Paul said no other things then what Moses and the Prophets said should come John Baptist came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all through him might beleeve God sayes If the Israelites observe not all the words of the Law written in that Book of Deuteronomy he would make their Plagues wonderful Christ expounds to his Disciples all the Scriptures in Moses and the Prophets concerning himself bids Search the Scriptures as testifying of him Paul sayes Whatsoever was written afore time was for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope He says To write the same things to the Church is safe John sayes he writes his Epistles to the Saints that their joy might be full Therefore the outward Letter of the Scripture is the onely Rule of all faith and Divine worship and not the Light and Spirit of Christ ye only call to nor any internal Revelation whatsoever ficta vel facta In which of all these Scriptures the Title and Authority of the only most perfect standing Rule of Faith Life and Worship is either expresly or by any true mediate much more any immediate consequence ascribed to the Scriptures who can finde but he 's that not blinde There is but one of all the places viz. Gal. 6.16 where that term Rule is at all expressed by which as I have said and shewed above is not at all intended the Scriptures but Christ the Light and his Spirit and some of them mention expresly neither the term Scripture nor Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and such as have in them terms equivalent to that of the Rule neither express nor imply at all the Letter of the Scripture as that of Psal. 19.7 8. and that of Isa. 8.19 20. and that of Rom. 10 17. and that of Eph. 2.19 20. where by the Law and Commandment and Testimony and Statutes of the Lord rejoicing the heart converting the soul enlightening the eyes making wise the simple is expressed the Lamp and the Light Prov. 6.23 and by the Word in the hearing of which Faith comes the Word hid in the heart nigh in the heart and mouth to hear and do Psal. 119.105 Deut. 30.12.14 Rom. 10.8 The Law in the heart Isa. 5 1.7 Psal. 37.31 The Law in the mind which the Law of sin and death in the members wars against Rom. 7.23 The Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ the life and light whose life is the light of men that made Paul free from the other Rom. 8.2 Which light shines in the darknesse that is in our very Doctors hearts but the darkness comprehends it not The Statutes of God and Judgements to be put into the minds of men according to the tenour of the New Covenant typified by the Old where the Statutes were with Pen and Ink written and engraven on Tables of stone and by the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Eph. 2. Christ the Light as is above declared and not the Writing and Letter and Text in which the internal truth is but ad extra declared and by that sure Word of Prophesie ' 2 Pet. 1. not the Scripture but somewhat within as I shall shew more abundantly by and by and by Moses and the Prophets Luke 16. Writings within as I shall shew anon All which were and were the onely perfect pure right inalterable standing Rule long before any external Text or Letter was and have not ceased so to be by the coming in of the outward writing with which they are since clothed upon nor yet have surrendered their ancient Authority of being the onely Rule by which all speakings and writings and doctrines are to be tryed nor resigned up that their Right to the Writing that testifies to their suprrmacy veracity and dignity above it self to this very day Nor have they submitted themselves that were once the chief Judge and Rule for the tryal of Truth to be now tryed ruled over judged sentenced and ultimately determined authoritatively to be received or rejected as true or false of God or the Devil Divine or diabolical Delusion Enthusiasme Figment Fanaticism and what nick-name men lift to stile them by in their learned lusts by the fallible Transcriptions Translations and Expositions of miserably mistaking men in which ways only and meerly some of that Scripture that was of old written by holy men as the spirit moved them is transmitted downward to these modern ages And as for those Texts that do make express mention of the Scriptures and outward Writings of the Apostles and of Moses and the Prophets and the Old Testament as Iohn 20. ult Luke 1.3 4. 16.29 Acts 1.1 2 Cor. 3.24 2 Tim. 3.14 15 16. do there is not the least considerable much less any cogent necessary or immediate consequence in any of them to conclude the outward Letter of the Scriptures to be the onely most perfect standing Rule Touchstone for all Truth to be tryed by so exclusively as I.O. states them Spiritus verbi Luminis cujuscunque tandem generis interni Revelatienis c. Of all inward Spirit Light Word or Revelation of what sort soever For what 's the vail's being over the Iews hearts in the reading of the Old Testament which Vail is done away in turning to Christ the Light to evince any such matter Doth it not rather evidence the very contrary For if the Old Testament which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Letter written with Ink or Pen or engraven on stones is as a Vail over the hearts of such as read it as the Iews do of whom I.O. sayes pag. 236. They read it without the administration of the Spirit so that its a dead Letter of no efficacy for the good of souls Which Vail is to be and is done away no otherwise then in Christ the Light and by turning to the Lord that Spirit as Paul sayes it is then doth it not rather appear that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Letter written and engraven outwardly is not the onely most proper standing Rule but Christ's Light the Spirit and the measure and manifestation thereof within given to every man to profit withal And what though Paul to Timothy doth commend the inspired Scripture if yet we shall take that for the outward Writing as profitable to make the man of God who onely knows how to use it wisely more and more wise and to furnish him perfectly to exhort c. and every good work against the gainsayers as I have shewed above that I deny not the outward Scripture so to be to such a one And what though Christ saies in order to escaping the place of torment Let men hear Moses and the Prophets if yet we shall take Moses and the Prophets for their outward Writings And what though John sayes Christ did more then he wrote of him as well he might For Matthew Mark and Luke wrote many things that he did not and others wrote other matters that were written by none of
they shall be blessed that sow beside all waters and the soul of the diligent shall thrive and be fat but the soul of the vile person and niggard and of the sluggard shall desire but have nothing yea their Vintage shall faile and their gathering shall not come and their fruitful field shall be turned into a forrest they shall be stript and made bare and sit with sackcloth on their loins and lament for the tears for the pleasant fields and the fruitfull vine and their pallaces shall be forsaken their tents and towers shall be for dâ—ns and that which now is the pasture of wild asses Iob 11.12 Isa. 29.18 24. shall be no more enjoyed by them for ever Isa. 32. Wherefore then â—ayest thou I. O. with Restriction of the Spirits guidance to those first generations thus viz. While the infallible spirit continued his extraordinary guidance and thus viz. guided therein by the infallible direction of the spirit of God and by way of exclusion of after-ages and more expresly of this age thus viz. They were born acted carried out by the Holy Ghost to speake deliver and write c. and suppose a man were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. inspired of God and should professe himself so and were so indeed as the Prophes of old Am. 7. Let me expostulate the case with thee a little about these expressions whereby thou seemest to shut all the past primitive times from any participation of the movings and actings of the Spirit as those that have neither part nor portion in that matter of his infallible guidance and direction First then not denying what Christ himself foretold Iohn â—4 28 30. Iohn 16.16 viz. That he would go away for a while and his Disciples should not see him and the Prince of this world which hath nothing in him should come and interpose himself to the great interception of that primitive Communion the Saints then had with him and his Spirit so that he would not have very much talk with them thereafter let me ask thee this much Did he say he would leave them for ever and never have any talk or words with them more then what they should find of his written in the Scriptures of such as should write some few things and a little of that much which they knew of his minde Did he say he should not speake at all not so much as by his Spirt Nay rather did he not say that so soon as his fleshly pretence was withdrawn he would send the holy Spirit himselfe the comforter to supply the room of that personall and bodily appearance wherein he then stood among them which they were so in love with and so loath to part with that they were ready well-nigh to dote so upon it as to let sorrow fill their hearts to think they should be utterly without his tuition as sheep without a shepherd if that should vanish and be removed In the departure and absence of which notwithstanding he told them it would be never the worse but much the better and more expedient for them For if I goe away saith he the Comforter cannot come but if I go I will send him unto you which Comforter was himselfe in Spirit the presence of which in the heart gives nearer acquaintance and fellowship with Christ and the Father then his abode among them their sight of him in the flesh could possibly do for the sight of him in the flesh the world may have and had which is to little effect if the other be wanting but his presence in the Spirit is that which is of Power and Efficacy though yet in two different wayes viz. of bare conviction or condemnation to the one and refreshment and consolation to the other both to the World and to the Saints though there be no sight of him as in the flesh any more by either I will send the Holy spirit the comforter to you saith he and he shall convince or reprove the world also Doth Christ therefore say he will leave them comfortlesse i.e. Orphans Iohn 14.17 18. deprived utterly of his presence because he said he i.e. in flesh would go away Nay saith he I will come to you i.e. in Spirit the Spirit of truth which dwelleth in you and shall be in you and though the world seeth me no more when I am gone because though the Spirit of Truth be sent into them and is nigh to men even striving preaching reproving in them yet they recieve him not neither see him nor know him yet ye see me and because I live ye shall live also and doth he not say that this spirit of truth should lead and guide them into all truth and bring all things to their remembrance whatever he spakâ— while he was seen in the flesh Which the letter doth not for there were many more things that Iesus spake and did that are not written there so many that if they should be written every one it might be supposed the world could not contain what should be written John 14.26 13 21 25. And howbeit he intimates a more sparing Communion in Spirit with his Dâ—sciples and Church which would be permitted to come to passe by the coming in of the Prince of this world wherein there should not be so much talk as there should be before and would be again after that gloomy day was once over wherein the manifestations of him though as infallible in that small measure wherein they should be made for gradus non variant naturam rei yet as to the measure would not be so great as at other times of which going away and withdrawing even in the spirit also he seemes to speak when he saith A little while and ye shall not see me in which Eclipse the chidren of the night must have a revelling night of rejoycing over the Word and Spirit and Saints sitting in sackcloth and an hour of laughter and merriment at the power of 〈◊〉 its prevailing Iohn 16. to 22. yet doth he say that Eclipse should be â—oâ—aâ—l Was there not some few in every age in whom the Spirit bare a testimony and by whom to the blind world also of little truth And did he not say the Spirit should be in them and abide with them i.e. in the same manner of infallibility in manifestation of whatever he makes known though not in the same measure of manifestation of the truth even for ever Iohn 14.16 And did he not say that the Spirit of truth should testifie of him when he came and so consequently his testimony must be with his Disciples and Church for ever Iohn 15.26 Which testimony is not that of the letter which men wrote at his motion as thou falsely supposest for that is mans mediate testimony and not immediately the Spirits any more then the testimony that men bear by word of mouth as they are moved of which in the very next verse i. e. Iohn 15.27 Christ calls their testimony and not the
RVSTICVS Ad ACADEMICOS IN Exercitationibus Expostulatoriis Apologeticis Quatuor The Rustick's ALARM to the Rabbies OR The Country Correcting the Vniversity and Clergy And not without good cause Contesting for the Truth Against the Nursing-Mothers and their Children In four Apologeticall and Expostulatory Exercitations Wherein is Contained as well A General Account to All Enquirers As A General Answer to All Opposers Of the most truly Catholike and most truly Christ-like Christians called QVAKERS and of the true Divinity of their Doctrine By way of Entire Entercourse held in special with Four of the Clergies Chieftanes viz. John Owen D D. late Dean of Christ's Church Coll. Oxon. Tho. Danson M.A. once Fellow of Magd. Coll. Oxon since one of the Seers for the Town of Sandwich in Kent Iohn Tombes B.D. once of Bewdly since of Lemster Rich. Baxter Minister at Kederminster Another Eminent Master in this English-Israel Which Four Fore-men hold forth the sense and senseless Faith of the whole Fry and write out the Sum of what is or is to be said by the whole Fraternity of Fiery Fighters against the True Light of Christ and its True Children Alias An Universal Vindication or General Iustification of the Sincere Practices and sound Principles of That faithfull People in such Points as the Priests oppose them in hinted in the Epistle and handled in the Book ensuing against the Collegian Calumnies and Clerical Cavils of All who Causelesly Quarrel with them By Samuel Fisher Who sometimes went astray as a lost Sheep among the many Shepheards but is now returned to the Great Shepheard and Overseer of the Soul I Kings 18.27 And Elijah Mocked them and said Cry aloud for he is a God c. Numb 25.17 18. Vex the Midianites and smite them for they vex you with their Wiles c. Isa. 57.3 4. Against whom do you sport your selves Against whom do you make a wide Mouth c. Ethnici non Credendo Credunt Christiani Credendo non Credunt Error Minimus in Principio fit Major in Medio Maximus in Fine LONDON Printed for Robert Wilson in Martins near Aldersgate 1660 TO THE READER TO premise nothing at all to such a Bulk as seems to promise by its Great Quantity to have something of weight worth or Good Quality in it were to erect a spatious City with no Gate into it an extream on the other hand well-nigh as absurd as that of his who building the little City Mindus is said to have made it's Gates bigger then the City To praefix a prolix Epistle to a large Book may prove as Cumbersome to a Conscientious as 't is Ridiculous to a Rationall Reader to make many long Proaemiums to a short one As therefore I shall forbear lashing out into any long or loud Proclamations of what profit may accrue to an unprejudic'd Peruser of the following Fabrick Vino vendibili non opus est Haederâ So shall I yet not for custom but convenience not altogether omit in way of Initiation or Introduction to premise First some words more generally to All sorts of Readers 2 dly more particularly some to All plain Country People 3 dly 2. or 3. words to All proud-Spirited Priests and Scholastick Rabbies 4 thly some few to the presenâ— Powers of these poor Priest-ridden Brittish Nations Ifâ— Then as for the Book it self in the 4. parts thereof which this relates to Know All people that herein ye have the tall Academicall Sons of Anak to whom the Seed of Jacob seem but as Grashoppers uncapable to grapple with their greatnesse taken down or that Great Goliah's head cut off with his own Sword by the Power of God in the heart and hand of a despised Country Stripling who coming from following the Ewes great with young and perceiving him in pride to disdain and defy Gods Armies in the name of the living God went forth to meet him in answer to his Arrogant challenge with a Stone Sling in his hand brought down the uncircumcised Philistine to the ground For herein By way of plain Reply to sundry Books of those four men aforesaid viz. I. I. O's Two English Treatises which Treat pretendedly For but in very deed Against the Scriptures as to That very Authority and Integrity of their Hebrew and Greek Texts he pretends to plead for together with his third Tractacle of Latine Theses Pro Scripturis Contra Fanaticos in which not without a Legend of as loud Lyes of the Quakers as Lewd Laughings at the Lords Spirit and Light within in opposition unto both he as vainly adventures to evince it that the Scripture Alias the outward Letter is the Trueâ—t Light the only most firm Foundation and perfect Rule of all saving belief and holy Life that it is in Esse both Reali and Cognoscibili yea properly as to Name and Thing no lesse than the very Living word of the Living God II. T. D's Two Trifting Tractacles Term'd 1. The Quakers Folly manifested c. 2. The Quakers Wisdom not from Above c. occasioned Originally by 2. or 3. Publick Disputes at Sandwich held with him and his Adherents by three of them viz. R. H. G. W. S. F. III. I. T 's Nine Sermons Truâ—t into one Treatise untruly Term'd True Old Light Exalted c. and not only Back't but Thrust out also by R. Baxter in his Blind Zeal against that same unblinded People To which said Reply is Annexed an Appendicular Postscript Abridging into a closer compasse many of those Absurdities Self-Contradictions Confusions Riddles and Rounds the Rabbies run into unawares in their unwary wrestlings against the Quakers And a Positive true Testimony according to the Externall Letter to the Internal and Eternal Light both in Latine wherein it was first written and also in English whereunto it is for further service Translated Herein I say is the Dimnâ—s of the Divines and meer Humanity of the Doctrines of the Academicall Doctors discovered Also the Qâ—a with the Innocency of their cause cleared against the Insolency of the choicest Champions that contemn them and the Divinity of their Doctrines vindicated from their clamours in the points hereunder specified viz. Anti-Papism Liberty of Conscience Having the faith of God without respect to the persons of men Iustification by the righteousness of Christ alone The Scripture and what it is as to Name and Thing The Word of God and what as to Name and Thing The Light of Christ in the conscience as to its universality and sufficiency and bow It and not the External Text or Letter is the only firm Foundation of the Churches Faith the only true Touch-stone of all Doctrines the only Right Rule of all saving Beliefe and holy Life The Infallible Spirits Infallible guidance of all that follow him as their Guide at this very day The generall Grace and Love of God in Christ to the whole World every Individual in it and how it is Great Universall True and Unfained notwithstanding through each perishings-man own fault very
Orthodox Brother Tombs as two Twins that tumbled both out of one Belly even one and the same Womb of that Babylonish Bawd are both to be tumbled into one and the same Tomb or Grave that as your two I. O. T. D. so their pair of pratings may go together into the earth whence they came as like to like earth to earth ashes to ashes for dust which is the Serpents meat all your Divinity doings are and unto dust must they all return Now as little method as thy Book I. O. hath in it yet is it as capable to be divided into parts as it is in each part in one thing or another most palpably divided against it self 1 As to the subject matter thereof it is in general twofold viz. The Outward Letter and the Inward Light that External writing or legible form of words commonly called the Scripture the Holy Scriptures which are ad extra but ab intra only and meerly without though from within together with that Internal Law Spirit Power or Word which is ad intra by all that know the Truth as it is in Iesus both seen felt heard understood and witnessed to be within not more cryed up by the men call'd Quakers who live both according to it and the Scripture then decryed by the men that are but supposed to be Christs Ministers who are utterly erring besides them both knowing truly neither the one nor yet the other Sundâ—y touches there are given by thee as thou goest along at other things viz. Vniversal Grace Perfection Persecution Modern Inspiration by the Spirit of God Revelation and such like about which thine and the Quakers Doctrine differs by which as ex pede Herculem thy Pulse is felt and it 's spied out how thy Spirit blows against Christs thy truthless talk of which may the Lord leading to it not unlikely be talked with by the way before I have done But those two abovesaid being well nigh the Totum in Toto the Totum in qualibet parte the matters thou mainly medlest with and most miserably mudlest thy self about thoroughout the whole Body of thy Book and every part thereof making little less then a very God of the one i. e. Of the Letter which is the last and the least and the lowest of the two and little better then a very Devil of the other i. e. the Light which is the first and the highest and the greatest so that all others are but toucht upon as in subserviency either to the Deifying or defying respectively of one of these to clear away that fog and smoak which thou raisest about them both to the thickning and darkning of the Sun and Ayr so that none can see either of them clearly through thy cloudy collation thereupon is the chief intent and likely to be the chief and utmost extent of this present Answer 2 As to the Tongue wherein it treats excepting here and there a little Hebrew and for shew sometimes more then service a penful or two of Greek interlin'd in both parts and now and then two or three licks of Latine among the English thy Book stands divided into two parts viz. Latine and English a Cloven Tongue of another nature then those that sate upon the Apostles and these are as the two Horns of that second double-fac'd Beast that is as the Lamb and yet speaks like the Dragon wherewith thou pushest at thy Opposers on the right hand as well as on the left even not only at thy own Brethren the Protestant Divines when they please thee not by Divining the contrary to thy peremptory peculiar Positions and preheminent pratings together with that blind Brood of the first ten-horn'd Beast of Rome to whom both thou and all thy Brethren though in many things ye justly band against them are Brothers in nature still and of neerer Kin then ye well ken or wot of but also against the true People of God These two general parts each of which is prefaced with an Epistle also in language like it self stand divided and subdivided more particularly within themselves viz. the English into two Treatises which subdivide themselves the one into six Chapters the other though falsly figured into eight the Latine into four Apologetical Exercitations as thou call'st them for the Holy Scriptures against as thou call'st the Quakers the Fanatical Ones of these Times Which fore-named divisions and subdivisions that are scarcely more divided from then against each other do all split themselves yet fuâ—ther into a new needless number of smaller Sections and Thâ—ses The two English Treatises which arise mostly from one and the same Spring or Head together with the other not God nor his Spirit nor yet the Scriptures but the Head of the Serpent which is to be bruised thy own brain vain invention and imagination run along treating to and fro in two distinct streams or Torrents awhile and at last having as thou sayst Arctissimum materiae doctrine consortium a neer coincidence of their matter with it and affinity in their subject by which the whole Trinity of them is drawn into that Unity to compleat thy double Doctrine far from the Scriptures for the Scriptures fall into one with the Latine Sourse or Lake of Lyes that burns more hotly then the rest in wrath against the Quakers And having there lodg'd and center'd thy two English Discourses and drawn them into one with this verifying herein that old true saying Vis unita fortior thou ventest that venome in stronger streams and spittest out that spite more fluently and in fuller floods against the Qua. which was in some few places only sprinkled out upon them before and filling up what was behind of thy flattering false Applauses of the naked Letter which with some of the same that were used before and some new super-eminent undue Titles thouâ— here also magnifiest beyond the bounds and measure of all modesty and truth hoping belike to appear approved of Christ as one of note in his service what disservice soever thou do him otherwise so long as thou art found saying something though Hoc aliquid nihil est as good thou hadst said just nothing as no more to the purpose and raking and skimming and scraping out of thy own thoughts some ample Apologies for the Scriptures thou fillest up thy measure of mad mirth against that true inward Light of God and its Children that testifie unto it as that which is to be preferred before the Letter and was before it as that which the Letter was given forth from despising these as in thy English Epistle p. 28. p. 30. under the as false as foul terms of poor deluded Fanatical Qua. pretending to be guided by an Infallible Spirit that oppose the whole truth about the Word of God so there under the abusive clamours against and charges of them even by whole-sale as Fanatical ones that are notoriously known by their errours and foolishness who are driven by the power of an Evil Spirit
publick then the Market place what is above Printed may for more I have by me suffice to let the world know if yet thou have such Relations under the Ministers hand what kind of Creatures thy Credible Witnesses are and how unworthy thy very worthy and Reverend men are to be call'd Ministers of the Gospel and to have their words taken in matters of Doctrine and Soul conceâ—nment who are found saying lyes to thee in secret of the Qua. and unsaying them to their faces and not having so much morall honesty as to speak truth in matters of Fact nor yet so much trustiness neither to their own Father of lyes as to keep his and their own Councill without be wraying it when they have done as this Cavehold Reverend Clergy man seems to have done by that Testimony of his I have here inserted and that contrary one to himself which thou say'st thou hast under his own hand and this may suffice also to let all men see who are not wilfully blinded what fruits follow the most solemn Fasts of this Generation of Blind guides when they gather together after their devouring of Widows Houses and spâ—yling of poor Pâ—oples Goods for Tyths for a pretence to make long Prayers So that I shall do no more as to that last piece of Patch of T. D's putting forth having returned the â—ye upon him again which he thinks he has returned to L. H then having pluckt its wings turn the Sting that stands at the tayl of that Bawbling Butterfly back upon himself and in short shut up this my return as to that in the very last words mutatis mutandis additis addendis wherein thou T.D. concludest that thy as Impudent as Impotent Rejoynder to L.H. viz. So that upon the Whole the Publisher hereof S.F. doubts not but that the Wise will be able to discern between truth and falshood and will in their own thoughts be as farr from acquitting T.D. and his Companions whom L.H. Charges with Lying as they would a Thief at the Bar meerly because he pleads not guilty to his Indictment which is an usual thing let the evidence be what it will And he doubts not but if they should revile in Print again he may be excused if he make no other return then Inhonestum est honestam matronam cum meâ—etrice litigare i.e. It is unseemly for an honest Matron to stand brawling with a Whore London 2. d. 2. m. 1660. Sam. Fisher. And whether the Qua. or the Parish Priests are respectively the Loyall Spouse the Lambs Wife Rev. 21. or that great Whore which makes the Earth Drunk with the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornications Rev. 17. if the Night is not yet spent farr enough for all to see yet Dies Declarabit though this is your hour and the power of Darkness the day is at hand that will declarâ— it to all that yet know it not And now as to thy Generall false charge of the Qua. as complying with the Papists and Antichristian Faction which is not thine alone but that of Will. Prinn I. O. I. Tomb's R. Baxteâ— also and of the Priest of Kendall W. Brownsword answered in that particular by E. Bur. I. Story and in a manner of the whole Covent of co-contenders against the Quakers Rep. I should blush and be Ashamed were I in thy case to make such a confident Narrative of it and such an undoubted Profession of my faith thereof as thou dost of thine and produce no more then two such pitiful proofs for it as thou dost and to send it abroad in Print on two such lame legs as can help it are the stile Little more then a bare Repetition of thy Reasons after thee is enough to a Right Reader to Render the urger of them Reasonless and Ridiculous enough in all Reason T. D. I am out of doubt sayst thou they are Acted by the Antichristian Faction Rep. Why so T. D. A Gentleman of good credit assured me that be met with an English Iesuit in London the first Lords day in June last one who was bred in Cambridge and had been formerly of his acquaintance who after some shyness to be known at length confessed that he came over to propagate the Romish Faith and told him that there was a good honest people called Quakers whom we jeer'd at that did their work at the second hand and he boasted much of the numbers that turned Catholicks immediatly or mediatly by becoming Quakers Rep. Both thou and thy men of credit will come to be out of credit ere long if thou crack thy own and their credit but a little longer so much as thou hast done hitherto But 1. Suppose it true that he assured thee so 2. Suppose that true he assur'd thee of what then The Papists dote as our Priests often do in other cases that that will make for them which to any but such as discern not the signs of this season doth undoubtedly work toward their utter ruin therefore doubtlesly the Qua. either are or will turn Papists Object But many by becoming Qua. turn Catholicks Rep. The Qua. are of the Catholick Church if thou wilt know as thou dost what Catholick is but so are not the Papists that are of no Church but that of Rome the Church of Rome is but a Particular Church as that of England or another National one may be but the Catholick Church is general and universal a Church that was before Rome was a Church or a City either as some Qua. have oft asserted to Friars and Iesuits to the stopping of their mouths a Church that had its Being though the world sees it not nor knows it from Abel to this day to which General Assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven and to the spirits of Iust men made perfect the Qua. are come as the Saints were of old Heb. 12. and so while Romanists are but as ye are a Bastard brood the Qua. are the truest Catholick Church that is in the world T. D. Anotheâ— Gentleman that came this Spring from St. Omars did avouth that he saw the Iesuits there about four a Clock every evening throw off their Gowns and put on aprons and betake themselves to the exercise of Handy-craft callings some plaid the Shoomakers others saâ—e at the Loom others kill'd and dress'd sheep and they did not stick to boast that under the disguise of such callings working as Iouâ—nymen and changing place as they listed they served the Romish Church And the Head of the Colledge told him that England never was in so fair a way of return to the Romish Sea since it broke off as now And what hopes the Papists can have unless from the encrease of Qua. I leave Reader to thy determination Rep. What news is this to any but Nevices that Iesuits in craft use handicraft callings that under that disguise they may serve Rome but what follows hence T. D. Nempe similium similis ratio the
And last of all if Thou and Thee be not to be used to a single person only it hath no place nor use at all in the English-Tongue for it can't possibly be properly used when we speak to more it being saving when we speak to them as a Collective body and as one and so somtimes the Prophets spake to whole Nations under the Term of Thou and Thee no less unsound and unsavory to say Thou or Thee to 20 men as You or Ye to one and alike foolish to say to two severall men Thou shale both dye I le kill Thee both as to say to one of them only You alone shall dye I will kill You which are two Bulls that deserve both to be soundly baited To conclude this then we see how our Chief Priests Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites of these dayes as they did of old Love the Praise of men more then the Praise of God have that Faith they have in God with respect to the Persons of men which who so has is a Sinner and Transgressor of the Law and though their mouths speak great swelling words of Faith Religion Reformation God Christ Church Ministry Maintenancâ— yet they are but walkers after their own Lusts and Sensuall or meer Animall as Iude sayes verse 16.19 not having the Spirit while they have mens persons in admiration because of advantage and beleive not though they deem themselves every one in his own form to be the true beleivers so long as they are thus busied in begging and buying giving and taking this honour that is from beneath only for not seeking the honour that is only from aboue which all the Saints have Psal. 149.9 lâ—t them say what they will yee sayes Christ Ioh. 5.44 How can ye beleive which receive honour one of another and seek not the Honour that commeth from God only As unmannerly a Generation then as T.D. faith the Qua. are in not using that flattering Title of Mr. to T. Rumsey the Magistrate I say if T. Rs. carriage were more like a Magistrates then 't is according to the Proverb 't is better of the two if that were unmannerliness to be a little unmannerly then so much troublesome as men in the fall are one to another with their Tedious Attendances Antick Adoratious of each other and supersluous Complements buâ— indeed 〈◊〉 good manners to use it by none but that people whose evill Communications corrupt good manners the Heathen whose Customes are vain and as for us if any man list to be contentious about our manners in such matters he must know that as there 's no Law of God or man that hinds us from Keeping on our hats from thee or thou to Cap and Congee and you Sir and Master and such like flatteries not to say meer fooleries which are all in the fall so we have no such manner of manners nor customes among us nor any of the true Churches of God And hereby we appeare to any save such as will needs mistake us to be neither Papists nor Popish Priests for they have as much of that kind of ill manners of honouring each others persons as is to be found among your selves nevertheless who so blind as he that will not see thou T. D. wilt needs so befool thy self as to make it proâ—ablâ— that I am one of them whose words excepting as in the proviso abovesaid â—re now Verbatim to be Rehearsed who having hinted it in p. 55. how Rob. Wilkinson Minister of Staple had accused me to have been at Rome and received a Pension from the Pope goest on as followes T. D. As to the matter whereof Samuel Fisher was accused part of it he denied not namely that he hath been at Rome but that he received a Pension from the Pope he utterly denied which yet that is probably as true for I have it from very good hands that in his late travail to Constantinople and thence to Rome he had as good Bills of Exchange as most Gentlemen that travaile and yet 't is well known that he hath no visible Estate And the Qua. who came to hear the dispute who I suppose would not bely him did report that he did bear his witness against the Pope and Cardinals at Rome and yet suffer'd them not to meddle with him which how unprobable it is let all men judge but how much more probable that the true cause of his safety was his compliance with them the Doctrines which he broaches among us and as he saies in all other places being theirs and a fair inlet to their Bag and Baggage And to assure the Reader of the likelihood of his compliance with the Antichristian Faction thou maist please to know that the 12th instant English account two honest and credible men of Sandwich had some discourse with S. Fisher at Dunkirk and he told them that he looked upon the Jesuits and Friars there to be founder in Doctrine then those we call the Reformed Churches This they are ready to testifie at any time upon call Another passage I have to acquaint thee with viz. that the aforesaid S. Fisher in Conference with the above-named Sandwich men at Dunkirk May 12. English stile did affirm that he himself is above Ordinances and that there is no more use of them in this life to many portions then there is of a Candle-light when the Sun shines and he gave instance in the uselessness of Baptism and the Lords Supper And the same witnesses were credibly informed at Dunkirk that S. Fisher hath great Bills of Exchange from a Quaking London Merchant and may take up four hundred pound if he will And hundreds of people can testifie how light he made of the charge of Popeâ—â— on the first day of the Dispute when I pluck'd Amesus 4th Tome against Bellarmine and offer'd to read part of it out of the Latine into English and with a gesture of derision he replied that Bellarmine held many Truths which must not be rejected because he held them and he gave for instance that Christ is the Son of God Moreover in p. 14. Thou writest thus viz the third Question debated on was though with much ado at length stated in these Termes whethâ—â— OUR good works are the meritorious cause of our justification and S. F. held it in the affirmative S. F. Tâ—us I prove it to these words T. D. now you shew your self a Rank Papist indeed Rep. Monstrum Horâ—endum Informe Ingens cui lumen ademptum what a Horrible bundle of blindness is here what a hidden heap of Hocus pâ—cus this nasty piece of Naâ—â—ative is of itself a little Lake of Lyes and the whole is little better under this Hedg are many Hedg-Hogs hidden many Cockatrices hatched up whose fruit is as a fiery 〈◊〉 Serpent many false Tongues fed with fuell fit for them many Fools fenced in their folly as with a Thicket of Thornes many Sons of Beliâ—â— bolstred up in their Blasphemies and emboldened to throw about in
your opposite Expositions and that in such very places which to any save such light haters as standing in their own light cannot see Wood for Trees are as plain as the Nose on a mans face If to claw it and call it Lydium lapidem a true undeceivable fixt sure and inalterable standing Touchstone and disown those as dishonourers of it who in words compare it to a Nose of Wax a Lesbyan Rule and yet in your own Works so to make it by bending and bowing it every one to his own blind Invention so as to cause it to stand Nine wayes at once and to propound not only how possibly but also how facile it is to wrest it into as many various Lections by the advantage of the Hebrew Character as can be in the most flexible Writing in the World or any Critick can invent as thou I.O. teachest in thy Epistle If to play Legerdemaine with it so as in a presence of valuing It to say great matters of it and then to depresse it so as to unsay them again and then to run the Rounds and say them again as thou I.O. often dost If to boyse it up into that honourable Title of the Living Word of God and again to hurle it down into that more temperate Term which yet ye will not endure others to Term it by of a Dead Letter and yet to go round again Horrendo percussis scotomate after that to say its Living and no where said to be Dead If to deal so worthily with it as to affirm it to be perfect as to its own end and fall out with such as deny it so to be as no Quakers do that I know of and then from the same Hand-writing that before affirmed it to deal so unworthily with it as to deny it so to be as if I.O. doth not my Eyes are out but if he do he will surely say his own were not well open when he did so If to say its profitable to its end and that its end is to make men perfect and yet to say no man is made perfect in this World in which only the Scripture is confessed to be of use nor till the world to come where it s granted to be of no use cannot profit at all If thus to tosse it to and again like a Tennis Ball in a confused self-contradictory kind of talk sometimes telling the Truth about it sometimes belying it sometimes giving both it and the Lyar himself the Lye who so belyed it sometimes yea often lying against and alwayes living beside the holy Truth and Doctrine itself declared by it If to exceed in setting forth its self evidencing Excellency in avouching its Divine Authority and Power to Command men in the Name of God as his Word and yet never to come under the Power of its Commands so as yield Obedience thereunto If to call it your Rule and yet never submit to be ruled by it If both to overvalue and to undervalue to lift up and cast down to honour and dishonour it be truly indeed to value exalt and honour the Scriptures If all the particulars above enumerated and many more of the same sort that might be instanced in by Induction be in heart word and deed so to do then I shall yield the Scripture to be as much so valued honoured and exalted in this ever-Reforming never-Reforming Nation of England as among Papists or any other Nation whatsoever and by our self separating sensual literal Antiscriptural Anti-spiritual high Notional Professors as well as by the best National Protestants that are therein and by I.O. himself and his Reverend Fellow Students if they study and value it at the same rates with himself as much as any I know Finally If this be very highly to value it to be alwayes charging challenging and calling out for the Allowance of large and liberal Maintenance Augmentation of Means by all means possible out of all mens possibilities for the Ministers not of the Spirit but of the Letter only as those of mens making are who steal words enough from thence cut of which together with what of their own they patch them up with into one or two hours piece of work in a week to pick out a Living by And if that be to value it or esteem it or prize it or rate it high or set much by it or make much of it to sell every Sermon so stole and made but on some one verse of it and yet some make so much of one verse as to make many Sermons on it stretching it out for ease-sake to hold out the running of many Glasses for 20 shillings a Sermon and more Money and to have and to hold some Hundreds at least one Hundred of pounds for at most one hundred of Sermons I say if this be to make much of the Scripture there is more made of it in one year by our Divines and Doctors of Divinity amongst whom I.O. was once none of the last nor least as to valuing and making much of it then ever was by all the Quakers in the World since that Nick-Name began who yet if to make much of it be to live in the Light as the Letter itself exhorts to do do make more of it that way in a year then all those Priests and Prophets that preach it for Hire and Divine out of it for Money or ever have done since the World began or ever will do while it hath a being So that howbeit thou I.O. in thy hostile mind representest the Quakers as hostes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enemies and haters of the Scriptures there 's no such matter for if they be haters of it that hate to be reproved by it and cannot endure the sound Doctrine delivered in it which is according to Godlinesse the Letter hath no such haters of it as the very Ministers of the Letter are who are ever enmity against the Life Light and Spirit it calls to walk in And if they may be said to love it who are livers according to it the very Letter itself hath no such true lovers of it as the Quakers who are in thy blind zeal hated by thee as haters of it for living that Life it calls for As to thy Tale of our striving to thrust the Scripture from its own place in the Church of God it s as true a Tale as its fellow false ones for though we set Christ and his inward Light living Word and Life-giving Spirit only on the Throne in the Church yet we own and establish the Scripture which is but the meer Letter in its proper place wherein it is to stand since it had its being as so from the other as subservient and subordinate to the other which are its betters and its elders and not as such a Dominus fac Iotum as thou makest it as if those that gave being to it must now come under it so as to stand barely at the Bar before it to be tryed
better hath been seen by some Quakers and how the Name of Christian stinks more then it would do among the Gentiles for the sake of such as Preach and Hear and Read and Expound and boast of the Scripture and yet break them and name the Name of Christ without his Nature But what doings there are in other Nations and the Preaching places and Nurseries thereof to which these of our Nation are not inferiour in silth I shall say no more here but let them passe as matters which being Extra nos are parum or nihil or miaus ad nos of lesse moment to us then our own Concluding my Return to this particular Challenge of I.O. with his own words mutatis mutandis additis addendis a little amplified and the Subjects or Persons of whom they are Spoken Altered and Substituting our Modern Academies and their Masters Doctors Divines and other Students and the whole Rabble of Rabbies there in the room of that University at Tiberias which I O. talks against in the words of one Dr. Lightfoot together with his own and the Iewish Rabbies Gemarists and Massorites pertaining thereunto as they are to be read in the 240 241 242 245 246 247 pages of I. O's English part the Censure he passes upon them being no other then what exactly accrews to the Universities universally throughout Christendom from whence come the whole Crew of Clergy-men that count themselves and are counted to be the Clearers of Christs Truth to all other Christian Creatures And what I. O. sayes of the Massorites of that Accademy is a clear Character of these corrupted and earth corrupting Coveats I. O Chap. 4. S. 13. Whilst they keep the Scriptures we shall never want Weapons out of their own Armoury for their destruction like the Philistine they carry the Weapon that will serve to cut off their own Heads Let us then a little without prejudice or passion consider who or what these men are who are the supposed Authors of all Knowledge and Godlinesse 1. Men they are who have not the Word of God committed to them in a pecullar manner as their Forefathers Prophets and Apostles had of old and many have now being no part of his Church or People but are only outwardly Professors and Possessors of the Letter without just Right or Title to it utterly uninteressed in the Promise of the Communication of the Spirit while they so have it which is the Great Charter of the Churches preservation of Truth Isa. 59.21 2. Men so remote from a right understanding of the Word or the Mind and Will of God therein that they are desperately engaged to oppose his Truth in the Books which themselves enjoy in all matters of importance unto the Glory of God or the good of their own Souls from the beginning to the ending Scuffling for the Book itself but persecuting the Life in them where it is The foundation of whose Religion is Infidelity and one of their chief Fundamentals an Opposition to the Gospel in the Quakers whom they glory to fight against and think they serve God in opposing with what spite they can 3. Men under the special Curse of God and his Vengeance upon the account of the blood of his dear Son in his Saints 4. Men all their dayes feeding themselves with vain Fables and mischievous Devices against the Gospel labouring to set up a New Religion under the Name of the Old when the Old they hate as Ier. 6. in despight of God so striving to wrestle it out with his Curse to the utmost 5. Men of a profound Ignorance in all manner of Learning Knowledge but only what concerns their own dunghil Traditions as appears in their stories filled with innumerable sopperies 6. Men so addicted to such monstrous Figments as appears in their Talmuds as their Successors of after Ages will be ashamed of yea for the most part Idolaters Now I dare leave it to the Iudgement of any Godly prudent person not addicted to Parties and Names who is at all acquainted with the importance not of the Hebrew Vowels and Accents but the Light and Spirit the Quakers call to unto the right understanding of the Scripture with whatever influence their present Fixation hath into the literal sense they not knowing the Spiritual embrace whether we have not very clear Evidence and Testimony yea undeniable and unquestionable to cast the rise and spring of all the Irreligion in the Nations upon this sort of men so far are they from bettering things by their Interpretations S. 16. Recount I pray from the first Foundation of Universities throw CHRISTENDOM and what do you find but a sort of Men being made Mad with or above the Pharisees bewitching and bewitched with Traditions blind crafty raging pardon me not for I shall ask none if I say Magical if Simon Magus was so in thinking the holy Ghost of God is to be bought with Money Monstrous what Fools what Sots as to such a divine Work as the Gospel Read and Consider how to every good Work voyd of Iudgement the great Doctors among them do behave themselves how seriously they do of nothing how childish they are in serious things how much deceitfulnesse froth venome smoke nothing is in their Disputations Insomuch that I may say truly of these as I.O. sayes of all men Pag. 104. Those whose Lips should keep Knowledge that is University-men and Clergy-men as much as any are by Nature so vain foolish malicious such Lyars adders detracters have spirits and minds so unsuited to spiritual things so lyable to Alteration in themselves and to Contradiction one to another are so given to Impostures and are so apt to be imposed upon have been so shuffled and driven up and down the World in every Generation have for the most part so utterly lost the Remembrance of what themselves are whence they come or whether they are to go that I can give very little Credit to what I have nothing but their Authority to rely upon for without any Evidence from the nature of the thing its self CHAP. III. Having Cleared the Quakers from sundry of those Calumnies thou falsly castest upon-them as concerning their Carriage toward the Scriptures as if they were Enemies Haters and Reproachers of it and such-like who in Truth are its truest Friends in the former Chapter I come on to Consider some of thy Cloudy Conjectures and Conceits concerning the Bounds of the Canon as ye call it thereof the Hebrew Punctation and thy Asserted Integrity of both that and the Greek Texts of it without any variation to a very Title Concerning the Canon of which thou Writest as follows JOhn Owen Pag. 3. God spake of Old or formerly in the Prophets From the dayes of Moses and downwards unto the Bounding and Consignation of the Canon delivered to the Judaical Church in the dayes of Ezra and his Companions the men of the great Congregation Reply 1. Why sayest thou from Moses downward c. as if he
the Supream Iudge to which all should Appeal in all Cases and in whose Sentence all should rest and all Faith be finally Resolved and not coming in at the Compleating Consignation Bounding and Final Closing of the Canon should for ever Iure Ant-Ecclesiastico or Apostatico and in foro hominum forfeit that Originally Equal Title which in foro Dei Iure Christico and Apostolico they else had to be Canonized with their fellows Ah poor men It pities me to see how ye Dream together in the dark and mope up and down in your own misty Imaginations about your Original Texts and external Letter leaving the Original Truth it self which was before your Texts were ever talk'd on or had a being in the World turning your backs on that internal Light in the heart which all the Tendency of of your Letter is to turn men to and from which your Scripture Originally had its being It irks me to see how for want of betaking your selves to the measure of the Light that shines in your own Consciences that infallibly would lead you to that which is the end of all Scriptures and words spoken or written as from God viz. honesty and righteousnesse truth and acceptation with God and Holy men ye trace to and fro till ye tire your selves in the perplexing Cris-Cros Track and endlesse Round of your own meer Thoughts about a thing which the more ye try the more ye Tangle your selves about it and the more ye look after it and in it in the way ye look into your beloved Letter the more ye loose your selves in it and about it till at last you will eternally loose both it and your selves too by not looking to the Light at all even no lesse then altogether See Epist. Ded Pag. 30. I. O's Preaching on that Subject the Scripture and his publishing of it is said by him to be but his Thoughts so pag. 146 147. what he delivers about the Prolegomena and Appendix to the Biblia Polyglotta was but what his own Thoughts had suggested unto him sutable to other learned mens Apprehensions So Pag. 149. He runs the Hazard of giving his Thoughts on them Pag. 151. He discover his Thoughts on the things proposed by them So Pag. 163. What he gives out concerning the Purity of the present Copies of the Originals of the Scriptures he so Scribles for is but an account of his Apprehensions So Pag. 225. He purposes to manifest his Thoughts on the Epistle to the Hebrews So Pag. 278. He desired Dr. Ward to give his Thoughts on the difference of Apert Sounds and Vowels which he did accordingly And Pag. 177. He sayes when he shall Communicate his Thoughts to the World about an Vniversal Character it will doubtlesse yield much if not Vniversal Satisfaction unto learned and prudent men O ye Wise and Prudent Vain Thinkers and Senslesse Surmisers that sit down Universally Satisfied in the shadow of your own and one anothers shallow Thoughts When will you come to busie your selves about that which is infallibly clear and certain and let your deep infinite Disputings about dark and doubtful matters of small moment to you too altogether alone When will you wash your Hearts from that Dunghil of meer deemings and divinity Dreamings with the untempered Morter of which ye are all to be-dawbed so that one can discern little or nothing that savours of more then dubiousuesse and disputablenesse it self descending or flowing from your Well-heads and Fountains of Forgery and Fabulosity little or none from the Breasts of your Nursing Mothers of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plain purely reasonable sincere Milk of the Word whereby the growth is into the Life of God but such as is mangled and mingled with the Mire and Mudde of your putrid and puddlely Opinions and Opinations Will you never cease from Teaching for Doctrines your own Conceptions Apprehensions and Conjectural Conclusions of things for Truth taken from no surer Topick place then that self same that ye Condemn in Papists viz. the Traditions of men Will you never give over filling and feeding the vain World for filthy Lucre with such perishing Food as the thin froth and Foam of your own Fancies instead of the Bread that comes down from Heaven and that Meat which endures to Eternal Life Oh thou European Athens or Academical Minx thou manifold Mother with thy Children for whom t is as easie for the Blackmore to change his Skin and the Leopard his Spots as for thee who hast been accustomed to Apostarize from the Councel of God and erre from the Mind of Christ to with-hold thy foot from wandring after thy own Images and Imaginations wilt thou not be made clean When shall it once be How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Now as to the Four wayes by way of Query above propounded which of them all I.O. means to Answer by who talks so much about the Closure Compleating Consignation and Bounding of the Standard and Scripture Canon ◠I cant well say But as for T.D. with whom I have somewhat to do and to deal alittle here he Replyes Affirmitively to the Third among them saying Pag. 26 of the First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians mentioned in that First of Ours and so consequently of all the several Scriptures that are not bound up in your Bibles which I asserted to be as much a Rule as those ye have that they were not intended as much for your Rule as those in your Books To whom when I Replyed at the Dispute with him as he there Relates Thus viz. If that Epistle was wriiten to the same end with those we have as it was viz. to Instruct the Corinthians how to carry themselves to grosse Sinners I Cor. 5.9 compared with vers II. I wrote unto you not to Company and now I have written unto you not to keep Company And the same was said of his First to the Ephesians i.e. that it was to the self same End as that we have Ephes. 3.3 As I wrote before that ye may understand my Knowledge in the Mistery of Christ so now then 't was intended as much for a Rule as the other But it was Written to the same End Ergo If one a Rule then the other T.D. Denies the Consequence Saying Sermons private Religious Discourses have the same common End with the written Scriptures yet the Later only are our standing Rule the former our Rule but so far as they agree with the Later in the Scripture Reply Which Reply of T. D's is so unreasonably ridiculcus that he is scarce Animal Rationale Risibile that receives and entertains it seriously as the Truth For First it supposes as if Pauls First writing to the Corinthians were not Written Scriptures as well as the Rest we have but an Orall Discourse Secondly It supposes Pau's First Epistle of all to that Church which was cited by himself in his Second as written to the same End and was written in the same Spirit
of God in which he lived and walk'd and out of whose movings he wrote no Epistles to the Churches was fit to stand in no other Account then the Sermons and private Religious Discourses of our Clergy-men and their Common Christians which must stand or fall as they square or not square with the Standard of Scripture And as if the Seniour Epistles of Paul to Corinth and Ephesus must like Prisoners at the Bar receive their Sentence of Guilty or not Guilty worthy or not worthy to be owned as a part of the Rule or Canon by their Iuniours or such as were sent after them to sit as Iudges of them at the Bench And so hereby his Reply is as it were an Affirmative Answer to the First of my Four Queries viz. That Pauls Writings were not all alike of Divine Original and Inspiration but some Epistles to the Churches of his were uttered as he was moved by the Holy Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of private Interpretation or as private Mens Writings Credat Apella And when 't was urged by me that there was no more evidence or Character of these Epistles being a Rule which are then of those which are not in your Books Then T.D. seeing what he had Replyed that way would not hold Replyes by way of Answer to the Second of my Four last Queries affirming that Pauls first Writings to Corinth and Ephesus were lost when those we have are saved and so makes this distinction of the ones being perished the other preserved by Gods Providence watching over them when he did not over the other a signal Evidence that God intended the one for a standing Rule to us and not the other and herein he and I.O. Jump together and border pretty near one another sith I.O. insists exceedingly as an Argument of their being a Rule in the Church on this businesse of Gods preservation of every Tittle and Iota of divinely Inspired Scripture to this day whereby he implicitly denies all the afore-named that are not in your Bibles to be any of them of Divine Inspiration But with this Difference from T.D. that I.O. sayes not a Tittle of the Inspired Scripture is lost T.D. to the confuting of I.O. Confesses being I believe informed of some Holy Scripture at the Dispute which he knew not of before that not only Tittles and Iotaes but some whole Books of which he dares not say expresly though intimate it he doth in the Head next above spoken to that they were not Divinely Inspired are lost and perished out of the World So that the Preservation of what is Preserved is made a Signal Token that it s to be our Rule and the losse of what 's lost that that was not written for such an end To which Signal Token of Gods intending the One and not the O. her for A Rule when I Replyed as 't is transiently done above to I O. touching the Books called Apocrypha that there is more Antient Holy Writ remaining extant to this day preserved for our use by Gods Providence then ye own or honour with a standing in your Standard instancing in the Epistle of Paul to Laodicea then by and by T.D. who rides the Rounds not much lesse then I.O. and is never positive nor steady to any thing he Asserts so as to stand long to it without shifting Proteus like into another shape when he is ashamed to be seen longer in his old one comes out in a clear contrary Gelour and flatly contradicts himself and unsayes what he said but just before And whereas he had made the preserving of what was written and is preserved an Argument of its being designed of God for a Rule affirms That all that was written by Holy Men meaning Paul among the rest or else he speaks not at all to the purpose and preserved also for our use is not therefore our standing Rule Thus one while 't is so and one while no then neither yet both no and so Pauls Three Epistles viz. the Two to Corinth One to Ephesus that we have appear therefore to be our standing Rule because they are preserved to our use to this day but his first of all to Corinth and Ephesus therefore not so because not preserved there 's his first saying His very next of all is this Pauls Epistle to Laodicea though preserved for our use yet is not therefore to be our standing Rule to this day So what ever Pauls Epistles are yet I am sure Pauls Life and Example is no Rule that T. D's walks by nor I.O. neither for his yea was yea and his nay nay he did not use such lightnesse as they both very often do who say nay to that they said yea to just before neither did he speak so according to the Flesh as they with whom now there 's yea yea and anon to the same thing nay nay but as God is true and Christ is not yea and nay in his words and enjoynes us to be steady in our yea and nay so was Pauls word in what he spake And yet the Reason T.D. renders of his saying No to what he said not No but so just before is as Reasonlesse as his self Confutation is for mark then quoth he If what ere was written by Holy men alluding to Paul be therefore our standing Rule because preserved the Discourses of Holy Ministers in former and latter times should be our Rule which they are not but are to be brought to the written Word as our Rule and Test. In which if by Holy Ministers in former times he means Paul among the rest as he must else he misses the matter then some of Pauls Epistles are the Rule and Test which his other Epistles must stand bare before to be tryed by which is absurd If by latter Ministers he intend such as himself who Confesses his Ministry to be fallible I would have him to know and that he shall find more of anon that Pauls Ministry and every true Ministry that Ministers by word of Mouth or Writing as moved by the Holy Spirit which moves and leads none fallibly but all infallibly whom it leads was no such fallible Ministry as his false one is that it need be tryed by his other own holy Writings But now as to the Epistle of Laodicea instanced in T.D. was so hard of belief and difficult to he perswaded that there was any such at all that if one of Sandwich had not stood up and said he had the Book wherein we Asserted it to be Printed we should hardly have gained so much Credit among the Clergy then present such pro and con they made about it as to have been believed that there was such a thing in Being so ignorant are they of some present parts of that Scripture they call their Rule yet at last 't was yielded such a one was extant But for all that T.D. who has ever more wayes then one into the Wood where he loves to
wander when he is bedged out of it one way will find or make himself a Gap into it by another and as to this matter of PAVL to LAODICEA he hath Three or Four shifts for fear one fail affirming after he had found it Translated into English not to but from Laodicea First That for ought we know it might be that First of Paul to Timothy the Post-script of which sayes it was Written from Laodicea of which Post-script which its notorious enough to every Novice that neither it nor the other Post-scripts were Pen'd by such as wrote the Epistles themselves when I Asked T.D. Whether he owned it and the Rest as Canonical or no As Canonical quoth he for ought appears yet to me as your Epistle to the Laodiceans of which Epistle yet he had said but just before It might be that of Pauls to Timothy which yet that it was is so unlikely that t is little lesse then to be like a Child to Assert it A likely matter indeed that its Pauls to Timothy meant Col. 4.16 That which Paul wrote to Timothy was to Timothy a particular Person about particular Matters concerning him as in that Capacity of a Church-Officer I Tim. 3.14 15. What should he Charge the Colosians so much to look after that for Or if he had Would he not have said See that ye read the Epistle to Timothy Had not that been plainer Secondly But seeing that Snap T.D. fits another string to his Instrument and then Fidles on in this fashion denying it to be Pauls Epistle at all either to Laodicea or Timothy or any one else branding it with the Name of one of the Brats laid by the Popish party at the Apostles doors which they will not Father and me as a Brother of the Popish party and an Abbettor of them in their wickednesse for Fathering it on Paul at all And then Thirdly That he might seem to say something though no better then nothing to every thing rather then own any thing for Truth before the World be it never so plain that the Quakers tell him he bethinks himself and upon Second or rather Third Thoughts adds having perused the Judgement of some Learned men about it that 't was neither Pauls to Timothy any more then to Laodicea nor yet altogether such a Brat or Bastard brood as a metr Chimaera hatcht and bred and sained in the Fancies only of the Popish party but at least a Real Epistle yet one that was so far from being Pauls to Laodicea that it was rather one Written by the Laodiceans to Paul himself a more incredible pigment then the first for all t is his Reverend Dr. Davenports Opinion on the place Thus Oh the twistings and turnings and chopâ—ings and changings and piecirgs and patchings and shiftings and shufflings of T.D. to wind himself away from the Truth which is to him so Intollerable that with I.O. heeâ—l bear the shame and run the hazard of giving his incongruous self-overturning Thoughts thick and threefold against it rather then truly turn to it when it s truly and uncontroulably told and laid before him As it is in this Case about the Epistle to Laodicea about which he traces to and fro two or three false wayes and yer can scarce tell well which of the Three to fix upon or steadily to stand to or stand still in Neverthelesse notwithstanding T.Ds. advance in Three Motions against the Truth of Pau's Writing to Laodicea yet they help him not but for all his two strides and a Iump yet he leaps too short to reach the matter of Truth he would resel by it for Quid verbis opus est quum facta loquuntur there need no more words in proof on 't the Epistle of Paul to Laodica is extant and speaks out it self and its Author whose it is as well by the stale and majesty of it as by the Superscription being both Translated and Printed in English as it was found though not in your Testaments yet in the Oldest Bible that was Printed at Worms And also in a certain Antient Manuscript of the New Testament Text which I have seen and can produce written in Old English 340 years since or above before the Art of Printing came up here by which its evident that it was owned as Canonical in the Church of England in those dayes and was however it came to be since left out bound upamong its fellowes And howbeit it be filled in our English Translations of Col. 4.16 the Epistle from Laodicea besides the genuine sence of the Greek which as is shewed above will much rather bear it to then from Laodicea yet let it be read from that nothing lessens the likelihood of its being Pauls for though he wrote it to Laodicea yet if the Colossians would read it as Paul bids them do as that the Laodiceans likewise should read what he wrote to the Colossians they must read it in a Copy from Laodicea whether it was sent or else not at all as the Laodiceans it they read that he wrote to the Colossians must have it first from Colosse or at least a Copy of it For as for the Scriptures of the New Testament quoth I.O. who helps us in this though he hinder himself another way by it as to his Canons Constitution out of the first Original Copies pag. 166. it doth not appear that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the several Writers of it were ever gathered into one Volumne there being now no one Church to keep them for the rest the Epistles though immediately Transcribed for the use of other Churches Col. 4.16 Mark how he Quotes the very Place too we are upon as if he owned Pauls to Laodicea which if he do he wounds himself to death in his Arch-Assertion that not a Tittle or Iota of the inspired Scripture as given out at first is lost but remaining every Apex of it in the Copies w now enjoy fith here 's a whole Epistle of Pauls lacking as well as his first to Corinth and Ephesus in which were many Tittles and lotaes were doubtless kept in the several Churches to which they were directed From those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were quickly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given out to faithful men whilst the infallible Spirit continued his guidance in an extraordinary manner Here T.D. said no more but was ad Altum srlentium and at his Non ultra as to opposing the being of such an Epistle of Paul to Laodicea legitimate but rather fell under the weight of what Evidence was brought to prove it so yet when after long striving against this Antecedent which was urged in proof of this Conclusion viz. That there 's more Holy Scriptures extant to this day which are as much a Rule as those ye have in your Bibles and call your Rule exclusively of all others to shew himself to be one of those I.O. speaks of who are as like I.O. too as ever they can look that are to
in his Age Assistant to Paulus Fagius in his noble Promotion of the Hebrew Tongue Capellus whom he calls a learned man and a Protestant Io. Prideaux who is before I.O. Luther the renownedst Reformer in his time as ever Europe had Zwinglius and others So he no way doubts but that as we enjoy them they were Compleated no higher upwards then Esdras his time by the men of the Great Congregation guided by the infallible direction of the Spirit of God which was after all the Old Testament was written a thousand years after some of it and so pag. 211. 220. See also pag. 247. 259. where he sayes The Jewes generally believe the Points as Old as from Moses on Mount Sinai or at least quoth he from Ezra so he is in doubts not denying but that they as to their knowledge and use received a great Reviving by the Massorites and Gemarists I. O. That the Word of God i.e. Scripture hath been hitherto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to its litteral sense and reading the acknowledged Touchstone of all Expositions render this now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what have we remaining firm and unshaken pag. 219. See more pag. 217. 218. of Uncertainty Reply The Light Spirit Word it self and the Kingdom and things thereof which cannot be shaken but must remain when the worldly kingdom of worldly Priests and their Foundation and their rich Possession of Letter and Hebrew Points and all their Religion Faith Worship House Bottom and whole Building and Fabrick that stands thereon and the old Heaven and Earth and all the Works of man that are therein and their Writings and Tomes and Talmuds c. ut alibi and such like in which I O. is exercised in his Second Tale of a Tub and Sea and Land and all Nations Formalists and their Forms Professors and their Professions Doctors in Divinity and their false Dreames and Divinations and not only Popes Cardinals Mount-Seniors Monks Friars Iesuites and all that Rabble of Rabbies and Deans and Chapters Arch-Bishops Deacons Deans and their Officials Parsons Vicars Curats and all manner of spiritual Persons of that spawn but also all sorts of those narrow mouth'd Bottles that have none of the new Wine in them and are as long in letting out as in getting in what they have of their old Wisdom as well within Vniversity Liberties as without and all Masters and Prebends and Deans of Colledges and their Christs Churches and all their beggarly Elements must be on fire about their ears and melt away with fervent heat and be burnt up and shaken down as leaves from the Fig-tree by the mighty Wind of the Lords Spirit that now blowes upon all flesh that it withers and is as the Grasse and its Flower and utterly like a Cottage which after much reeling to and fro must be removed for ever and for ever I.O. Thou sayest pag. 221. That thou hadst rather all the Works like to the Biblia Polyglotta which yet thou acknowledgest the great usefulnesse of and art Thankful Owen for it were out of the World then that this one Opinion of the Novelty of the Hebrew Points espoused to that great work Epist. pag. 17 18 19. should be received with the Consequences that unavoidably attend it Reply The Consequences that unavoidably attend the receiving of Truth are dangerous to thee but of no other then good concernment to such as dwell not in the Scriptural Skirts meer literal Suburbs of it as thou dost who being without the Salvation it self which God appoints to his for Walls and Bulwarks startest at the newes of every storm and the shaking of every Leaf but in the holy City and in the substance of the Truth it self The Cup of trembling must be taken out of their hands and put into the hands of thee and thine that have hated and afflicted them and Rid over them and said Bow down thy back that we may go over and they have laid their backs as the street for you while in your wrath and fury you have passed over them I. O. Thou sayest pag. 216. That by this conceit of the Novelty of the Hebrew Punctation the Adversaries Hope with Abimilecks Servants to stop the the Wells or Fountains from whence ye should Draw your Souls Refreshments Reply Poor Souls Poor Wells and Fountains Poor Refreshments if ye go down no deeper then the Letters to draw your Water for they are but the broken Cisterns which ye follow that with the totter'd Buckets of your own Brains that hold not the water of Life The Letter doth but declare of the fountain of living waters which ye have forsaken viz. God himself Christ and the Spirit the fountain shut up and sealed to you yet indeed Cant. 4. 12. but set open to the House of David and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleannesse Zach. 13. 1. The Well of Salvation out of which they that inhabit Sion in the midst of whom the holy One of Israel is now great do with joy draw Water out of whose bellyes flow Rivers of Living Waters which 't is out of the Reach and past the Strength of the Philistims to stop any longer for there 's now Rehoboth or room yea the Water thence given whilst your Euphrates is drying up is as a Well of Water springing up in them to eternal Life I.O. That give this liberty to the audacious Curiosity of men priding themselves in their Critical Abilities and we shall quickly find out what woful state and condition the Truth of the Scripture will be brought unto and if hundreds of words were as 't is said by Capellins the Critical Conjectures of the Jewes what security have we of the Mind of God as truly represented to us seeing that its supposed that some of the Words in the Margent were sometimes in the Line and if it he supposed as 't is that there are innumerabl◠other Places of the like nature standing in need of amendments what a door would be opened unto curious Pragratical Wits to overturn all the certainty of the Truth of the Scripture every one may see pag. 308. Reply Every one may see therefore what Certainty and Security ye are in while ye stand on no bottom but a broken Letter And how wilt thou help the case with all thy prate or hinder Pragmatical Wits from using their Critical Abilities that way Who shall ponere obicem put a stop to them and impose upon all others his Thoughts that things are so or so Shall I.O. who in so many places Confesses he gives men but his Thoughts nay doth nos I.O. Confesse pag. 217 218. that none must give a Rule to the rest the door is open'd man and thou canst not shut it even an effectual door for the Sheep to enter the fold by even him who is the Light as well as the Door opened whereby to see into the uncertainty of your torter'd Transcripts much more ten fold more totterred and untrue Translations much
O. what Text of Scripture God ever made such a Promise in concerning the Text or the Scripture that he would in his Care and Providence preserve every Titt'e of that outward Writing for his Church and his Words sake which was written at the motion of his Spirit so that it never should be so mis-transcribed in any Tittle of it but that in the Greek and Hebrew Copies not English mark that nor any Translated but only Transcribed Copies he would keep it from being so adulterated vitiated altered depraved and interpolated as not to be every jot the same verbatim as at first I say I. O. where is that Promise so made to this purpose which his Providence is so engaged to answer Is it in Isa. 59.22 the place thou quorest together with a whole nest of others to the same end p. 155. viz. Matth 5.18 1 Pet 1.25 1 Cor. 11. Matth. 28.20 not one of which make one jot of mention of the Letter Text or any Tittle thereof at all That in Isaiah there cited is hinted at and harp upon to the same Tune in 7 or 8 pages in thy 2d Treatise viz. 155 167 168 169 273 317 319. In all which more or less in whole or part thou talkest much of the Transcribers lying under a loving and careful aspect from the Promise and Providence of God in beir transcribing alluding all along to Iâ— 59.12 as if God had there engaged himself by Promise as it were to guide their hands that they should not erre in a Tittle for his Word and Churches sake but is there the least Tittle of such a Promise there made and look it â—ore again and see if there be such a thing touche upon in the least either expressly or implicity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as thou speakst or by consequence either immediate or far fetcht the words are these to the Church under the new Covenant or Gospel My words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of the Mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth for ever Here I confesse is a promise to keep his words in the mouths of his Servants under the Gospel in the latter dayes especially so that they shall by word of mouth and writing bear Testimony against the world to his Truth and Name even the whole seed of the Righteous successively for ever without fail as now they begin to do even â—abes and Sucklings out of whose mouths and stammering lips the Lord is speaking to reprove the world and the proud Doctors Pharisaical self-seeking Teachers and to convince all ungodly ones of their ungodly deeds and hard Speeches they speak against him in his Saints in whom he comes to Judgement but what 's this to the preservation of I. O's Greek and Hebrew Texts to a Tittle without alteration This is not spoken of the continuance of any outward Scripture but of that word of Faith in the heart and mouth which the Apostles Rom. 10. preacht to turn men to telling them 't was nigh and they need not look without for it was ever man so bemoped as to draw such a Conclusion as thou dost from that Scripture viz. that every Tittle of the Text of Scripture given out of old should be secured without one jot of losse to the worlds end and if that were the promise there made it was never made good since as is shewed above the Scriptures of sundry whole prophecies and Epistles written by inspiration are lost since then nay rather and indeed that Text produces a Truth which thou deniest that in the last dayes his word and Spirit shall be de novo so poured out shed abroad and planted in the heares of his handmaids and servants Sons and Daughters that they shall Prophesie and reach as of old by word of Mouth his word as put into them by God himself Yet I. O. I know not how often betakes himself to that Text to make good his talk of the eternal Entirenesse to a Tittle of his outward Text in the Greek and Hebrew Transcripts thereof without which the word is as true entire and secure as it is when the Text is entire when the Text is torn to pieces and every Tittle of it mouldred away Beside if that were a promise of preserving the Text it must evince the Text is to endure for ever world without end as the word it self doth for its never to depart for ever from the seed that it 's there promised to but I. O. confesses the Scripture is not to abide for ever in its use which is onely faith he Ex. 3. S. 39. presenti statui c. suited to our present state and say I as it shall cease as to it's use so once to its esse or very being Obj. And if I. O. urge as he does in effect that it 's true the Word and Doctrine and Truth is the thing promised to be continued for ever primarily but consequentially the Letter and it's Tittles for as much as without it be preserved in that and that be preserved entire to a Tittle the word it self cannot be preserved from corruption Rep. He had as good have told me as soon I should have believed him in it that because Moses by Gods appointment made an Ark to lay the Book Tables and Letter in the two Tables and Letter written on it could not last any longer then the Ark or be kept from being lost any where be not kept so entire that not one bit or scrap of it be broken or lost there is no hopes that ever the light should shine out or be kept alive or be beheld yea if one inch of horn or a nail or the least Pin about the Ark had happened to be shattered or got any knock or any odd corner of it be broken off with being carried jumbled or tossed to and sro between Israel and the Philistines there had been no means of preserving the Letter from being lost or as if one should say the glasse window is set up that the Sun may shine through it therefore suppose that to be crackt or to have any flawes in it or to suffer the losse of but one little piece of a pane there 's no likelihood of enjoying the clear bright Beams of the Sun more distinctly or at any certainty nor can I be satisfied unquestionably that the Sun it self remains inviolate unlesse ye can assure me that there is every barley-corns bredth of the glasse-window without any losse as it was at first setting up though yet we see now the Sun both is the same and is better seen when beheld without a glasse then thorough it and is most clear when the glasse window is taken down and it beheld more immediately in the light that shines from it self he were fit to be Canonized for a fool that would count him a very wife man at least as to that affair that should so affirm so let who will esteem of I.
lesse you have no sound assurance what ground ye stand on for the stresse of all sacred Truth is by I. O. put upon the true Transcription or mis-transcription of the Greek and Hebrew Text which if not entire to a Tittle and Iota p. 17.18 19. upon any corruption supposed in the writing and that may very well not to say must be supposed if all the Transcribers even the first as well as the latter cannot be supposed to be as infallibly guided in Transcribing as the holy men were in the first writing there is no means of rectifying or recovering or of discovering or determining or judging of Truth any other way And so thou givest upon a matter thy whole cause in granting the whole Series of Transcribers and Race of writers to this day to be but fallibly guided and thy most perfect infallible stable and to a Tittle true Touch-stone Rule Standard Foundation falls all to the ground as a mere falible uncertain questionable Basis to build so mighty a bulk upon as thou dost according to not others knowledge onely but also thy own acknowledgements and confessions I. O. Religious care and diligence in their work with a due Reverence of him with whom they had to do is all we ascribe unto them Not to acknowledge these freely in them without clear and unquestionable Evidence to the contrary is high uncharitablenesse impiety and ingratitude This care and diligence we say in a subserviency to the Promise and Providence of God hath produced the effect contended for Nor is any thing further necessary thereunto On this account to argue as some do from the miscarriages and mistakes of men their Oscitancy and negligence in transcribing the old Heathen Authors Homer Aristotle Tully we think it not tollerable in a Christian or any one that hath the least sense of the nature and importance of the Word or care of God towards his Church Shall we think that men who wrote out Books wherein themselves and others were no more concerned then it is possible for men to be in the writings of the Persons mentioned and others like them had as much reason to be careful and diligent in that they did as those who knew and considered that every Letter and Tittle that they were Transcribing was part of the Word of the great God wherein the eternal concerament of their own souls and the Souls of others did lye Certainly whatever may be looked for from the Religious care and diligence of men lying under a loving and careful Aspect from the Promise and Providence of God may be justly expected from them who undertook that work Rep. Of the loving and careful Aspect and Promise and Providence of God and how little he stands by any promise engaged to preserve outward Tittles as thou â—atlest I have spoken not a little before but if that were as true as thou sayest it is and as it is indeed most false that God were so engaged in order to the safe guarding his word and Church to save every Tittle of your Priests Transcribed Texts does not his love and care of his word and Church as strictly call for his careful Aspect over the peoples translated Texts and bind him in his providence according to the supposed promise to watch over and direct the Translators in Translating for the use of his Church but few of which can Read your Original Texts as well as the Transcribers in Transcribing which Translators if they happen to be one the Church saâ—ing that she must take some of her Clergies words for infallible Truth and as the sole foundation of her divine forth about the integrity of the Text is out also and hath nothing but uncertainty it self even the uncertain fallible conjectures of spiritually unskilful Scholars to trust to about the foundation of her salvation Neverthelesse thou wilt by no means allow that the Translators lay under the same loving Aspect who had as much to do with God and as religious a care and diligence in their work as Transcribers had in theirs with a due Reverence of him with whom they had to do yea not to acknowledge these freely in them which is the utmost thou darest ascribe to the others without clear and unquestionable Evidence to the contrary is as high uncharitablenesse and ingratitude by how much their pains was the greater of the two as not to acknowledge the same in the Transcribers the care and diligence of which said Translators yet who must be supposed to be as much in a subserviency to that thy supposed promise and providence of God I say hath no more produced the effect thou contendest for i. e the entire agreement of their Copies to a Tittle with the first Originals thou that of the Transcribers hath done which hath not produced the said effect so exactly as thou dreamest It is enough to make a wise man wonder but that Sapiens miratur â—ibil because he expects no other then solly to proceed from the foolish wisemen of this world to see how thou settest thy Transcribers up on high yet grantest them not to be infallibly guided of God neither who if he had no higher way to expresse his love to his word and Church then by saving every Tittle of thy Transcripts from alteration or corruption could as easily have guided the Transcribers infallibly as fallibly and more easily too since his Spirit guides none fallibly so far as I know and statest thy Transcribers under the loving and careful Aspect promise and providence of God in all they did in their work about thy Greek and Hebrew Copies from whom yet no more may be expected justly then from Translators in the undertaking of their work for Translators did consider what every Letter and Tittle that they were Translating was as well as Transcribers did what every Letter and Tittle and Iota was they were Transcribing and to argue them to be as Oscitant Neglective and mis-carrying and mistaking as those that translated Heathen Authors is as intolerable ad â—ominem I speak this for else I own it tolerable enough so to argue of both Transcribers and Translatoâ—s of Scripture for such as Transcribed and Translated Heathen Authors and their work as well as they could and such as Transcribed and Translated Scripture could do no more and were thy self confessing no more infallible nor infallibly guided then they onely a kind of care in them and in God over them which amounts not to his special spiritual guidance thou tellest â— I say as intollerable as thou sillyly sayest it would be to argue from the â—citancy and Negligence miscarriages and mistakes of Transcribers of Heathen Authors to the like in the Scripture Transcribers But as for Translators thou pullest them down and depressest them into a condition of as great carelesness and negligence and under as carelesse neglect of God toward them in their work as thou statedst the other in great care and diligence and under a careful Aspect and
Foundation which is no other then such Transcriptions is so far false and fallible as they failed and so contrary to what thou sayest in the least at least it impairs the Truth of thy Arch-Assertion that the whole Scripture and every Tittle and Letter as given out from God without any losse is preserved and remains entire and without Corruption in the Copies of the Originals yet remaining for sure one Tittle Letter or Iota a thousand to one may if they mistook at all be either wanting or redundant and if they fail'd who wrote immediately out of that which was first written by Inspiration then those that Transcribed downwards from that day to this having none but imperfect Copies to write by might likely fail so as to make them more rather then lesse imperfect for Error minimus in principio is ever major in medio maximus in fine if the first or second stone stand never so little awry in any building following that it will swerve into more and more crookednesse towards the Top and so what Corruptions Crookednesse Alteration Ablations Additions Variations from each other in more then Tittles and Iotaes there may be now in the Copies ye have there being now no Autographaes to amend them by but a bottomlesse pit and endlesse heap of uncertain Conjectures Contradictions Scoldings and Scottlings among the Scribes about it Pro and Con some saying one thing some another and the most part they know not what themselves but as they think and hear from others who knows save confident I. O. who seldom looks before he leaps and so knocks the Nail on the head as to hush all the hurries that are about it and end the Controversie and put it out of all doubt so far as his helplesse Hammer will do it by First saying positively there is no Variation at all and Secondly proving it so to be as infallibly as his fallible Conceits can prove so ambiguous a businesse by saying from more uncertain grounds then his Seniors and Superiors viz. Doctor Iohn Prideaux as he was called Luther Capellus and others say the contrary that he cannot but Conjecture it so to be which proof hath as much strength in it as a straw while thou Confessest as thou dost That Religious Care and Diligence in their Work with a due Reverence of him with whom they had to do is all ye ascribe to the first Transcribers which not to acknowledge in them is high Vncharitablenesse which Care they lying under a loving careful Aspect from God together with the Promise of God where he promiseth no such matter as thou talkest on viz. to preserve the Letter in all its Transcriptions from any Alteration but to put his Word into his peoples mouths and his Providence and Care of his Church to which yet or to the Transcribers of that which was to be her only Rule as thou sayest thou deniest that he yielded his infallible Spirit to continue with them ever as their guide produces the Copies yet extant and then inferrest thy Conclusion to this purpose viz. Shall we think that men that knew that every Letter and Tittle they were Transcribing was part of the Word of the great God c. should should not be more careful and diligent in their Work then such as Transcribed Heathen Authors Homer Aristotle Tully thus to Argue we think is not Tollerable in a Christian and to imagine that the same Fate hath attended the Scripture in its Transcription as hath done other Books which yet I find some learned men too free in granting seems to me to border on Atheism I say while thou sayest but thus thou sayest no more then what deserves no other Answer then this viz. That to say confesse and grant that the first Transcribers of the Scripture were not infallible nor divinely Inspired but fallible and to ascribe no more to them then a Religious care and diligence in their Work and due Reverence of God with whom they had to do and their lying under a loving and careful Aspect from a Promise of God which was never made infallibly to guide them and his Providence without his divine Inspiration and direction and yet to Conclude that their Transcriptions were not attended with the same fate as other Books viz. Aristotle Tully whose Transcribers out of the Reverence they had of those Authors or whoever else engaged them in that Work would be as careful and diligent as they could without doubt and no men uninspired can be more and much more that in their Transcriptions it must not be supposed there was any Corruption or Variation from the first Copies so much as in one Letter or Tittle in the Copies extant at this day as I. O. sayes seems to me and I appeal to all men that are well in their wits to judge of what I say such an odde kind of self-Confutation such a parcht up parcel of Confusion such an inconsequent Conclusion as is no lesse but somewhat more then Atheistical having not only nothing in it of either God Christ or the Christian but even not the common Reason of a man and so is intollerable both among Christian men and others and bordering upon Atheism as all unreasonablenesse doth Yea I. O. I doubt not as full of Oscitancy and Negligence as thou wast in the framing of the Fabrick of thy Book it self yet the Reverence and respect to thy Doctorship and such like would oblige the Printers of it to as much Care and Diligence in the doing of it as they can use at this day who Print the Bible it self neverthelesse what miscarriages and mistakes and what a multitude of Errataes as there are many Printers faults in this of mine are at each end of thy Two English and Latine Tractates And is Transcription by the Pen more exempted from Errataes then the Presse which sometimes produces such abominable Errours in the Bible it self as would amaze some people that know not the Mystery of that Art to be liable to mistakes about the Scripturess as well as in other Writings to read the flat falsities that have been the issue of their failings Yea the same fate hath attended the Scripture at the Presse as hath other Authors and why it cannot at the Pen I cannot Conjecture To instance in one that is more grosse then others ordinarily are Rom. 15. â—9 in one Edition Impression that I have seen these words of Paul viz. from Ierusalem to Illyricum I have fully Preached the Gospel are misprinted thus from Ierusalem and round about to Illyricum I have falsly Preached the Gospel of Christ So that for thee to say the fate in Transcriptions and Impressions in which way the Scriptures now altogether come forth since Printing came up for there 's now little or no Writing thereof at all hath not attended the Scriptures as hath other Books Vox sonat haecce Deum Ne hominem sonat hac tua ceri As for the rest of those yielding Strawes and weak Weapons
his Transcripts and Greek and Hebrew Copies and the absolute integrity thereof to a Tittle that the sole and final dissolution determination and discovery of all saving doctrine and distinct discerning and knowledge of all sacred Truth from cunningly devised fables does dâ—â—â—rd â—holly and alone upon the outward Greek and Hebrew writing and Scripture of it and that so necessarily and eternally that upon any corruption supposed therein that Truth Doctrine can't unquestionably be supposed to câ—â—â—â—ue entire and uncorrupt but must be consequently supposed to be without any other principle means rule or measure of judging recovering rectifying it and to be for ever â—medilâ—sly brought to nought p. 18. 68. Shall we think because I O. so thinks and sâ—lliâ—y supposes so that to suppose corruptions to have befallen his undoubtedly yea confessedly corrupted Copies and the same fate to have befallen the Hebrew and Greek Bible in its Transcribing that hath befallen other Books in theirs is a Plea unreasonable in it self devoid of all reall ground of Truth injurious to the Love and Care of God over his Word and Church in a high degree and an imagination bordering on Atheism asserted on deliberation p 18. 173 Surely the improvidence oscitancy negligence ignorance unskilfulnesse and carelesnesse that may as groundedly be supposed to have been if there was never so much care and diligence in others of them in some of the Scribes that have copied out the Scriptures as well as in some Printers that have printed them and in some Transcribers of Heathen Authors and the non-evidence of any promise of God to take any of the Scripture Transcribers under such a loving Care and Aspect as I.O. ascribes to them and I O's own concession of them being not any of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallible but under possibilities of mistakings and I O's confessions and grants and acknowledgements that known failings have been amongst them and that various Lections are from thence risen 167 169. and that some of those are of importance consisting of superfluity and redundancy of unnecessary and deficiency of necessary words which is destructive to the sense and arising out of Copies apparently corrupted and notoriously corrupted by old Hereticks and many more matters then are fit to repeat o're again do require other thoughts at our hands Shall we think because I.O. so thinks very cogitantly but little cogently to us conjectures that if the Points be mans invention and the Text under alteration as undoubtedly it is and therefore all the Priests Religion who live on the naked Texts and their own Traditions and not the Truth it self is at a losse however that then all is likely immediately utterly and remedilesly to perish for ever viz. Church Word of God Doctrine Truth certainty of the Gospel Gods promise Providence and care of his eternal incorruptible good and acceptabâ—e mind will and pleasure Life Spirit Light Law yea that all this and much more is little lesse then eternally undone as to our knowledge of them so that God himself can find no other sufficient means having tryed already quoth I.O. the insufficiency of all other before to save all these thing from corrupting but that of a perishing uncertain flexible at mans will fallible changeable meer dead to the light novell corruptible mouâ—dâ—ing and in its first Manuscripts already long since mou'dred moth eaten and corrupted Letter p. 12. surely the promise of God for the preservation of his word which was before the Letter and will be after it induring for ever so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one jot or Tittle of it shall never fail what ever become of all the jots and Tittles of the Letter and his Providence Love and Care of his Church of whose faith and obedience that word of his in the heart and not the Letter both was now is and ever will be the onely Rule require other thoughts at our hands p. 173. Shall we think because I.O. faâ—sly so thinks that such a fallible flexible alterable and corruptible thing as the Letter is by I. O's own confession not in its Translations onely but in the very Original Transcripts which is the onely businesse he is so busie about and so bestirs himself to bustle for is that which can justly claim and supreamly challenge to it self those preheminent Titles excellent properties extraordinary effects peculiar prerogatives marvellous successes c. which I. O attributes thereuunto throwout his first English Treatise and Latine â—hesâ— also wherein under that glorious name of the Word of God by which yet as by that which he undertakes to prove to be it's proper name he as if not more ordinarily denominates it then by its own and oneâ—y proper name of Scripture he magnifies the Text as to those Hebrew and Greek Copies of it he is pleased to crown as the Canon and set his stamp upon as the Standard while he stigmatizes not onely all Translations as mens own Altars and altered things that must not stand as the Standard by the Posts and high Altar of his said unalterable Copies but other Copies also as novel spurious and noâ—â—â—iously corrupted above all that hath any being under God insomuch that he cannot likely utter more concerning it in way of exaltation unlesse he should extoll it so far as to stile it God himself So I have done at present with I. O's unprofitable prate about the preciousnesse profitablenesse and divine Original of his high prized possession of the Hebrew punctation and with his peremptory Postâ—â—n and absolutely absurd Assertion of the non-corruption of his Canonized Copies of the Original Text to a Tittle which howbeit I have scarce gone above half so far as I might in discovering the deep dotage and folly that is to be found in his mingled management and miserable mangâ—nization of those matters yet I have gone farther by the hall then I should have done considering how far off all such husky chaffy accomplishments as those Pedantick parts of the Letter are from that wherein the Life of God chiefly lyes viz. the Spirit Light and Word that 's nigh in the heart and how little concernment the more substantial parts of the meer outward Text are of thereto in comparison of them much more such Accidentals as the meer figure of the Accents and Vowels But onely that I found I.O. manifesting his foppery so far as to render these Ticklish things of such eminent Tendency to the saving knowledge of all sacred Truth as to give them out to be the most reall Rule stable standard Gospel guides grand ground chief infallible foundation of all in which respect though otherwise it is little lesse then loathsome to me to leave the life I live in the enâ—oyment of my self with God to meddle so much in such muddy matters yet in service to the Truth and in love to the soules of the Schoolmen and Scribes that they may see the sandy fickle fâ—undation they build and
from that sure Rock on which through mercy I stand into that deep pit of doubtful disputations into which such as are fell from God are fallen so as irreconcilably to fall out about things so little worth knowing that they are fit for nothing but to be forgotten left passing by and intermedling in a strife that directly concerns me not I not onely take a dog by the ears but raise also a Nest of Wasps or whole Hive of Hornets about my own who are striving to sting one another with what strength they can about stuff which on which side foe're the truth lyes is no more worth such a stirre and strife as they make for it then a very straw And since I see all the Builders that reject the Corner-stone are found in broiles and brabbles not onely about their several Superstructions and Fabricks built thereon but also their several Foundations and even the very Protestant Divines whose is the better of the two so long as the Papists have but Traditions at oddes within themse'ves about their own which being but the bare Letter is but brittle some with I.O. stickling to little purpose to prove it firm and uncorrupted whilst others with far more evidence to evince it to be decrepid I am minded to stand off from that Battel about the Points as to any earnest Interposition and deeper engagement therein then is above and become a looker on and leave the Clergy that are loud and clamorous and full of noiles to claw one another with their wonted Clubs and bang one another with their Branglings and vain janglings about Boy-Toy the Antiquity or Novelty of Hebrew Points And seeing they are hard at work in the Night and wrestling in Chaines of Darknesse like the foolish woman to pull down their own house with their own hands and to find out and fling about that all may see it the sandiness and crack's falsities and fallibilittes and flaws that are in their own crazie Corner-stone and faultring Foundation and to crush down their own Chaos they have rear'd thereupon with the curiosity of their own Criticisms and burn up their Babels with the confus'd fire of their angry quarrellings and contentions I rejoice more to see the Truth go on then sorrow to see their Trash come down thereby hoping that when they have laboured long enough in the fire of their own fury and find they have wearyed themselves for very vanity and see the Earth fill'd from the Lord 's own teachings without theirs with the knowledge of his glory from one end to another as the Waters cover the Sea and that when they begin to feele their old Heavens wax hot and be on fire o're their heads and their worldly Elements and Earthly Rudiments to melt away with fervent heat and the ragged Rocks they have carved out to themselves in their own conceits to rest upon to râ—ad in pieces and their Root to shew it self to themselves as it 's seen by others to be rottenness and their Blossom to go up as the dust and their boggy Foundation to shake and the ground they go upon to open crack cleave a sunder under their feet and themselves to cry out as I. O begins to do already 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shâ—w me where I shall stand And that when they feel themseves sinking and going down alive with the uncircumcised into the pit they will then learn that from themselves which being wiser in their own eyes then the men that can render a reason they would never learn from others ' viz. That were they as truly built on the Letter of Scripture as they deem themselves to be and it 's most sure to some and infallibly true they are all beside it yet being not on the Light they are no better bottom'd then on the Sand trusting also as I said above that when the holy Thieves that steal the word they speake from one another to make a trade on and the Scribes have done Scolding and Scuffling together about the Scriptures then there wil be a restitution to every thing that hath been robb'd thereof of its own proper Name viz. Of the Rule to the Rule of the Foundation to the Foundation of the Light to the Light of the Witnesse of God to the Witnesse of God of the living Word to the living Word of God and of the bare Writing Text or Letter to the Letter and no more which in truth is no more then plainly so So then as positive as thou art in it I.O. that the outward Writing the close of the Canon of which as to any more immediate Revelation of his Will was immediately given out from God to us as a continent of the whole of his mind and will as a merciful and stedfast relief against all confusion darkness uncertainty loosenesse of mens minds c. ut supra and as it were a certain Standard to hush all Controversies Yet I who affirm the inward Light VVord and Spirit of God in the heart so to be do deny that the whole Scripture how immediately soever it had its being and beginning of God and however some little of it was Act. 15. was ever designed by him to such an end as the ending of strifes and contention or determining of all doubts and questions and disputings about his mind and will among men or that it ever prov'd succesful or effectual to such an end or else ut frustrâ est ista potentia quae ne unquaem reducitur in actum sic frustra istud medium quod nunquam obtinere potest suum finem As that 's a vain Power which never produces its effect so that 's a vain Means and therefore not so intended of God who appoints no means utterly in vain which never can obtaine its own end Nay verily though miserable man for his own ends cryes it up into that supremacy sets it up as the Ensign to the Nations in which he would have them put their trust that it will end and amend all matters that are out of tune in the world about truth and is a stedfast relief against all that fighting Andabatarum mors in their dark mindes that is among the Clergy of all kinds and colours Papists Prelates Presbyters who all three like Ammon Moab and Mount Seir making one head against the people of God do yet destroy each other and non secus as Sampsonis vulpeculae c. like Sampson's Fire-brand-tayl'd Foxes burn up the Churches true Bread-Corn as if such were the plenitudo Scripturarum the sufficiency power and perfect efficacy of the Scripture that if men will come all to a tryal of Doctrines Faiths Spirits and all by that tanquam ad Lydium lapidem Then all differences and dissentions in Religion of whatsoever sorts must cease and all the most detestable errors which flying the Scripture men are divided into must extempore vanish upon their looking there yet till men come to turn to the Light and Word within
Inhabitants of that earthly Jerusalem which is from beneath the fleshly Church of Jews and Christians according to the meer Letter which is in bondage with her children Isa. 8.14 28.16 1 Pet. 2. And that it is Christ Iesus alone and not the Scriptures that is there call'd the Foundation is most evident not onely from the Text it self wherein Jesus Christ himself is instanced in as such for the same that is call'd the Foundation is there also call'd the Corner-stone but also from other Scriptures whereby the truth hereof is yet more illustrated viz. Isa. 28.18 where speaking both in the foregoing and following Verses of the false Foundations short beds narrow coverings and lying refuges that the Drunkards of Ephraim that erred from the simple plain truth thorow the Wine of their own Wisdom and were out of the way and stumbled in Wisdom and Iudgement thorow the strong Drink of their own devised Doctrines so that they could not discern nor learn the Lords Doctrine that was divined to them thorow the stammering lips of such as ministred Precept upon Precept Line upon Line here a little and there a little among them he summons all to fix their Faith on the one onely true and firm Foundation saying Behold I lay in Sion for a Foundation a Stone a tryed Stone a precious Corner-stone a sure Foundation he that believeth shall not make haste Where it 's very observable as it is in Eph. 2.20 That the self-same that is called the Corner-stone is also ca'led the sure Foundation Likewise 1 Cor 11. where it's expresly said That other Foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is JESUS CHRIST Now if no man can lay any other Foundation of the Church which is God's Building then Christ whom the Apostle sayes ver 10. He himself laid as a wise Master-Builder according to the Grace of God given unto him Then all things else besides Christ the Word of God the Light of the World and that measure of Light that shines from him which is not divided from him any more then that of the Sun from it but one with him whatsoever men go about to lay as the Foundation of the Church and her Faith Hope and Obedience are not truly really and properly so but imaginarily supposively fictitiously so and but falsly so called meerly seigned found out and founded onely in the Fancies of foolish blind Babel-builders which Founders and their fictitious Foundations must be confounded For the layers of a false Foundation and such are all they that with I.O. lay the Letter or Traditions with the Papists and Iesuits he justles with or any other then Christ the Light must come to confusion as wel as the meer Formalists their Wood Hey Stubble Trash Imitations empty forms and such like Superstitions and all sorts of Superstructions of the Babilonish Builders upon the true Whereupon as much as J.O. blesses himself in his holding the Foundation and feeds himself with hopes of salvation so long as he is found holding that though he build Hay and Stubble upon it and his Works come to be consumed saying p. 160. It will be well for us if we be found holding the Foundation if we build hay and stubble upon it though our Work perish we shall be saved Yet alas poor deluded man J.O. thou mistakest thy self exceedingly it would be well for thee indeed if thou held'st the Foundation Christ the Head the Light of men thy person might then be saved though thy Work of wood hay stubble will assuredly perish in the fire But thou art far from being found holding that Foundation then which there is no other and found laying another even thy uncertain Transcripts of the Greek and Hebrew Texts and an outward fallible Letter and its Points and Syllables and Tittles and Iota's one jot or tittle of which if it fail thou confessest all thy Faith and Fabrick of Religion falls to the ground confessing also that 't was not impossible for the chiefest Transcribers thereof to mistake in any thing yea that they did fail in their Work so rasing thy false feigned and fallible Foundation to the ground and pulling down thy House with thy own hands like the foolish woman And as for the true Foundation Christ the Light and Spirit which are infallible stable firm fixt sure and certain as every true laid Foundation ought to be and is though thy flexible Letter is not so which is of it self an Argument of its not being the Churches Foundation of Faith and Obedience This true one I say is by thee trampled on and flouted at under the Names of Nescio quod Lumen quem Deum seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deo quopiam melius merae Tenebrae aecitas fines salutares quod attines non sufficiens ad salutem Christus Fanaticorum imaginarius fictitius qualitas nescio quae divina seu anima Mundi omnibus misia quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sit i.e. vere nihil Ex. 4. S. 15.17.21 Doctorem infallibilem nihil habens commune cum Scripturis Ex. 3. S. 22. I know not what Light what God or cornucopia better then any God infallible Doctor inconsonant utterly with the Scripture imaginary Christ of the Qua. I know not what Divine Quality or Soul of the World made up of all things that is all things and truly nothing Moreover if none can lay other Foundation then Christ then Paul himself by these words Ephes. 2.20 Ye are built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets cannot rationally be concluded as he is both senselesly and reasonlesly conceived by I.O. to intend any other Foundation then Christ himself neither can he be understood by any that have common understanding to intend himself and other Prophets and Apostles or his own and their meer outward Writings for then there are two whereof they must have one Foundation of Faith and Obedience and we another they Christ the Light and we them and their Letter which is an absurdity utterly unbecoming men call'd Christs Ministers to imagine seeing the Foundation quicquid id est of the Church and her faith hope and obedience from the beginning of the world to this day is but one and not many yea as the Faith is one and the Baptism one and the Temple and building one and the Body one and the Spirit one and the Lord and God and Father of all saints is one so the Foundation is but one what ever it is Eph. 4 5 6. Or else secondly if there be but one foundation for us and them to stand upon and that be the Apostles and Prophets themselves or thei Writings then Incidit in Scyllam c. the Apostles and Prophets must be supposed to be built not upon Christ but upon themselves their own Writings as to their faith and saving knowledge of the truth or at least on the Writings one of another which is an Imagination as if not more absolutely absurd than the former yet of the two I.O. having
his liberty to make his choice ex dieabus malis of those two evils seems to chuse the latter saying pag. 7. that as far as their personal concernments as Saints and beleevers lay in the Scriptures and in order to their saving knowledge of the truth they studied the Writings and Prophesies of one another I conclude then against I.O. that by that clause the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles is not intended their Writings as if they laid their own Scriptures for the Foundation of the Church and her faith hope obedience but that which the Apostles themselves were built upon together with the whole Church or houshold of God which could not be nor was their own Writings but Christ the Light The Letter indeed is the foundation laid by I.O. and men of his mould of old for his Wheel in a Wheel as he speaks or his false Church whose works like his own run round on and are found to have in them Wheel within Wheel but as for the true Church of the living God which is the Wheel that will turn the worlds Wheels upside down it never did doth nor ever will acknowledge any fallible letter or meer transcribed Text or any other thing to be the true great and blessed foundation of Truth Faith Hope or Obedience then Christ Iesus the same yesterday and to day and for ever who was before it now is and ever will be when the letter shall be no more at all 2. Argument whatsoever the Scripture it self layes down and testifies to be the only true Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and of the whole Church of God and of her Faith Hope and Obedience and of all Truth that is the only true foundation of all these things But the Scripture it self layes down and testifies Christ alone the Light the living Word and not it self to be the only true Foundation of the things aforesaid therefore Christ alone the Light Spirit and inward living Word that is nigh in the heart and not the Scripture it self is the only true Foundation of them The first and affirmative part of the minor is not denied by thee as the major cannot be and if thou deny the second part of the minor which is negative and denies the Scripture to testifie of it self in any place that its the Foundation then assign where the Scripture calls it self the Foundation or else own that it doth not and so that it is not the Foundation at all much less the truest or the only one as thou often intimatest either expresly or in terms equivalent it is Ep. p. 25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not any means of standing out of utter uncertainty about all sacred truth if the Heb punctation be invention also p. 64 65. not a truer Foundation for for faith to repose it self upon 3. Argument if the Scripture be the foundation for the Church and all her Faith and Repentance to be founded and grounded upon then either there was no Foundation for it before the Scripture or else they who lived before the Scripture had one Foundation for their faith and we another and so consequently there hath been two Foundations for the one faith or the one Church or body of Christ but there was a Foundation before the Scripture and there are not two Foundations of faith one to that part of the body of Christ and of Gods building that was before the Scripture and another for that part that is built since the Scripture therefore the Scripture is not the Foundation Argument 4. The Foundation of the faith must be something that is infallible firm fixt certain stable sure and inalterable as the light Spirit and Word within onely is and Gods Foundation 2 Tim. 2 19. the Foundation of God sure to a Tittle for Error minimus in principio for major in medio maximus in fine the least fault or errour and deviation in the principle or Foundation of any building grows greater toward the middle and is greatest at the top as it is seen in a very Tower if the bottome or basis stands never so little awry as is discernable it is discerned more in the middle and much more still as it ascends higher But the Scripture letter Hebrew and Greek Texts how ever I.O. pleads their integrity in every Apex point tittle and iota yet are as I have shewed above more at large in answer to his long Tattle about the Tittles and points and indentity of Lections of the letter by his own confession mistaken and mistranscribed in small things yea and in some matters of more moment and importance in the best transcribed Copies of the Original Text therefore the Text or letter of the Scripture cannot be a fit Foundation for the Churches faith but the spirit and Word within is onely so Psal. 75.3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved faith Christ the Word of God I bear up the Pillars of it and that is the reason why the earth is so shaken as it is and reels to and fro that it is removed as a cottage and all helpers and healers avail nothing because they reject the corner stone Christ the Word for if the Foundations be destroyed what can the righteous do Psal. 11.3 Isa. 24. 18 19. Each of which Arguments hold good against the letters being the Rule the light the witness of God the Gospel the power of God to salvation the only means or way of coming to the saving knowledge of God Word of God and what ever other high Titles I. O. intitles it by as appears in their order That the Light or Word within and not the Scriptures are the Rule or Canon Another thing thou assertest of the Scripture is that it is the only Rule of the faith and obedience of Gods Church p. 173. that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that more sure word of Prophesie to be attended to 2 Pet. 1.18 19 20. not in its self for so it was as sure as sure could be but in its giving out its evidence to us then that great miracle of miracles greater than which the Apostles of Christ never did behold or hear viz. That voice which came from the most excellent glory This is my beloved Son which we have greater security from and by according to Peter then they had in and by that miraculous voice That Moses and the Prophets which who so will not hear will not be perswaded to repent though one arise to them from the dead Luke 16.31 That Word Law and Testimony mentioned Isa. 8.20 according to which who speaks not are said to be in the dark so that there is no light in them by which what every one sayes be it what or whom it will Church or person if it be in and about the things of God concerning his will or worship or our obedience to him is to be tried That which we are sent to that which is and is asserted to be the
Scribes that keep scribling and preaching and disputing all their dayes as if they did delight to know Gods wayes enquiring after the Ordinances of Iustice in order as they pretend to the knowledge of what is to be done and yet in what they know naturally as brute beasts by a habit of reading Chapter and Verse as as a Horse that is versed in a way to the Pasture he is used to run in in those very things they corrupt themselves saying to God when he tells them any troublesome truth Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes â—â—taining the truth in unrighteousness that is told them within by the Light of God himself in their own hearts not receiving the love of it that they may be saved having pleasure in unrighteousness and no pleasure in the Truth such shall have at last that they have taken away from them and in the just Iudgement of God be blasted and blinded and given over to strong delusion to believe lyes that they may be damned Nevertheless not as a Principle onely but as a Rule of obedience to such as truly love her the Light within the Spirit of God the Word nigh in the heart and Wisdom not onely with but without the Letter ever was is and will be profitable to direct Eccl. 10 10. And no less then this that the Spirit is the standing Rule of Faith and Life to the Church as well as the Principle thereof doth that Gal. 6.8.16 evince where the Apostle having spoken so much before in ch 5. and the â— verse of this 6. of the lustings of the spirit against the flesh or evil spirit in us that lusteth to envy of walking according to the Spirit living according to the Spirit being led by the Spirit of sowing to the Spirit the crop of which is the fruit of the Spirit the everlasting life the new Creature while the Crop reaped from the fulfilling the lustings of the flesh is more and more Works of the flesh and corruption to death and condemnation at least adds by way of encouragement that the walkers by the Spirit might not not be weary of well doing thus much viz. that so many as walk according to this Rule which Rule is not the Scripture as the Divines and Doctors citing that place as J. O. does twice over at least viz. Ex. 3. S. 26. Ex. 4 S. 22. to that purpose do ignorantly divine but the Spirit the walking in and after which is so often hinted at above and the Light within which and not the Letter without makes manifest both the Works of the flesh and darknesse and the Fruits of the Spirit and the light For the Letter indeed doth declare that the works of the Flesh and the fruits of the Spirit are manifest but it declares also that that which doth manifest them both is the Light by which also they were manifested before the Letter was Which Letter likewise doth de jure declare what is to be done and not done but onely the Light de facto what is done and what is not done of the Mind and Will of God thereby inwardly nigh more immediately revealed and declared as 't is ad extra onely and more mediately and afar off by the Letter For all things that are reproved or approved are as so made manifest by the Light the Letter came from And whatsoever doth primarily and principally make manifest good and evil right and wrong crooked and straight truth and falshood simplicity and deceit it self and darkness it self and all false spirits sound Doctrine and seducing is that Light and Spirit which comes from God and shines more or lesse in all mens hearts This as it is the Principle as J.O. foolishly affirms the Letter only is p. 18. or means of discovery so it and not the Writing only as he there blindly writes is also the Rule or measure of judging and determining about the saving Doctrine of the Gospel this is as the Light of the outward world is in it the discovery of it self and of all things else in their proper appearances This is certum Rectum Regula quae est mensura sui obliqui Hitherto are we sent this and not the Letter as I.O. childishly asserts p. 57. is asserted to be the Rule and Standard the Touchstone of all speaking whatsoever that must speak alone for it selfe and try the speaking of all but it selfe yea it s own also By all which it is evident how the Light and Spirit is designed by God to be the unchangeable standing-Rule of Faith and Life and the Churches Directory in all Divine Doctrines to be believed and practised and not the Letter of the Scripture at least not the Letter onely which is the matter very stifly affirmed and stickled for by J.O. and T.D. the latter of which stands up to vindicate it in these terms see T. D ' second Pamphlet p. 16. that the Scriptures are the Word of God and the Rule of Faith and Life and that there is no other standing-Rule but the Scriptures The former in these If every man's private Light so he floutingly calls that particular measure of that publike Light of Christ which is one and the same in all be the Rule of yeilding obedience unto God then so many men so many Rules but the Divine Canon is but onely one and that the holy Scripture is that only Rule is abundantly shewn quoth J.O. before In proof of which saying the Rule is but one J.O. quotes that Gal. 6.16 which speakes not of the Scripture at all And Eph. 3.16 which speaks expresly of the Spirit of God as the next verse does of Christ the Word which we confess is the Rule but neither the one nor the other of the Scripture Isa. S. 20. which speaks of the Law and Testimony which are the Light and Spirit as I shall shew anon For this place is three times at least alluded to by J.O. to the like little purpose and not the Letter of the Scripture Obj. And if any say But is not the Sripture profitable to direct yea for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse able to make wise to salvacion to make a man of God perfect thorowly furnished or as the word is perfected into all good works according to 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. and so to be the onely Rule Canon Standard Touch-stone in all cases Rep. This place is insisted upon or quoted three or four times by I. O. To whom I say howbeit there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy Scriptures as I have said elsewhere that are not written with Ink and Pen nor ingraven in stones but with the Finger and Spirit of the living God upon the fleshly Tables of mens hearts which make such as Timothy was who knew that spirit in himself spoke of Iob 32.8 and that inward Writing and inspiration of the Almighty that onely giveth the understanding which are most profitable for Doctrine Correction
must take account of you by and by for besides such inspiration to make a Rule is necessary Gods appointment of a writing to that end saith he God thought that sufficient which we have therefore we can look upon no more with such regard at we do upon that See T. D's first Pamphlet p. 26 27.43,44 and of his second Pamphlet p. 17 18. The difference quoth he is in Gods arbitrary dispensation so do I give this reason of our true assertion that howbeit the Scripture is profitable and may be useful and called as by it self yet it no where is a Rule as it agree's with the light and spirit where it is not adulterated by mans mistransciptions mistranslations misconstructions Yet the Canon or most perfect and only standing Rule it is not because God did never Authorize or appoint it so to be but to retort back to T.D. in his own vain phrase thought the measure of his light and spirit every one hath from himself sufficient to make a standard of besides whose inspiration of the said Scripture to make a Rule is necessary Gods appointment of a Writing to such an end the difference lyes in God arbitrary dispensation as well as in the excellent preheminence of the Spirit and Light above the Letter who would have that to be the Rule Canon Standard Touchstone which was so from the beginning of the world two thousand years afore the letter was even to this day even the Spirit then which there can be no other designed by him to that end if I. O's words be true Ex. 4. s. 22. who saith Vnicus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinus the Divine Canon or Rule is but one not more then which also there is no other mentioned in the Scripture by that name of the Rule but the Light and Spirit as I have shewed above out of those places where the Rule is spoken of and if there be let I.O. or T.D. assign where and hereupon as he saith in the other case so conclude I here in this we can look upon none but the Light and Spirit upon no letter with such regard as the only Rule as we do upon that So then notwithstanding T. D's impertinent unimportant utterly untrue Reply to this Argument That we are to walk by is our Rule but the Spirit is that the Scripture sayes we are to walk by Gal. 5.16 therefore the Spirit is the Rule which Reply runs viz. that phrase denotes the principle not the Rule of our obedience in that place the Argument stands firm over the head of it for though it betoken the principle also yet not only nor exclusively of the Rule but rather the Rule more evidently and much more eminently than the other yea that the Spirit is the principle of all true obedience is professed positively by us who own nothing to be truly done in way of true obedience unto God nor the letter but what is done from the principle power motion assistance and ability of the Spirit of God or that is done without the Spirits in-dwelling yet in that place considered together with the rest above cited it is most clear that the Apostle speaks of the Spirit principally as of the Rule by which we are to walk and the word walk imports no less than the act of proceeding or going on and not the principle original or primum mobile as I may say from which we are to begin to act and move in way of obedience unto God But as unanswerable as T. D's answer is to our Argument yet it serves us very well to prove him a self-contradicter as he and I.O. also are in multitudes of more matters besides and in that it is as answerable as may to his wonted self for let but any reasonable Reader observe as it follows p. 29. of his first Pamphlet what T.D. sayes next of all to this passage of the Spirits being the principle that is the original or beginning of our obedience from which as being the primum movens and Auxilians beforehand moving and assisting we are after to obey and he shall see how he overthrows it himself in his own most immediately ensuing speech for howbeit he sayes the Spirit is the principle of our obedience which is as much as to say that in which we first walk whose assistance must be antecedent to our true walking according to the letter which is not denied by us yet when we say the same with him he unsayes his own saying again rather then he will side with us for whereas I said as his own self there relates that the Spirit is antecedent to the letter so that none tan walk in the letter till they walk in the spirit he replies thus viz. The spirit is subsequent to the letter in respect of the assistance and ability which he gives to obedience and whereas you affirm quoth he That none can walk in the letter till they walk in the spirit if walking in the spirit be meant of special assistance which is as much as to say if by that phrase of walking in the Spirit you mean the Spirits being the prinriple of our obedience t is false for many walk in many things according to the letter without the spirits in dwelling as Paul while a Pharisee was touching the righteousness of the Law blameless Psa. 3.6 in which beside the rounds he runs in and the contradiction to himself above T.D. sayes false for though none walk according to the letter in truth and as to the spiritual obedience it calls for without the Spirits in-being and assistance and power as the Principle from which they must so walk for howbeit Paul walked according to the righteousness of the Law interpreted in sensu Pharisaico according to the Pharisees outside glosses on it who saw not into the marrow mystery and spirituality of it and was zealous of God as to the literal observation of many things yet till the Law which is the light and spiritual came to him who was in his carnal condition and shewed him sin in the lust of which Christ expounds the Law Matth. 5 he kept not the Tetter as to the spiritual import and true intent and utmost meaning of the spirit and minde Christ exprest therein to the spiritual understanding though not to the natural but abstained only from outward grosse acts of sin and in his blind zeal persecuted the Church as ye in your wild-braind zial do at this day The Spirit is the principle from which we are to walke and with ut which we cannot walke according to the letter yet to go round again many walk according to the letter without the Spirits in-dwelling So pervenire ad summum nisi ex principiis nemo potest Pervenire ad summm sine principiis aliquis potest This is the summe of T.Ds. Doctrine Besides if the Spirit be the principle only that men begin to beleeve and obey from and not the Rule according to which they go on in
which we deny which matter notwithstanding when it comes to the point of proof before people they dare denominate only to be the only Rule and Word denying those high Titles to the naked Letter as well as we crying out with a dreadful ditty against the Qua. in their Pulpits as deniers of the Scriptures the Bible to be the Word of God the Rule c. and when we enter the lifts with them then finding themselves unable to carry it against us falling down before us in confessions to us that it is the Divine truth and matter only contained in the Scripture which is the Rule to all men so far as it that is that Truth and matter is revealed to them as it is here confessed also by T.D. to be to the very Heathen in their hearts that have no Scripture and was so before it was put into writing that is before the Scripture was which seeing it is so confest in the same way as I argued above about the Foundation against I.O. so may I here against T.D. and him both about the Rule viz. Arg. 1. The Rule must be something that is in being before the faith and life that is to be Regulated by it 2. Must be that the Scripture testifies to be the Rule 3. Something that is firm fixt sure stable inflexible infallible inalterable else all the work wrought by a Lesbian Rule a soft waxen measure may be ad infinitum crooked scanty erroneous disorderly in all Dimensions at mens pleasure who may as our Priests mostly do transcribe translate expound rectifie the Scripture according to their crooked conceits and their Antichristian Analogy of faith as they use to speak and not their crooked conceits and false faith according to the true Theology that is plain to godly honest hearted men in the Sâ—ripture wrest their Rule to their own wills self-ends interests and where it likes not their unruly selves to be Ruled by it Run from it or rather Rule over ir as they list But the Light and Spirit and Truth and living Word and holy Doctrine was in being before the faith and life of any man 2. Is testified by the Scripture at is above shewed to be the Rule 3 Is inalserable firm c. and the Scripture it self is already proved and is yet more to be proved not to be so therefore the Light Truth c. not the Scripture Text c. is the Rule Be sides what Ioh. Tombs and Rich. â—axter who must here be wrapt with their own weapon argue falsely against the Lights being the Rule I may truly argue against the Letters being it For page 51. of their Book entituled The true old Light Thus they dispute viz. That which is variable and alterable cannot be a persons Rule for its the property of a Rule to be invariable and the same at all times The Rules Measures and Weights and Dialls and Squares and what other things are made if they be varied they cease to be Rules for Rules should be fixed and certain But there is nothing more variable then mens light in them say they falsely but say I truly then a Letter or Writing without That which is to day say they taken for light is to morrow judged to be darkness and that light which is this day in a person may be lessened to morrow a person may become Fanatick and dote who yesterday was heard with applause therefore each persons light cannot be his Rule so us that at all times he should be bid to look to it as a safe guide as the Qua. do And say I that which is to day Transcribed Translated Interpreted so and in such a sense by some may be through Mis-transcription Mis-translation Mis-interpretation be wrested as a Nose of wax to morrow by others into a clear contrary sense by Transposition of Hebrew letters which in shape and sound are alike either in way of mistake among the most careful Scribes in the world or at the mâ—er will and pleasure of Criticks who ad libitum may turn the Text into twenty senses one after another as seems good to them witness I.O. himself who as is elswhere shewed in many pages together of his Epistle Dedicatory tells how easie it is so to do yea to turn that one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the different pointing of it into 8 sundry senses some whereof are clear contrary to each other yea it is but doing so or so saith he and as many various lections arise in the very original Text as a man pleases to make It being so then with the Letter that it is so variable and flexible and contrariwise the Light being fixt firm stable without variation as it is for all their lying of it it 's eternally and unchangeably the same even yesterday to day and for ever as Christ is from whom it comes one and the same in all the Foundation and witness of God which stands sure and keeps its place in the consciences of men let them go whether they will testifying the same truth as Gods witness in all men that it doth in any mâ—n both de jure defacto also never consenting to any evil but condemning it all in all men more or less Therefore say I in consutation of I O. T. D. I.To. and Rich. Baxter out of their own Books the Light Word and Spirit of God within every one may and ought to be every mans Rule so as that at all times he should be bid to look to it and follow it as a guide as the Qua. do But the Text or Letter without however owned as it is by me above to be useful and profitable for men of God that know how to use it cannot be the most perfect stable Standard much less the only infallible Rule and guide of mens faith and life as the blind guides say in words it is though in works they themseves live and walk besides it as much as any Again if the Scriptures be the Rule and not the Light and Spirit then either there was no Rule before the Scripture or else they who lived before the Scripture had one Rule we another and so consequently there are two Rules for the one faith of the one holy Church But all these whimsies are most absurd for then the one Church hath tot regulus quot novas explicationes ejusdem veritaetis as many Rules as particular wayes of Revelation of the truth And T.D. said the Truth was one and that the matter was the Rule before the writing was and I.O. sayes Ex. 4. s. 22. Vnicus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinus the Divine Rule is but one and so say I of the one general Catholick Church or Assembly of the first born from Abel to this day therefore the Light Spirit and not the Scripture is the Rule As for I. Os shallow shuffling off the Lights being the Rule and sleight slinging at it Testaque lutoque with his muddy pellet in that Section
since it is in being and where it hath a being for the Light tries searches shines shews reveals judges determines as well without the Letter as with it and did dive into the heart where the Letter never was and direct there before the external literal directory was all and yet uses aâ— its pleasure the Letter as its instrument and as a knife to kill which knife yet as an instrument cannot quicken but the Letter doth not enter quâ talis into the heart at all and what ere it doth it doth in subserviency to the Light which is its Author whose instrument it is to use but not the Light its instrument at all Moreover the end of the Letter is but to turn men from the darkness and power of Satan wherein they dwel to the Light within them that shines in the darknes that is also within them which Light is the power of God this Act. 26. is said to be the end of Pauls Ministration which was performed partly by writing and partly by word of mouth that so by beleeving in the light and living in it they might not abide in the darkness but have the light of life but the end of the Light and Spirit within is not to bring to the Letter by the Letter we may have the life for the searchers into the Letter and lookers thereinto for the eternal life which is Christ whom the Letter testifies of never found the life they lookt for there because they heard not Gods voice nor cared for his word abiding in them nor came to Christ the Light and Spirit that they might have the life for the letter killeth but the Light and Spirit gives the life 2 Cor. 3. And howbeit I deny not the Scripture to be perfect praesertim respectu finis especially in relation to that end as J O. sayes for which it was decreed of God yet that that end was to be the only guide and rule of men in their way to life I deny asserting the Light and Spirit still as that which is designed and ordered of God as to that end and was so from the beginning before any Letter without was at all And though I own the Scripture still as useful profitable effectual sufficient and perfectly successful where used by the man of God in the wisdome of God for the many excellent ends and uses formerly spoken to from 2 Tim. 2.15 as being written by inspiration of God yet I still deny that to be thereupon the standing Rule as the Light and Spirit is because no where so denominated nor designed to be by God in all the Scripture as I have shewed suffiâ—iently above in answer to all the Texts whence thou mistakest it so to be and because Damnati lingua vocem habet vim non habet a Hereticks words are never heeded I must here make use again of T.D. to defeat I.O. who sayes p. 27 28.43 of his first Pamph. p. 17 18. of his second That all that was written by holy men and preserved for our use is not therefore our standing Rule because God did not intend them nor give order for them to be so and beside such inspiration and usefulness to make a Rule is necessary Gods appointment of a writing to that end which appointment the Letter never had from God what ever it had from men the difference lyes in Gods arbiâ—rary dispensation who assured his Church what was sufficient as to her standing Rule before the Letter was viz. his his Light and Spirit in which regard though we highly respect the Letter yet we can look upon it as p. 44. first Pamph. T.D. sayes of some useful things of God with reference to othersome no more with such regard as the only standing Rule as we do upon the other And though with thee I.O. we assert and deny not but that by the efficacy of the Light and Spirit the Letter is more savingly understood for the Spirit well knows its own yea by the Light and Spirit only is the Letter understood and read to profit and not by that twinckling twilight of thy fidling fancy for that Ignis fatuus finds little as to the inside of the letter but fuell to feed thee in fierce and fiery twittle twattles about the outside sense of it and the truth of Transcripts and Translations pidling points Tittles Iota's yea who hath known the minde of the Lord or the things of the Spirit declared in the Letter but the Spirit and they that live after the Light thereof and no more after the flesh to whom only the Spirit only doth reveal them yet Monstrum horrendum cui lumen ademptum what Scriptureless lightless spiritless speeches are these of J.O. who depresses all inward light whatsoever even that within the living Word of God within so much below the meer Letter formally considered as an outward writing and abstract from these as to assert them from which the Letter had all the being it hath and that thousands of years after all these antient Rules and Lights that are to day and yesterday and for ever the same without the least shadow of alteration had been famous in the world among all the Worthies from Abel to Moses to have all their being from God to us ward meerly for the sake of the Letter which was but of yesterday and as well every day as every way mutable and that so easily that 't is done in a time in but the turning of a hand yea by the Transposing of Letters Heb. Points and like as himself asserteth as many various lections may be in its several copies welnigh as lines and to represent all these which gave the Letter the being of a certain sub sub unto themselves as subservient unto it as if they were of and for no other use nor end in the world but to teach men to come not to God himself for life but to the Letter and to read the Book call'd the Bible which doth but imminde men that forget them to minde the Light and Spirit I shall therefore only take this Tale of J.O. mutatis mutandis transform it by a transposition of the two subjects thereof viz. the Light and Letter which I.O. hath mis used and mis-placed each into its proper place use and order and so quite quit it here Nullius literae externae cujuscunque tandem c. in plain English thus Of no external letter whatsoever although the holy Scripture it self which J.O. calls saving is this the use and end that we should attend to it as to the guide of our way and Rule but to this end only is it graciously granted of God that by means thereof we may perceive to our salvation that Rule i.e. the Spirit Light and Word of God ad intra and the minde of God revealed therein In this Translation is no truth hid that shall not be revealed nor covered that shall not be known So having turned J.Os. Babel with the bottome upwards I shall
is the Rod of power which God promiâ—ed to send out of Sion even the Rod and sharp Sword of his mouâ—h and breath of his lips wherewith he will now smite the Nations and slay the wicked and reprove with equity on the behalf of the meek of the earth whom the proud oppress even the word of his mouth which he will put into the mouths of his sucklings and their seed and seeds seed out of which he ordains strength to the perfecting his own praise against the persecutor This and not the weak dead letter Bible or Scripture thou so labourest bablest and scriblest for is that Power and Authority of God Able as the outward Writing is not to make it self known so to be for the letter is as lifeless helpless powerless as any other Book Writing or dumb Idols that men adore and receive aâ— ye with the Iews of whom thou speak'st p. 237. do the Bible at this day with the honour and veneration due to God that cannot stir from the place where it s set as neither can the Scripture from where it s laid no more than the Turkish Alcoran yeâ— as Jeremiah in his Epistle saiâ—h of the weakness and vanity of all the Idols of the heathen whom they make powerful Gods of Thâ—se Gods quoth he cannot save themselves from rust and moths though they be covered with purple they wipe them because of the dust of the Temple when there is much upon them men put the Scepter in their hands as if they were the Iudge of the Country and Daggers and Axes but they cannot deliver themselves from Theeves nor of themselves put to death one that offends them as a useless vessel worth nothing when broken so it is with their Gods they are as the beams of their Temples upon their bodies and heads Strâ—Bats Swallows Birds and Cats they are things in which is no breath yet they set and sell and buy them at a high price they are carried having no feet â—o walk with if they fall to the ground they cannot rise up again of themselves the same together with what follows caeteris paribus Baruch 6. may be said of the adored Best Copies of the Great Bibles that lye in the great old mouldy Popish Parish Mass-houses now called the Protestant Churches where the Bells hang the Ministers of the Letter not the Spirit the elder sort of which are Priests by Ordinatioâ—â— fit in their Temples and roar and cry the Word of God the Law the Light the way to life the Gospel the power of God to salvation as the Iews do when their Copy is carried about but these Gods of those Idol Shepherds that leave their poor flock at any time for another that hath a better fleece can do nothing at all cannot withstand any King or enemies are not able to escape either from Theeves or Robbers nor when fire falleth on the houses where they are to help or save themselves or flye away how then shall we think they the Books called Bibles the Scriptures are so powerful and effectual not only in themselves but also in respect of us as without any other helps or advantages to shew themselves to be the great Authority and Power of God vis virtus Dei to our salvation as I.O. dreams If he say he means not the Text but the Word it talks on let him say so then when he writes again and then we will take it for granted he gives the cause in question to the Qua. whom he quarrels with for denying the Bible Letter Scripture outward Writing to be the living effectual able powerful word of God that gives life and saves and such like and so we shall meddle no more with him as to that matter but so long as he will needs damn down the Qua. as denyers of Scriptures and the Word of God too because they deny the Letter or Text to be properly the truth or Word of God it doth but declare and talk on we must thereby understand him to intend the Letter which he talks for Moreover as to the Light of God and Word nigh in the heart which the Apostles preached to turn men to and taught them as the Scripture also doth in its Testimony there to to attend to as the Rule of faith and life this is that Word of the truth of the Gospel which is V is virtus Dei the Power of God by the vertue of which Power it brought forth fruit in the Collossians and in all the World where it so came when it came unto them in the Ministry thereof which was the means by which they heard of it first and then came themselves to hear it and to know the grace of God in truth even that grace that bringeth the salvation and appeareth to all men effectually instructing as well without as with the outward Letter of it all that leâ—rn at it to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world which is the Light of God in the conscience called the goodness of God or grace given to lead them to repentance who despising the riches of it are not led by it to repent and so treasure up wrath to themselves c. Tit. 2 11 12. Rom. 2.4 5. This is it which brought forth fruit in the world without Sword Miracles humane wisdome oratory or any inducements or motives but what are meerly and solely taken from it self consisting in things which eye hath not seen ear heard nor the heart of the animal natural man or of any but the spiritual man that by the Spirit which only searcheth and revealeth them discerneth the deep things of God can discern or conceive This is that that hath exerted its power and efficacy to the conquest of the world so far as it hath been capâ—ivated in the high proud thoughts of it to the true obedience of Christ causing men of all sorts times and places so to fall down before its Divine Authority as to renounce all that its dear undergâ—â— all that it dreadful and destructive to nature in its dearest concernment As for the Letter the Scripture which thou speakest of in a sense abstract from all other helps and advantages as that which without need of any other Revelation by the spirit and light within for these thou call'st superfluous mediums doth plead for reception not onely in comparison with but also opposition to all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of God his mind and will founded thereon and calls for attendance and submission with supreme and uncontroulable Authority 57 58. as that which hath brought forth so much fruit and exerted so much power What power hath it put forth to conquer the world into such submission to the truth as it is in Iesus as Christ requires or as the Letter it self either calls for what fruits of righteousnesse hath it brought forth in the world cal'd Christian to the glory of God for all its being
the light of God the wisdome saving truth immediate witness clearest way of Revelation soul-cleansing Law sure foundation most perfect Rule immoveable stedfast Standard of Gods setting up but it self is nos all nor any of this nor doth it at all any where avouch it self to be any of it at all The Scripture points to that which is the Power of God by the being of which in and upon his people who only own and joyn to it they are made a willing people in the day thereof when such as turn from and against the light which is the power and labour in the weak naked Letter labour in vain and are left unwilling to leave their lusts and lives for Christ as his Maryrs or outward witnesses did in all Ages But the Letter it self is not Power of God that sustained them in the suffering and inabled them to forgo what was dear to them and to undergo what was dreadful and destructive to nature in its dearest concernments The Letter tells us that the Saints did so and tells us and all Saints that we should do for Christ but the Power by which this is done is another matter then a Letter ad extra even the inward light Word and Spirit that thou doest despite to even that in the conscience that made them indure as seeing him who is invisible and discovered the darkâ—â—ss upon the discovery of which they rather chose death then to own it as Light and Truth not only in ages as high as Moses who by faith in the Light chose affliction rather then sin and feared not the wrath of Pharaoh but also from him downward as low as Maries dayes in which some died for denying the darknâ—ss of the Popes Dâ—ctrines of Transubstantiation c. which the Light in their consciences told them were too gross to be of God who yet by their confession could not dispute against it with Vniversity Sottish Sophisters Doctor Dunces out of Letter nor so much as read a letter therein and also as low as these dayes wherein by the Power of God many are born up to bear the Trials of the cruel Academical mockings scoffings scourgings inâ—lictings stonings bonds imprisonments abuses to death witness one of the first of the Lords two Hand-maids that were sent to warn the Vniversity of their universal abomiâ—ations at Oxford in the time of I.Os. Vice chancellorship there who perhaps may not be so learned literally though mystically and spiritually more in the Letter as obtuse aÌ„cuti â—omunâ—ioneâ— many of those dull-beaded nimble disputers out of it are in their bald fashion of Syllogistical form Neither did the Letter either of the Old Testament which is the Letter without of what things soever written or the outward Letter of the New ever conquer the world in which thou sayest it brought forth so much fruit further then into a meer empty fruitless form of Godliness without the power thereof insomuch that though as to the Primitive Christian Churches while they kept in the Light which the Apostles Ministry whether by word of mouth or Writing Letter Scripture was to turn them to walk by and beleeve in and in the Spirit in which they began till fooâ—ishly being bewitched from obeying the truth it self they turned aside to the outward Text that tells it and so thought to be made perfect by the flesh and the fleshly bodily exercises they found in the Letter which once used were as low weak beggeâ—ly elements for a time the power of God and godliness was much â—elt among them and abode with and upon them to the prevailing against the Powers of the earth and the overcomming the world it self and Satan the Prince of it by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of his Testimony not loving their lives to the death and much fruit of the Spirit and of righteousness was brought forth to the glory and praise of God But when Synods and Councels doting Doctors infatuated Ghostly-Fathers and such as admired their persons as they the persons of the Apostles and primitive Disciples began to bundle together what they could get of the Wâ—itings of such as were coaetaneous with Christ and the Apostles and without any such order from either Christ or the Apostles to canonize what in their conceits might be useful to others as they had found them t is like to be to themselves into a Rule or Canon and stated them into a common Standard for all to have their sole recourse to in soul-cases and matters of Christian faith and holy life and so to adore the dead letters of those holy living men and to run a whoring after some remnants of Writings that dropt from them then in the whole world now called Christendome instead of an Apostolical Spouse of Christ as Christians were at first presented a chaste Virgin to himself by them there stands up an Apostatical Strumpet that had the Letter and good words written there but neither the life of God nor the Word of life therein testified to that according to the nature of Error which is ever multiplying degenerated more and more into the dark till at last being gone from the Word Spirit Light and Life within to the outward Letter that relates of it they ran into the Wildernes of their own numberless senses upon it so that they lost the Letter also and fell from it into Tradition and a thousand Old Wives Fables and though it is good and acknowledged so to be so far as it is that the Protestants have marched from Rome under the conduct of the Leâ—ter yet for all they are come back from the blinde screel scrawls of the Popish Scribes for their smoaky imaginations to a pretensive profession of and prate prâ— Scripturis for the Scriptures unless they march on according to the conduct of the Scriptures till they come into the Light and Spirit which they point to and by a dotage upon the Scriptures ye would run from they are not so much as come yet to the Scriptures nor to conform to that counsel of the Prophets and Apostles given in it but are yet erring from the Scriptures even in and by their very eager Scriblings for it as the only most perfect Rule and from the only Rule of faith and way to Life the Letter is as loud for but that they are dull of hearing as they in their naked Writings are loud for the naked Letter it self And so it comes to pass that as Israel was of old who was as laborious in the Letter busie about the Bible and strict for his Scripture-standard as our Israel for the self-same which yet they confess too is abolished as to the Litteral observation of it with the Appendix of a few of Stories and Letters and Revelations of those holy men next to Christs time who by the Spirit wrote much more then is there own'd as their Standard I say as the old Israel proved as to God an empty vine Hos. 10.1 bringing forth
and an inexpressible exaltation of it above them the light of one day of this Sun meaning the Scripture which hee expresses by the terme the Word of God being unspeakably more then that of seven others as to the manifesting the glory of God nor doth it impaire this self-evidencing efficacy of the Scripture that it is a moral spiritual not a natural Light This and much more utters I.O. concerning these Termes of the Word the Light as the proper names of the Right belonging to the Letter Neither is I.O. alone in this but some others I have met with that have stifly stood up to defend the Scripture or Letter to be the Light the Word of God yea verbum oris the word of his mouth and the Voice of God and Christ properly and properly to be so called Rep. Which sayings O the contrariety that is in them to common sense and reason they may as well say they hear that mans voice properly some of whose sayings they read in the letters of such as write what they heard him say they may as properly say they are to own the voice of the Scribes and Pharisees for their Rule as they are written down by the Apostles and Evangelists sith Christ saith They sit in Moses chair all that they say do and that they do now properly hear their voyces sith what they said was recorded as say that they now properly hear Christs Voice in reading some things he spake as they are written by them that heard him speak them and stablish and canonize them and other mens sentences as the only standing Rule on this account because God said Hear him and they now hear properly Moses voice and must own his Law that vanisht as to the shadow of it still to the Church a standing Rule because Christ said They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them 2 O the contrarity of this to the Scriptures themselves for if they be properly the Voice of God and Christ then absit blaspemiae they make Christ charge the Scribes improperly and falsely that they never at any time heard Gods voice Joh. 5. for they heard the Scriptures read every Sabbath neither could he say truly what he doth exclusively of such as are not his sheep My sheep hear my voice if the Scriptures were his voice properly for the Dogs and Swine hear and hear the outward Scriptures read as well as his sheep but his sheep hear another secret still voice of his in all things that hee saith unto them in their own consciences which the loud Brawlers for the bare Bible drown within themselves with their non-sensical notes and noyses about their Diana's and siâ—ver shrines and Temple worship and Church work which voice and words of his are heard in secret with more profit among the wise Luke 10.17 then the cry of the Truth selling Spirit stinting-Scripture stealers among fools which still voice of Christs yeâ— whoever hears not and heeds not more then our heady high-minded Hypocrites of these dayes do may preach themselves out a while longer yet as the Ministers and Church of Christ but shall ere long be cut off from among his people in the mean time however this is the improper tone they tune it out in when we bid them fear God hearken to his voice own that as your only guide his Word his Voice his Spirit his Light as the only infallible sure standard the witness of God himself the Scripture witnesses of and sends men to which hee that heeds follows beleeves in obeyes needs not be so restless by wrangling as the wrestless for and wresters of the Scripture are about the Witness of man though witnessing from and for God as moved by him for the Witness of God himself and the Witness of Christ himself in the conscience is greater needs not be so loud for a Letter for the voyces and words of men and the Writings and Revelations of holy men for the inward immediate Voyce the Word the Spirit the Light Revelation of Christ himself in the heart is greater True say they we must hear Christs voice in all things he sayes abide in his Doctrine or Teaching receive his Witness and Testimony walk by his Word live by his Light alone bee guided and ordered in all things by his Spirit which alone reveals the minde of God and Christ without whose Revelation none knows the things of God and Christ but the Letter of the Scripture the outward Writings of such as heard him as we do not the Hebrew and Greek Text at least and Translationâ— as they keep touch with them these are that Word that living life-giving powerful heart-searching soul-saving Word those Words of his that are Spirit and Life by which alone men must come to beleeve that Light to the feet that Lamp to the path that verbum oris that very word of his mouth that works and accomplishes all things to his glory our salvation that verbum oris that goeth forth of his own mouth that hee put according to his promise Isa. 59. ult as if that were the Scripture oh gross and shameful yet over and over and over and over again I.O. cites that Text to prove Gods promise to continue the Hebrew and Greek Texts entire without loss or change of iota or title of it to the worlds end into the mouth of the Churches Seed and the mouth of her Seeds seed for ever that must go out of the mouth of babes and sucklings as the only strength against the persecutor to still the enemy and avenger that sharp sword of his mouth with which he will smite the wicked Nations Rev. 19. That Rod of his mouth or breath of his lips with which he slayes the wicked Isa. 11. That Rod of his strength and power sent out of Sion by which he will rule fâ—reuer in the midst of his enemies Psal. 110. That word that he hath spoken which God hath magnified ovâ—r all that is called his name and so over the light it self it sprang from which is his name Joh. 1. and the sâ—fe strong Tower of the Righteous That vis virtus Dei power of God and word of the Crosâ— That Doctrine or Teaching of Christ which continued in saves the Preacher and hearers ipsa doctrina quam a Deo docemur That witness of God which who so hath needs not the witness of men for the witness of God is greater That voice of God that 's more sure and certain as to its giving out its evidence to us then the very immediate voice which the Apostles heard God himself speak to them with from heaven 2 Pet. 1. And all this and much more exclusively and abstractively from that within yea and properly too so that the Word of God Foundation the Rule Light Lamp and so consequently all the rest of the Tiâ—les are the very proper names of the Scriptures no other then what are properly answerable to its nature For in this wife I.O. drives on the
in it is the Word of God as T. 2. c 2 s. 5.6 that tam in esse reali as cognoscibili Ex 1 s. 1. the Scripture both is and doth infallibly evidence it self unto the consciences of men that are not blinde to be assuredly the Word of God See his first Title page and T. 1. c. 4. s. 1. and that men that beleeve not as he implicitly beleeves in this being obliged so to beleeve upon the penalty of eternal damnation at the peril of their own eternal ruine and such like are left unexcusable in their damnable unbeleef T. 1. c s. 5. T. 1 c. 3. s 6. T. 1 c 4. s. 14. and who saith That his chief business with the Qua. is de noveine Scripturae proprio Ex. 1. s. 1 2 3. about the proper name of the Scripture and to stablish it under that glorious Title the Word of God as that proper name of it which the chief business committed by Satan to the Qua. that they rejoyce in is to spoyl it of yea how will all those figurative forms of speech list I.O. out of that Quâ—gmire wherein he sticks and into which he hath rashâ—y run himself by his hasty quarrelling with the Qua. who is far from being satisfied if the Truth and Doctrine of the Scriptures be confessed to be sufficiently declared in the Scripture unless he be infallibly assured that every Tittle and Iota as it was at first written stands truly transcribed in his Copies of it and so far from being satisfied if by a figure it should be granted as it need not for it s no where called so that the Scripture is the Word of God that he professes Ex. 1.34 that if that Declaration that Writing which declares the minde and will of God be not the Word of God he knows not what is the Word of God if he may not call the Scriptures by that name the Word of God is so far Ignorant of any name else to call it by as to call out to the Qua. to tell him what to call it if he may not call it by that name Si hoc non sit verbum Dei quoth I. O ego nescio quid sit aut deceant nos Fanatici quid illud dicendum sit c if the declaration of the will of God i.e. the Scripture be not the Word of God I know not what it is or let the Fanaticks teach us what we may call it these and many more to the like Tune are the eminent Titles which I.O. not by a metonymy but in truth as their proper priviledge and real right attributes in words at length and not in figures to the outer Scriptures these are the lofty terms wherein in throughout all his Treatises he treats on their behalf not with all others only that are his Opposers in other matters but with the Qua. also who own the Scripture in its own proper name use and place and own the Truth written of to be the Word much more then he doth himself but about the Scriptures oppose him only as to these his childish thoughts Such are the high rigid unrighteous strickt streins he stands upon and stickles in and that so stifly that he is minded either to win all or lose all and if he be not owned as stiling of the Scripture truly and properly when he stiles it by the names of other things which truly and properly it is not he will no more own it under its own true and proper names of writing Letter Scripture but make himself altogether ignorant of these as if hee had quite forgotten and could in no wise call to minde that hee hath any other names at all whereby it can be called save those undue ones of his own imposing Now when a man begins to swell out with his wind of Doctrine into such a bubble as knows no bounds its time to blow him out and when he grows into such a giddy greedy hydropical humour as not to know what ground he stands on nor how to stand still and sit down satisfied when hee is well nor well to understand when he hath enough nor to slack his thirst with a just and lawful allowance its good Venienti occurre morbo Danda est elleboritali pars maxima Avaro As there is no reason that he should have all he desires so it s but reason that his brain be purged from such excrements as occasion such extraordinary extravagancies that if he will never be otherwise then so fantastically Fanatical yet hee may insanire cum ratione be moderated at least as to his height of madness be taken down a peg or two and brought from his high Garret into a lower Story about the Scriptures that if he will have no nay but they must needs be call'd the Word it may be no otherwise then the Cup is called the Wine which though by a Metonymy the Wine is sometime called the Cup yet is never or very seldome if at all For my part I am free rather then he shall take on ad ravimusque and cry himself hoarse and wrong himself as he doth with so much wrangling and restless wrestling for the Letter which he more loves to talk of then lives the life of and longs for so that is not likely he will be at quiet unless we still him by piping to the same tune with him at least a little to please him so far to his profit in order to the saving of his longing as to allow him a little i.e. so much leave as by the foresaid Figure to call the Glass window or the Lanthorn the Light which in truth and properly are not so but as that Taylor which having an inch of cloath granted him for his minds sake about so much as will serve for a pattern incroaches so as to steal an ell or enough to make a suit of and from Top to Toe cloaths himself therewith accordingly wouâ—d have no wrong to have his goodly garment torn off or else beaten well upon his back with his own yard so if I.O. who begs the whole question be not pleased with his poor pittance which yet is the largest allowance that Truth it self allows us to allow him but will be a chuser as Beggars must not be and his own Carver and carve out the Scriptures which is more then salva veritate we can give him or he can justly take on him to do into no less then a patern a lydium lapidem a touch stone of all Truth a standard for all Spirits even that of God by which it and all Spirits and Scriptures else are to be tried to be most truly tâ—ied by a Rule an immoveable stable perfect the most perfect the only Rule of Gods worship and our obedience in matters of faith and manners as Ex. 3. s. 20 24 25. Ex. 1. s. 5 6. Ex. 3. s. 32. Ex. 4. s. 17. so that since the Churches compleating of its Canon no Revelations internal Spirit and consequently not that
is not shewed by any thing but it self and rectum is ever mensura sui obliqui that which is infallibly right is the Rule and measure of manifestation of it self and of all the wrong and not retro any wrong darke crooked doubtful or fallible thing the Rule of that so the Spirit and Light of God by and from which and that but remotely too through mens hands the Letter had at first and now through fallible mens hands hath all its being is the Rule of trial for it self and of the Letter and of all false Spirits Prophets Doctrines c. yea it self and all things are made manifest by the Light whether approveable or reprovable works of flesh or fruits of the Spirit as the Letter sayes of it Gal. 5. Eph. 5. yea what ever doth make manifest as the Letter never doth or can without the Light and the Light doth often and did thousands of years without the Letter and before it was it is the Light And if any other should yet of all men I.O. cannot charge this on me as an Idem per Idem to say by the Spirit of God and the Light alone we must Try the true Light and Spirit and the false Spirits and pretences to the names of Light also for I say no more in it then the truth of the true light and spirit which himself sayes most falsely of the Letter when p. 51. he asserts it to be the Rule and Standard the Touchstone of all speakings whatsoever that that must speak alone for itself which must try the speaking of all but it self yea it s own also I.Os. 6. Argument to prove the Scripture and nothing else the only most perfect Rule and Standard is this viz. Ea omnia quae examinari probari debent c. All those things which ought to be examined and tried yea which we are commanded to try tanquam ad lydium lapidem as 't were by some infallible Touchstone by the Scripture whether they are true and agreeable to divine verity or not with free liberty yea absâ—lute necessity of rejecting them if not consentaneous to Scriptures those neither apart nor joyntly considered can be the Rules or Directories of Gods worship our faith and obedience nor are upon their own account at all to be credited But all Revelations Visions Spirits Dreams Enthusiasms we are commanded so to try examine and prove Therefore those are no Rules that are of themselves to be credited Rep. That Argument the minor of which is most false and supposes that infallible Spirit of God to bee now subjected as some underling to a fallible Letter now transcribed by weak men is founded on this Text 1 Iob. 4.1 and two more only beside those above spoken to viz. 1 Cor. 14.21 and 1 Thess. 5.21 The first of which I know nor why I.O. cites it it proving nothing to his purpose because Paul there quotes a Text out of the Law or Letter saying In the Law it s written with men of other tongues and lips will I speak to this people i.e. to the Drunkards of Ephraim yet they will not hear which first part hath not a tittle for him but the latter part of it much more against him then he is ware of being not wise enough well to weigh it And the second Text with the two verses before viz. Quench not the Spirit despise not Prophesyings prove all things rather against him that the Spirit which is there mentioned and not the Letter at all is that by which all things are to be proved What is said above to that Text in Iohn shall as well it may stand as answer to the said sixth Argument with this only addition that if we must go to the Scripture for the trial of all spirits even Gods as well as others then le ts go no further at first however then that in hand which tells us that the true Church who is written to in that verse wherein nor in any about it there 's not the least hint about the Letter had a secret taken whereby to know the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of errour versâ— 6. which the world and its Priests and people have not vers 2â— Every Spirit quoth he that confesseth Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh is of God and every Spirit that confesseth not this is not of God and this is the Spirit of Antichrist whereof ye have heard it should come and even now is iâ— already in the world Riddle me I. O. if it be within thy reach and from thence tell me which are the true which the false Spirits which Christs and Gods which Antichrists they that confess Christ Jesus to be come in the flesh as the â—uardo or they that deny the Saviour the Anointed to be come in the flesh as from the Pope to the least outside or nominal Christian and meer literal beleiver and professor among the most reformed Protestants save they who beleeve and live in the internal light and Spirit with one accord all do Looking at talking of belâ—eving the History of expecting justification sanctification righteousness salvation all from Christ only as he was made a man of outwaâ—d flesh and blood without them And if I. O. say in vindication of himself in this that that is the confession of Jesus Christ to be come in flesh which every spirit that makes is of God to beleeve the story of the Incarnation Life Suffering Death Resurrection c that is all truly related in the Letter without as 't was done in a figure of what was to be further and more spiritually and mystically transacted in his true body the Church whereof he is the head with a confident application of him and of the benefit of all the righteousness he did in that person by every man to himself as by way of computation and imputation before he hath it indeed imparted or conveyed into himself for this is T.Ds. and the whole brood of the back side beleevers and the Bastard Christians saith and confession of Christ to be come in the fleâ—h on the account of which they hope they are of God and shall be saved though they are far from witnessing or confessing the same Christ who is the Wisdome Righteousness Light Power Salvation and Image of God to be begotten conceived formed born brought serth incarnated risen from the dead living and dwelling within themselves where he hath lyen slain as an innocent Lamb from the foundation of the world in their hearts which therefore is to perish with the lust thereof which inward witness of the Words incarnation and dwelling in themselves they that were of God of old had Iob. 1.14 The Word was made flesh and dwels in us and we saw his glory and all now have who are of God and have not the vain hope of the hypocrite only which is as the giving up the Ghost when God comes to take aâ—â—y his soul Job but that hope 1 Iob. 3.3 which is
that beleeves not both beleeves neither But what of that what follows hence this quoth I O. for that is the very end hee infers this Text for and the very conclusion he infers from it viz. that Moses writings of Christ are more sure and of greater certainty as to the Churches use then Christs own words from his own mouth or then Christs Revelations of Gods minds to men as revealed to him from the mouth of God from the very bosome of the Father Siccine Itane is it so I O. indeed what the ouâ—â—ard remotely transcribed Copies of the writings of the Old servant that put a vail over his face too and spake so darkly in types and figures and shews and shadows that 't was hard to behold stedfastly to what end he spake more plain and stedfast and sure and certain then the immediate Voice Words Revelations of the Son himself whom Moses called to hear as coming and speaking more distinctly out of the very bosome of the Father O the dotage of our Vniversity Doctors the dimness of our Divines who profess to dive daily and deeply into the Scriptures that make the dark Writings and dead Letter and servant more clear and worthy and useful to the Church then the express Voice and Words of the Son which are Spirit and life it self I shall set but one Scripture to face this fancy of I.O. and so leave and let it stand to the shame of it self and its Father Heb. 3. vers 1. to the 8. See and read it Thus of the first The words of the second are these Be not soon shaken in minde nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of the Lord is at hand Rep. The business I.O. cites this in proof of is for this and that next before are of those that are subscribed to that purpose that the certainty of the Scripture is preferred before the certainty of true Revelations and Miracles but which way so much can be drawn unless it be as I.O. draws iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with Cart Ropes from that Text is more then I can tell Paul Silas and Timothy had told them it seems of the coming of the day of God both by Spirit Word and Letter they whose great hope lay in the comming of that day like such as look and long for what they love and are apt to thinke and hope it to be as they would have it did hope it to be nearer hand then it was and fearing left finding it further off then they thought they might bee troubled and shaken in minde and failing in their faith of it he gives them to understand the worst of it that the best might the better help it self that they should not mistake them in their Doctrine about that day as if they had said it was immediately to shine out upon them and so waver in their mindes flag in their faith and be troubled with doubts as if it would never come to them because not so soon as they wisht it might for there was a long night to interpose it self first he wills them withall to remember v. 5. that he told them no less in the Spirit by Word of his mouth as now he doth over again by Letter or Writing when was present with them howbeit as that 's never long that comes at last so that day would come at last to their salvation and destruction of the man of sin who caused the night with the brightness of it Here 's the short and the long of the business of that verse and those about it from which I who can see the Sun can see no such Doctrine follow as I.O. dreamingly draws from it nor one dram of Reason nor the least grain of Assent to his Asasâ—inated Assertion that the Scripture is of more certitude as to the Churches use then any true Revelations Other Arguments I.O. urges why the Light and Spirit cannot bee the Rule c. Therefore the Scripture must be it J.O. That to which we are never no where sent of God that we might learn the knowledge of himself and his will and take direction in our duty that cannot be the Rule Canon Principle or directory of our Faith Learning Knowledge and obedience But we are never no wheresent of God to any inward Light or internal Private spirit c. Therefore c. Les the Fanaticks produce but one place of Scripture wherein we or any are sent to their Rules or directions of faith and obedience and we will not say but they have cause to triumph in earnest but if they speak of their own they are Lyars they bear witness to themselves and their witness is not true Reply As for thy word Private Spirit we deny all leading by any Private Light and Spirit It is the Common Light and Publick Spirit of God which is one and the same in all though not in the same measure and not any thing of our own that we testifie to and profess to follow as our guide It is the gift of Gods grace in us that appears to all bringing salvation which teaches all that are led by it and learn at it to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live godly righteously and soberly here that we intend nor do we so much as pretend to any other inwardlight but that of God in the conscience which though thou foolishly stile it Natural yet thy self be â—rest such an ample testimony to sometimes that we need use no other then thy own words to prove it to be infallibly of God and from him an infallible guide and that we are sent of God to this inward Light Word or Spirit in answer to thy challenge to produce one Scripture I say what need wee produce one Thy own pen if thou l't beleeve it points out almost iâ—numerable places yea all in which the Word of God is said to be preacht publisht multiplied received where the Word nigh in the heart is meant and the outward Scripture that is the declaration of it considered formaliter or as written not at all intended yet for fear thou shouldest not beleeve thy own pen when such Truths drop from it as make against thee and indeed it hath let fall so many untruths pro and cons and fellaries from it that it little deserves to be beleeved by thy self but rather suspected when it writes the truth I am free here to produce some out of many more that might bee produced wherein men are sent in the Scripture if that be of God by whom thou sâ—yest they nunquam nusquam never no where are so sent to the rules and directions we call to which are not any mans own private spirit or fained light or Enthusiasms or dreams as thou dreamest and to the abusing of us to the world out of thy own narrow private light-loathing spirit divinest they are but the Word Light and Spirit of God which is
any more accounted on And though this seem such a mervailous matter I.O. in thy eyes and utterly beyond that diminitive belief and that little faith thou hast which if we may believe thy self is for ought thou knowest just none at And what Testimony soever the spirit of God beaves of the Scripture or of the Word of God or of the Gospel or of any anything else to us so as on pain of Gods d spleasure to bind us to the belief thereof it beares it in the hearts of men also as well as in the Scripture though thou say falsly that all it now testifies it testifies in the Scripture and by that onely to the heart and not in the heart immediately by it self or else it requires not the belief of it thou concludest thus viz. And if this be not a â—â—â—teme and foundation of faith and sure enough it is not so if the spirit speak not the same within that it doth without in the Letter then I publickly professe that for ought I know I have no faith at all He that doth not know that he hath any faith may thereby know assuredly that he hath not any all yet must it therefore be such a mervailous thing in the eyes of God and of his people who are not so incredulous of the Scripture as thou art that God should speak with his own mouth to his own people and vouchsase them so much mercy as to heare the joyfull sound of his his own voice and reveale his mind and will to them by his own spirit indeed sometimes he is pleased to speak in one to another as he did much in the Prophets to the Fathers in Paul to the Churches 2 Corin. 13.3 in one Prophet in his Church or two or three to all the rest as he was pleased to move and inspire them by his spirit 1 Cor. 14.24 25 29 30 31. and reveale any thing to them and by his Spirit press them in their spirits and give them utterance to utter it to others yet if any spake as they ought they were to speake as the Oracles of God and to minister not onely as of the ability that God gave and not man bought at University but also as of that which came to them as the Word of God uttered by his own voice in their hearts from his mouth out of the holy Oracle of God 1 Pet. 4.11 when he so speaks his voice is known and owned by his own who own not the voice of strangers when their tongues run before their wits out of their time to tell talk in words of the self-fame truth which but by bare hearesay they know not and at this day he speaks out in his servants to people and to you Scribes that search the Scriptures who call on you to heare what hee saith in you though as your forefathers John the fifth you have not at any time in your selves heard his voice which if it were the Letter you have often heard that read nor yet heeded such as spake to you from him in whom he speaks But doth all this exclude God from speaking when and what he pleases to any or every man immediately within his heart Was there ever any age wherein he debarred himself from this unlesse in the case of aforesaid wherein he was pleased to hold his peace because men would not hear him but stopt the eare like the deaf adder to what he said because being evil doers they did not like it In which case terras Astraea reliquit is there not a time wherein his very Adversaries that will not hear his voice in order to their own peace shall heare it whether they will or no to their own terrour will not he that fits in heaven as far off as you think that is utter his own voice as the roaring of a lion so loud within their consciences that they shall hear him speake to them in his wrath vex them in his sore displeasure who have vexed his spirit And do not the people of God though you do not hear what God the Lord himself will speak And will he not Psal. 85.8 speak peace to his people and to his Saints And are not such as have ears to hear bid to hear what the Spirit saith not in the Scripture onely for that properly is not a voice though figuratively it may be called so no more than my Letter to a friend in which he may read my minde is truly and properly my voice and our controversie with I. O. is much about proper names but in the heart where to them that hear he speaks the same that by his motion is written in the Scripture And do not Christs people hear his voice who though they may read the Letter too yet in that act can no more properly be said to heare his voice than he properly to hear his Masters voice that is an hundred mile off while he is but reading something or other that was written not by his Master neither but by some other by his approbation or appointment And are we not commanded to hear the welbeloved son of God And is it not dangerous to turn away the eare from him that speaks still from heaven more then to turn away from Moses or the Prophets in whom he spake and who spake but from or by him here on earth And is not Christ theâ— Light of the world that great Prophet who preacheth himself the Gospel in every Creature whose voice whoever heareth not in all things whatever he saith must be cut off from his people And is there not much more in the Scripture itself which sends men not to itself so much as to the hearing of God Christ and the Spirit declared to the same purpose Why then should it be thought an incredible thing with thee I. O. or any else that God should speak to men and manifest himself and what is to be known of him and of his mind to their salvation if they heed it to them now in their own hearts and consciences Doth not God himself speak are yea twice though man perceiveth it not Iob 33.14 Rom. 1 19â— or that Christ should manifest himself in a more speciall manner and measure then to the world who observe not when he speaks nor â—what he commands to his servants that love him and keep his commands or that he should come into them Rev. 3.20 sup abide and be familiar with them and not by the Scripture so much for the world hath that declaration that know him not but by his Spirit of truth which the world receives not but resists though it strives in them and not without onely by the ministration of holy men conviaceth them and preacheth to them as in Noahs dayes not by Noah onely but in their consciences should dwell in them and not in writings and proverbs onely shew them plainly of the Father John 14.17 to 26. John 16.25 Or that any of his people that give
of things which is Tantamount to infallible Luke 1.1 2 3 4. Act. 1.3 and to have plerophorian full assurance but also Omniscient Omnipotent panta anakcinontes eidontes iscuontes c. And whereas T. D. sayes p. 33. the Apostles themselves did not partake of that Divine property of infallibility giving also this reasonless reason for it viz. for then they would have been infallible at all times and in all things which they were not as appears by the instance of Peter Gal. 2.11 Rep. In this as he contradicts the Scripture so I. O. himself serves us so far as to contradict him to our hands for howbeit he denies any participation of infallibility to us or any Ministers in these dayes and also to the very immediate Transcribers of the Scriptures saying p. 167. we say not they were all or any of them Anamartetoi infallible yet he denies it not to the first Writers p. 60. And as for his proof that if they were infallible at all then they would have been so at all times and in all things That is as pedling a proof as he would count it if I should go to prove that David was not at al partaker of the property of holiness because he was not holy but wicked at that time and in that thing wherein he was desil'd in the matter of Vriah which T. D. would judge as silly an argument as I judge T. Ds. assertion silly who sayes that David was not i â— a condemned but in a justified estate alias accounted just in the sight of God at that time when he was under the guilt of adultery and murder which a wise man need not be taught to see the folly and fowlness of Thus then I. O. and T. D. do unminister themselves at least by denying any to be Theopneustoi infallibly guided by the infallible spirit in these dayes both of whom I may truly bespeak thus Say ye that Gods inspir'd ones are all gone Then ye of Gods inspired ones are none And who that 's wise will mind I. O. much in what he saith about things of God who cannot pretend so far as to say he is but rather yeilds to the contrary viz. that he is not mov'd acted carried forth nor guided in what he does speak write minister by the infallible direction of the infallible Spirit of God but by the fallible guidance of his own and other mens fallible spirits opinions conjectures thoughts c Who but fâ—ols will take such a fallible guide as I. O. is fain to confess he is while he denies any guided by the infallible guidance of Gods Spirit in this age Yea doth he not utterly unminister himself and all his fellows while he supposes none now to be Theopneustoi moved and inspired by the spirit in their ministerial functions nor to speak as the Spirit only gives utterance and as they receive the word immediately out of the mouth of God and while he can say no farther of himself and them but only that they minister out of that furtive furniture which in their fleshly minds they filch from the Letter which out of which and from their fallible expositions of which they minister and of which they are Ministers and not of the Spirit as the Apostles and Prophets were which gives the life And is not he an ill bird that bewrayes his own nest an ill son that discovers his own and his fellows and his fore-fathers nakednesses so far as to print it out as obvious to all that the infallible guidance of the infallible Spirit is not continued with them nor to be found in these dayes directing any otherwise then without by an outward letter which is fallible and lyable to be falsified at fallible mens pleasure and fancy and to deny all inward pure Revelation and immediate inspiration as Enthusiasm and to say that there 's no means of doing and determining any thing about the matters of God or Doctrine of Christ now but the letter or writing T. 1. C. 1. S. 16. and yet in the self-same Section to the contradicting of himself to say that that Doctrine and these things of God and Christ are things of pure divine revelation the knowledge whereof depends upon no such fallible thing as all outward writing is now by his own confession but wholly solely on their Revelation from God And what difference is there I.O. between such a one as is pheromenos upo tou pneumatos and one agâ—menos or to whom the Spirit of the Lord is odegos or egoumenos are not all these so neer kin that he who is agomenos is pheromenos Is not he who is led guided acted by the Spirit moved and carried forth by the Spirit And are not all Saints led by it And what difference between one that speaks as moved by the Spirit or as the Spirit gives utterance and one that hath it given him by the Spirit what to speak so that he need not premeditate what to say And have not all the Saints and Disciples of Christ a share and part in that promise of having it given them what to speak at the same houre when they are call'd before Rulers and Governours for Christs sake Mat. 10.18 19 20. and what between one that is divinely inspired to speak and one in whom the Spirit of the Father speaketh Is it not intended of all Gods children and Christs Disciples in the case aforesaid as well as of some when it s said It is not you that speak but the Spirit of the Father which speaketh in you And is it not said of all that Prophesie in the Church of God as all are to covet to do and are in capability to come to do and may do one by one as they grow in the Spirit and have any thing revealed to them as they sit before the Lord in which caâ—e they are to give way to each other that the unbelievers and unlearn'd ones in the mysteries and language of the Spirit and such are ye that surseiting with your inferiour literature out of the Light and Spirit in which holy men wrote it ly looking in the letter of the Scriptures which ye know not as the old Scribes did not Mat. 22.29 but wrest to your own ruine O insipidi sapientes obtus Acuti Academici quae supra vos nihit ad vos in the account of Christ Paul and Peter as unlearned as Christ himself was with some and as very Babler as Paul was at Athens as unlearned as Peter was counted by the chief Priests Scribes when he and Iohn stood before them Acts 4.13 2 Pet. 3.16 being convinced and judged of them all and having the secrets of their hearts manifested shall be forced to their own shame to fall down and report at last that God is in them of a truth 1 Cor. 14.23 24 25. And what difference is there that can help thy cause between pneumaticos and Theopneustos a spiritual man and one by the Spirit inspired or a
unhealed and be left unsaved for ever and at last no more moved by the Lord and his Spirit because he often would have led drawn guided and gathered them unto himself but only that they would not Will you neither believe the Qua. nor your selves neither that there are times and opportunities wherein evil men of the world who never are led into higher things by the Spirit because they refuse to follow it where it strives are moved theopneusto breath'd and blown upon and inspiâ—ed with good motions from the Spirit and hear the sound of it as of the wind though not heeding it never come to be born nor begotten by it unto God nor to know either whence it cometh or whether it goeth or the hidden life of those that are not so full of Taâ—tle about Regeneration as ye are who are born no higher then of flesh and blood and the will of man to your fancied faith but born from above of the Spirit and of God in very deed Doth God then more or less move all men by his Spirit and doth he not move his own people in these dayes by his Spirit Doth he inspire evil ones sometimes so far though we find few or none of that Gang now so far in sight as they were unless they see and say they do not as to make Prophets of Balaams Sauls and Caiphasses and will he now have none in his own Church of the Seed of David himself And doth he do greater things for them and draw them up into his own image a state that must stand when all Prophesie shall have an end and will he not do that lesser and lower thing for them by his Spirit i.e. to use several of them as his Prophets and if he have Prophets whom he divinely inspires will he do any thing of moment in these last most extraordinary times and not reveal his secrets to his servants the Prophets And will he reveal his mind to his Prophets as he did to Amos and others and will not they go forth and prophesie When the Lord hath spoken who can but prophesie When he gives the word himself as he doth in these dayes into the mouths of Babes how great must be the company of those that publish it yet such as I.O. who of the two are better acquainted with the Liberal Arts then the Liberal Hearts would shut these dayes to which the promise of Prophesie Inspiration Revelation Vision Infallible manifestation as to the measure of it is mostly made from sharing at all in these things with the Primitive times which had but the earnest first fruits sprinklings and droppings of that which in fulness was to fall down and be poured forth in these last Generations and because these Seers see not and these Prophets prophesie not themselves the Sun being set upon them and they being benighted in that massy Chaos of their own self-devis'd divinity that they cannot divine where they are nor infallibly what they have to do they say to the Lords own Seers see not and to his Prophets Prophesie not unless you will prophesie smooth things and deceits as we do and cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us and because they cannot let their word be as the word of all the Prophets who with one voice flattered Ahab to his own ruine but must speak what God bids them which is never good but evil of an evil Generation therefore they hate them care not for enquiring of them but represent them to Princes and People as odiâ—us as they are able as Fanaticks and fools so that as 't was of old so 't is now the Prophet is a fool the spiritual man is mad and become hatred in their houses of God and as haughty Haman did who lookt for more cap and congee then honest Mordecai could honestly give him incensing the powers of the earth against them Esth. 3.18 As a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the Provinces of the Realm whose Laws are as Gods are from meer mans divers from all people who keep not the Laws which yet they keep better in case of Tythes and some other things by far then the Nations own Lawyers Priests and People so that it cannot be for the Kings profit to suffer them though they are for all they carry neither sword nor spear the very Chariots of England and the horsemen thereof and therefore as modestly as he desiring if it may please the Powers that the heads of them may hang high enough for examples sake and the rest of the Race some way or other be destroyed and if not banisht at least for all their womanish complainings thereof punish'd and imprison'd which they by their tumultuousness pull voluntarily on themselves as such whose lyes deceits wickednesses hypocrisie are testimony enough of their non-perfection to us quoth I. O. who rakes in what reports the rude multitude raises on them prints them out makes such ill use to himself of the ill doings of some that fall from the light whose miscarriages are less own'd by them that stand in it then by any as to saddle the wrong horse and among many others as unreasonable as himself in that for the sakes of such as turn from it to speak write and act no little evil against the Truth it self And whether I. O. who keeps such a scraping of their Divine Inspiration in honour of the old Prophets who are long since in their Sepulchres and Tombs which the old Scribes garnisht and of the Apostles Paul Peter c. to whom the latter Scribes together with their pictures upon them have devoted high pillars at Rome and beautiful Temples and Colledges c. call'd after their names throughout Christendome who were as all persecutors still are the Seed and Children of such as flew them and thinks if he had been in the dayes of those his Fathers he would not have been a partaker with them in their blood who yet is now helping to fill up the measure of the Chief Priests who were ever the chief persecutors of Gods People that wrath may come upon them at last unto the uttermost would not indeed have done the same things to them had he been coataneous with them that he hath done to their Seed and Successors in faith life light doctrine motion mission and conversation in these daies I for my own part know so well that I need none to tell me but as for I. O's part who yet knows neither himself nor others nor the Ancient nor the modern Prophets and Apostles nor the false in these dayes from the true nor any thing yet as he ought to know it I wish him singly to consult with that of God in his Conscience to which I appeal which will give him to know it as truly as I do So then it s not for want of Prophets that our great Professors are so unprofiting nor of men divinely inspired to call them to
other your absurdities put together for I â—row whence or from what Church Principle Ground Foundation comes that Faith according to the Analogy of which ye are to conform in your interpretations of the Scripture it must be either the Infallible Chair and bottomless pit of mens dunghilly Traditions which is the Foundation of the Church of Rome and her Faith which Foundation Church and Faith that 's built on it ye would seem in words at least to deny or else the Infallible Light and Spirit of God in the heart which the Letter came from and the Qua. according to the Letter and together with it call men to and are themselves as to their Faith founded on whom together with their Faith which stands not in mens words writings nor thoughts but in that Light which is the Power of God and that Foundation of it also with no less but a little more detestation ye deny or else the Scripture it self which as much as ye live by yea by Popish Tradition in many things as the Papists do yet in words ye own Now the two first being denyed this last is the Rule of your Faith according to the Tenor and Analogy of which the Churches Faith which ye must interpret Scripture by is to be framed and conformed See then your most abominable confusions and rounds ye run in 1. You have the Scripture before which the true Faith was delivered to the Saints a 1000 years which Scripture is the Foundation of your Church Faith whereby ye might see were ye not blind that your Church and Faith has not the same Foundation as the true had Next you have a Faith which must be squared by the best interpretations ye can make of that Scripture alias a common stock of Divinity that stinks as the blood of a dead man that hath no life in it Then again this Scripture by the Analogy of which as the Church interprets it your Churches Faith is to be framed must be bent to and interpreted by the Analogy of that Faith which was thereby framed So Riddle me Riddle me what 's this Round of our reasonless Rabbies 1. The Scripture is the Rule of our Faith say they according to our Churches interpretations of which her common Faith must as to the Articles of it be framed and conformed 2. The common Faith is the Rule according to the Analogy of which the Scripture must be interpreted and all our Expositions of it framed and conformed Oh the bruitish brainy notions of our of our Brittish Nation A false Faith about personal Election and Reprobation about All 's signifying some men only and every man only a few being framed in Iohn Calvins fancy upon his miserable mistakes and misinterpretations of the Scripture Scilicet ever since All Scripture must be interpreted according to the Analogy of that false Faith â—â—a ferunt circum-feruntur T. D. J. O. R. B. J. T. Ignoramus Smâ—ctimnuus and others The Blood of Christ cleanseth us in presenti from all sin that 's the guilt say they not filth of it though the very phraâ—e imports otherwise cleanse your selves from all uncleanness of flesh and spirit that 's not as the Letter imports All indeed but All gross iniquities we must have our infirmities while we live here and and if he meant them he commanded impossibilities which the Apostle did not He that sinneth is of the Devil he that 's of God sins not that 's not as the word Amartanei nemine câ—ntradicente imports but it must be expounded by the other phrase Amartian Poiein operam dare peccato c. which Amartian Poiein but that they stretch it out upon the Tenters is no more then Amartanein for he that sins does sin and he that commits sin does no more and does so much as that while he does sin he is as Christ said Iohn 8. a servant of it and not of Christ in that they do no iniquity that is not as the Letter impâ—rts but they do none as the wicked do it that is with all their might but more moderately Perfection that 's only such an uprightness and sincerity as respects all Gods Commandments whether they be kept or broken saved from sin is from the dominion not being of it while we have a being here it hath not potestatem dominandi nor damnandi but operandi bellandi captivandi only led Paul captive while he liv'd to the Law of it so that with his flesh he served it but it domineers not damns not because the mind approves it not while the flesh commits it if it chance to be murder and adultery as that of David whose heart was upright say they though the Scripture excepts him from uprightness in that case and therefore iustified quoth T. D. alias held guiltless O Criss-Cross while under the guilt of it being weak and temptation strong and an hundred more such fetches do our formally holy Fathers find wherewith to feed up themâ—elves and their failing Flocks from fainting under their â—â—â—lest faults minifiâ—d into the name of Saints infirmities Thus they swim up and down in their non-sensical senses and notions so that nothing must be taken as the words import but when a meaning serves their licenticus turns and then they urge the words import it so one while it must be as the phrase imports other whiles it cannot be so but otherwise then the Letner imports it for then the Scripture so it seems indeed to the Owls and Batts whose eyes dazle at the Light it came from so that they see more by night then by day would contradict it self and be at variance and disagree within it self and cannot approve it self to their own understandings without the mediation of their own meanings and interpretations and therefore they must reconcile it to it self though they are at never so much odds among themselves and each man within himself about this matter of setting it to rights even one saying this is the meaning the other that a third in my opinion it is so a fourth I think it must be either so or so but which he determines no more then T. D till they have reconciled it into nothing but an irreconcileable enmity with it self and an occasion of irreconcilable enmity about it between themselves And this I know not only as one of those that now see in the Lords light their dotage herein and the wrong and crooked wayes wherein they are at work to set that to rights and strait which is so already in itself if they could let it alone without wresting it into constructions as crooked as they are in their conversations but as one that was once as busie as the best of them in the same blind fruitless frothy work of beating the brains about the meaning of this and that which the Spirit only reveals to the poor in Spirit and not to the proud haughty Scorner that dealeth in proud wâ—ath against the righteous having been my self when I was where they yet
as are made Ministers by gifts of God from above and not such as buy their gifts at University that they may fell them again to be both needful useful and profitable both to the turning people of the world to the Light Word within that thereby they may be begotten into Christs Nature and also to the edifying of the Saints in their faith in that Light till they come up into the measure of the fulness of Christs stature a state which ye deny to be so much as attainable in this life so far are ye from building any up into it neither as much as we are call'd to cry out against you as all the true Prophets ever did against the hireling Priests do we at all cry down such gifts or gifted men as God gives to his Church but wot you well that your selves are the men who are found fighters against such who making the Gospel a meer trade to live on ingross that trade wholly to your selves and make every man a Teacher that has been train'd up at University and can handle his tongue well to talk for the Priests and Tythes though never fitted for that holy calling by the gift of Gods Grace or good life witness the general blindness and bruitishnâ—ss of the Brittish Priesthood but own no men as true Teachers but Deluders and Fanatick that in their Ministry do but pretend to be immediately gifted and guided by Gods Infallible Spirit And whereas we say that Christ Iesus receives gifts for all men even for the rebellious also and that no less then this gift that the Lord God may dwell in them if they look to him in his Light in which he draws nigh unto every man yet contrary both to us and that Text out of which you talk which compar'd with that Paul alludes to Ps 68 18. betokens such gifts for the rebellious do you deny All men to have so much as the least measure of such light as however attended to can lead to God oe to witness Gods dwelling in them The eighteenth is from Eph. 1.17 where Paul prayes That God would give them the spirit of Wisdome and Revelation of the knowledge of him that the â—yes of their understandings might be enlightned The Opinion of the Qua. say they of each mans light in him a sufficient safe rule and guide in his way to God makes it unnecessary to pray for the Spirit to enlighten mens eyes in the knowledge of God therefore indeed it is impious Rep. Who would think men should be so blind unless they wilfully shut their own eyes having some grace some measure of light renders it needless it seems by these Seers to pray for more and praying for more and more of Gods Spirit Light and Grace supposes it seems that there 's yet none at all and so upon this account the Church of the Ephesians as yet had no illumination by the Spirit any more then the rest of men because there was prayer made that they might be enlightned and David had none of Gods Spirit because he prayes to be established more and more by it and the humble have none of that Grace of God at all which is sufficient because they may have and God promiseth to give them more What fâ—ivilosity is this for Divines to be found in The nineteenth is urged from Psa. 19.12 Who can understand his errors In brief to this effect No men understand their errors therefore each mans Light in him is not a sufficient and safe rule and guide to him in his way to God Rep. If the falmists Interrogation affirmative concludes negatively and exclusively of any mens having any sufficient Light then it concludes universally also against All mens having any such light and so upon this account the Saints themselves are excluded as having no such Light as well as other men sith according to R. B. and I. Ts. sense on that place they understand not all the errours of their lives but R. B. and I. T. will not deny but the Saints have some measure of such Light and therefore why others have not though they use it not that ignorance of all their errors notwithstanding is more then these two men can give any good reason for The twentieth from Act. 17.30 runs thus God commands all men every where to repent of their ignorant worship of him therefore each mans sight in him is not a sufficient guide for him to go by in Gods worship Rep. From which premises I contrariwise conclude thus viz. therefore all and each man every where though few heed it hath a sufficient Light in him from God as the Heathen had though they glorified and worshipped him not according to that Light and knowledge of him they had Rom. 1.19 c. to guide him aright in Gods Worship who commands no impossibilities nor injoyns any man to worship him otherwise then answerably to what of himself and of his Will is by his own light made manifest in him The 21. is from Prov. 3.5.6.7 Rom. 12.16 on this wise The Quakers Opinion concerning each mans own light in him makes men proud and lifted up and prudent in their own sight to which wo is Isa. 5.21 and to lean to their own understanding and not to depend on God for teaching them in his wayes therefore c. Rep. Cuius contrarium verum est If by own Light these men straggle so far from the Question in hand as to intend as they seem to do mans own wisdome chursâ—l thoughts conceits imaginations c. no men in the world call men more out of these things so plainly so earnestly so constantly as the Quakers do but if they be steady in their dispute as good Disputants ought to be ad Rem substratam to the matter debated which is some measure of the true Light of God and Christâ—s the calling to this is so far from making men lean to their own understanding and Independent on Gods teachings that there 's no man in the world can be said truly to be low emptied of self mean in his own eyes to trust in the Lord with all his heart and in all his wayes to acknowledge him to leave leaning to his own understanding to stand in Gods Counsel which woe to him who does not Isa. 38.1 to learn of God and depend on him alone for teaching to hear his voice c. though he scrape with the Scribes daily in the Scriptures themselves Iob. 5.35 36. till he betake himself to attendance to that which God sayes and shews in him by the measure of that Light wherewith God shines into his conscience Wo therefore unto these men that call Gods counsel mans conceit they are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight though in the sight of God and his Saints not yet weaned from their foolishness as they are also of that Generation that are pure in their own eyes though not yet washed nor believing that while they live here they can
not in Heaven within but on earth without so to him that stands as T.D. doth on his head with his heals upwards and his head down towards the Earth where his feet and heels onely should be as downward seems to be upward so does upward to be downward But so it seems to the great Whore that rides the Beast or that Woman that 's cloathed in Scarlet and for a time tramples the Holy City under feet Rev. 17.4.11.2 yet things seem no otherwise then they are to the Woman cloathed with the Sun who hath her head Crowned with the Starrs and all fading sublunary Glory and the Moon it self under her feet Rev. 12.1 As to T. Ds. trifling reply to what R H. urg'd from Heb 12 23. where Paul sayes the Saints were come to mount Sion the City of the living God the New Ierusalem into which let T.D. esolve himself whether any uncleannesse or defilement can enter from Rev 21.7 and to Myriards of Angels and to the general Assembly and Church of the 1st being whose Names are written in Heaven And to God and to Iesus and to the Spirits of Just men perfected with all whom let T. D. who sayes that place imparts not the perfection of any man on earth Resolve himself whether one dram of darkness or uncleanness can enter into Communion if 2. Cor. 6.14.15.16.17.18 and 1 Iohn 1.3.4.5.6.7 be true much more so as to make one body with them as T.D. Divines it doth as to that I say so far as it is fit to be replyed to G.W. hath done it whose reply stands unshaken by that feminine tempest or stood of impertinent words wherewith T.D. who sayes much to as litle purpose would seem to patch up a return and what G W said in short the body of Christ is perfect may be ventured among wise men to stand as it does against T D's little less then Blasphemous Counter-position that the body of Christ is not perfect for his particle yet whereby he mends that matter saying not yet perfect because some that belong to it are yet unborn this helps him not a tittle who holds with I O. the Scripture to have bin of old from Moses a perfect Rule and Canon I speak ad hâ—minem their own sense not mine whilst many books of it were yet not written and so I shall vouchsafe it no more then so and the rather because that reply of T D to G W was replyed to some months since but that it was neglected to be printed by such as were intrusted to see it done and whether it yet may or may not be printed before this of mine be out I cannot say Unspeakably much more might be said both in disproof of such Toyes as our Dâ—vines talk against it by and in proof of that possibility of a perfect living without sin before death then I shall here take notice of yet 3. or 4 things that are upon me I am free to give some small bint of T D tells us God will have us excercis'd in that work of mortifying sin while we live therefore lest we should have no more worke to do nor worlds to conquer there must be no full conquest over the world nor perfect mortification of the lust of it till we be dead so some tell us Gods Children would be proud if he should not keep them down corruption as well as affliction being a most effectual means to make ashamed God will leave as he did once Caananites to excerise the Israelites and he as Thorns in their sides some sins in his Saints unsubdued as long as they love to humble and prove them and shew them what is in their hearts and such like Rep. But I trow where would pride it self be which is none of the least sins if the Saints come by the Blood and Power of Christs Light and Grace which only humbles to be fully freed and cleansed from all sin and uncleannesse of flesh and spirit and to perfect holiness in the fear of God will not pride it self then be brought down as well as other sins and Humility alone be Exalted Some tells us from 1 Kings 1 48. The man lives not that sins not Rep We say that ther 's no man that lives who hath not sinned and as Iohn sayes he is a lyar that sayes otherwise of himself but because men have sinned and have sin must they never be purg'd is there a necessity that they who now have it and now sin must needs have it and must needs sin till they dye and if they may cease from sinning as our Divines also but that they forget themselves tell us they may yea must or dye for ever every tree lying for ever as it falls and there being no Purgatory after death I say if they may and must before they dye is it then unpossible that they should and if they may ne'r so little before they dye suppose a day a week a year leave sinning may they not by the same power and light live without it 2 3 or many years before but that as the plain truth is they are in love with it and loath to part with it till it parts with them and to take heed to that light and grace that is given of the Lord to lead them out of it to repentance from it and to learn them to deny it and to live without it Godly Righteously and soberly in this present world in which neglect the hands of the evil doer are strengthned by our dirty dawbers who tell them they must leave sin all sin little sins and yet to go round again that they cannot possible leave all while they live So strengthening the hands of the wicked that he can't return from his wickedness by such pleasing sing-songs and lullabies as these not a just man uppon earth that does good and sins not and the Saints have their infirmityes and David himself was overtaken with Adultery and Murder and yet stood accepted with God and was even when under the guilt of those gross sins not in a condemned but in a justified estate and Prov 29. who can say I have made my heart clean and such like Not heeding that though none can nor do we assert any such thing that we have any sufficiency of our selves to good yet alsufficiency is in God and his grace is sufficient so that God can if men look to him in his light make clean the heart and man a young man in whom youthful lusts are strong by the Power of God and taking heed to his way by his word in his heart may cleanse his way and so some do though they are but few nor does Who can say I am clean from mine iniquity not one Exclude all from cleannesse implying only as often such interogations do no otherwise then thus viz that few can for though an interogation affirmative of this sort for the most part concludes negatively yet not alwayes universally so but some are included in
what they will let earthly Kings set themselves Rulers take counsel together as they will it s in vain if against the Lord and his anointed Christ Jesus his Son in his Saints whom he will set as his King in the Conscience and in his holy hill of Sion But rather kisse the Son lest he be angry and ye perish for ever from the way of your own peace for if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they only that trust and hope in him Psal. 2. Contradictions and Rounds about the modern infallible teachings of Gods infallible Spirit III. As to our doctrine of the present guidance of Christs Church and Ministry by his own infallible spirit They tell us sometimes or at least yeeld to us when we tell them that at this day they only that are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God that if any have not Christs Spirit and the guidance thereof which is an infallible Spirit and guidance for we know no fallible Spirit that he hath nor fallible guidance that that Spirit hath which leads undoubtedly all men and Ministers that follow it and not the lustings of the flesh against it into no sin out of all errour into all truth being truth it selfe and no lye and that some there are now that are led of that Spirit and walk after it and not after the flesh as then there were Rom 8. Gal 5. By and by they finding themselves erring and contradicting one another and no betier guided in things of God then by their own thoughts uncertain conjectures crooked conceits whereby they crosse one another in their several senses meanings about the one mind of Christ in that one writing which they call their Rule because they follow their own flashy fancies and not the Spirit and measuring all others by themselves To go round again they tell us another thing and make it no lesse then a matter of meer pretence and high presumption not so much as safely to be supposed that a man should be now Theopnuestos divinely inspired or infallibly guided by Gods Spirit in these dayes as it that Spirit did not continue his infallible but afforded only some kind of fallible guidance to his Church Ministry now and led them as R.B.I.T. also say the Light within did the Heathen p. 68. in somethings well in most into crooked and dangerous wayes and that makes these men sometimes bid men Attend and sake heed to it sometimes again cane pejus et angue reject detest and take heed of it as I shall shew more by and by Witnesse I.O. in the places above talkt with where he talks down all Divine inspiration and guidance now a dayes by the infallible spirit as matters but falsely pretended to p. 5 6. 63. 167. c. And T.D. who denys his own Ministry to be infallible and thereby proclaming those to be but fools who follow it accuses the Qua of falsehood with a witnesse for once offering to affirm this truth that theirs which yet is truly Christs Ministry is infallible As quoth he to the infallibillity of their Ministry 3 Jurates of Sandwich will testifie that they did affirm their Ministry to be infallible Which if it were not say I I would yeeld our selves to be as very fools who suffer for it as those would be who also suffer for attending to it Contradictions Confusions Rounds concerning the large love and rich mercy of God to all mankind IV. As to the doctrine of Gods great grace universal love and rich mercy to all men they extoll it in their Proclamations of it one while as an infinite boundlesse bottomlesse Bounty matchlesse Mercy endlesse Large love exceeding rich grace lifting up their voyces among all people to this or the like tune O the rich infinite unexpressible unconceiveable incomprehensible love of God in Christ Iesus to all mankind to the whole world so hath he loved the world a sic without a sicut that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever beleeves in him might not perish but have everlasting life God sent not be Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved he is not willing any one of you should perish but that all should come to repentance and be saved in the acknowledgement of his truth Therefore Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters come and buy Wine Milke but without mony without price God is free of what he hath onely the Priests that have freely received and should as freely give give them their Fees let them have Money and Price and Pay and Augmentations and Maintenance enough God looks for nothing Come unto Christ all ye that labour and are heavy laden here 's rest for all your souls The Spirit and the Bride say come and who ever will let him come and take of the water of life freely Obje Oh but we are sinners will God own us Answ Art thou a sinner then who ere thou art thou art one of those Christ came to save become to save that which was lost to take away the sins of the world Obj Oh but we are great sinners wicked wretches such as never were the like multiplying sins transgressions is there any hope for us Answ If we confesse our sins he is faithful and just to forgive them pardoning iniquity transgression and sin Christ hath received gifts for the rebellious he tasted death for every man he is a propitiation not for some only but also for the sins of the whole world He opens the door of salvation to all His tender mercies are over all his works he delights to magnifie his mercy above all it rejoyceth against judgement Come all and welcome none shall be cast off in any wise that come to him he would have all to come he is not willing that any should perish Behold I bring you glad tydings of great joy to all people a Saviour is borne unto them from God there 's peace proclaimed good 〈◊〉 towards men Though they are enemies to him by wicked works yet God is in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing trespasses to any that will be reconciled unto him He swears that he hath no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth but had much rather that the wicked should turn from his wickednesse and live and therefore he hath sent his Son a Light to the Nations and so to be his Salvation even to the ends of the earth and this he also declares to men as his good will to them all and calling to all to look to him and be saved universally freely truly without mockage tendering peace to all offering salvation to all men intending no otherwayes then he sayes that every individual that turns to him shall have it and hath wrought in them to will and to do and now would have them will do hath given every one a Talent in which Trading he shall