of what ever stands in his Way and refuses to receive his Mark in his Forehead or in his Right Hand This has occasioned so much Trumpery in Religion Ceremonies Shew and meer Formality have swallowed up the greatest part of It Now were Men brought to God's Heavenly Gift in themselves it would reclaim and leaven the Mind chain the Affections and bring Religion into Holy and Selâ—-denying Living and erect an Holy Regiment in the Heart and Soul by which the Heavenly â—mage would be renewed and Man become as one born again without which Translation there can be no entring into God's Heavenly Kingdom This the first Protestants made to be their Reason of their Revolt from Rome For though 't is true that they charged the Papists with making God's Tradition the holy Scriptures void by their numerous dark Traditions yet That which begot that holy Loathing of Rom's Superstitions Idolatries and Will-Worship was God's Grace in their Hearts their best Argument against Rom's Assault was this The Scripture which I believe from the Testimony of the Spirit of God in me which I can only understand from the Illumination thereof owns no such thing and therefore I reject it Such as converse with Luther and his Followers Zuinglius and his Followers will find this to have been the Foundation of their whole Work And our own Martyrology is full to our Purpose particularly Tindal Times and Philpot. I omit to mention a whole Cloud of Witnesses because I intend not to dwell here only this I would be at and I intreat you all to weigh it If any thing can give to understand aright and enable to practise those things of God which it is necessary for Man both to know and do then God's Light Grace or Word in the Heart What else can give us to relish the Divine Authority of the Scriptures themselves or to believe the Things therein treated of to be undeniable Truths Indeed the Want of This has been a great Occasion of Atheism for Man making practising and enacting That for Religion of which People has had no Assurance in themselves But if they should speak their Hearts 't is more probable They do not believe it but instead thereof deride it and so under a Shew of Religion live as Men without God in the World To prevent which and to bring Men to the true Understanding of what God expects from them in order to that great Account they are to give unto Him at the Revelation of his Righteous Judgments when he will judge the Secrets of all Men by Jesus Christ we do exhort all to Christ's Pure Unerring Light in the Conscience which is sufficient to daily Understanding Duty that what they believe and profess in Matters of so high Importance They maybe convinced in their very Conscience by the good Understanding the Inspiration of the Almighty gives of the Truth and Necessity thereof and not suffer themselves to be carried away with the Torrent of Fathers Councils Synods Doctors Scholars National Constitutions c. big and most times untrue and too often empty Words without that inward Conviction and Testimony of God's Good Spirit in Your Own Consciences the old Protestant and only primitive Ground of Truâ— Faith and Obedience I know and shall alwayes acknowledge that in the time of Ignorance the Almighty winked and that in every Age he has expressed his Regard to those under the various Forms of Religion ever in the World who have been Sincere-hearted and of Sober and Conscientious Conversation But I must also tell you that by how much the more needless and unwarrantable Customs Will-Worship and Human Religion built upon the dark and uncertain Conjectures of Men are receeded from and the Minds of People engaged in a diligent attendance upon that Divine Principle which only can clear up their Understandings and give them an experimental Knowledge of the True God and that Way of Worship and Service which may be most acceptable with him by so much more certain will they be of the Truth of their Religion in as much as they have over and above all external Record the Assurance of Unquestionable Convictions in their own Consciences Thus God that made Heaven and Earth knows we came to receive that Knowledge of him Which we now expose our selves to all Hardships to mantain We profest God but like our Neighbours in Works we denyed him We worshipt him after Men's Conceivings insomuch that I may say we worshipt the Unknown God in a False Way No doubt but we were stockt with the Common Talk of Religion but the Cross of Christ we were Strangers to His Blood we extolled whilst by Wicked Works we trod it under Foot And believ'd our selves Saved by it Who were Uncleansed from Sin The whole End of His Coming we esteemed the top of all Love but never knew enough of It truly kindled in our Hearts whereby to work such Faith and Resignation as could give us Victory over the World Thus were we Jews-like Children of God whilst we crucifyed the Son of God and of the Seed of Abraham whilst the Serpents Seed reign'd Heirs of the Kingdom yet not born again Free yet the Bondslaves of Vanity Oh! at this time of day it was that God â—ound us out and broke in upon our Souls with his Righteous Judgments for Sin and laid Judgment to the Line Righteousness to the Plummet within us the Book of Conscience was Opened and great Fear surprised us and Deep Sorrow fell upon us which brought that sudden and Strange Change that made us both the Derision of Prophane and Wonderment of Sober Men. The Author of the Account of Familism for want of more Skill and Seriousness calls it the Hypochondria as if it only had been a Flux of Melancholy overpowring the Strength of Reason and carrying the Understanding captive at the Impetuosity of its Fancies But having been thus made sensible of the Terrors of the Lord for Sin and being brought into a True Understanding of that Religion and Worship which most please God some of us were constrained and in Conscience bound to go forth into the World and publish these Tidings of Judgment for Sin and Conversion through Righteousness wrought by the mighty Power of God in the Conscience that all might be awakened to try their Works Faiths Worships and whole Religions whether they were of God or Men or they had been doing their own Wills or the Will of God that so they might be brought to experience God to be a God nigh at hand reconciled in Christ blotting out Sin and renewing a Right Spirit within by which their Religion might not longer stand in the Traditions of Men nor only Education of Parents but upon the Convictions and Operations of God's Grace in the Conscience And thus is all that Christ did without brought nigh and home to the very Soul The Seed of the Woman is known to Bruise the Head of the Serpent Christ the
and his Apostles which how true soever it may be of them I am sure is False enough of us for those hideous Consequences he makes are not deducible from any unperverted Saying to be cited out of Truth 's Defence And least any should think we deny with the Papists the Perusal of the Scriptures to Ignorant People from what our Adversary sayes know that they spoke of such Ignorant and Unlearned Persons as in reading wrested them to their own Destruction now unless it be not Dangerous to read to Destruction they are not chargeable witâ— Bâ—ame in that Matter But who are the Knowing and Learned The Jewish Doctors and Greek Philosophers No but Fishermen and poor Mechanicks discipled in Christ's School for the Excellency of whose Knowledge Paul reputed his Gamaliel-Acquisitions but Dross and Dung So that their Knowing and Learned are many times the Ignorant Unlearned we speak of whose Wisdom God will confound and whose Understanding he will bring to nought His last Comparison of us in this Chapter is with Marcus an old Heretick The Agreement he makes betwixt us lyes in our mutual Pretences to Inspiration and Prophecy For as he reports him to have abused many silly Women under colour of conferring on them the Gift of Prophesying and that he had a familiar Spirit by which 〈◊〉 brought himself into Credit with his deluded Followers So he tells us that he has had it confidently affirmed That about the first rise of the Quakers in the North of England several Persons by Gloves and Ribbands and divers Charmes were really bewitched by them And doubtless many of their Quaking fits were real Possessions by the Devil Answ What Marcus was is nothing to us If he has done amiss he has answered for it by this time I confess I am not over-fond of the Characters left us of ancient Hereticks knowing what kind of Creatures the best Protestants are with Papists and what fearful Monsters several sober Separatists are reputed among some Protestants But this I know if what he hath said of several Ancients be no Truer then what he hath said of us he has grosly abused their Doctrines and their Memories For the Witchcraft of our Gloves Ribbands and Charmes 't is scarce worth my Notice his Folly in mentioning it being a sufficient Reproof and Confutation to himself A Story fit for none at this time of day to report or believe but a Man of his size I thought they had been worn out by this time But let the sober Reader judge which savours most of Satan's Design this Idle yet Scandalous Story or our Fearing and Trembling at the Word of the Lord and those Terrors that broke in upon our Souls because of Sin and Iniquity 'T is but the old Spirit of Mockery that acted the Jews and Heathens against the Christians and Papists against Protestants and too many Protestants of several Sorts against some more reformed Separatists For had the Reverent Fear of God possessed our Adversary's Heart in the writing of this Discourse there had been no room for such Irreligious Scoffs against an inoffensive People But the Devil because he would be God calls God the Devil Christ Beelzebub Light Darkness and the Power of God the Power of Satan and the Fear and Trembling brought by the one the Possessions and Witchcrafts of the other Certainly such Men live in a dry Land they see not when Good cometh But what will not an Enraged Tything Priest do to destroy us who he knows are Discoverers of such Deluders CHAP. III. His pretended Agreement between the Authors of Familism and the Quakers considered His Objections answered I Now come to consider the Reason of the Title of his Book and what Ground he had to name us the Revivers Propagators of Familism with the most weighty Objections he makes against us if in Truth I may repute the strongest of them such and that with what Brevity Truth and Faithfulness I can The great Authors of this Doctrine of Familism he sayes were David George and Henry Nicolas but more especially the latter as having more improved and disseminated the pernicious Errors introduced by the former He bestows many severe Expressions upon them more I think then becomes a Man of any Charity to give I am not their Advocate But so much Splene and so little Reason against Dead Men can be neither Christian nor Manly What he sayes they held and how far we are concerned in it it is our Business to enquire § 1. Of Christ's Ministration And first he tells us that H.N. should say that not only the Law of Moses but the Ministration of Christ and his Apostles were only Temporary things instituted to bring Men to the perfect Reign of the Spirit and then like Horn-Books and Primers to grown Understandings to be thrown away pag. 10 11. And that this is the full Sense of the Quakers sayes our Adversary Hear John Crook a Quaker We believe by the same Gift of Grace that there are several Ministratitions and several Operations according to 1 Cor. 12. And all by the same Spirit as before and after the Law by Moses and after by John the Baptist and Christ and his Apostles And by this Spirit were the Scriptures given forth and the Holy Men of God did speak prophesy preach and pray as they were moved and to answer the Service God had for them to do they were to wait as Christ commanded his Disciples to receive the Promise of the Father And therefore as it was the Practice of the People of God in old time to wait for the Moving of this Spirit that they might speak as it gave them Utterance in the Evidence and Demonstration thereof so do this People called Quakers now Upon which our Adversary dares to observe that we with the Familists deny the Ministration of Christ to be the Ministration of the Spirit and consequently a Blasphemous Derogation from the Honour of our Blessed Saviour who said to his Apostles Joh. 16.14 He shall receive of mine and shew it unto you Answ If our Adversary's Weakness has run him into this strange Parrallel he is to be pittyed but if his Envy he is severely to be rebuked Will any Man that has Sense or Honesty say it is all one to affirm that Christ's Ministration is an Horn-book that time casts off with Infancy and that it is a Waiting to receive the same Spirit Christ commanded his Apostles to wait for as the Promise of the Father and the peculiar Gift and Priviledge of his own Ministration Does not J. Crook expresly draw a Parallel between the Holy Men of God of old and the Quakers of our time that as they then so the Quakers now wait to be taught moved and ordered by the same Eternal Spirit through which all come to be baptized into One Body How was that then no Spiritual Ministration when we desire to be conformed unto the Spirit and Holy Example thereof not making this anew
let the first hold his Peace For when it pleased God to REVEAL his Son in me For I neither received the Gospel of Man neither was I taught it but by the REVELATION of Jesus Christ If any be other-wise minded God will REVEAL it to him As I said before so again Who uttered these excellent Sayings and for what End If no Inspiration no Understanding If no Revelation no Knowledge And if the Spirit cease to teach as it can never teach but by Inspiration or Revelation then the Administration of Christ and his Apostles is ceased indeed And so not the Quakers but their Adversary overturns the Gospel-Ministration as begun and preached by Christ and his Apostles And be it known to all the World we think Revelation no Disgrace to our Cause Parrats may learn Scripture but can never experience it And those know little better who know not by Experience They are unprofitable Canters indeed who confidently talk of what they never felt and Idle Boasters who bo◠up themselves unto the Reputation of Ministers and Christians with a loud talk of their Travels Tryals Inspirations and Experiences whom they plainly mock in their Posterity concluding all blind because they cannot see In short Let it be the Character of the despised Quakers and we glory in it that all the Councils Synods Universities Doctors Scholars and the most Unanimous Decrees Learned Books and what ever the Power and Art of the Spirit of Man can produce will never be able to give or rule that true Faith which overcomes the World For that which may be known of God is manifested within Man And though outward Records may testify of and direct to that Unerring Light and Spirit by which Man comes both to know God and to be made conformable to his heavenly Image yet nothing below the Discoveries Convictions and Effectual Operations of the Eternal Spirit can give Man the certain Knowledge of God nor that daily Ability by which alone he may be enabled to obey him But he opposeth to us Miracles and Reason insinuating that we have no more of the last then the first and therefore not to be believed To the first I say we pretend to no other Religion then what was professed and practised by the Apostles and therefore need no new Miracles after that Manner to confirm that which has been confirmed by Miracles already especially by those who believe those Miracles And to deny Revelation where there are no Miracles is to discard many of the Prophets and to deny the Pouring forth of the Spirit upon the primitive Christians But above all hear the Man's Interpretation of Deut. 18.22 When a Prophet speaks in the Name of the Lord if the thing follow not nor come to pass that is saith this horrible Perverter of holy Scripture if he do no Miracle whereas the Verse intends no such thing Is this to rant over the Quakers for Idiots as if he were some Doctor of the Chair that where the Scripture speaks of Prophecy he should render it Miracle as if he that is a Prophet is a Worker of Miracles and that Miracles and Prophecy are equivalent But Argumentum ad hominem let us see how it will hold He that is a true Prophet must necessarily work Miracles But the Priests of England cannot work Miracles therefore the Priests of England are all False Prophets A true Conclusion yet false Premises A Paradox Now for the Reasonableness of our Doctrine He thinks a very mean Capacity can find none in it for how should there be any Reason in what they teach when they themselves sayes he deny the Use of Reason But none have less then they which pretend to so much This Man dares swagger for Reason and yet cryes out Heresy as soon as he sees it His Reason is the Authority of his Church The SAY-SO of some University Doctor finally The Workes of some learned Men and offer never so much Reason Conscience against them and your Reason is Sophistry and Conscience Enthusiasm The justest Separation in the World is with such but Schism and which is the last Stratagem such Persons must be Enemies to Caesar But I may say of those Men as Heraclitus said of their Fore-Fathers If blind Men were to judge of Sight they would say Blindness were Sight God is the Fountain as well of Reason as Light And we assert our Principle not to be without Reason but most Reasonable Whence it is frequent with us in our Reproof of Cruel Men to say they are Unreasonable whether it be to Man or Beast making good what the Prophet saith For his God doth instruct him to Discretion and doth teach them Again Come let us Reason together And Tertullian will have the first Verse of John thus rendr'd In the Beginning was Reason and that Reason was with God and that Reason was God by that were all things made c. And this seems no forreign Interpretation for in the 10th Verse of Jude we have sensual Men not having the Spirit called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unreasonable Creatures according to which the Apostle Peter speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that askes Reason ready to give it Thus much to overlook our own Translation in Paul's second Epistle to the Thessalonians where he calls such Unreasonable Men that have not Faith concerning Reason So that it is very evident by our Adversary's denying and the Quakers asserting an unerrable Principle to be in Man and the Refusal of the one and the Readiness of the other to be governed thereby not the Quakers but their Enemies are Unreasonable both in their Faith and Practice §. 3. Of Forms of Prayer Our Adversary spends two or three Pages in proving the Necessity of Bodily Worship and he doth it so lamely that if it were so much my Judgment to deny it as it is to practise it I know nothing he has said to encline me to it This he makes an Introduction to that Agreement he sayes there is between D.G.H.N. and the Quakers in their mutual Renouncing both Bodily Worship and Visible Ordinances For Bodily Worship I need say no more then that our publick Meetings judge him guilty of great Dishonesty For his Visible Ordinances we shall proceed to consider them The first is concerning a Form of Prayer hear him With the like silly and weak Confidence they exclaim against Forms of Prayer wheras our blessed Saviour taught his Disciples a Form Math. 6.9 After this manner therefore pray ye c. And least sayes he we should think that this was only a Pattern Saint Luke Chapt. 11. expresses it when ye pray say Our Father c. that is do it in these Words Moreover John taught his Disciples and one of Christ's Disciples desired that he would teach them where we are told first that John delivered a Form of Prayer to his Disciples 2. That Christ's Disciples besought him that he would also give them
God has ever been Sufficient to his People in every Age And since they only are Children of God who are led by the Spirit of God and that it is the Spirit of God alone which leads into all Truth It follows that the Law of the Spirit of Life writ in the Heart and not a Law writ on Paper a State less excellent then the Jews whose Law was written upon Stone is the great Evangelical Rule of Living Yeâ—â—re the Scriptures an Holy Declaration of thâ— Word of God and of the Rule and Guide in â—atters of Salvation And we reject for ever that Spirit which leads into those Principles and Practices that in the least contradict the standing and permanent Truths therein mentioned For they were written by Holy Men of God being inspired thereto and contain Godly Reproof Admonition Exhortation and Prophecies for the Edification of the Church and perfecting the Man of God to every good Word and Work through Faith in Christ Jesus and as such many Directions Precepts and Rules are therein laid down yet they all refer to the Grace Light Spirit Word or Anointing within as That by which Man ought to be Ruled governed and ordered to God's Glory and his own Comfort as they first were who gave them forth for they were Witnesses of the Truth of what they writ So that they are an Holy Declaration of the Way of God and that Holy Principle which leads to it and in it without which the Book is sealed the Scriptures are unknown and consequently not the Scriptures but that holy Key of David is the Rule how far and which way we are both to understand interpret believe and practise them This may be enough to shew the Disingenuity of our Adversary in representing us to his Knight For because We cannot give that Title and Office due to Christ himself from him to his bare Declaration he would insinuate that we refuse all Conformity to the Holy Examples and Testimonies therein related and exprest as if we were a most dissolute Crew of Libertines But he tells us that this Person whose Name I suppose we shall prove he has made too bold with so well knowing our obstinate and perverse Humor in the Discharge of his Trusts committed to him under his MOST SACRED MAJETSY he could do no less then present him with this Treatise that going under the Name and Protection of so worthy and accomplisht a Person it may in some measure obtain its desired Effect by putting a Stop to the growing Evil and confirming those who are not seduced in the Truth of their Profession A most non-sensical Expression Answ But I am willing to hope better things of him then that be should go upon the Priest's Message or turn their Knight Errant But what 's the Matter that the Quakers are so Perverse They cannot say right Worshipful because they think that of right belongs to God nor most sacred Majesty that being fit for no mortal Man Neither can they ly and flatter with Your most Obliged and Affectionate Servant for they are more obliged to God then Man and to one Man more then another He either knew not forgot or sleighted the Rebuke of Paulinus to Sulpitius Severus who said It becometh not Christ's Free-Men to subscribe themselves Servant c. But it is nothing with such as our Adversary to Cog Ly and Flatter 'T is one Part of his Manners I would fain know what Rule he had for all this Did the Holy Prophets and Apostles teach him any such Trash Will he prate of Scripture for a Rule and yet bridle his Flattering Tongue no better The Customes of the Heathens have entred the Profession of Christianity and that Old Spirit under this New Trim goes off for a very Good Christian Oh but the Quakers are Obstinate in other Cases for all this Answ Why so Because they will by all means stand to their Principles They will not play the Sycophants Threats do not fright them nor Promises gain them They love their Conscience above their Conveniency and seek to please God rather then Men. Perhaps this sort of Men the Knight has found them but could have wisht them more pliant to the Laws it may be that he might have some colour to be kind must therefore this Busy-Body entitule his Name to all his own Follyes Lyes and Slanders against us What can any moderate Person think but that the Patron of such a Discourse has been an eminent Persecutor whose Protection is so plainly called for to a Book that without doubt would have him so For my Part I think the Knight ought to repute that Ignorant and Disingenuous Discourse so far from being a Testimony how much the Author is his most obliged and affectionate Servant that for Interesting his Name and Power therein he should hereafter look upon him as an Enemy to Him his Name and Family Before I conclude give me leave to ask him why he sought for Protection Is his national Cause defended by Princes Parliaments Navyes Armies the Learned Rich and Powerful Clergy both Universities the generality of the Gentry and Commonality so weak and gasping or are the poor despised traduced and trodden down Quakers so potent and terrible that a Book of eight Sheets dare not peep out against them but a big Title must be got to recommend and patronize it But how Worthy soever the Knight be that will not hinder my Proceeding to shew the Unworthiness of the Book therein of the Author as well to his Patron as the despised Quakers CHAP. II. Containing an Answer to his first Chapter in which he pretends an Agreement to be between the Quakers and other Ancient and Modern Hereticks The Comparison examined and proved defective OUr Adversary that he may the better prejudice his Reader against us introduceth his Discourse with a Comparison of us to the most noted and odious of the reputed ancient and modern Hereticks doubtless hoping that what he wants of Argument to render us such may be supplied by that ill Opinion Men have of those he brings us into parallel with The first Man he thought fit to pitch upon is Simon Magus a Man famous for his infamous Sorceries with whom he wickedly yoaks that faithful Minister of God George Fox because saith he Simon Magus gave out that he was God the Father And George Fox before the Justices at Lancaster that he was equal with God Answ There is no believing a decimating persecuting Priest against a Quaker till he makes more Conscience of telling Lyes who have given too many Demonstrations of their Desire to have us run down at any rate to be credited by those who love Truth more then Partiality George Fox denyes the Words they were never so spoken by him much less were they ever intended in that Way our Adversary takes and improves them For though there be not an Equality yet there is an Unity as testifyeth the Scripture Let the same Mind be
Life and therein the Spirit of Man has a large field to act in to the Enlargement of its own Understanding and Benefit of the whole Creation as subject to God's Grace as knowing the Nature and Order of things in the Creation Building Improvement of Land Medicine Chyrurgery Traffique Navigation History Government with many other honest useful and profitable Arts and Inventions for the help and good of Man-kind And if Man had kept in God's Counsel the many superfluous and unnecessary Arts and Inventions that are in the World had never been brought forth by him and time will work them out as it brought them in so that what is Plain Honest Serviceable and of good Report shall be preserved for the good 〈…〉 he Creation As for Language it must be granted that there is a Propriety and Decency in Language But as Men have followed the out-side of Religion and left the Substance behind so have they done with Learning They have neglected Matter the most beneficial part of Learning and devoted themselves to an Excess of fine Speaking of which Bp. Wilkins in his real Character complains not without a Cause when he sayes that this grand Imposture of Phrasing hath eaten â—ut all solid Learning Yet Language is very convenient for Men's converse with Books and Nations of a different Tongue However we utterly deny them to be absolutely necessary to the true Knowledge of the Mysteries of God's Kingdom So that the true English of the Quakers denying all Reason and Learning is this We refuse to commend or practise unnecessary Studies nice Controversies voluminous and intricate Disputations Obscurity of Language Affectedness of Style Excess of Elegancy beliveing that Learning as well as Religion stands in need both of great purging and reducing and that those Subjects and Employments which are most serviceable and beneficial to Man-kind and agreeable to God's Grace digested into easy and familiar Methods and treated on in the plain and ordinary Way of Speaking best deserves Man's time and regard And for his Reflection upon G. Whitehead It no further deserves our notice then that he flung a greater upon Beza whose Learning he makes a little to bold with To say no more of his Moth-eaten Manuscript then this That the best Copies he has had for his Rule has been near a kin to such Moth-eaten Manuscripts And if such a Manuscript was the Holy Scripture as I believe it was he was too bold and Irreverent as well as Unwary and Foolish in calling it a Moth-eaten Scripture thereby implying it to be a Moth-eaten Rule not that I take it to be his Rule who has so fearfully erred strayed from the holy Precepts and Exhortations of it The 4 th thing by which he reports us to proselyte People is to deceive and associate first with Women therein imitating the Devil Answ First we deny it as being like the rest of his idle Stories and those that not only in the Primitive Times by the Heathen but in several Ages since and Degrees of Breaking-forth of Truth and Reformation from Apostate Generations have been by them fastened upon the sincere Professors thereof as Waldenses Lollards Hugonots Protestants themselves in their first day as well as more modern Dissenters We must take our share it is no new nor strange thing But supposing it to be true that our Endeavours are first directed towards the Women I see no Evil in our Beginning to Undeceive where the Devil began to Deceive If they are so easie to be perswaded why not to Good as well as to Evil But these idle Shifts and pittiful Reflections deserve rather to be disdained then considered Lastly For our pretending to higher Degrees of Holiness and Cracks and Boasts of Inspirations with Our Bewitching Language which is nothing but Canting and Scripture Phrase fitted to feminine Fancies by which he sayes we have the Advantage of all other Heresies I return thus much Answ It is our Faith that God who made Heaven and Earth will judge the Secrets of all Men by Jesus Christ so that it is not only my Duty but my Interest to speak the Truth of my Conscience in this Matter We dare pretend to no higher Degree then we have attained but we must make a Difference between what we were whilst under the Ministry of Man and what we are since our being turn'd to God's Powerful Word in the Heart Christ's Ministry We should be False to God Injurious to our Neighbour and Smother and Belye our own Convictions if we should not say That we have found our Judge near us our Guide Law-giver and Rule very â—igh unto us and those Infirmities Temptations and Corruptions God has by this Heavenly Grace given us Power against by which we have known that Mortification of Sin and Conformity to the Will of God which the utmost of our former Profession could never free us from And if this Plain and Christian Confession must be called by all those Hard Names our Adversary finds for our Honestest Intentions we must as we have done recommend our Cause to God and his Holy Witness in all Consciences and him to be judged by him to whom we desire to stand and fall in all we say do and take in hand to whom alone we owe the Honour of our Experiences and Preservations However the Irreverence of the Man deserves both our Notice and the Reproof of all that read him What! Is Scripture-Language become a Cant and a sober and seasonable Use of It Canting fitted to feminine Fancies But we think it not more his Folly Contradiction Blasphemy to speak with that Contempt of the Holy Scriptures and his pretended Rule then an Advantage he gives our Cause to tell the World that of all others the Quakers speak preach the Scripture-Dialect But it is the Mother Tongue of such frothy Minds so to prophane and for all their pretended Respect to the Holy Scriptures the Spirit and Life that belong unto them are made but Matter of Jeer and Mockage They would not be thought to undervalue Christ the Scripture nor his Religion but with the hight of Formality seem to Reverence and Applaud them all yet Persecute to the Death those that are his Holy Off-spring by the Spirit of Regeneration which shows their Esteem of Christ Scripture and Religion to be but a kind of blind-fold Respect and that indeed their very Spirits turn within them against that which is truly Christ-like Scriptural and Religious The Devil ever understood his Interest better then to persecute Truth under that Name yet for all his fair Pretences to Saintship he constantly became a fierce Devourer of those that have been the Children of the Truth And I may truly say to this Opposer That for all his Religion Learning Church-Communion and that stir he maketh against us as a Crew of Hereticks and Impostors he knows not what Spirit he is of who has writ a Book rather to Abuse then Inform
but reviving that old and durable Ministration of the Spirit Therefore Blasphemous Derogations will return to our Adversary as unduely charged upon us with a Charge upon him of base Derogation from the Truth of our Belief But he thinks that Humph. Smith has made much for him in thus Querying Whether should People be led in these dayes by Moses according to his outward Ministration or the Person of Christ limiting it to his Visible Appearance or the Spirit of Truth which he promised to pour out after his Ascension which contains the Substance of what he quotes out of H. Sm. to which he thus answers There is no sober Christian can read this Passage without Anger and Disdain to see such wicked Wretches scoff and fleeringly insult upon the sacred Person of our Lord Jesus The whole History of whose Life and Death in the Letter of it they esteem no better then one of Aesop's Fables Answ But our Adversary will not so easily escape the Hands of the Just God whose is Vengeance for these Ungodly Defamations as he well knows he may do ours Anger Disdain and Lyes become him and it is little to be wondred that he should be guilty of them all against a Quaker If H. Sm. had asserted that Moses could not be our Leader neither the Visible Person of Christ but the Spirit of Truth he had not exceeded the Warrant of Scripture nor the very Judgment of this Reviler It is not two pages off that he quoted Joh. 16.14 He shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you Which if I understand any thing imports thus much That those things which they knew not whilst Christ was with them after his Ascension the Holy Ghost should reveal unto them as these two preceeding Verses fully prove I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth and he will shew you things to come Nay Christ himself sayes in the 7th Verse Nevertheless I tell you the Truth It is expedient for you that I go away For if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you And in the 14th Chapter he speaks thus I will pray the Father and he will give you another Comforter 〈◊〉 will abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth So that the personal Ministration was manifestly transient and temporary but That of the Spirit was to abide for ever But I would not any should think it to be less Christ's Ministration because the Ministration of the Spirit for the Lord is that Spirit as his own Words manifest Again I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you Yet a little while and the World seeth me no more but ye see me Because I live ye shall live also For he that dwelleth with you shall be in you At that day you shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you And that this Comforter is Christ in his Spiritual Coming and Appearance let it be further observed that the same Word for Comforter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in John 16.7 is the Word used by the same Apostle in the first Verse of the 2d Chapter of his first Epistle for Advocate when he sayes We have an Advocate with the Father Christ Jesus the Righteous In short the Dispensation of his Visible Appearance was but Temporary It is expedient for you that I go away But his Ministration who so appeared then dis-appeared and after re-appeared in a Spiritual and unalterable Ministration Lo I am with you to the End of the World And truly thus much our Adversary in Contradiction to himself grants us that the Ministration of Christ was indeed the Ministration of the Spirit Now what Scoffs Fleerings or Insults against the sacred Person of our Lord Jesus any can see in this Doctrine to incite a sober Christian to Anger and Disdain I leave to any but such an Angry and Disdainful Enemy to judge I cannot forget his horrible Ly of us concerning the Scriptures stolen probably out of an Anabaptists lying Dialogue lately printed against us Prelaticks and Sectaries can sometimes agree against Quakers Aesop's Fables have more worth in them then all the Books that ever were written against the Quakers I do not at all doubt but there are Twenty Fables in Aesop that well considered would have taught them more Discretion and it should have been their own Fault if not more Honesty too then any or all of them have shown in their utmost Endeavours against us But that we have no more Regard to nor Belief in the Holy Scriptures of Truth then in Aesop's Fables is a Story more prophane and fabulous then any Fable in Aesop and God will recompence with a Vengeance this Defamer of an Innocent People unless diverted by his unfeigned Repentance §. 2. Of Revelation He tels us the second thing wherein the Familists and Quakers are all one is the Pretence of Immediate Revelation Dav. Geo. and H.N. both pretend to receive their Doctrine from the Angel Gabriel And W. Gibson the Quaker sayes that the Gospel which they preach they have not received it from Men nor from Books nor from Writings but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ in them and then denyes the Scriptures of the old and new Testament to be the revealed Will of God Answ After what manner D.G. and H.N. received their Commission I know not but sure I am that W. Gibson's Assertion is sound Take away Revelation and the Gospel ceases of course Christ is put besides the Dignity of his Prophetical and Priestly Office the Promises of God will be broken and the most excellent part of the Scriptures God's Traditions made void Who was it said A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up like unto me Him shall ye hear in all things There is a Spirit in Man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth Understanding As for me This is my Covenant with him saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my Words which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy Mouth nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed's Seed saith the Lord from henceforth and forever I will REVEAL unto them the Abundance of Peace and Truth I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast REVEALED them unto Babes And no Man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will REVEAL him No Man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him But God hath REVEALED them unto us by his Spirit For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God For the things of God knoweth no Man but the Spirit of God If anything be REVEALED to another that sitteth by
Water which say we must be as Spiritual as the NewBirth it produceth but also the Renewing of the Holy Ghost to answer being born again of the Spirit That as the washing of Regeneration or Renewing of the Holy Ghost are Synonymous or Expressions to the same Purpose so being born again of Water or being born again of the Spirit are equivalent But if our Adversary will have this Water to be material in Honour of his Baptism Let him never refuse the like Liberty to us in Construction of that great Water-Baptist's own Words But he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with Fire that is material Fire My Judgment is if that were the Church of Englands Baptism he had never been her Son though such Sons are ready to Christian many with that Fiery Baptism But if such an Interpretation be absurd let him not esteem his own Rational And if it must be the holy Ghost or Fire then let it be Water or Spirit for indeed they are but so many Words intimating the various Operations of one Divine Power In short John was but a Forerunner therefore not to be perpetuated He was the Water but Christ the great Spiritual Baptist The Former to decrease the Latter to increase And the least in Christ's Kingdom which is not of this World is greater then John not then his private State but outward Administration Paul whose Commission was larger then any Priests in England tells us He was not sent to baptize with Water but to Preach And instead of enjoyning the Practice of it upon others he thanks God that he baptized but very few himself which surely he had never done if it had been part of his Commission or the durable Baptism of the Gospel For he had just Reason to suspect some disaffected would make that Ill-Use of his Liberty that it was to ingratiate and set up himself being conscious that he had no Authority for what he did This he further gives us to believe in that pertinent Passage to our Purpose There is One Body One Spirit One Lord One Faith One Baptism One God and Father of all If more Baptisms then one then more Bodies Spirits Lords Faiths Gods and Fathers of all who were above all and through all and in them all unto whom Paul wrote If this be absurd and that there is but one Baptism I hope it will not be denyed to be that of the Holy Ghost which is both most suitable to the Evangelical Ministration and the peculiar Baptism of Christ Jesus our Lord. I shall touch upon one Passage more The like Figure whereunto even Baptism also doth now save us as our modern Translation has it From which though our Adversary would infer that Water-Baptism is to be used as co-assistant with the Answer of a good Conscience to Salvation I doubt not unanswerably to mantain from it our foregoing Assertion This Verse admits of various readings in ancient Copies and diverse Interpretations by learned Men. We shall a little disquisite the matter that he may see we shall not refuse Learning where it may perform the Office of an honest Servant not an Usurper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the modern Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augustin has it Vos and our old Books saith Zegerus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Vatabalus makes the truth relative to the Type Flood And saith Grotius Vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est communis utrique relatâ— i. tam figurae tribuitur quam rei per figuram significatae signifiing Type and Antitype or the thing signified by the Type Erasmus hath it cui nunâ— simile sive respondens Baptisma so that Baptism may answer as the thing typified not another Type 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Dr. Hammond a famous Man of the English Church is certainly best renderd Antitype yet there be â—wo different senses sometimes Contradiction thus Zenophon and Hesychius Then Destruction was by Outward Water now Salvation by Inward otherwise pro or in lieu of another as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that supplies the Consul's place so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in an old Coppy in Oxford is the Ark inward supplying the place of the Ark outward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Capellus understands to be Baptismum internum quo fimus mortis resurrectionis Christi participes Hujus interni baptismi typos aliquot habemus in V.T. imprimis autem arcam diluvii et arcam Noae By Inward Baptism we are made Partakers of Christ's Death and Resurrection Of this Inward Baptism we have several Types in the old Testament of which Noah's Ark was one Grotius refers us to these Scriptures for an Apostolical Exposition Rom. 6.3 4. Ephes 4.5 Gal. 3.27 Col. 2.12 all which refer to Man's being baptized into Christ's Death his putting on of Christ and to the One Lord One Faith One Baptism And indeed Beza shewed them the Way who will have it that the Baptism which answered to Noah's Ark was not material Water but the Power of Christ within wich preserves us cleansed and enables us to call on God with a good Conscience Nor is Doctor Hammond of a different Judgment in this Case who not only will have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred Antitype but the Baptism that is that Antitype answering to Noah's Ark to be the Inward Washing of Men's Consciences from Pollution and delivering them from the Deluge of Sin and Destruction Not only from all this do I conclude the Baptism mentioned in that place to be the Antitype or Truth answering to the outward and typical Salvation of Noah's Ark but for those Reasons which were with me before my Perusal of these Authors and which I shall now briefly offer First If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were but a Type or Figure one Type would answer another which is not proper 2 dly It were both to suppose that the Gospel were a State of Figures which is the Substance of all and of such Figures too as are less demonstrative or significant for what is that Sprinkling Baby-Baptism for Dipper or dipped I suppose our Adversary to be neither to the Worlds Deluge and Noah's Ark. 3 dly The Baptism in the Text must be such a one as hath Efficacy enough in it to save which outward Water can't do Besides the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or saveth hath Relation to Noah's Ark wherein the eight Souls were saved Therefore the Antitype or Truth answering to That as Type 4 ly It is such a Baptism as saves by the Power of Christ's Resurrection answerable to Rom. 6.3 4. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in Newness of Life 5 ly And this the Parenthesis in the Verse undeniably proves
us out of Polybius That the better and simpler Ages of the World rarely used any Oaths at all no not so much as in Judicature but after Perfidy and Lyes encreased Oaths encreased as a Remedy to restrein those Mischiefs To which let me add That some of the ancient Sages Socrates and Xenocrates knew urg'd and also practised a Life beyond an Oath So that if those who are truly discipled redeemed and renewed by the Power and Spirit of Christ Jesus need no Oath Nay that it is a Questioning of their Veracity and an Affronting of their Profession to offer them one and if the Lying familiar Swearing Forswearing and fraudulent Dealing of Wicked Men make their Oaths of little or no Credit as saith the Bishop out of Lactantius and Austin certainly it will be much better to prevent Swearing and punish Lying with the Penalty due to Forswearing which suggests an unanswerable Return to that familiar Objection But how do we know that ye are those Honest Men For we have not only the same Answer the ancient Christians had to give with this severe Rebuke That ye are the Reproach of Christianity who under that good Name act those vile Impieties the nobler Heathen judged and the loosest have not out-done but we have this further to offer Dispense with our Consciences in not-Swearing and punish our Untruth when ye find it as severely as ye do their Perjury What more can be desired since Truth-speaking fulfils the Law and Punishing False-speaking satisfies it CHAP. VII Of the Light Within IT is Matter of sad Complaint that a Man should write of so excellent a Subject as the Light Within and shew so much Darkness in treating of it But lest he should say That our uncertain and various Expressions for such he esteems them put him besides all Faith in it we shall endeavour to make appear their Consistency both with themselves and the Scripture of Truth He quotes Tho. Foster in his Guide to the Blind p. 1. thus God is the Light p. 7. as a Man forgetting himself Christ Within is Man's true Light to walk by And in p. 9. As doubting whether that would hold Water sayes The Spirit of Christ in Man is the true Light and Guide and this Light enlightens every Man that comes into the World But says he if James Nayler may be Judge our Friend Thomas he was so though thou art an Enemy and a Mocker of his Memory is very much mistaken for in his Book called A Door opened to the Imprisoned p. 2 3. he sayes That the Light of the Word is God's Love to the World and this Light is not given to any till they come out of the World And that George Whitehead in The Seed of Israel's Redemption p. 20. sayes That the Light Within is a Measure of the Lord's Life and Light Answ To the first Quotation there can be no Cavil for 't is plain Scripture God is Light 1 John 1.5 And it was the Apostolical Message so to preach That God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all The second is also most true for Christ is Man's true Light that was the true Light which enlightens every Man c. And that it was for Man to walk by both Christ and his Apostles prove I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life Again if ye walk in the Light as He is in the Light c. God is Light and Christ is Light and since there is no knowing of God or Christ but by the Manifestation of Light and that none know the Father but those to whom Christ the Light reveals him therefore Christ is Man's true Light without which Man can never know either God or Christ For his 3 d. Quotation I see no Contradiction in it to the two former unless Christ can be without his Spirit for if the Spirit of Christ dwell in any Man Christ dwells in that Man This Language the Apostle used to the Romans Chap. 8.9 10 11. If the Spirit of God be in you Again If the Spirit of Christ be in you yet again If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus dwell in you all which are Synonymous or to one and the same Purpose For Shame thou a Scholar a Graecian a Disputant that makes such sorry Cavils might not the Jews and Heathens have made the same Exceptions against the Apostle But 't is an old Devil-Trick to besaint and extoll the Holy Ancients whilst they hugg the Spirit that murdered them and with it persecute the Truth in this Age so Cunning is the Devil and so Blind is the World But let us see how much more Honest he is in his next Quotation then Rational in the three former That the Light of the World is God's Love to the World I find in James Nailer's Book But that the Light is not given to any till they come out of the World is a direct Ly to our Principle and a putting an absolute Forgery upon his Book For he sayes That God has given his Light to the World that therein is his Love manifested that such as follow it in its Leadings out of the World have the Nature of Sons But Sonship is that which cannot be had whilst in the World's Nature therefore they are to come out of the World's Wayes to follow the Light which visits Man in the World's Wayes in order to bring him out of them and here the true Sonship is received so that the Son-ship and not the Light is that which cannot be had in the World Now what Contradiction can this be to our Dishonest Adversary's honest Friend Thomas who said that the light enlightened every Man that comes into the World Sure I am it is a plain Instance of our Adversary's Disingenuous and Injurious Practice For G. Whiteheads Words The Substance of them is to be found in Joh. 1.14 1â— The Word was full of Grace and Truth and of his Fulness have all we received and Grace for Grace But he sayes H.N. teaches that every Godly Man is God Incarnate and Christ Incarnate and that this is the Doctrine of the Quakers sayes he I prove First because T. Foâ—ter in his Guide to the Blind pag. 13. saith The Light which is Christ within is not Natural but Sufficient to Salvation Now I appeal to the whole World what Affinity there can be between H. N's Words and Th. Fosâ—er's Is God incarnate or Christ incarnate to be found in his Assertion Nor will I pass my Word for his right Quotation of H.N. What he quarrels at here I know not Would he not have Christ manifested within Or would he have him Natural in Opposition to Spiritual Or would he have his Light and Spirit Insufficient to Salvation If he intends any of these he crosses express Scripture blasphemes against God aâ—d frustrates the very End of the Gospel If none of them why was this