non-Conformist's hand which conjures their Hearers into larger Benevolence though by the style one would think it were their just Due I am perswaded their Preachings Christnings Burials Churchings alias Lying in Visits Exhortations Thanksgivings and Prayers have cheated People of more Gold and Silver then ever they did dare to make the least Pretence to though they alwayes dar'd to take what they could get in their former Dayes of Power But this is nothing to me further then that it is less dishonourable to William Penn or any other Quaker whom God hath blessed with a plentiful Subsistence that having Estates they notwithstanding should sustain the Labour and Suffering of Preaching the Gospel and that at all seasons then in J. Faldo and his Brethren who it's greatly to be feared preach what they call the Gospel that they might get Estates at least Livelyhoods by it let him or them say what they will I could give him a long List of more Exacting Jocky Hawking Mercenary Bargains of Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists then can readily be parallel'd by Parish-Priests A thing once denyed by them and ought still to be Detested of all others § 4. But he ends not here concerning the Ministry For says he The Quakers deny our Ministry because we preach from the Scripture A wicked Lye minted out of Hell it self We have laid down no such Proposition nor tending to it But he supposeth J. Parnel helps him to prove this Assertion And here is the Difference of the Ministers of the World and the Ministers of Christ The One of the Letter the other of the Spirit Strange Impudence to call this a Proof It is a Proof indeed but against him for if a False or Worldly Ministry under the Form of Godliness may not be Farewell Scripture But if such a Thing will be allow'd us then since the Letter or Scriptures are not by them rejected but in Shew most highly admired and that they pretend to collect all they believe or know from thence though indeed they understand them not we have great Reason to say that those who are Ministers only from the Letter with what they imaginarily comment upon it are not Christ's Ministers We are so far from making it a Reason why we deny your Ministry who are under that Qualification that we utterly deny you to have that Knowledge from the Scripture which we except against but your own Inventions and groundless Conceits alone For though J. Faldo thinks it very Heterodox to say that unless we are immediately assured from the Light within of the Truth of what we hold and that all Belief not so discover'd is a Lye deriding at Samuel Fisher's Answer in that Case Those who swore as the Lord lived swore falsly because they knew him not to Live affirming to us that they were such as did not believe him to live at all and therefore S. Fisher erred in his Construction I say though it be so yet we are not forelorn of Reason as well as Scripture to our Defence For no Truth is such to me which I either do not know to be true or have not some real Ground to believe to be such however true it may be in it self And that Sam. Fisher urg'd that Scripture pertinently and Consequently his return upon it is impertinent He himself has provided us with an Argument for if he will not have it that they therefore lyed in saying as the Lord liveth because they knew him not to live we must see what was the Reason that God gave their Asseveration the Lye Sayes J. Faldo they did not believe him to live at all Very well then the Narrow of the Difference lyes here That we say They knew him not to live And J. Faldo says That they believ'd him not to live Now I would fain know which are most excusable One sayes they who said as sure as the Lord liveth lyed because they know not God to live and the other that they believ'd him not to live If any thing be to be gotten it is this that they who know him not to live might believe him however to live whilst those who believ'd him not live would not believe a thing they had no Ground or Knowledge inducing them to it But he has lead us to a quick Expedient They did know God to live because he that lives may know from thence that God lives who holds every Soul in Life that lives To which I return that they did believe God to live because they lived for how could they doubt of his Living who held them in Life But enough of this To conclude A Living Spiritual Ministry we own that preaches the Everlasting Gospel in its own Power and that freely to the Raising of People dead in Trespasses and Sin to turn them from Darkness to Light that they might serve the Living Lord God of Heaven and Earth in the Newness of the Spirit who is worthy of all Honour and Glory forever CHAP. XII The Second particular Ordinance is a Gospel-Church His Definition for us by its gross Contrariety to the Scripture His base Inference of our Denial of Religious Societies and Outward Gifts from our Friends asserting of but one Catholick Church and that it is in God A Gospel-Church own'd Our Adversary proved Heterodox about Apostolical Preaching Inward Sence preferr'd before Intelligence § 1. THe Next Gospel-Ordinance he says we deny is a Gospel-Church Not to spend time about his Way of Phrasing it though uncooth enough We shall attend his Proof And the Church so gathered into God is the Pillar and Ground of Truth where the Spirit alone is Teacher J. N. Love to the Lost pag. 17. Upon which he argues thus The Gospel-Church is a Church which hath other Teachers and not the Spirit alone whereas the Apostles gave themselves to Preaching of the Word and Elders were ordained therefore the Quakers deny a Gospel-Church and they contradict themselves for they have more Teachers then All others A Lye to be sure There is greatly wanting to this Priest a better Understanding or more Honesty in using what he has for who is not blinded with Prejudice may discern that from our speaking of the Universal Church of God which says the Apostle as well the the Quakers is in God he infers that we deny all Visible Religious Societies commonly called by the Ancients the Churches of Asia Thessalonica Ephesus Corinth c. And from our Asserting the Spirit to be the only Gospel-Teacher of all who believe he concludes that we deny all Preaching of Men though by the Spirit O blind or else most disingenuous Man
meer Imitations of real things as I have been credibly told we know not but our Ignorance of an Inward Sence might render us very fit to judge in favour of the Priest his Puppet-Play Doctrine till when we leave Imitating J. Faldo and the Puppets together who alike fainedly represent Life Power and Spirit but in reality are empty Sounds and meer Wind ratling through lifeless Truncks CHAP. XIII But we deny Preaching says he His Disingenuity in stating our Principles We hold and practise true Gospel-Preaching No Difference between what the Light teacheth and the Scripture Our Gospel is Peace Our Adversary's is War c. True Preaching converts our Adversary's not § 1. ANother of those Ordinances he falsly affirms us to deny is Preaching of which he speaks thus They will allow a Hearing the Word preach'd and that must be the Light within but the Mind of God contained in the Scripture they must by no means hear preached for as I hinted from G. Fox we must not hear Man for the Prophets bid cease from Man This is so far from making against us that it makes for us at an high rate For who preaches without that Light of Christ that the Quakers affirm all True Preaching proceeds from preaches not from the Discoveries and Leadings of the Light and consequently all such Preaching is in the Darkness where God's Counsel cannot be known Nay how is it possible that People can be turn'd from Darkness to the Light the End of Preaching by those who deny that Men ought to preach from the Revelations and Guidings of the Light § 2. He hath also with manifest Baseness brought us in as putting a Difference betwixt our Preaching by the Light within and that Doctrine of God which is contained in the Scriptures Whereas we Read Believe Practise and Preach no other Doctrine for Truth then what is explicitely or implicitely there held forth and testified unto Though we confess that we don't only so believe practise and preach it because there written but from an Inward Living Power or Spirit which both Opens the Mysteries thereof to our Understandings begets right Belief in them and at sundry times moves upon our Hearts to declare a fresh those Ancient Blessed Truths therein exprest And this is what G. F. meant and we All understand by Ceasing from Man to wit meer Man not Man Inspir'd or so Divinely qualified But he has a Scripture and a Passage out of W. Smith to justifie his Charge at least he thinks so And how shall they preach except they be sent as it is written How beautiful are the Feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace c. We say so to and did we mean the same 't were happy for J. Faldo By being sent we understand by the Light within and the Scripture without a being anointed by the immediate Power of God without which the Disciples themselves who had so many Advantages above us were not to budge They could have told most of what Jesus had done and suffer'd which though Truth in it self and they able to relate it yet bare Truth and all they had seen or known without a Living Immediate Power and Commission within the Baptism of the Holy Spirit they were not to budge on God's Account If J. Faldo could give us as good Evidence of his being so call'd as he hath done of a False and Enrag'd Spirit against the Truth we should acknowledge him for a Gospel-Minister but since he dis-acknowledges all share in any such Mission we justly refuse him any part in a Gospel-Ministry § 3. In short If none can preach without being sent then since he his Tribe were never so sent they ought not to preach nor any to hear them For Right Faith can never come by such a Ministry No They are Right Gospel-Ministers their Feet truly beautyful whose Gospel is Peace on Earth good-Will towards Men Not Garments rold in the Blood of Kings Princes Rulers and People No Worldly Armies Battles Victories Trophies Spoiles Sequestrations Decimations and the like Blood-thirsty and Tyrannical Projects In which J. Faldo and his POOR NON-CONFORMING MINISTERS have had their Hands almost over Head and Ears till they had well nigh lost their Ears and their Heads too Such Covenant-breaking Self-seeking Proud Covetous Tyrannical Club-law Persecuting Priests we could never own but ever did and ever shall earnestly bear our faithful Testimony against them as the Locusts Caterpillers Serpents and Dragons of the Earth whose Cruelty Self-seeking and Falsness hath griev'd Good Men and caused the Wicked to Blaspheme the Name of the God of Heaven whose Damnation slumbers not if by unfeigned Contrition not prevented § 4. Well but we are to hear what strength William Smith's Primmer can give to his Charge Quest Is there something of God in my Conscience that will give me the Knowledge of him Answ There is not any thing else that can do it That is principally there is no other Teacher no other Revealer or Discoverer of the Mind and Will of God to us then Christ the Light as saith the Scripture No man knows the Father but the Son the true Light and he to whom the Son reveals him And whatever makes manifest is Light Now unless a Man may know God without any Manifestation it is impossible that he should be known without Light that only gives it especially when it shall be considered That HE is Light it self If then there is no Knowing of God but that which we know must first be manifested and that whatever makes manifest the Things of God is Light it evidently follows That the Light is the Alone Author of those Discoveries Men receive of the Mind of God And whatever Knowledg may be given or rightly obtained through the Scriptures is not to be imputed to the Scripture as such but that Divine Light which gives inward Conviction of the Truth of what is outwardly read or writ in that excellent Book called Scripture So that still to Christ the True Light as the Chiefest Cause in which sense he is most properly so called do we rightly ascribe all the Knowledge we have of God and his Everlasting Kingdom CHAP. XIV His Charge of our Denial of Gospel-Prayer inverted The Prayer he pleads for Anti-Gospel True Prayer stated asserted and defended with Plainness from Scripture and Reason That as well in Families as Meetings and at Meals as both False Worship detestable to God All False wherein God's Spirit is not the first and chief Mover and Assister The Subtilty of Satan in putting upon unacceptable Prayer to prevent True Prayer § 1. BUt we deny Prayer as well as Preaching if he may be credited and indeed we do so by the same Figure or contrary Way of Speaking that We deny them that is as John Faldo owns them but not that therefore we should deny them at all His Charge lies in three parts First That we Contemn True Gospel-Prayer To prove which
he cites W. Smith's Catechism p. 107. Though some may not speak in such formal composed Words yet in the same Wisdom their Words are formal they can set their own Time to begin and end and when they will they can utter Words and when they will they can be silent and this is the Unclean Part which offers to God which he doth not accept Very well and what is this to the denying of Gospel-Prayer It seems then that what Prayer this Passage reflects upon is Gospel consequently if I understand any thing formal wise Words in Man's Time and Will which is Unclean is Gospel-Prayer in J. Faldo's account otherwise it is utterly false to say That W. Smith's Words prove the Quakers to contemn Gospel-Prayer But what can be more clear to the View of every Impartial Soul then that J Faldo's making that Prayer only which he is capable of himself that stands in his own Time Will Wisdom and Invention to be Gospel rather then to deny it and seek after one more truly Evangelical is not so much to maintain the Truth as himself § 2. Secondly he sayes That we own no Prayer that is not by immediate Inspiration and Motion of the Spirit and without the Use of our Conception and Direction of our Understanding His third I will add to this because to the same Purpose viz. That we own no Prayer but what is by and in the Light Within and here he brings 3. or 4. Testimonies which are to the same purpose I grant what he says of us in this particular to be our Faith and shall prove it to be sound Doctrine from the Scriptures of Truth The Worship of God is in the Spirit and in the Truth Now unless Men may perform Gospel-Worship without the Spirit and the Truth or if in the Spirit and the Truth yet not by the Motion of either a thing absurd it must needs be that Men ought only to pray or preach by the Motion of the Spirit and of the Truth If such only are Children of God who are led by the Spirit of God and walk in the Light as Christ is Light and that therein Access alone may be had to God who is Light and in whom is no Darkness at all then with good Reason may we say That no Prayer that ascends to God without the Leading of God's Spirit and which is not by and in the Light can be acceptable with him consequently Gospel-Prayer is only from the Motions of the Spirit of God and by and in the Light of Christ Again If no Prophecy or Preaching was to be of old but by the immediate Revelation or Motion of the Spirit though it was but to Men of far greater Reason should not any Prayer be made without a Motion of the same Spirit which is to the Eternal only Wise God § 3. Nay the Creature considered from under the Leadings of God's Spirit in all Religious Actions is unable to think a good Thought much less to perform one good Work and as the Professors say from the Crown of the Head to the Soal of the Foot are altogether unclean will it follow then that either such corrupt and sinful Duties are Gospel-Prayer and an Ordinance of God or else that what we assert of Praying by the Motions of the Spirit and in and by the Light of Christ in our Hearts must be the only Gospel-Worship which we are yet further inclined to believe For it is said in Scripture that the Word and Prayer sanctifieth all things Now if we take this Word in our sense to wit the Word of God then we are to consider whether the Word derives its Sanctifying Vertue from the Prayer or the Prayer from this Word Not the former to be sure If then it be allowed to be the latter since this Prayer which to be sure is Gospel or the Apostle would not have owned it hath a Sanctifying Vertue in it that no Prayer begun or carried on by meer Man can sanctifie because we are of our selves unable to think one good Thought it evidently follows That this Word of God which gives Prayer that Sanctifying Power doth begin or move first to that Sanctifying Acceptable Truly Gospel-Prayer § 4. But now suppose by Word is meant the Words either of Scripture or Preachings yet are we safe For since nothing can sanctifie but it must be from it self or something else and that meer Man in Preaching or Praying cannot and that God is that alone Power Wisdom and Eternal Spirit that is able to sanctifie it will follow also that God's Spirit or Power moving in the Heart is that alone which renders the Words or Prayers of any sanctifying Nor is this all The Pool of Bethesda is a notable Figure of the Matter in hand where the Certainty of being cured upon stepping into the Pool so soon as ever the Angel had moved the Waters doth very lively represent to us that what Benefit we may ever expect to receive from the Lord comes not from an hasty Rushing into any Religious Performance in our own time but our patient Waiting till the Lord's holy Angel stirs and moves the Waters and then to lay all aside to imbrace so blessed an Opportunity Further § 5. The Gospel-State is an Eternal Sabbath He that prayes in his own Will Time Wisdom Invention is picking Sticks and kindling a Fire and compassing himself about with the Sparks of the Fire of his own kindling This Man hath not Ceast from his own Works he will suffer loss in the Day of God and his Bed will be made in Sorrow § 6. Nor is this the utmost of our Force For whatever God hath not required just will it be with him to say who hath required these things at your hands 'T is true God loves that his People should pray and Christ injoyns it but he also bids all Watch unto Prayer that is wait to feel that Spirit of Life to stir which gives Life to Prayer the Key of David by which Heaven's Door is opened and the Soul comes to receive True and Heavenly Refreshment The Want of which maketh so much Complaint among some that their Duties are Unholy Things they want Power they have prayed long but to little purpose whereas had they pray'd aright that had never been Much more might be said to this but my Conscience is clear in the Matter and I shall conclude this Point with a general Confession and Caution § 7. We do acknowledge That God is That he ought to be worshipped That Worshipping of God is stricktly a bowing down before him in Fear and Holy Reverence according as he makes himself known to the Creature That Prayer is a Gospel-Ordinance That it is not only Good but Necessary to be used That God only can give us to pray aright as well to pray at all That therefore his Assistance is necessary to have which there ought to be a Waiting out of all Conceivings Inventions or Forms to receive
a Living Touch and Sence from his Pure Living and Eternal Spirit whereby to set our Spirits at work This is that Oyl which makes the Chariot Wheels go smoothly and without which they grate and jarr Those who have not Words especially in Publick Places have Sighs and Groans and a deep and silent Exercise of Spirit God-wards In which blessed Communion is joyned and Refreshments that out-do all Worldly Satisfaction That it is the Duty of all to wait upon God and that not only at Publick Meetings but at their own Houses also and therein as well at their Meals as at all other times for Worship If any have the Motion of God's Eternal Spirit upon their Hearts let it be answer'd to God's Praise and the Edification of others if not let none offer up an unsanctified dead Sacrifice to the Lord as all that comes from meer Man is for it will be their Burden neither prodigally spend their own Portion or that Bread upon others God has bestowed for their own Use Thus whether such Eat Drink Sleep or otherwise Enjoy of God's Benefits Let all be done with holy Aw and to the Glory of God our Father as it will certainly be if there be but a still and reverent Waiting in Spirit upon the Lord in the Light of Christ to be made sensible of his Goodness and Blessings upon us and Unity with us in our Undertakings and Enjoyments And let this be a Warning unto all in the Name and Fear of the Jealous God of Heaven and Earth that they do not offer up to God their halt and lame and blind Self-Sacrifices which my God abhorrs Especially you Professors whose Leaves are large but your Fruit little Think not to be heard by your Multitude of Words nor Variousness of Duties God regards the Root the Life the Power the Spirit that begets them and whose Life it is that animates them if they arise from God's Holy Spirit and Seed of Life they can they will interceed and prevail but if not God will say to you one Day who has required these things at your Hands O! for the Love of God and your own Souls offer not God a Worship out of His own Spirit much less Contend for it for you strengthen Satan's Bonds in so doing and feed the Mystery of Iniquity the painted Jezabel the Mother of Harlots from whom these false accursed Births have come who under outward Imitations and Performances holds People in Death and Darkness and perfect Enmity against God and his Living Spiritual Holy Seed in them and others that is able to bruise the Serpent's Head which is the Pure Way of God and in whom is the Blessing forever For the Devil the subtil Serpent having got into those outward Courts of Religion Signs and Shaddows of the Good Things which God had given Credit to by his Appearing once in them he pleads their Divine Institution against the very Life and Substance that like old Garments it hath put off And so all are deceived by his Transformations and subtil Twinings who come not to that Inward Sence of Life and Power which relish the very Spirit and can try the Inside Servants are not Masters because they wear their old Clothes neither is the Devil an Angel of Light because he puts on the Pure Ware the Spirits old Clothes God once appeared at the Mountain and Jerusalem therefore was either Worship to continue No God disappeared that he might set up a more Spiritual Worship where ends Meats and Drinks and all outward Services figurative of the Good things come § 8. Let it not be evilly taken by any of you neither be ye offended in me or the Doctrine I here defend For all Preachings Prayings Graces as they are called with the rest of the Worship of the Day which arise not from the Holy Power and Spirit of God it is at this time laid upon me and I am bold to declare in the Name of the Eternal Holy God A Blast an utter Blast is coming upon them all and they shall be found amongst the Chaff and not the Wheat in the Day of God's terrible Tempest where nothing but the solid and weighty Seed shall remain Stable and Unshaken O bow bow ye tall Cedars and sturdy Oaks Come out and be ye separated by the Power of my God from all your Inventions self-Contrivances self-Runnings and Willings ye Children of the Night and Lovers of your own Works more then Lovers of God's who out of the Living Pure Eternal Spirit of Life are holding forth Faith Worship Prayers and Ordinances and contending for them against the very Life it self that in a more plain Appearance is risen departed from them and come to know the one True Faith Worship and Great Ordinance of God by the Operation of his Spirit in all your Hearts and Consciences else you will dye in your Sins and Christ shall profit you nothing but your Dreams of Salvation shall vanish and utter Destruction will be your Portion for evermore CHAP. XV. His Charge of our Denial of Baptism and the Sacraments introduc'd with a Discourse of positive Commands Destructive of the Foundation of Religion The Priest against God Scripture and Reason He confounds himself Baptism of Water prov'd John's and not to continue Mat. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 1. 17. Ephes 4. 5. cleared and vindicated The One Spiritual Baptism defended § 1. I am now come to the two last Particulars of this Charge Baptism and the Lord's Supper which he introduceth with a short Discourse of the Nature of God's Commands respecting Gospel-Ordinances which he sayes we deny I shall onely take notice of this Passage where he tells us that the Ordinances hitherto consider'd are called Moral from their natural Obligation although respecting the Substance they deserve a more EVANGELICAL Denomination without which we cannot says he call them CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES But these two I come now to consider are purely positive and depend meerly upon divinely reveal'd Institution and God has so express'd his Jealousie over this Right of his that when Sins not onely against natural Light but superadded Precepts to confirm and strengthen its Doubtfulness and Decays have been passed by without any special Expressions of his Provocation Sins committed against his positive Laws as CIRCUMCISION and all Ceremonial Laws as well as Water-Baptism and what is generally call'd the Lord's Supper have been avenged with a high Hand To all I return these short Heads of Matter First that a Ministry grounded Internally upon the Grace and Gifts of God externally upon the Scriptures of Truth A well order'd Church consisting of Religious Members Preaching Praying and that Scripturally too by him call'd Christian-Ordinances are by him made Natural to all Nations antecedent to Christ's outward Coming and consequently there was the Thing Christianity before the Name Christianity which pleads our Cause against his first Chapter and a gross Self-Contradiction Next that those he calls Natural Ordinances and of Universal Obligation are far more
Sanctifier in the Hearts of his People when the Disciples and whole Church of Jerusalem were so frequent in this Ordinance and when the Apostle Paul tells us to the Corinthians The Bread which we break c. it was for those to whom Christ was come by a Spirit of Sanctification not those in a State of Sin unconverted to Christ That I may briefly and fully reply be pleas'd to observe 1 That we don't deny Bread and Wine to have been given and that by Command of Christ to his Disciples 2 That it was a Sign to them of that Life he would give for the World and which at that time they were weak in the Knowledge of 3 We believe the Life most eminently meant and which they were to do it in the Remembrance of was that Flesh and Blood that in the 6. of John he said Who did not eat nor drink thereof should have no Life in them and which 5. verses after he calls the Bread that came down from Heaven 4 'T is our Faith that this heavenly Bread and Wine and Flesh and Blood which such were to eat of that would have Life Eternal for which he came and of which the Disciples themselves were then so ignorant was the Thing signified by the Sign Christ gave his Disciples 5 That Sign is no longer of force in Point of Institution then till the thing signified is come so that who truly witness the Coming of Christ into their Souls and the Eternal Bread of Life or Flesh and Blood to nourish are rightly come to an End of the Sign and Figure 6 That Christ did so come is evident from many Scriptures There be some standing here that shall not taste of Death said he till they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom I will not leave you Comfortless I will come to you Implying that he was the Comforter that should come to them after the with-drawing of that Outward Appearance which was expedient for them to be done He that is with you shall be in you and abundance to the same purpose 7 That the Practice of it after the Pouring forth of the Spirit is not neither can it be any Institution or so much as a Continuance of it upon an Institution any more then the Apostles forbearing several things lawful in themselves that were upon the Command of the Jewish Ceremonial Law forbidden The Circumcision of many Gentiles and above all the Apostle Paul's Purifying of himself at the Temple of Jerusalem after he had been near thirty years a Christian or Gospel-Preacher and consequently a Thrower-down and Demolisher both of the Temple and all its Ceremonial Worship 8 That every one who believed and were in some measure turned to the Christian Religion and were accounted Members of the several Churches because of such Profession did not presently come to know Christ after the Spirit or discern his spiritual Manifestation and whilst they were as yet Weak and Carnal in their Conceptions of Christ believing in him and accounting of him but after the Flesh a Knowledg of him the Apostle himself confesseth once but to have had the Outward Bread and Wine might be suitable to that sort of Belief and a Sign showing forth a more Spiritual Internal Bread and Cup which the Apostle in the same fore-going Chapter to the Corinthians expresseth thus FOR WE BEING MANY ARE ONE BREAD AND ONE BODY FOR WE ARE ALL PARTAKERS OF THAT ONE BREAD The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ I speak as to wise Men Judge ye what I say Which evidently imports a more Inward Heavenly Bread Fellowship and Communion both with Christ and one and another 9 It ought not to stumble any that it should last to that Day and yet be laid aside Now For Customs when once introduc'd and receiv'd are not easy to be relinquish't or left off and it having been the Token Christ gave to his Disciples in the time of their great Weakness Fear and Unbelief concerning him it was quickly embrac'd and imitated by such as believ'd especially Jews who just coming out of a Multitude of External Services were ready to make part of their Religion consist therein But as such came to grow into the true Jews State they saw beyond all Exteriour Signs and Services And that nothing which could be tasted or handl'd and that perisht with the Using and that could never clense the Conscience from dead Works but were the Shaddows only of Christ the Living Eternal Substance and Bread of Life could be a standing Ordinance of the Everlasting Gospel § 3. And truly when I have somtimes consider'd the Apostle Paul's Inspir'd Epistles to his beloved Timothy that among the many weighty plain and necessary things therein declared recommended for the Encrease of Godliness and good Order in the Church of Christ he should be wanting to express something about these two Points of Water-Baptism the Lord's Supper so call'd and insisted upon as the most weighty Ordinances of the Gospel in Comparison of which Praying Preaching good Life and such like the great Subjects of those Epistles J. Faldo reputes meer Heathenism I have concluded to me self that had his Value of them been equal with what some now adays put upon them he would not or rather the Holy Spirit have omitted a very peculiar Recommendation of them But though this be sufficient to dull the Edge of their Spirits who daily cut and hack us for our not Denial but Affirming the Fulfilling of them by the coming of a more Living Bread Yet our so knowing and witnessing a more Heavenly Table spread and the Presence of the Eternal God withdrawn out of that so abused Practice by the Idolatries Superstitions and Pervertions of several Ages and that Revenge Blood-shed and Destruction which have follow'd the several Contenders for it all without Commission as well as out of the Primitive Order is the chief Ground nor of denying it ever to have been in Use before its Abuse as is before exprest but of our letting fall any further Practice of it And this I hope will be accounted a Modest Sober and Christian Account of our Faith which we leave with God to weigh against the chaffy Flurts and vilifying Epithetes J. Faldo uses against us and which for Brevity sake I omit to transcribe CHAP. XVII His Charge of our Denying Christ's Transactions to influence into our Justification consider'd His Proofs not for him His Abuse of our Friends Words Justification distinguisht upon as Remission and as daily Acceptance The Transactions of Christ largely own'd by us The Scriptures confirm our Faith in Christ as a general and particular Saviour No Works of Man Meritorious § 1. I Am now come to that part of his Charge which affirms our Denial of the Transactions of Jesus Christ in the Flesh to have any Influence
Justification that is to the Blotting out of former Iniquities for if Men could do more a thousand-fold then they do and that it were never so acceptable it is but their present Duty and cannot have Vertue enough in it to answer a present Obligation and cancel the old Debt of Disobedience too God only upon Faith in his Goodness Mercy and Holy Promise can give Remission Pardon or make free from the heavy Debt Transgression hath brought upon us and that not as thereby meriting but as obtaining such Remission from God upon his own free tender This is Evangelical Faith and Righteousness too of which Abraham was a Partaker as well before as after Circumcision that he might be the Father of all § 5. But Justification is not only taken for Remission of former Sins and Accounting of Believers as if they had never transgrest that is Righteous but for that Regenerate and Clean State of Soul and that Access to and Acceptance with God respecting Daily Duty In which sense no Man nor Woman ever was or ever will be Justified another way then by Inward and Real Righteousness Nor in this sense can any be further Justified and Accepted then as they are thus purified and regenerated Since it could be to say not only that God upon Repentance of former Sins and Belief in his Promise has blotted out their Iniquities which may be whilst habitual Sin is yet but a working out and not quite overcome for that is true enough but that God accepts such as purified sanctified and regenerated the other sense of Justification while they are actually Impure and Unregenerated this we abominate and then which nothing can be affirm'd more Reproachfull to and Destructive of his Eternal Holiness § 6. Having thus explained and exprest what we understand by the Word Justification I shall declare How far we believe Christ Jesus our Lord respecting his Coming both in the Flesh and Spirit influenceth into our Justification as the Priest terms it The Seed afterwards call'd Christ was and is God's free Gift Promise and Covenant of Light by whom alone Remission Justification and Eternal Salvation did or can come to Mankind That in the Fulness of time a Body was prepared in which he came to fulfill the Fathers good Pleasure that he preacht the Promise of Remission of Sin and Salvation to as many as believed in him and took up his Cross and followed him confirming the same by many Miracles For this Doctrine of Redemption and asserting himself to be the Off-spring of God one with God to whom all Power in Heaven and Earth was committed the Jews persecuted him stigmatizing him with the Name of Blasphemer and at last apprehended and crucified him We do say then that Faith in the same Christ who then appeared who so preached worked Miracles and lay'd down his Life for the World and not in another does give Remission of Sins and as follow'd as become all true Disciples Eternal Salvation yea that Outward Blood was then and is now to be reverently believed in as a Seal Ratification and strong Confirmation of that glad Tidings of Remission of Sin and Eternal Salvation which he held forth in the Name of his Father to those who would take up the Cross and follow him And therefore with good reason was Remission of Sins preached in his Blood because it was the most visible eminent Act of his Life both fittest to recommend his great Concernment for poor Man and confirm the Truth of that blessed Gospel he preached to him in the World § 7. And as for Satisfaction Though we deny any strickt and rigid Purchase as carnally understood and irreverently held by many yet that the Offering up his Innocent Life did and doth turn to Account to as many as truly receive him we faithfully believe yea that he did bear that for Man I mean his Iniquity he could not for himself And has by that Suffering obtained precious Gifts that is that Victory Man could never have obtain'd yet still we do ascribe all that was done but instrumentally to the bodily Sufferings and principally to the Will of that Divine Life whose Body it was which offered it up and by the which Will it was Sanctified and so acceptable with God Otherwise more nay all would be ascrib'd to the Body which I affirm to be Blasphemy it self for it was not the Body eminently which saved the People from theâ—r Sins but that which dwelt in it whose it was so that though the Body bore the Name of the Whole yet was it not the Whole but by Syneedoche a part for the whole which is very familiar in the Scriptures § 8. To his Spiritual Coming into the Soul do we ascribe the Inward Righteousness We say That Christ as he is the Light Power and Righteousness of God being received into the Soul and diligently obey'd and communed with he doth first Convince of Sin then brings Trouble for Sin and Sin thus becoming a Load to the Soul he administers Strength to shake off every such Load and Burthen and to conquer and subdue the Power of Sin and Satan in the Soul In which sense he is more properly and particularly a Saviour when he binds the strong Man spoils his Goods casts him out destroys the Works of the Devil finishes Transgression and brings in Everlasting Righteousness Otherwise in vain would he have that Title And thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his People from their Sins not the Effect Eternal Death without the Cause Sin For the Wages of Sin is Death As men sow so shall they reap And a dreadfull Disappointment will it be to the Hypocritical Professors of this day that dream of Justification Redemption and Salvation and are yet carried away with the Temptations of Satan at his will being ignorant of the inward Power of Christ to bruise the Serpent's Head To conclude that Righteousness which Christ as God's true Light Power and Righteousness works in us therefore is not of us is that which alone brings into true Union with God and Membership with his Unspotted Church consequently no Man without that Qualification can be so accepted with him or have Access to him for God is of purer Eyes then to behold Iniquity and without Holiness no Man shall ever see the Lord. But let none mistake me I do not intend that who is not quite Perfect is altogether to be condemned by no means but that Man is only so far accepted of God as he is really Regenerated and Beautified by the internal Righteousness of Christ And to this purpose is that other Scripture he quotes against us That as Sin has reigned unto Death even so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord For all Men having actually sinned and Sin so becoming inherent Grace that teacheth to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly which is that Righteousness should also reign in all
Velata quaedam Revelata pag. 13. of which he is very cheery As to the Spirit of Man which concurs to the Constituting of Man in his primitive Perfection it is the Breath of Life which God breathed into his Soul after he had formed him as to his Body of the Dust of the Earth whereby he came to be a Living Soul a Soul that did partake something of God's own Life This Spirit of Man is that living Principle of the Divine Nature which Man did before his Degeneration and shall again after his Regeneration partake of This Charge sayes our Adversary being of so black and horrid a Nature I did judge it meet to prove it by abounding Instances and now Reader put on the largest Charity and give me thy Verdict if I have not made appear that the Quakers are gross Idolaters c. To answer which briefly and to Purpose and to close this Chapter with a contrary Conclusion I say That the Spirit of Man is not to be taken as of or from Man or that it is any part of Man's Nature take Man in an Abstractive sense And had he been so fair as to give us S. Fisher's Words at large they would have prov'd themselves of Age enough to answer for themselves S. Fisher is to be understood of that Spirit or Breath of Life not that made Man simply a Living Creature of a meer Reasonable Capacity but that Divine Life or Breath which makes alive to God and gives a kind of Heavenly Animation Motion or Life to live to him which constituted Adam not a meer Man but a blessed holy heavenly-minded Man before his Degeneration And that S. Fisher did never intend it of the Natural Soul of Man but rather of the Divine Life of the Soul without which the Soul is destitute of the Knowledge of the True and Living God his own Words very plainly show For if S. Fisher intended that Spirit which is the Divine Principle that Man did partake of before his Degeneration certain and clear it is that since Man did under that Degeneration partake of his own Soul or else he could not have been a Man S. Fisher never meant the meer Soul of Man but the Life of that Divine Principle which regenerates and renews the Soul unto a Life of Purity and Blessedness So that we conclude the Quakers not believing any such Strange and Unscriptural Doctrine as that the Soul of Man is the God that made the Heavens and the Earth for so it would make it self and what is greater then itself They are not those Idolaters they have been represented and fouly charactered by J. Faldo But Innocent and Free of all such Imputation and he their Accuser most of all Condemnable yea and that for Idolatry too who professeth no Knowledge of God but from Outward Sense by Hearing Reading c. p. 91. So that being destitute of the Revelation of the Son that only can make known the Living Father what Apprehensions he has of God are not Experimental but Imaginary and worshipping such an Idea he worshippeth not the true God but the Images of his own Brain therefore an Idolater See Bish Andrews upon the Command and Pagnin upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHAP. XXI Our Adversary at a loss to prove his Charge We own so much of the Resurrection as the Scriptures express more Curiosity Dangerous and Condemnable Eternal Rewards own'd by us J. Faldo's Book will prove it to Him and our Tribulations to Us. § 1. THe two last Charges of this second Part of his Discourse are our Denyal of the Resurrection of the Dead that is Dead Bodies and future Rewards To the First he brings in I. Pennington thus We say that Christ is the Resurrection to raise up that which Adam lost and to destroy him who deceived him viz. Adam so Christ is the Resurrection unto Life of Body Soul and Spirit and so renews Man c. Princ. Elem. Peop. cal Quak. p. 34. Upon which he comments What is this Resurrection but what they call Regeneration it seems he does not and the Resurrection of the Body is but in the same sense as the Soul and Spirit is raised I can't help it if J. Faldo has made so unapplicable a Quotation out of I. P. to his Business I hope none are so Blind or Partial as to be angry that I. P. did not write to his Purpose it was sufficient that he spake to his own or rather to the Truth 's Our Adversary falls down right upon us with a Charge of Denying the Resurrection of the Body and is angry that the Place he produces helps not his Design Certainly with sober Men the Blame will not lie at our doors for not making good his Charge but at his own that he exhibited one he could not prove But will he deny the Resurrection in I. P's Words If he does I pronounce him no Christian nor indeed will a bare Confessing to it render him One And where he stands I fear he is but too far from both Let it suffice that those Words are a modest serious and full Answer to this Caviller since he does plainly acknowledge All that the first Adam lost to be restored by Christ the second Adam and all that the Sin of one incurr'd the Righteousness of the other redeem'd from Now let his Notions of the Way and Method of Effecting this be what they will we desire not to be wise beyond what the Lord sees convenient for us as this busie Intruder into sacred Mysteries hath done that lives in the Land not of Light but gross Darkness within and whose very borrowed made framed Light from Reading Art Study and his own Conceptions is the very Blackness of Darkness § 2. But he affirms that George Whitehead should say being prest in the Matter that he did not believe his Body should rise again after its Death which he can prove by many Witnesses I know not if ever G. Whitehead did so express himself But I see every Expression must be treasured up to defend a decrepit Cause Truth stands in no need of such Watchings that would make a Man an Offender for a Word But what if he did say so and I should second him would it follow that we deny a Resurrection I am sure I will deny all such Consequences Doth not the Apostle say expresly Thou Fool thou sowest not THAT BODY THAT SHALL BE. Is Scripture grown into such mean Request with J. Faldo or doth his Rage against the Quakers so transport him that he knows not Scripture when he meets it from a Quaker But sayes our Adversary upon a like place and to this purpose viz. We shall all be changed I would ask if they would be content to be refused their Debts if contracted before Quakers and demanded when Quakers I suppose they would believe that the Change in a Person is not the Change of a Person and that they are the same still to
Apostolical or primitive Christianity And this shall close our Chapter and my honest and clear Answer to the second part of his Discourse which makes up more then three parts of four of his Uncharitable and Disingenuous Treatise AN APPENDIX Being A Reply to that last Part of his Book which pretends to answer the first of my Spirit of Truth Vindicated entituled An Examination of the first part of W. P's Spirit of Truth c. with a Rebuke of his Exorbitances § 1. THough there has been no Adversary which has fallen to my share that has shown more Incivility and less Learning a thing he pretends to in Answer to any of my Books then J. Faldo has done in this last part of his Quakerism no Christianity yet how little soever I have at least to bestow upon him I desire to manifest more Temper Truth and Civility then to recompence him with that Ill-bred Language those School-puns and loose irreverent if not prophane Sayings amidst the most weighty Matters it hath pleased him to give me for a great share of his Answer to the first Part of my Book I will rather betake my self to single out the Strength of his Objections if any there be and bestow my Time in Vindication of the Truth then to rail revile undervalue and stigmatize with I know not how many disgracefull Epithites a Way that never yet reacht into any Man's Conscience And this Ken I have of J. Faldo That all his Discourse of Christianity interlined with so much Babling Prattle and base Abuse would never move a sober Turk and a Banian is a Saint to a Congregation of such kind of Christians § 2. He tells me he expected great Things when first he set about to read my Book and began to stagger in his Mind as to that Ingenious Piece call'd The Spirit of the Quakers tried or to that purpose But knowing himself better I hope he will excuse me if I do not believe him He never had that Opinion of any thing writ in Defence of a People he testifies such irreconcilable Hatred to which is none of the meanest Blots in his Scutchion Pen the Answerer if he were not furnisht with Fore-head and Tales beyond measure his Pamphlet would have had nothing remarkable in it Whether this be most a Lye or an Abuse I know not perhaps the Reader may but sure I am there is more of both then stands with true Christianity to give a comprehensive Under value of what he can never answer which perhaps goes for one among such as have Faith in him or know no better § 3. But he is angry at my Stating the Question thus Whether God's Holy and Unerring Spirit is or should be the proper Judge of Truth Rule of Faith and Guide of Life among Men especially under the Administration of the blessed Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ or no. I affirm it and proceed to prove it by Scripture and Reason Upon which be pleased to hear his Reflection and from hence make a Judgment what that Spirit must be that should so pretend to answer my Spirit of Truth c. Considering his Words foregoing which are too many and too worthless to transcribe And what he drives at in the handling of this Question I never read one so lame and deformed in my Life come forth with such State and Confidence and such a train and rout of Mediums as deformed as it self There is in it neither Logick nor Honesty Certainly if he had not turned Quaker and in that Fall put all out of joynt he could not likely after such good Nursing have been thus lamentably cripled in his Intellects and somewhat besides One would think the Strain of this Comment were Answer to it self Why so much flourish and little done Must Noise supply the Absence of Reason and base Reviling go for Confutation Shallow Man what Lameness is there in the Question I profess I see none nor has he so much as pointed at one Limb that is defective in all this Rabble of Reflection I have neither Logick nor Honesty It had been to be wish'd that he had shown more of both in saying so or held his Tongue But my turning Quaker has put something out of joynt But what I know not unless the good Opinion I once undeserved had of such Mountebank Priests But give him his due he is the first Man that ever acquainted me with the Ground of Cripling I was never yet wise enough to think it a Natural Effect of Ill-nursing only through Carelesness in Nurses Falls and the like have brought it I perceive he is not only a Wel wisher to Physick by his hard Word Ebullitions but a small Pretender to Chyrurgery by his Terme out of joynt when he has given better Proof of his well-setting to rights his own dis-joynted or if he will dislocated Cause with that of Chistianity he may better set up for a Religious Bone-setter and in the mean time he can pass but for a Pretender But I have no Logick And why Because I say pag. 37. there is no more Difference to me between a Judge Rule and Gaide then essentially there can be in the Wisdom Justice and Holiness of God he should have added sayes J. Faldo nor between Truth Faith and Life amongst Men. I would know of any Man that can think himself capable of judging in the plainest Case if this be an Answer to my Argument I said then I do again that there is no more Difference in them respecting the Principle then essentially there can be in the Wisdom Justice and Holiness of God which are but so many Words to express the Perfection of one and the same Being for he is all and that in all Wise in being Just and both in being Holy They are inseparable for That which gives me a right Sense or Judgment of Truth from Error is as well to me a Rule what I should believe or dis-believe and a Guide what I should practise or not practise as at first it was my Judge of what was Truth from what was Errour All which sober and indeed unanswerable Arguing he thought fit to over-look which is very Disingenuous I say that the same Spirit which is a Judge is a Rule and Guide even in that very Act when it is a Judge and that unavoidably Therefore to distinguish them is frivolous and to maintain one to be a Rule and another a Judge is absurd and heterodox For his Addition it is not hard to answer That there is more Difference between Truth Faith and Life for one may be without the other two I mean Truth abstractly But if it shall be understood of Truth received into the Heart I say that there is so great an Affinity between Truth true Faith and an Heavenly Life that they follow each other almost at an instant and cannot be separated from each other § 4. But he is Angry that I should use these Words of Lord
Unchristian Reflections Names and Epithites upon our Faith and Principles be due weighed by the Impartial Reader § 19. Penn furnished with Fore-head and Tales beyond measure I am assured that 's a Lye I think my Fore-head and Tales are like other Mens if not I have this Satisfaction they are unlike J. Faldo's His Post is the Quakers conceited Strong-hold of the Infallible Guidance of the Spirit of God A Post his Post can never stand long by and such Hold as all his Assaults can never enter or force And we are glad it is ours indeed for as above all People we need it most so are we the only Sufferers in Defence thereof Satan's Bulwarks shall be broken down before it § 20. In debating of which he waves and tosses like a Man in a confus'd trouble some Dream I thought meet to give some Account of his Forces considering him to be a Man of Noise and no small People the Quakers Cause in their own Esteem I toss not beyond the Bounds of Scripture and Truth my Arguments were short and plain and what I writ was in Conscience and Seriousness little meriting such rough and flashy Reflection from any Person pretending to seriousness and least of all one that I never had to do with in my Life Dreams I have none they lie on J. Faldo's side He that calls Christ Lord and not by the Holy Ghost He that says he is his Redeemer Saviour c. and knows not the Internal Operation of his saving Power nor that Vertue and Life to quicken to God which comes there-from dreams of all these things and that is J. Faldo's Condition who scoffs at Internal Knowledge without External Means though to his own Consusion he sometime reads another Lecture I am no Man of Noise further then your Noise makes me The Profession of the Way I am in I came to through Sorrow for Sin Circumcision from the World Desires after God and Life that is Everlasting and ever since God has enabled me to his Service and here I hope to stand while I live My Life Spirit Power and Principle wars against all yours that are embattell'd against us and no Quarter I proclaim in the Name of the Lord to that wicked Spirit that acts you all against us though to you Peace and Salvation if ye Repent Do you leave off your Envious Endeavours against us or else blame your selves and not us for appearing on the Stage against us § 21. Deformed Confidence neither Logick nor Honesty Certainly if he had not turn'd Quaker and in that Fall put all out of Joynt he could not likely after such Good Nursing have been thus lamentably cripled in his Intellects Rankness of Quakerism The latter Part of the Question which expresses the Administration of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is PLAYING AT BLIND MAN's BUFF your Guilt c. Baseness confused Thicket of Impertinencies if your Conscience have any Eyes Infatuated I have shewed your Vanity and made your Folly a Spectacle to the World you talk at a miserable lame Rate worse then ever Bear brought forth her Cubbs confident confused Non-sense I would as soon abandon my Time to Dispute with a distracted Man in his Raving Fits as with W. Penn till he come better to himself c. your pittiful Scribbling yet wretched Scribbler was my hardest word to H Hedworth he has observed against me not worth while to trace such a Trifler in all his Vagaries intaugled Bottom Beetle-headed Saying Audacious Lines he will daub his Adversary per fas per nefas Right or Wrong and he that shall say the Contrary you will chastize him with Sarcasms as keen as a Badger's Teeth The next Book you write let the Title be The Spirit of Babel from whence Babble in English This Reader is a short Account of some of that unhandsom Entertainment I a Stranger to J. Faldo have received at his hands May my Soul never come within his Habitation Prejudice Envy and Cruelty lodge with him Vanity Frothiness and Incivility are like Veins through his Book and serve to convey what Life it has to such as please themselves with that base kind of Satyre Strange that it should be reputed so Criminal by J. Faldo to check my Adversary for Abusing me and my Friends by Name when yet he exceeds in his Reflections upon us and that without any such Occasion given But if we were condemnable sure I am it belongs not to J. Faldo to fling the first Stone I am very willing to leave it with all sober Readers our Circumstances considered which of us ought to be accounted the Unfair Adversary Oh when will it fall to my Share to engage a sober modest Adversary But why do I wish for that since such are our Friends Well it will greatly become me to be contented with my Lot Faith I have these things will not last long and Patience will give to see the End of that Belief A little foul Weather and our Enemies are for their Creeks again 'T is natural with Insects to sting and Frogs to croak in Summer and therefore it is that our Best Actions are Evil in the Sight of these carping Zoilus's If a Man be one of them then a Saint though a Devil if gone from them then a Devil though a Saint Such is his Farewel to me who in three Lines tells me he is a little pleasant he cannot sweat about Cracking of Nuts and yet that he has had some Heart-akes for me Miserable Man Does Levity and Seriousness go together Froth and Sorrow keep Company What would any Man give for such Heart-akes that bring true ones upon a serious Mind But what are his Heart-akes Why he bewails that a Man of my Hopes should be thus left of God he fears for Pride and Giddiness as to be made a Pillar of Salt c. It seems then that there were once Hopes But to what To a Party I know you very well you will few of you stand by all that I could say and prove of some of you I would advise such Opposers to be quiet enjoy their Toleration a Kindness as great as they deserve and mind their own Concerns and now their Hands are tyed against the Powers not employ them upon our Shoulders But why should God leave me a Sufferer from 14 Yeares of Age for Conscience sake he feares for Pride and Giddiness But the Cause of my leaving you was that of my once frequenting you I mean Conscience when some I then dissented from had as hard Names to give for that non-Conformity But the Truth is when the King came First in at what time you were a little dejected there was something more Serious and Tender then ordinary revived among some of you which did begin to gather out of the National Pollution and sit for a further thing but taking up a Rest growing hard gaping after Changes looking back like Lot's Wife upon your Old Sodom for-sworn Government Kings and Bishops-Lands
and moves and inclines to Purity Mercy Righteousness which are of God We deny and abominate that Ranting Spirit that would charge the Spirit of God with their Unholy Liberty God's Spirit makes free from Sin not to Sin Neither can we distinguish as they wickedly do between the Act and the Evil of it wherefore we say that as the Tree is known and denominated from the Fruit so the Spirits by their Motions and Inclinations and the Spirit of God never did incline to Evil. So we renounce that Construction of their esteeming Evil no Evil when any pretend to be lead to it by God's Spirit for that is not the Way and Method of his Spirit that is Pure and Holy forever Priest The Quakers must be all Infallible and Perfect if they have such a Light Quaker This also is a great Abuse of our true Meaning We say the Principle is Pure Perfect Unerrable in it self but we never did assert our selves such meerly because it was in us by no means but that all who are lead by it are so far Perfect and Infallible and no Jot further Who can lay down a more independent Doctrine upon Self and hourly depending upon the Grace or Gift of God Let us not be mistaken nor suffer for these things Priest The Quakers deny the Scriptures for they deny them to be the Word of God Quaker We own the Scriptures as they own themselves a Declaration of those things most truly believ'd given forth in all Ages by the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit That they are profitable for Reading for Exhortation for Reproof in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfectly furnished They are the Form of sound Words We believe in them read them and it is the Work we have to do in this World and the Reason why we are so separated from it and the earnest Desire of our Souls to Almighty God that we may witness the Fulfilling of them That God's will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven But to call them the Word of God which they never did themselves but which they peculiarly denominate Christ by in Reverence to Christ alone and no Slight to them do we as in Duty and Reason bound attribute that Title to him only Priest They deny them to be any Means whereby to resist Temptation Quaker This is a very Aspersion True it is that we deny the Scriptures of themselves to be sufficient to resist Temptation But that we should deny them to be any Means whereby to do it when we allow our own Writings may be such is either great Ignorance or Malice God has doth and will make Use of them for Reproof Comfort and Edification Priest The Quakers assert the Spirit of God to be the Immediate Teacher and that there is no other Means now to be used Quaker We never spoak such Language but perceive the Subtilty of the Devil in this thing as in others For since he cannot hinder the Exaltation of the Spirit above all visible Instruments and the Necessity of its Motions and Operations in the Hearts of Men and the great Suitableness of it to the Gospel Administration he would spoile us by Overdoing that is by inferring beyond that our Assertion will allow For we never denyed Means but to this Day from the Beginning we have been in the Use of them But then they are such Means as are used in the Life and Power of God and not in and from Man's meer Wit Will or Imitation the thing we strike at Strange because we deny all false Means or Means not used in the Leadings of God's Power and Spirit that therefore we must deny all Means however rightly employed Behold the Injustice of our Enemies Wherefore be it known unto all that Evangelical Means and Order we love and keep For we Assemble Our-selves together to Worship God where we Pray in the Motion of the Spirit and Prophesie One by One as any thing is revealed Nor are we without Spiritual Songs making Melody in our Hearts to God our Redeemer Priest The Quakers deny the two Great Ordinances of the Gospel Baptism and the Supper Quaker What ever is a Gospel-Ordinance we own and practise We know no such Language in the Scriptures as in the Calumny of our Adversary 'T is true those two Practices are found but that is no Institution That they were then proper we believe but that they were at most but Figures and Signs you acknowledge that are called Protestants Now prove to us that there ought to be any Figures or Signs under the Gospel-Administration when Christ who is the Substance is come 'T is to overthrow the whole Dispensation and to make his Coming of none Effect If it be said But they were used after his Coming and Ascension too I answer So were many Jewish Ceremonies not easily abolished If any say But Christ bid that one should be done till he came Very well and he that said so told his Disciples that He would come to them Some should not taste of Death till they saw him come And he that was then with them should be in them And he would drink no more of the Fruit of the Vine till he drank it New that is the New Wine that was to be put in the new Bottel which is the Wine of the Kingdom as he expresseth it in the same place which Kingdom also is within Luk. 17. 20. He was and is the Heavenly Bread that they had not yet known nor his Flesh and his Blood as they were to know it So that though Christ was come to end all Signs yet till he was known to be the Substance to the Soul as the Great Bread of Life from Heaven Signs were usefull to shew forth and keep in hand especially the People of that Day whose Religion was attended with a Multitude of the like Types Shaddows and Signs of the One Good Thing and Substance of all Hence it is that we don't deny them that is too hard a Word but truly witnessing the very thing they signified to be come we leave them off as fulfill'd and henceforth have but One Lord One Faith One Baptism One Bread and but One Cup of Blessings which is the New Wine of the Kingdom Priest The Quakers deny Christ's Transactions at Jerusalem and the Shedding of his Blood to be Beneficial unto them It is the Light within only they expect to be saved by Quaker This is a wicked Suggestion against us We do say That the Appearance of that Second Adam the Lord from Heaven the Quickning Spirit in that Holy Body prepared of the Father for him was for the Salvation of the World who had fain in the First That whatever he then did both Living Dying had a great Influence for Good upon all that then believed and hath still for all that now believe in him as he manifests himself to us by his Light in the Conscience For we do affirm that to come to that is
those they Preach to W. P. This is done like the Fox indeed He would suggest because we deny Hirelings that is Bargainers Men that make it their Trade that have no other will seek no other and yet preach perhaps but once a Week if then and bestow the Six Days that might be otherwise employ'd to Study for that Day instead of Preaching most of those Dayes that therefore we are such Cruel Hard-hearted People that is such as Preach and are Poor either through a numerous Family low Estate many Losses or a continual Attendance from Day to Day upon the Ministry they have receiv'd of God we will not minister to their Necessities for such as so receive any Assistance are Hirelings and we should contribute to make them so No no J. Faldo the Quakers are no such People but for all that they can do and I will renounce Thee and such as Thou art for Hirelings First in that you have not received the Living Heavenly Gift of the Ministry And secondly because you do generally Bargain will not preach without it and can basely leave an Honester People for a better Allowance This is Notorious therefore stop thy Mouth J. F. pag. 72. THE LUST sayes he all Desires that accord not to the Light within and proceed not from thence W. P. What accords not with the Light within is not of God and so far we own his Explanation but to say that all Desires about such ordinary things as are left to the common Understanding Prudence and Liberty of Man to do or not to do are Lust if they come not from the immediate Impulse of the Light within is his own Notion not the Quakers We do not subject that heavenly Principle to nor concern it with every Inferior and Frivolous thing belonging to this World J. F. pag. 75. CHRIST THE OFFERING says he the Light within W. P. This is no Quakers Expression and unless we are to answer for J. Faldo's Mistakes we are unconcern'd in it Only his Malice is manifest for he would by this insinuate that we deny Christ to be an Offering as in the Flesh and the Body then offered up to be concern'd in our Belief of the Offering But I do declare it to have been an holy Offering and such an one too as was to be once for all Therefore let none receive his Abuse of us for our Faith J. F. pag. 79. MEN-PLEASERS says he They who comply with Men though in things not only Lawful but also to Edification W. P. We Charge this upon him as an Arrant Lye We are so far from reputing such Men-pleasers that we account them Sober Courteous and Commendable Persons provided he means by Lawful and to Edification what we do otherwise he is not Honest to obtrude Matters in Question for our Meanings J. F. pag. 81. RAVENING BRAIN sayes he Studying and following after Divine Knowledge W. P. This is not fair The Word studying and following we own in a sense Studying that is Meditating Following that is Obeying the Light and Spirit of God But because we deny the Dark and Heathenish Metaphysicks the prolix and abstruse Niceties of the School-men and affirm There is no way to become vers'd in the Things of God but by being an humble Student and diligent Disciple in the School of Christ that is to be taught of his Light Grace or holy Spirit Therefore all right Study and all right Wayes to come to the Knowledge of Divine Things we must be charg'd with the Denyal of Disingenuous Man J. F. pag. 86. TRADITIONS OF MEN that is says he The Scripture or Written Word W. P. Show us that in any Book that is subscrib'd by an acknowledg'd Quaker Tradition is a Delivering any thing down From one Generation to another and as such the word is Inoffensive but to say They are the Traditions of Men in the sense Christ reprov'd the Pharisaical Religion God forbid I had rather my Tongue were cut out of my Head O Base Man To abuse an innocent People thus grosly The Scripture is a Godly Tradition or Writing given forth by Inspiration and preserv'd through Generations which we read believe and desire to fulfil through the Power of God J. F. pag. 63 82 83 87. BABYLON Shaddows Spirit of Anti-Christ Outward Court that is says he all Ordinances Worship Faith Obedience that have any Form though Christ's and Gospel Forms being with them the Worship of Heathens not of Christians W. P. This Key opens into as many Forgeries as ever I knew one Key do in my Life Certainly were not this Man left of God for his Enmity he could never run into such extravagant Dishonesty What! Belye us in the Sight of all Indeed it turns upon himself For Visible Worship the Form of Godliness Faith and Obedience to every Ordinance of God we own profess and practise daily and publickly through the Power of our God in whose Name we renounce his Constructions and trample upon all his Malice black and enrag'd as it is J. F. pag. 89. THE VAIL IS OVER THEM that is says J. Faldo the Belief of the Man Christ Jesus which was of our Nature to be the Christ c. W. P. Let this be the Last though several more might be observed which at this time shall be consider'd in which we shall see that J. Faldo has done like himself and the Man we have all along taken him to be The Vail is over them it is a Scripture-Phrase 2 Cor. 3. 15. used by the Apostle to express the Darkness and Ignorance that to that time remain'd over the Understanding of the Jews in reading the Law and this Vail he makes us to interpret after this gross and absurd manner namely That the Vail is the Man Christ Wicked Man Did ever Quaker so irreverently express himself Give us his Name or tell us in what Book we may find it What greater Malice couldst thou have shown then thus unjustly to pervert the Scripture in our Name belying and abusing both As if because Christ's Flesh is called a Vail and the Ignorance of the Jews a Vail that therefore the Quakers must of Necessity mean by Vail in the first sense Vail in the second sense as if the Way to have the Vail rent were to deny the Man Christ Jesus which were to make Christ rend and destroy himself who as the Quickning Spirit alone rends all Vails of the Hearts of Unbelievers Nor indeed have I met with one Term absurd or un-intelligible unless the Scripture use such therefore 't is an Untruth to stile them absurd and a Contradiction in him to offer at Explaining any thing that is truly un-intelligible And that all the World may behold the Spirit of J. Faldo how Ill he governs himself against the Quakers which makes not a little for them let his following Epithetes and Expressions be well weighed I think they are so naked they want no Key and glad we are he found no such Subjects from us to
treat upon in his Horrid Imposture Ditch of Grossest Delusion Subverting Christianity their feigned Christ Folly Madness It began in Blasphemies against Christ Gratifying Pride Idleness Giddiness In Professors Prophane Vanity Folly Non-sense Error Whether it smell more of the Fox or the Goose Imposture Babble Blockish Person QUAKERISM ENTERED THE WORLD AS IF SATAN BROKE LOOSE and POSSESSIONS BY SATAN WERE TO MAKE WAY AND FIT SOULS FOR THE QUAKERS SPIRITS O the Hell-Dark Expressions of the Quakers Teachers What bitter Curses and Execrations Dismal Howling Horrible Roaring Blasphemy Wretch Vain Fictions Quakers Glow-worm Deck their Idol Real Non-sense But 't is Pitty not to lash a little Idiots Stark Blind Steel Hard Your Crooked Unholy Principles Their Light grows wiser and wiser Opium of Quakerism The Quakers Divine Spirit Dumb. Refreshments at Quakers Meetings so there is at Puppet-Plays Impudent Foreheads Non-such Ignorance Proud Dreaming Intolerable Notions Ignorance and Delusion Out-strip all in the Crooked Way Blasphemers of the Lord of Life Glory Surely God has given them up for their Pride Giddiness or Idle Ignorance and that in Justice and the Devil hath blinded their Minds with a Witness Horrible Abomination Gross Dark Conceits The Rankness of Quakerism This Reader is a Taste of the Spirit of the Man since he contends for the Scripture to be his Rule I would fain have the Chapter Verse that will abet this Proceed Is this J. Faldo's Religion Gospel Preaching Praying Learning Civility or whatever may be reputed Sober and Commendable Away away for Shame It would stumble a Turk to hear such Language from one that calls himself a Christian and a Minister too But is it after so great Abuse so manifest Injury done us and the Truth too that thou darest say as thou dost I have the Witness in my Conscience who hast been thus long Under-valuing it for a Glow-Worm and Idol a poor Creature Uncertain Fallible Errable and what not that I have not in this Key in any measure abused or wronged the Quakers Hadst thou been half so Moral as thou pretendest to be Christian I doubt not but to have seen more Truth and Moderation To belye any is a great Evil but to do it with a shew of Religion to call God's Witness to palliate such Injustice is the height of Blasphemy against God and Wrong to thy Neighbour Never more abuse Religion with a Pretence to it nor for Shame profess Christianity that art Inferior to a thousand Heathens who rather then not compass our Dis-grace will endeavour it per fac per nefas Right or Wrong I am sure the Witness of God in thy own Conscience never suggested this Unrighteous Proceed though wonder we must that one who has said so many detracting things of him should now appeal to him Certainly if the Witness of God be J. Faldo's Rule and Judge as his own Appeal makes him the Quakers are the less to be blam'd for Believing in him and desiring to be Lead by him but we are well assured that a Spirit of deep Prejudice hath animated him to and through this Work and not the Holy Witness of God as both the Stile and Matter have abundantly testified My Desire is that before the Evil one precipitate him into further Enmity against us by a serious Retirement of Mind to the Holy Witness of God that gives a good Understanding and brings just Reproof for every Unrighteous Thought Word Deed. He may come to a Sight of his present Undertaking to be contrary to the Mind of God and know true Repentance for it and find Mercy of the Lord God Which I heartily desire and it is my return to him for all his hard Speeches utter'd by him either against us in general or my self though unknown to him in particular God forbid that I should Justifie him I will not leave my Innocency till I Die Job 27. 5. Who am a Lover of all Men for I seek the Salvation of my Enemies William Penn. THE END Pag. 2. Sect. 2. Apostle Phil. 4. pag. 4. Pag. 6. Sect. 3. Rom. 1. 19. Eph1 19. Pag. 7. Sect. 1. Gal. 1. Pag. 9 10 11. Pag. 11. 12. Pag. 13 14 15. Pag. 9. Pag. 15. 16 17. Pag. 18 19 20. Pag. 27. Pag. 27. p. 28 29 30 31. Exod. 9. 19 20. 1 Sam. 9. 27. Ephes 6. 17. This is answer'd fully in a Book intituled Christ Ascended c. by G. W. P. 21. P. 33. Pag. 37 38. 39. Pag. 40 41. Pag. 41 42. Pag. 5. p. 53 54. P. 55. p. 65 66. p. 68 59 70 71. Pag. 71. p. 78. See Calv. Inst Eras in Nov. Test 1 Cor. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 19. Bez. ibid. P. 79. pag 80. p. 81. p. 81. pag. 87. 1 Pet. 2. 21. Heb. 13. 7. 2 Thes 3. 1 Pet. 3. 5. p. 96 97. P. 106 109 110 111 112 113. Eph. 4. 13. Tit. 2. 11. 12 Jam. 1. 27. P. 112 113. Ephes 6. 16 17. P. 117 119. P. 120. pag. 129. p. 126. Pag. 127. P. 128 139 p. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 2. part p. 8. 9. pag. 9. pag. 10. pag. 14. 15. page 16. 17 18. 1. Cor. 14. 31. pag. 20. Rom. 10. 15. 18. Pag. 23 24 26. P. 27. 30. Joh. 4. 24. pag. 33. 34. Isa 1. 13 14 15 16 17. P. 36. Mat 28. Mat. 3 11 12. Rom. 6. 4. p. 39. pag. 37 38. pag. 38. Mark 11. 30. Acts 1. 22. 10. 37. 18. 21. 19. 3. Rom. 2. 28 29. Joh. 6. 53. 58. Math. 16. 28. 1 Cor 10. 15 16 17. pag. 46. Pag. 50 51. P. 70 71. Luk. 2. 26 27. pag. 74. pag. 72. pag. 75. Joh. 1. 9. pag. 84. 85. 2 Tim. 1 10. pag. 87. pag. 89. 90. Col. 1. 28. 2 Cor. 4. 2. Psal 145. 14. Let my Spir. of Truth Vind. be perused from p. 53. to p. 7â— pag. 91. Pag. 94. Rom. 10. 3. Deut. 30. 14. Fost c. Sckin in lex Page 98. 2 Pet. 1. 19. 1 Joh. 2. 27. * Parap in Epist 2 Pet. c. 1. v. 19. Bez. in loc Vat. Clar. in loc Grot. in loc Pag. 112 113 114. P. 119. Pag. 120. pag. 122. 123. pag. 123. p. 123. pag. 126. pag. 127. Pag. 132 135. p. 136. 1 Cor. 15. 36 37. pag. 139. pag. 141 142. Read Bishop Halls and Tho. Brook's Heaven upon Earth page 2. pag. 3. pag 4. Spir. Truth Vin. p. 37. 31. pag 5. pag 8. pag. 9. pag. 11 12. Pag. 13. pag. 20. pag. 21 22 23. pag. 24. pag. 27. pag. 27. pag. 15. pag. 30. part 3. pag. 30. part 1. pag. 108. pag. 30. 3. Part p. 2. pag. 3.