Capacities I shall let pass only minding the Reader That the nature of a Contradiction is difficult many times to understand even in Natural things so that it is reckoned the subtâ—lest part in Logick or Metaphyâ—â—â—â—â— to understand throughly what are alwayes Contradictions and 〈…〉 and therefore much more hard it is to understand in 〈…〉 that contain many seeming Contradictions for tho' 〈…〉 â—cripture containeth no real Contradiâ—â—ons coming from 〈…〉 Spirit of Truth yet it containeth 〈…〉 seeming which 〈…〉 and Scoffers use to object His comparing me to Julian the Apostate favoureth of the like Spirit of Envy as formerly when with no more ground he accused me of being guilty of the Vnpardonable Sin It is a part of my Blessing that being reviled and fully accused I can patiently bear it by the Grace of Christ in whom I believe and to whom I confess even to the Crucified Jesus that was nailed to the Cross for my Sins whom my Soul loveth and whom Julian openly denyed But Cotton Mather will gain no credit nor esteem either to himself or his Cause by 〈…〉 and Extraordinary Revilings rarely to be parallelled among the greatest Readers His Fourth Argument hath as weak and sandy Foundation as any of the rest as namely as he saith That I renounce both the Religion and the Saviour which the Saints have hitherto ventured their Souls upon c. to wit Christ Jesus And this he undertaketh to prove Sathan like by wresting my words and omitting some of them in the very Sentence he citeth that were altogether essential to make up the intire period and sence for I said in my Book Your Visible Churches 〈◊〉 true Churches of Christ for the Religion ye profess is not the true Religion of Christ Jesus yea in Fundamentals and in the very Foundation it self which is Christ Jesus on which the true Church is 〈◊〉 and every Member thereof but ye who say note my following words p. 137. all inward divine Revelation is ceased ye to wit your visible Church build not on Christ but on a meer Hear-say and Historical Report of him for how can ye build on him when ye have no belief that Christ is nearer unto you than in some remote place beyond the Skyes Where the Impartial Reader may see first That my words expresly mention their visible Church that doth not build really on Christ but on a Profession of him even by Cotton Mather's Confession 〈◊〉 nothing is required to make up the Members of a visible Church but a Profession of him and of the true Religion But every judicious leâ—son will say it is one thing to profess Christ in words or show and another thing really to build on Christ that everlasting Rock for by Christs Doctrine none buildeth on the Rock which is Christ 〈…〉 that heareth Christ's Sayings and doth them and that is much 〈◊〉 than barely to profess him But yet I did not question nor â—o but that according to my Christian Câ—arity moving me so to believe divers among all sorts Societies call'd Christian in Christendom that hold the Fundamentals as many do do really build on Châ—ist thâ—â—â—â—e Foundation and because they so do in due time the Wood Hay and Stubble of their Errors in other things while they build on the true Foundation will be burnt up by the divine Fire of the living Word and living Spirit of God in them and their Lord Jesus Christ iâ— mine and mine is theirs and I could be glad that I could entertain that Charity to C.M. but however I have not that uncharitable judgment of him as bad as he is that he hath committed that unpardonable Sin for though he hath reproached the precious workings and operations of the holy Spirit both in my faithful Brethren and me calling them Delâ—sions of Satan yet because I judge he doth it ignorantly therefore his sin is pardonable upon Repentance which I pray God may be given him for that and all his haâ—d Speechâ—â— and all other sins before it be too late But because he cannot fix his â—â—â—se Charge upon me of denying Christ he essayeth 〈◊〉 but with 〈…〉 success to fix it upon my Brethren as dear Isaac Pennington whom I well knew to be a true Believer in the Lord Jesuâ— Christ and a sincere Lover of him even the crucified Jesus and whose Souâ— I believe is in test in Christ in heavenly Glory And as to his words We can never eat the Bodily Garment Christ but that wâ—ich appeaâ—ed and dwelt in â—he Body it is easie to put a fair and charitable construction on it as wâ—â—l as on Christs words when he said He that 〈…〉 seen 〈◊〉 hath seeâ— the Father and yet many saw Christ's body of Flesh that never saw the Father But to clear the thing I 〈◊〉 speaâ—eâ—h â—hâ—s in opposition to Socinians and oâ—hers tincturâ—d with 〈…〉 as if â—he Manhood of Christ that was born of the Viâ—gin exâ—â—ndâ—â—g the 〈◊〉 Word was the only and whole Christ whereas 〈◊〉 was 〈…〉 his Body of Flesh therefore he is said to have come in the Flesh and to have taken Flesh And if we consider Christ as he was before the World was by whom all things were created and in respect of his Godhead the Body was not that but the Garment of it when he assumed it But when we consider Christ as Man as every other man 〈◊〉 both Soul body belonging to his essential Constitution as Man 〈◊〉 and Christ and still hath a moâ—â— gâ—orious Soul and Body and we 〈◊〉 not but according to Scripture 〈◊〉 Christ Manhood yea and his Body iâ— called Christ as when the Scripture saith that he was buried nailed to the Cross buâ—â—ited and even his Body was and is a part of his Manhood and his Soul the other and more Noble part most wonderfully and incomparably united with the Godhead and most incomparably filled with all fullness of the Godhead and of Grace and Truth out of whose fullness we all receive and Grace foâ— Grace and yet we do not judge that the Godhead is circumscribed within the Body of Christ for the Godhead is Omnipresent as well as Omnipotent and Omniscient And whereas he querieth saying Let Keith tell us honestly whether he does not count his own Body to be the Body of Christ in the same sence that the visible tangible Flesh which hung upon the Cross was the Body of our Lord I Answer honestly Nay by no means as I have sufficiently formerly declared in my printed Books and Testimonies on all occasions for as the Body of the Head is of far more Dignity than the Body of the inferiour Members and hath the Soul or Spirit and Life of man otherwise dwelling in it than the inferiour Members so much more the Soul and Body of Christ hath the eternal Word living and dwelling in the same than any other and that incomparably as Augustine well demonstrateth lib. de agonâ— Christianâ— cap. 20. thus concluding And therefoâ—e tâ—e Word doth not
which the Author of The fulfilling of the Scriptures doth plainly acknowledge was about that time among them and indeed many of these Tremblings and extraordinary Motions that seized on the Bodies of some Presbyterians many call'd Quakers in these dayes did proceed in great part from the small experience of and little acquaintance that these Persons had at first with that sensible manner of the working of Gods Spirit and that there were but few at first that could well advise them to bear with more composure and quiet of Body that manner of workings whereas by more frequent Experience many did and do at this day witness and feel sensibly not only as great but oft greater inward Workings of the Spirit of God on all accounts and yet can bear them and most willingly and gladly submit to them with little or no Observation of any Bodily Trembling for as in going to War and heariâ—◠〈◊〉 dreadful Sound of Guns Trumpets and Drums the young Soulâ—â—â—â—â— are oft afraid even to a degree of Bodily Trembling yet aâ—â—â—â—wards having more Experience they feel not either that Bodâ—â—â— Trembling nor such fear that is the cause of it and as Water aâ—â— Fire at its first breaking forth is more violent and yet afterwarâ— is fully as effectual without such Violence so at the first hearinâ— of Thunder and seeing the terrible Flashes of Lightning Persoâ—â— are much more afraid than after when they are more acquainteâ— with it by frequency thereof so it might be and was so that the Power and Spirit of God did work in former dayes with a more seeming Force upon many and yet since doth work as effectually now and sometimes more without it so as not to come under such frequent Observation and yet even Bodily Tremblings are still witnessed proceeding from the inward working of Gods Spirit among us as the Apostle saith Knowing the Terrors of the Lord we perswade men Pag. 12. For the words of Humphry Norton alledged by C.M. I have made inquiry at divers but can find no intelligence of any such words in any Book of his but if any such have dropt from him or any other tending to deny the Faith of Christ's being in Heaven in his glorified Body of Man without us we shall be far from excusing them for we zealously believe That the Man Christ is in Heaven without us in his glorified Body of Man the same for Being he had on Earth but wonderfully changed in Manner and Condition as is clearly and fully expressed in that late Treatise given forth by our Friends in Rhode-Island called The Christian Faith c. Vindicated c. But yet we cannot approve of the too carnal Conceptions of many carnal and ignorant Professors that have too carnal Imagination of Christ and confine him altogether to such a Remoteness that they wiâ—â— not allow any Measure of him to dwell in Believers plain contrary to the Scripture Pag. 12. And whereas he saith If they own those Principles why won't they give us leave to own them I Answer We blame you not for owning them providing ye did own them as ye ought to do in the true and right Faith of them that proceedeth from the Spirits inward Inspiration and Revelation sensibly working by way of sensible Object upon the inward and spiritual Senses of mens Souls but this ye deny and therefore it is not the matter but manner of your ownâ—â—â— them that we commonly blame even as some said that the Lord â—â—â—ed yet they swore falsly because they did it hypocritically not â—nowing him to live in them but yet sometimes in these very things ye err also in the matter Pag. 15. That the Quakers adore G.K. either for his outward Learning and make him their Head or for any other thing is false nor doth he seek any such false Honour it sufficeth him to be loved by his Friends and neither he nor his Friends make any other account of outward Learning but to be the foot-stool of Christ and subservient to his Truth and as the Spoils of the Aegyptians were made serviceable to the Israelites And that he saith This Keith it is who has given the greatest advantages to Quakerism and that with no little Alterations How this is consistent with his representing me as if I were Mad pag. 44. and extreamly Ignorant doth not appear And as for Alterations great or small that I have made in the Quakers Principles as rightly understood delivered by our most Antient Friends of best account in general he hath not proved He calleth my late Catechism A wily Catechism wherein Quakerism is so disguised as that one would almost suspect him a real Protestant and yet he will needs have it that the Juice of Toads is as wholsom a Potion But it is strange that such a Wily Catechism and so politically contrived should proceed from a Mad-man and extreamly Ignorant as he would have me to be But however I say that Catechism is writ and given forth in true sincerity without any disguise and doth as really bespeak me a true Protestant as all true Quakers are as it doth seem to represent me to be and will be found to have nothing that 's hurtful in it but profitable and wholsom I hope upon impartial Examination That the inward excusing or condemning Principle as he chargeth on us p. 15. which all men are born with is the Man Christ Jesus is not asserted by any called Quakers that I know unless by a figure called Synecdoche of giving the Name of the whole to the measure and by a Metonyme as where in Scripture the second Adam is called the quickening Spirit and the Light of the World but the Quakers so called generally acknowledge that the Spirit Light and Life dwelleth in all fullness only in the glorified Body of the Man Christ Jesus without them and the measures of it not seperated from the Fullness more or less as he is pleased to give in Believers Nor do the Quakers saâ—â— that men bring with them into the World these inward Illumination and Convictions and other Operations of the Light or Spirit whether common or special that men feel by experience in them when at Age although none can come into the World but as the Almighty Power and Arm of God who formed them in the Mothers Womb doth bring them and as that eternal Word without which nothing is made doth appoint them in their several Ages and Generations And for Christian Lodowicks Challenge against our Friends in Rhode-Island it is already answered and they are cleared from his Calumnies and our Christian Religion sufficiently distinguished from either Paganism Judaism or Mahumatism And the Exceptions he makes against my Catechism are soon answered if his Perversions were but detected 1 st That some who are left without either the help of the holy Scriptures or holy Men do yet so rightly improve the inward help of Christs Light as to be accepted with God This he saith is altogether contrary
from being any design of our Religion that it more than any tendeth to humble the Creature for man can never be truly humbled until he see himself in the Light of God shining in his heart and that will greatly humble him as it did Job and Isaiah and all the holy men of God were humbled and kept humble by bowing down and subjecting thâ—â—r Minds and Thoughts with all their Desires and Affections to that divine Spirit Light and Life of Christ in them that bringeth men to the true Denyal of Self and to cease from all Self-Actings Willings and Runnings that only proceed from their meer Natural Paâ—ts and Abilities whether in Prayer or any other Religious Performance and however such Prayers and Devotions that are performed without the Spirit of God may please mans carnal Mind and give 〈◊〉 false and carnal ease and peace and exalt Self in Man yet they can neâ—â—â—â—â— profit them who use them nor please God for God who is a Spiâ—â—â— will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth And whereas in his 8th page he accuseth the Quakers for their horribly Prayer-less Lives withal asking how many Prayer-less Houses and Prayer-less Tables are to be found among the best of them I Answ In that he is very uncharitable as that the best of us had neither Prayer in our Houses nor at our Tables which is false for not only the most grown up in the Truth but even the least Babes in the Truth are not without frequent Prayer both in their Houses and at their Tables altho' not so very frequent vocally yet sometimes vocally as God is pleased to give an utterance and at other times only with our Hearts which God accepts for vocal and external words of Prayer are not so essential to Prayer but that true Prayer may be and is most frequently without it yea Samuell Rutherford a great Presbyterian saith in his Epistles Words are but the Accidents of Prayer yet Prayer with Words uttered with the Mouth as God is pleased to enable us we gladly own both in our Assemblies and Families and if any be wanting in their Families in Prayer or any other part of Devotion it is their own fault for which they must answer and ought not to be charged upon the innocent And we believe Gods holy Spirit will be wanting to none duely to move them and that most frequently to Prayer who watch thereunto both with words or without them And if they watch not unto Prayer their Neglect of watching and likewise of Prayer is their sin and chargeable upon them and they will bear their burden for it But that any faithful man owned by us hath said as C.M. alledgeth not from any Quaker but from a partial Adversary That in many Years they have not had a motion to Prayer we do not believe if any feel not their hearts moved to Prayer and that most frequently it is their own fault and sin for indeed every faithful Soul his Life is a Life 〈◊〉 Prayer and he prayeth in his heart as frequently as he breatheth in the air for true inward Prayer rightly understood is the â—â—â—â—inual Motion of the heart towards God The Spirit helping our 〈◊〉 with Groans that cannot be uttered for even Paul said We know not what to pray for as we ought Rom. 8.26 And also he hath solemn Times and that frequently for solemn Prayer and Meditation and Thanksgiving but the most sincere Christians do not always make the greateâ—â— show or outward appearance to pray as the Phariseâ— did of 〈◊〉 And I might easily retort this Question How many 〈…〉 and Independents have either Prayer lesâ— Houses and 〈…〉 very formal and Hypocritical and are wholly Strangers in the 〈…〉 Life and Mystery of Prayer Though we have Charity 〈◊〉 some of all sorts and as we judge neglect of Prayer a great 〈◊〉 so we judge 〈◊〉 Formality and Hypocrisie to be no less both which Extreams are to be avoided Some Collections of Passages out of Jer. Taylors Book 〈◊〉 The History of the Life and Death of the holy JESUS Part 1. Sect. 9. of Baptism N. 29. JVst as we use to deny the Effect to the Instrumental Cause and attribute it to the Principal in the manner of speaking So we say it is not the good Lute but the skillfull hand that makes the Musick it is not the Body but the Soul that is the Man and yet he is not the Man without both Note And so the Quakers commonly say It is not the Scriptures but the Spirit that revealeth to us divine Mysteries yet by so saying they deny not that the Scripture is an Instrument of the Spirit to reveal the Doctrinal Principles peculiar to the Christian Faith as Christs Birth of a Virgin his Crucifixion c. as much as the Lute is the Instrument of the skillfull hand that makes the Musick Infants Baptism Part 2. N. 8. No man can conclude that this Kingdom of Power that is the Spirit of Sanctification is not come upon Infants because there is no sign nor Expression of it it is within us therefore it hath no signification it is the Seed of God And it is no good Argument to say here is no Seed in the Bowels of the Earth because there is nothing green upon the face of it And N. 19. For as the reasonable Soul and all its Faculties are in Children Will and Vnderstanding Passions and Powers of Attraction and Propulsion yet the Faculties do not operate or come abroad till Time and Art Observation and Experience have drawn them forth into Action so may the Spirit of Grace the Principle of Christian Life be infused till in its own day it is drawn forth for in every Christian there are three parts 〈◊〉 to his integral Constitution Body and Soul and Spirit and all these have their proper Activities and Times but every one in his 〈◊〉 Order first that which is Natural then that which is 〈…〉 what Aristotle said A Man first lives the Life of a Plaâ—â— then of 〈◊〉 and lastly of a Man is true in this sence and the 〈◊〉 spiritual the Principle to the longer it is before it operates because â—â—re things concur to spiritual 〈◊〉 than to Natural and these are 〈◊〉 and therefore first the other are perfect and therefore last 〈…〉 who is he that so 〈◊〉 understands the Philosophy of this third Principle of a Christians Life the Spirit as to know how or when it is infused 〈◊〉 how it operates in all its Periods and what it is in its Being and proper 〈◊〉 and whether it be like the Soul or like the Faculty or like a 〈…〉 to what Purposes God in all varieties doth dispense it thaâ— which is 〈◊〉 is that the Spirit is the Principle of a new Life or a new Birth 〈…〉 the Seed of God and may lie long in the Furrows before it springs up that from the Faculty to the Act the passage is not always suddain and quick And a little after
the whole Godhead is perfect and infinite in Being and Power and Wisdom and Goodness in which all his Attributes are comprehended but yet a distinct Vnderstanding of them all is not of absolute necessity to Salvation That this God is the Creator Preserver and Disposer of all things and the Owner and Ruler of Mankind most Just and Merciful that as he is the beginning of all so he is the ultimate end and the chief good of Man which before all things else must be loved and Sought Concerning the Son we must moreover believe That he is the same God with the Father the second Person in Trinity Incarnate and so became Man by a Personal Vnion of the Godhead and Manhood He omitteth his being conceived of the holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary which was needful to have been exprest it being a great Article of our Christian Faith That he was without Original or Actual Sin having a sinless Nature and a sinless Life That he fullfilled all Righteousness and was put to Death as a Sacrifice for our sins and gave himself a Ransom for us and being buried he rose again from the dead and afterward ascended into Heaven where he is Lord of all and interceedeth for Believers That he will come again and raise the dead and judge the World the Righteous to Everlastâ—â—â— Life and the Wicked to Everlasting Punishment That this is the onâ— Redeemer the Way the Truth and the Life neither is there access to thâ— Father but by him nor Salvation in any other Concerning the Holy Ghost we must believe That he is the same one God the third Person in Trinity sent by the Father and the Son to inspire the Prophets and Apostles and thaâ— the Doctâ—ine inspired and miraculously attested by him is true that he iâ— the Sanctifier of these that shall be saved renewing them after the Image of God in Holiness and Righteoâ—sness giving them true Repentance Faith Hope Love and sincere Obedience causing them to overcome the Flesh the World and the Devil thus gathering a holy Church on Earth to Christ who have by his Blood the Pardon of all their sins and shall have Everlasting Blâ—ssâ—dness with God This saith Richard Baxter is the Essence of the Christian Faith as to the Matter of it And now as concerning that judged by Richard Baxter the Essence of the Christian Faith as to the Matter of it I declare sincerely without all Equivocation or mental Reservation in the true and genuine sence of the Words that I have transcribed out of his said Treatise that I know not wherein I or my Brethren of my Faith and Perswasion differ from him in any one particular as to the matter of it or substance therein contained the only exception we have is against that unscriptural Term or Phrase of Three Persons or a Trinity of Persons but we own sincerely That our Faith ought to be and is in God the Father the Son and the holy Ghost and that these Names are Names of Relation respecting the Relations as well as the Relative Offices and Works of those Three and this being granted by us in the sincerity of our Hearts we are excused or cleared by John Calvin for whose Memory I suppose C. Mather hath as full and great esteem as for R. Baxter for in his first Book of Institutions cap. 13. n. 5. he saith expresly Vtinam quidem sepulta essent se inventâ— Nomina as he expresly calleth them Trium Personarum constaret modo hec inter omnes Fides Patrem et Filium et Spiritum esse unum Deum nec tamen aut Filium esse Patrem aut Spiritum Filium sed proprietate quadam esse distinctos neque enim tam precisa sum austeritate ut obnudas voculas digladiari sustineam In English thus I wish saith he the invented Names viz. of Three Persons were buried providing this Faith were manifest among all that the Father the Son and the Spirit is one God and yet that the Son is not the Father nor that the Spirit is the Son but that they are distinct by a certain Property to wit in their â—â—lative Attributes as that the Father did beget the Son and the â—on was begotten of the Father and that the holy Spirit did proceed â—â—om both for I am not of such precise Austerity said Calvin that â—or bare small Words I would contend and withall he confesseth That the Orthodox antiently did not agree about these Terms or invented Words â—â—at he acknowledgeth were invented since the Apostles dayes to guard â—gainst the Arrian Sabellian and other Heresies And therefore since we are altogether free of these Heresies and that we detest them from our very Souls no sober Christian will judge uncharitably of us in that respect And as for the word Distinct if some of our Friends taking it to signifie distant or seperated asunder one from another as in remote and distant places have refused it in this and other matters as indeed sometimes at least vulgarly it doth so signifie as when we say America is distinguished from Europe by a great spacious Sea interveening they ought not to be accused for so doing seeing in that other sence of the word Distinct that is more in use among Schollars as when we say Things are distinct when the one is not the other they own a Distinction as that the Father is not the Son the Son is not the Father though he is our Father and is expresly call'd in Scripture the Everlasting Father and Christ's Manhood and Body is not the Godhead and yet one Christ as the Body of a Man is not his Soul and yet Body and Soul is one Man and in this second sence we do allow the word distinct And as to the Manner of receiving the Christian Faith we grant with him first That it must not only be received as true into our Understanding by a special divine Illumination that is supernatural but must be imbraced by the Will Heart and Affections as good yea exceeding good and worthy of all acceptation by a special divine Motion and working of the holy Spirit that is supernatural in upon the Will Heart and Affections 2 dly That as touching all the peculiar Mysteries and Doctrines of Faith the Scriptures have been Instrumental by and together with the immediate working of the Spirit to beget in us the true Faith of them But in this we differ I suppose from him as well as from C. Mather and his Brethren of New-England that whereas they hold That the Spirit of God worketh in Believers Effectively but not Objectively or by way of sensible Object or sensibly and perceptibly by its own Self-Evidence and Demonstration to mens Hearts and Souls We affirm That the Spirit of God worketh in Believers both Effectively 〈◊〉 also Objectively or by way of sensible Object or sensibly and â—â—â—ceptibly by its own Evidence and Demonstration to mens Heaâ—â—â— and Souls And this divers call'd Protestants have
did work as it were a striâ—e against Sathan because he did strive against himself he said these things As for his false Insinuation of my calling Prayers Charms and Spells it â—â— easily discovered I own all true Prayer both Vocal and Mental that cometh in the least degree from the inbreathing i.e. Inspiration of Gods Spirit and have through Mercy found the unspeakable advantage of it to my Soul and do earnestly recommend true Prayer in the Spirit of God to all and so do all true Quakers so called In his Third Argument p. 34. wherein he giveth many supposed Contradictions that I give to myself in my former Books and upon that false Supposition as on a false Foundation raiseth his Argument against me I think not to spend Time nor Paper to answer them all in particular for let but the Reader see my own words in my printed Books and well consider them and if he have but a little sound Judgment he will easily find I have not contradicted my self in any thing though I could easily discover many Contradictions of C.M. to himself But to make me seem to contradict my self he has no better way but to wrest and pervert my words as in the very first instance he alledgeth he perverteth my words grosly as if by their Fathers whom I did acknowledge to â—ave had some measure of Tenderness Sobriety and Simplicity in a printed Paper of mine some time a go I did mean these who near â—orty Years a go did put our Friends to Death at Boston Which is a manifest Perversion enough to Discredit all he saith having as little Truth against me Whereas by their Fathers I did not mean the present Generation that taketh in forty Years commonly at least in vulgar sense but these that lived sixty or near seventy Years past that had some measure of Tenderness and Sincerity and were not of a persecuting Spirit as these who put our Friends to Death nor had the generality of the People in New-â—â—â—â—â—nd a hand in our Friends Death for many of them disliked it 〈◊〉 â—ave been credibly informed and some have acknowledged the hand of God against the Land ever since for those Murders and I wish many might see it and repent of it that they might be forgiven and Gods anger quenched towards them that hath been and remaineth to be kindled against them And he is as impertinent in labouring to reconcile his own Contradiction that John Delavall charged upon him as if it were no Contradiction either because the Assertions are thirty pages distant or because he did query and not affirm whereas the manner of his Querying showeth a plain Affirmation in calling or bringing in their deceased Fathers to expostulate with them for their Degeneration And this is all the Answer he giveth to John Delavall's sollied and weighty Appendix with a scoffing airy Spirit as his manner is he compareth to a Dutch Womans unintelligible Babbling And no less doth he bely me to accuse me as if I said or suggested in my Book called The Presbyterian Independent Churches brought to the Test c. That these Churches of Presbyterians and Independents were false upon all accounts beyond that of Rome it self Than which there can be no greater Perversion and Belying of a mans words I said no such thing nor do I think any such thing I have alwayes judgded and do still judge that all these Churches called Protestant Churches whether Episcopal Presbyterian Independent or Baptists in many yea very many things hold better Doctrine than the Church of Rome and in many things are nearer to the Letter of the Scripture and to the Truth and I have Charity that some may belong to Christ as his Members among them all even the Church of Rome not excepted yet all this will not prove that any one of them all is the true visible Church restored to that purity of Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government as was in the Apostles dayes and was before the Church fled into the Wilderness and as will be at her full Return which is approaching He is as weak and impertinent to charge it on me as a Contradiction to my self to say That in some things in speaking or writing we may err if we be not duely watchful And yet That in many things we have been taught infallibly by the Infallible Spirit of God to believe them as to believe That God is and hath given his dear Son for us and many such precious Truths and if he hath no infallible Belief and Knowledge of these things and other Fundamental Truths he is neither Ministâ—◠〈◊〉 Christ nor a true Christian but a meer Sceptick Any Colledge Scâ—â—â—â— Boy knoweth that Contradictions lie not betwixt two Particuâ—â—â—â— nor two Universals but one Particular and another Universal as if one should say That he is in all things taught infallibly and yet again say That in some things he might or did err it would be a Contradiction but this I have not said Nor is a Contradiction betwixt two Positives but the one Positive the other Negative and therefore it is no â—ontradiction to say Some are Elected in Christ Jesus before the Foundation of the World to be Holy c. and yet to deny That others are eternally or absolutely Reprobated for Elected and Reprobated are both Positives and therefore not Contradictory no more than White and Black as it is no Contradiction to say Some Colours are White and therefore all other Colours that are not White are Black It seemeth that Cotton Mather whom some as he telleth us have called The Colledge Boy of New-England hath not well learned his Logick or at least doth not well remember it since he was a Colledge-Boy for he bewrayeth shameful Ignorance in the way of right Dispute that Colledge Boyes might be ashamed of Nor is it any Contradiction to say That the Lord Jesus Christ is the alone and sure Foundation and Ground of Justification and yet to assert That Faith Repentance and sincere Obedience are necessary Conditions and Instruments thereunto required and if he will not believe me let him ask his admired and revereâ—d Baxter as he calleth him who will tell him the same But whereas he alledgeth I say A true Believer may be only in the first Covenant citing my Book pag. 147. But this is no Contradiction when by Believers I mean such as may have a true Belief that God is from some true and real inward Conviction and Sense and yet not have the true Faith in Christ Jesus as he dyed and rose again for such a Faith Cornelius had before Peter preached Christ to him also according to Christs Doctrine in the Parable of the four Grounds some may believe in Christ for a time and yet fall away and that Faith is not a false Faith but true in some sort Thus I have given a short hint to demonstrate how groundlesly he would charge Contradictions on me the other being more obvious to the weakest
hath perverted my words and belyed me in many things then he cryeth out Ignorance and other things that are Scripture Truths he calleth my Ignorance whereas it is but his Ignorance that doth not understand better And I doubt not but Judicious and Impartial Readers who compare his Books and mine will have another Judgment concerning me and acknowledge to Gods Praise the Gifts both of sound Knowledge and Expression with his manifold other Mercies bestowed on me for which I desire to praise him forever And for my saying That Light being used as a Name of God is no Figurative or Tropical Expression I have already above explained my sense of it That the Natural Light is the Figure of God that Divine Light but the Divine Light is not the Figure of the Natural as Figures of Metaphors and Tropes in Natural things commonly are quite otherwise And Augustine De Genes ad Lit. lib. 4. cap. 28. expresly affirmeth That Christ is Properly and not Figuratively called Light and yet who will say that Augustine was not a more knowing Man than Cotton Mather and who can deny but Light is immediate though it comes through a Medium of the Air to our Eyes and through the medium of the Eye to the sense of sight for do we not as immediately see a Candle as we see a Man and yet the species or image of both come to our Eyes through the medium of the Air So that in this as in many other things he showeth his own extream Ignorance that 's not worth time to mention And that he reckoneth it my Ignorance that I say Christ commanded not these words to be used in Baptism In the Name of the Father and of the Son c. commonly called the words of Institution As he can neâ—er prove any such Institution so he hath Zuinglius whom he maketh his President in another case against him for Zuinglius saith expresly Lib. de Bapt. pag. 66. tom 2. Christus Jesus Baptism formulam qua uteremur his verbis non Instituit quem ad modum Theologi bactenus falso Tradiderunt i. e. Christ Jesus did not institute the form of Baptism in these words to be used as the Theologues have heretofore falsly delivered And he is intoxicated with a Spirit of Ignorance and not I as he falsly alledgeth on me to assert That Exod. 20.8 9. so commandeth one day of seven as that it may be First as well as the Seventh Whereas if Natural dayes be meant it cannot be the First but the Seventh for it is not said Remember to keep the First Day for Rest and after that labour Six dayes And that he denyeth and mocketh at an inward and spiritual Day showeth him extreamly Ignorant of spiritual Things as well as his Scoffing showeth his frothy airy Spirit scarcely to be parallell'd Is not the Day of Gods Power Psal 110. an inward and spiritual Day And where it is said Let us walk honestly as in the Day Rom. 13.13 and until the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in your hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 And is not this an inward Day And that he reproacheth me with Giddiness for saying The Sabbath is Christ to wit the thing figured by the Jews Sabbath In this he reproacheth as well his pretendedly much esteemed Calvin who saith expresly the same lib. 2. cap. 8. n. 32. of his Institutes where he saith Christ is the Truth at whose Presence all the Figures evanish the Body by whose sight the Shadows are left He I say is the fullfilling of the true Sabbath And a little after he chargeth it as Superstition upon them that would make the Observation of the First Day of the Week for a Sabbath to be a Divine Institution and doth fully agree with us That it is to be kept by choice for good Order and assembling together for divine Worship and other good Reasons but not by divine Precept injoyning the strictness of the Jewish Sabbath As for that silly Jest of Baxters that C.M. pleaseth his airy mind with telling the Quakers That their to wit Presbyterian Bells are not carnal else they would not sound so high he might have used it as much against Paul for saying Our Weapons are not carnal as implying that the Sword was a carnal Weapon but according to Rich. Baxter there can be no carnal Sword for then it could not cut whereas things are called Carnal from the hand that useth them as for other causes and the Levitical Laws were called Carnal Ordinances in Scripture And whereas he saith None preach the most intimate Vnion and Communion with the Lord Jesus Christ more than he and his Brethren is a most bold and impudent Untruth seeing 1 st they say expresly That Christ is not at all within us but only without us in Heaven and no wise in us but by â—is Operations as if he and his operations could be divided 2 dly That they deny the Working or Operations of the Spirit of God in the Saints to be Objective or that the Spirit worketh as any sensible Object upon the inward and spiritual Senses of the Saints Hence with Jesuits and Papists from whom they have borrowed that Distinction as I can prove as namely from Sacroboscus a Jesuit Def. decret trident p. 93 94. they say The Spirit worketh Effectively and Subjectively but not Objectively And therefore do they not one whit more preach any nearer Union and Communion with Christ than the darkest Papists yea some Papists that own sensible Workings of the Spirit as some do go far beyond them viz. C. Mather and some of his Brethren in that particular But that I have slandered the Assembly in their saying The Souls of the Righteous are not perfected in Holiness till after Death which C.M. hath twice cast upon me I desire the Reader for his Satisfaction and my Vindication but to read the place that I cited viz. cap. 32. n. 1. where they say expresly thus The Bodies oâ— men after Death return to Dust and see Corruption but their Souls which neither dye nor sleep having an Immortal Subsistence immediately return to God who gave them the Souls of the Righteous being THEN made perfect in Holinss c. Where it is plain that the Adverb of Time Then refers to the word in the first line viz. After Death yea and as would seem then when the Bodies return to Dust and see Corruption that sometimes is a considerable time after Death where dead Bodies are Embalmed but this last part I suppose is an oversight in them And seeing they plead for sin for term of Life yea to the last instant what difference there is that they can make betwixt dying in their sins and living in their sins for Term of Life is not intelligible for in Scripture-phrase Not to have Iniquity purged away till men dye and to dye in Iniquity is all one for the instant of Death is quick as a Thought That I said Notoriously Scandalous Persons Lyars Deceivers Drunkards
the latter part of his Address he hath greatly changed the matter of Debate betwixt us in most things wrongly stating things and calling things our Principles which are not whereas he should have kept to the Twelve Articles I charged them with eleven of which they did fairly own and the Twelfth I have sufficiently proved to belong to them as much as the eleven and he should have given an Answer to my former Book called The pretended Antidote proved Poyson which he hath not so much as essayed but instead thereof he goeth to chaâ—ge the matter of Debate betwixt us in the things I had chaâ—ged them with in most particulars and by most gross Perversions of our Friends words would fix on them Principles which they do no wise hold And in this New 〈◊〉 he sets down Sixteen Assertions wherein he pretendeth to contradict our Principles but in most of them he doth prevaricate and goeth from the 〈◊〉 of the Question as in the First where he granteth That he doth not mean that the Paper or Letter of the Scripture but the heavenly Matter of it is the Word of God and thus he doth not contradict us for I have told him and his Brethren more than once Thas we readily grant the heavenly Matter and true divine Sence of the holy Scripture is the Word of God But the true state of the Controversie is Whether the Scripture is either princâ—paâ—y or only the Word of God excluding any inward Word or Voice of God in mens hearts we say there is an Inward Word and Voice of God in mens hearts which as it doth not contradict the Scripture but agreeth with it so it is another thâ—â—g and is of the greatest Efficacy and giveth or seâ—â—eâ—h to us the assurance that the Scriptures are of God and divinely inspired 〈…〉 2â— Assertion he doth no less prevaricate and 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 â—or I did grant in both my former book◠〈…〉 Exâ—â—aâ—rdinary and Oâ—â—â—nary Revelations and 〈…〉 our Lord and that we did not say tâ—at 〈…〉 had tâ—eâ—e Extraordinary but the Ordinary that were common to them with all Saints the which ordinary are nevertheless true divine Inspirations and Revelations And as to what I said out of some antient Writers tending to open the Distinction of Extraordinary and Ordinary Revelations the extraordinary being of a more high and sublime Nature as proceeding from a more high and excellent measure of the divine Light or Spirit that is well warranted in holy Scripture and well approved by Christian Writers of great esteem for Piety and Learning that he and his Brethren call Rabbinical Fopperies in that they show their great Ignorance in good Learning for it is generally acknowledged by Christians as well as Jews yea and by Protestants of good Note That the Hebrew Names of God mentioned in Scripture being various some of them are greater than others and the greater Names do answer to the greater Measures of the divine Light and that Name commonly pronounced Jehovah which the most learned in the Hebrew Language among Christians do confess they know not how to pronounce it consisting of quiescent Letters and having no proper Vowels of its own as is acknowledged by the most learned and as Buxtoâ— in his Hebrew Lexicon saith the first that presumed to pronounce it was Petruâ— Galatinus â—one of all the Greek and Latine Fathers so 〈◊〉 did presume to pronounce it or read it for theâ—e is no Tract of it in any of their Writings though divers of them were well skilled in the Hebrew Language is generally acknowledged to be one of the greatest Names of God by which God made himself known to Moses Exod. 6.3 but not to Abraham Isaac and Jacob and though it be granted that the Letters of that Name are recorded by Moses in many places of Genesis and is to be found in Hebrew Gen. 2.4 and that possibly and very probably Abraham might have known the outward Letters or Sound of that Name yet that doth not infer that either Abraham or any of these Fathers knew the inward force and efficacy signified by that Name and that so high Revelation belonging to it that Moses did know for that would contradict Exod. 6.3 And though I do no wise approve Rabbinical Fopperies or Jewish Fictions or Fables yet what I find either in Jewish or Gentile VVriters that doth well accord with the divine Oracles of the holy Scripture I do well receive it and relish it In his 3 d Assertion he doth no less mis-state the Question for we deny not but affirm That the will of God expressed in the Scripture is a perfect Rule for the Belief and Practice of every Christian as to all Doctrinals and Practicals of Religion in general but we say it is not the only Rule nor the principal for the Will of God and his Law is writ in the fleshly Tables of the Hearts of all the faithful and as so writ is greater and of greater virtue and efficacy than to have it writ in Paper and though no new Doctrinals or Morals are to be revealed to us but what are sufficiently declared in the Scriptures yet that doth not hinder but that particular Calls to Places Persons and Nations and particular Prophesies or Predictions of things to come may be newly revealed as is granted by divers Protestants and by For in his Book of Martyrs yea even Presbyterians and Calvin doth acknowledge That even in his Time God did raise up extraordinary Oâ—â—â—cers to restore the Church if not Apostles yet at least Evangelists lib. against cap. 3. â— 4. And true Believers may have it witnessed to them as many have had and daily have by the inward Testimony of Gods Spirit That their sins are forgiven them and that they belong unto God and that without all logical and argumentative way of Syllogisms that as many faithful Souls have not skill to form so many Hypocrites deceive themselves with such a way of arguing themselves to be sincere But some Presbyterians have acknowledged That there is another far more evident clear and satisfactory way that some have whereby to be assured that their sins are forgiven without any such way of Syllogysm as particularly my Country-man William Guthergy in his his printed Book concerning Personal Covenanting with God and he calleth it A felt Arms full of the holy God filling the Soul with God as he is Love Life and Liberty and though it is no audible Voice viz. to the outward Ear yet it doth countervail that of God to Daniel O Man greatly beloved and is like to that which passed from Christ to Mary when he said Mary and she answered Rabboni And surely here was no way of syllogising In his 4 th Assertion he doth also fail in stating the Question for first we grant That the Day of Salvation is expired towards many men now alive and they are left without any saving Light in them 2 dly we grant That the clear and bright Day of Salvation
〈…〉 10.3 And that he saith it s descended into all 〈…〉 iâ— false for as I am informed it is not used in 〈…〉 other Countries in the World And for his â—â—â—ing 〈…〉 some of us saying Thou writes Thou 〈…〉 Case of the Second Person to a Verb of the 〈…〉 It is not so much the Incongruity with a 〈…〉 fault in using You 〈◊〉 one as the 〈…〉 and the gratifying a proud Spirit and bowing to 〈…〉 be pleased with Thou altho' they give it to God in Prayer◠〈…〉 or other that they despise also to say You to 〈…〉 more in company maketh Confusion in the sence 〈…〉 uncertain whether one or more are intended but to say Thou 〈◊〉 hath no such inconveniency nor argueth no vain Respect oâ— Personâ— Nor hath he any better Argument for Salâ—â—ing with the Hat 〈◊〉 Custom but seeing uncovering the Head as well as bowing the 〈◊〉 are Religious significations of our Reverence to God in Prayers we should not give them to the Creature for it is very proper that some what of Distinction be made externally betwixt our Reverence to our Maker and our Reâ—â—â—ct to Magistrates Parents Kindred or Neighbours But he conâ—â—â—deth with a rare way to deal with us at last viz. To throw their Caps 〈◊〉 us which bespeaketh a very airy and frothy Spirit very unbecoming a Minister of Christ yea not well becoming any Colledge-Boy of New-England When the Preachers are thus light and vain what may be expected but that in Jeremiah is fulfilled Jer. 23.32 They cause thy People to Err by their Lyes and by their Lightness c. And another Instance of his Lightness and Airyness is as because one of us said as he doth alledge in a Catechism Let none reason about us for there they can never know us nor com unto us that is in Reason But nothing but a meer Spirit of Perversion would turn the sence of this as if the Quakers did renounce all true Reason whereas the sence that is obvious to all impartial men is Reason falsly so called or carnal Reason that is certainty a great Enemy to all true divine and spiritual Knowledge for what is the Wisdom of the World that is foolishness with God as the Scripture declareth but carnal Reason Reasonings and therefore saâ—â—â— the Scripture If any will be Wise let him be a Fool and again 〈◊〉 â—ot to thy own Vnderstanding And C.M. might as well mock at 〈…〉 saying Cor. 10. 4 5. The Weapons of our Warfare are not 〈…〉 Mighty and to throw down Reasonings the Greek word being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is plain that tho Paul expresseth no distinction betwixt Reasonings and Reasonings more than that Catechism yet he doth not mean all Reasoning of all sort as to exclude or destroy the use of it even in divine Matters for Paul maketh most excellent use of it in proving Justification by Faith in Christ Jesus and the Resurrection of the Dead and other divine things also Christ and the Prophets did make most excellent use of true and right Reason to wit 〈◊〉 enlightned by the divine Spirit and governed thereby and in due 〈…〉 thereto and this use of it the People called Quakers approve and according to their measure have made and do make good use of even in divine matters and through Gods Mercy many can say their Reason or reasonable Understanding as men is greatly improv'd and perfected by their acquaintance with that divine Light of Christ in them and no wise impaired But if C.M. think that bare humane Reason alone without all divine internal Illumination can enable a man to understand divine Things and Mysteries he is more a Socinian than Presbyterian or Independent And the like silly and airy Jest he slingeth at Isaac Pennington withal grosly perverting his words pag. 45. as because I.P. would have them stript of all their fleshly knowledge of the Scripture which according to Paul he calleth Knowledge after the Flesh or to be wise after the Flesh which 〈◊〉 Death Rom. 8.6 That therefore he would have them stript of the Scriptures All which Perversions and many more in his Book with many gross Lyes that C.M. useth show plainly how weak he is when he has no better Weapons to defend himself and render us odious And whereas he would in the Conclusion fix it upon G.F. That he thought himself equal with God and that the Soul of man were God or a part of him But seeing he bringeth not this from G.F. but from Faldo a most partial and envious Adversary it is not to be regarded and VV. Penn hath sufficiently vindicated G.F. and also G.F. hath cleared it in his Book That he did witness both the Son and the holy Spirit revealed in him who as he taketh notice by the Westminster Confessions acknowledgment are equal to God the Father And what G.F. speaketh of the Soul its being a part but more properly a measure of the Spirit of God he doth not understand it of the Soul of many that is essential to man but of the divine Soul or Spirit in man or to speak with the Scripture the Soul of God as it is written If 〈…〉 back â—â—ith God my Soul shall have no pleasure in him And again Shall not my Soul be avenged c. and though part or portion with respect to God be not so proper yet by a tollerable Catachresis even in Scripture it is used Job 26.14 How little a portion is heard of him But to speak properly God has no parts or portions as he hath no Bodily Members which yet by a figure in Scripture are assigned to him in condescention to our low Capacity But for his saying That Souls that can digest Quakerism serve but as the Salt of the Flesh they live in showeth sufficiently he has no Salt in him to savour with the things of God Indeed if Quakerism were such a thing as he doth represent it to be and would fain have People believe it to be or that the 20th part that he saith of it were true it were most abominable and such who hold it would be most unworthy and not fit to be esteemed Men for less Christians but blessed be God our Religion is not that which he would make it to be nor are we such as he describeth and it is a great Questions to me if he doâ—h really think these things that he saith of us to be true either in general or in great part and if he doth not think so the greater is his sin The other things in the last two or three Pages of his Book are so notoriously false as that The main design of Quakerism is to advance and exalt Man and that they do in effect every one make himself a Christ and such like Lying stuff I shall not need to Refute seeing every one that hath the least knowledge of us knoweth them to be scandalous â—yes And for the advancing man into Pride or vain Glory it is so far
Now what was lost by Adam is 〈◊〉 by Christ the same Righteousness only it is not 〈◊〉 but super-inducâ—â— nor Integral but interrupted but such as it is there is no difference 〈◊〉 that the same or the like Principle may be derived to us from Christ as there should have been from Adam that in a Principle of Obedience a Regularity of Faculties a Beauty in the Soul and a state of Acceptation with God And we see also in men of Vnderstanding 〈◊〉 Reason the Spirit of God dwells in them wâ—ich Tatianus describing 〈◊〉 these words The Soul is possessed with the sparks of the Power of the Spirit and yet sometimes it is ineffective and unactive sometimes more sometimes less and does no more do its work at all times than the Soul does at all times understand Add to this that if there be in Infants naturally an evil Principle a Proclivity to sin an Ignorance and Pravity of Mind a Disorder of Affections as Experience teacheth us there is and the perpetual Doctrine of the Church and the universal Mischiefs issuing from Mankind and the sin of every man does witness too much why cannot Infants have a good Principle in them though it works not till its own season as well as an evil Principle If there were not by Nature some evil Principle it is not possible that all the World should chuse sin In free Agents it was never heard that all Individuals loved chose the same thing to which they were not naturally inclined neither do all men chuse to Marry neither do all chuse to abstain and in this Instance there is a natural Inclination to one part but of all the men and women in the World there is no one that hath never sinned If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us said an Apostle If therefore Nature hath in Infants an evil Principle which operates when the 〈…〉 out is all the while within the Soul eithâ—â— Infants have by Grace 〈…〉 into them or else sin abounds where Grace does not 〈…〉 against the Doctrine of the Apostle Noâ—â— All this doth most manifestly agree to what I have said both concerning the Seed of Sin and the Seed of Gods Grace being in all men in my printed Book 〈◊〉 The Presbyterian and Independent Visible â—â—â—rches brought to the 〈◊〉 pag. 90 91 92. Concerning certainty of Salvation pag. 3. sect 13. n. 9. The sum 〈◊〉 this All that are in the state of Beginners and Imperfection hav◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—tinual Certainty changeable and fallible in respect of us for we 〈◊〉 not with what is in Gods secret Purposes changeable I say as their Will and Resolutions They that are grown towards Perfection have more reason to be confident and many times are so but still although the strength of the habits of Grace adds degrees of moral Certainty to their Expectation yet it is but as their Condition is hopeful and promising and of a moral Determination But to those few to whom God hath given Confirmation in Grace he hath also given a Certainty of Condition and therefore if that be revealed to them their Condition is in self certain but their Perswasion is not so but in the highest kind of Hope an Anchor of the Soul sure and stedfast Note This doth manifestly agree to what I have said on that subject in my foresaid Book pag. 136. Concerning Faith Part 2. Sect. 10. N. 4. For the Faith of a Christian hath more in it of the Will than of the Vnderstanding Faith is that great Mark of Distinction which seperates and gives Formality to the Covenant of the Gospel which is a Law of Faith The Faith oâ— a Christian is his Religion that is it is that whole Conformity to the Institution or Discipline of Jesus Christ which distinguishes him from the Believers of false Religions And N. 6. It viz. Faith is of the same Condition and Constitution with other Graces all which equally relate to Christ and are as firm Instruments of Vnion and are washed by the Blood of Christ and are sanctified by his Death and apprehend him in their Capacity and Degrees some higher and some not so high but Hope and Charity apprehend Christ in a measure and proportion greater than Faith when it distinguishes from them So that if Faith does the Work of Justification as it is a meer Relation to Christ then so also does Hope and Charity or if these are Duties and good Works so also is Faith and they all being alike commanded in order to the same end and encouraged by the same Reward are also accepted upon the same Stock which is that they are Acts of Obedience and Relation too they obey Christ and lay hold upon Christs Merits and are but several Instances of the great Duty of a Christian but the Actions of several Faculties of the New Creature But because Faith is the beginning Grace and hath Influence and Causalty in the production of the other therefore 〈◊〉 others as they are united in Duty are also united in their Title and Appellative they are all called by the Name of Faith because they are parts of Faith as Faith is taken in the largest sence and when it is taken in the strictest and distinguishing sence they are Effects and proper Products by way of Emanation N. 8. So that Faith and Charity in the sence of a Christian are but one Duty as the Vnderstanding and the Will are but one reasonable Soul only they produce several Actions in order to one another which are but divers Operations and the same Spirit Note This doth manifestly agree to what I have said in my foresaid Book pag. 129 130 131. Dr. Cave concerning Justification in the Life of Paul Sect. 9. N. 15. Works of Evangelical Obedience are not opposed to Faith in Justification in that Faith as including the New Nature and the keeping Gods Câ—â—mandments is made the usual Condition of Justification nor 〈…〉 otherwise when other Graces and Virtues of the Christian Life are made the Terms of Pardon and Acceptance with Heaven and of our Title to the Merits of Christs Death and the great Promise of Eternal Life citing Acts 2.38 cap. 3.17 Mark 11. 25 26. 1 John 1.7 Note And so doth this well agree to the Contents aforesaid Joseph Glanvel Fellow of the Royal Society in his Treatise of Witchcraft Part 1. § 13. pag. 49. saith Gods more near and immediate imparting himself to the Soul that is prepared for that Happiness by divine Love Humility and Resignation in the way of a vital Touch and Sence is a thing possible in it self and will be a great part of our Heaven That Glory is begun in Grace and God is pleased to give some excellent Souls the happy Antepast That holy men in antient Times have sought and gloried in this enjoyment never complain so sorely as when it was with-held interrupted That the Expressions of Scripture run infinitely this way and the
best of Modern good men do from their own Experience attest it That this spiritualizeth Religion and renders its enjoyments more comfortable and delicious That it keeps the Soul under a vivid sense of God and is a grand security against Temptation That it holds it steady amid the flatteries of a prosperous state and gives it the most grounded Anchorage and support amid the Waves of an adverse Condition That 't is the Noblest Encouragement to Virtue and the biggest assurance of an happy Immortality I say I considered these weighty things and wondered at the carelesness and prejudice of Thoughts that occasion'd 〈◊〉 suspecting the reality of so glorious a Priviledge I saw how little reason there is in denying matters of inward sense because our selves do not feel them or cannot form an apprehension of them in our Minds I am convinced that things of Gust and Relish must be judg'd by the sentient and vital Faculties and not by the poetical Exercises of speculative Understandings And upon the whole I believe infinitely that the divine Spirit affords its sensible Presence and immediate beatifick Touch to some rare Souls who are divested of carnal Self and mundane Pleasures abstracted from the Body by Prayer and holy Meditation spiritual in their Desires and calm in their Affections devout Lovers of God and Virtue and tenderly affectionate to all the World â—â—ncere in their Aims and circumspect in their Actions inlarged in 〈◊〉 Souls and 〈◊〉 in their Minds These I think are the Dispositions that are requisite to fit us for divine Communion and God transacts not in this 〈◊〉 way but with prepared Spirits who are thus disposed for the manifestation of his Presence and his Influence And such I believe he never fails to bless with these happy fore-tastes of Glory John Norris M.A. and late Fellow of All Souls Colledge in Oxford in his Treatise Reflections upon the Conduct of Humane Life Reflect 2. N. 9. pag. 69. saith The Right and only Method of Inquiry after that Truth which is Perfective of the Understanding is to consult the divine Logos or Ideal World for this is the Region of Truth and here are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge This is that great universal Oracle lodged in every mans Breast whereof the Antient Vrim and Thummim was an expressive Type or Emblem This is †Reason this is Conscience this is Truth this is that Light within so darkly talk't of by some who have by their aukward untoward and unprincipled way of representing it discredited one of the Noblest Theorys in the World Note If perhaps some have been short in that thing yet it hath been well demonstrated by many or most of that People here by him reprehended But the thing in it self rightly understood is true and if any shall call it Quakerism or Enthusiasm I shall only make this Reply at present That 't is such Quakerism as makes a good part of St John's Gospel and of St Austin's Works But to return This I say is that divine Oracle which we all may and must consult if we would inrich our Minds with Truth that Truth which is Perfective of the Understanding And this is the true Method of being truly wise and this is no other Method than what is advised us by this divine Logos the substantial Wisdom of God Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my Gates waiting at the Posts of my Doors Prov. 8.34 And again says the same substantial Wisdom Whoso is simple let him turn in 〈◊〉 And again I am the Light of the World he that follows me or as the word more properly signifies he that consorts or keeps company with me 〈…〉 in Darkness This therefore is via Intelligentiae the way and 〈…〉 of true Knowledge to apply our selves to the divine 〈…〉 felt the Ideal World †i. e. not Humane but Divine 〈…〉 THE END