8.20 to the end and in all ages entering into holy souls made them friends of God and the Prophets Wisd. 7.27 And so thy Fancy and Falsity falls to the ground who speakest as if Christ as Christ the Wisdom of God and true Light of the World did not enlighten any before that Ensaâ—co sun as thou speakest or appearance of him in that flesh that died at Ierusalem for he was in the being of a true light to the World though slain as a Lamb in men from the very foundation thereof and such as walk'd in the beames of that which came from him came up to the sight of his day and glory with rejoycing as Abraham and others did Isai. 6. and was the Christ or Anointed One of God to the doing of his Work and shewing of his Will in the World before any Letter was written of him and before he assumed to himself that outward appearance wherein he died or else how did Moses suffer the reproach of Christ in his dayes who lived so long afore that body ye only know him in was born and how did Christ preach by his Spirit in Noahs dayes if there was no Christ then come 1 Pet. 3.2 and was the same light that he now is to the world and so it is said in the Text thou so much talkest on but that thou readest it at randome as thou dost the rest for it s said that was the true Light in praeterito which enlightneth in presents every man that cometh into the world that which was the light before his coming in that flesh that is the light which now enlighteneth as it did then every man and that that it was it ever will be O On kai O En kai O Erchomenos Rev. 1.8 he that before then was come and then came and is come and comes and is to come from the beginning to the end the first and last the light of men and life of such as will be lead by him to it the only way for all that have life to walk in whose light all they that hate love death Yet if it were so as God forbid for then what became of not only the rebellious part of the world but of Abell Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob c. were it so as thou sayest that to the greatest part of mankind to wit that whole part so thy words import that died before Christs coming into the World which thou countest but from the period of some one thousand six hundred years upward this saying that the true light enlightens them relates not I wonder what light thou deemest then they were enlightened by if not the true Light for God is the true Light and the Spirit is the true Light and if thy Letter were the true Light which it rather only came from yet those who lived before that had it not or were they enlightned with any accidental false corrupt light for such a One thou speakest of in the foregoing Section saying Christus est lux non ill â— accidentalis corrupta de qua loquimur Christ is light not that accidental corrupt light of which we speak where if by We thou meanest thyself and thy fellows tell us what light that is but if thou mean thyself and the Quakers what e're thou speakest of I know no such Monster as a corrupt light that the Qua. either own or speak of for they own and know no other light whatever may falsly pretend to that name of light then that which is pure uncorruptible and uncorrrupted 2. However if no man till about one thousand six hundred years ago were enlightened by Christ the true Light yet it 's enough for us that thou grantest every man to be enlightned by Christ the true Light since that time let them before stand or fall to their own Master the Quakers call men to that Light they are now enlightened withall and that every man is enlightened by his coming into the world at that time thou affirmest from the Text taken thy own way and dost not hitherto in thy own interpretation of it deny though afterward thou denyest it with a witness and T.D. too who witnesse both to that same false senâ—e upon the Text before hinted at and now to come under consideration and it is this Ex. 4. S. 24. He horum verborum sersus est cum omnes homines essent merae tenebrae c. Tois quoth I.O. is the sense of these words when all men were meer darkness and blind to heavenly things the Son of God the eternal Word the eternal Light coming into the world sent the holy Spirit to enlighten Some of these men that were by nature darkness and so was made the Light of them Respondemus ideo quoth I.O. per omnem hominem non omnes singulos intelligi debere sâ—d quâ—s vis tantum c. hoc est Syncate gorema istud Omnis non absolute sed relate ad electos dicitur prout aliis locis innumeris usurpatur c. By every man not All and every individual person must be understood but Some only All is not spoken absolutely of All but with relation to the Elect as it is used in innumerable other places Col. 1.6 c. And Ex. 4. S. 13. Christum non amnes singulos sed quosvis tantum hoc est electos luce hac peyfundere atque salutariter illuminare ita certum est ex innumeris Scripturae Testimoniis emnium seculorum experientia ut caecus sit opporret omni spirituali intelligentia destituâ—us qui contrarium vel unquam somniaverit That Christ doth not with this divine light indue and enlighten All and every person but some only that is the Elect is so certain from innumerable Testimonies of Scripture and the experience of all Ages that he must needs be blind and destitute of all spiritual understanding that shall ever so much as once dream to the Contrary And S. 17. Christus nulla sub consideratione lumen salutare omnibus singulis ir dulsit Christ under no consideration both vouchsafed Saeving light to Aâ—l and every man In these and the like expressions we have I.Os. both opinion in this point and his sense on this place and his meaning on this Clause every man and in all this T D joynes in one with him against the Qua. both as to the universality of the saving Light of Christ whom God hath as the Qua. truly assert according to Isai. 42.6 49.6 given for a Covenant to the People for a Light to the Nations that he may be Gods Salvation to the ends of the earth And the same strait-lacing pinching and particular sense he puts upon those most universal terms All and every man in that place Iob. 1.9 and many others witness his Answer to R.H. who truly told him thus the Scripture sayes Everyman and thou sayest But some Who shall be believed Thou or the Apostle thou makest John a lyar No such
corruption And if purchase may be granted to be meritorious of what is purchased he that useth a lower ministration 1 the Office of a Deacon well purchaseth to himself saith Paul,1 Tim. 3 A good degree and great boldness in the faith in Christ Iesus and he that will entertain holynesse and Christ when he knocks to come in deserves to have the Devill and uncleannesse driven out by him whose work it is to destroy the works of the Devill and the very end of his comming into the World as till a man does he deserves the Devill should dwell in him still as he must do and not Christ because 〈◊〉 existens proh betalienum And as to the last Query about which T.D. would be instructed as I see he had need I say no corrupt nature deserves totall freedom but the holy nature which is in bondage to the corrupt nature which is the enmity and to be slain and never reconciled for it is the Devills that deserves to be freed from the other that usurps over it as Esau did over Iacob a while the heir of all and as the seed of the woman deserves to be delivered from the enslaving seed of the Serpent And as for the Spirits renewing our nature but in part at 〈◊〉 that 's true but every part of that renewed nature is perfect and perfectly renewed in a measure and not partly renewed and partly corrupted as I shewed T.D. above every part of that which in its nature is perfect being truly perfect as the whole is So having totally taken away two of T. D's miserable mistaking answers to two of the 4 above named Scriptures whence we disputed with him the justification of Saints by the gracious works of Christ and his Spirit in them and not those in Christs Person onely it matters not much now I am gone abroad from following the first I began upon fully to an end if I fall upon that in Tit. 3.7 and make as quick a Riddance of his gracelesse answer to that and thâ—n I shall have no more to do but go to an end with that in I Cor. 6.11 which I am a little digres't from proceeding in for a while and with that I shall make an end for altogether as to this time with T.D. about the way of our justification by the holynesse righteouscesse and grace of Christ as inhaerent in us Our Argument is much what the same yet somwhat stronger then T.D. relates it p. 24. viz. that the grace of eternall life being that grace which ver 5. though oppos'd to the works of righteousnesse which we work of ourselves without the Spirit yet is the same that 's otherwise call'd washing of regeneration and the renewing of the holy spirit it follows that we are justified by the washing of Regeneration and Spirit of Christ within renewing us To this T. D. saying in word I am much mistaken in deed mistakes himselfe much more in his semi-demi answering thus viz. that grace there is meant not of Sanctification but of the savour of God which is manifest in the donation of his Son to us imputation of his Righteousnesse and acceptance of us as Righteous in him Rep. What a messe of gracelesse grace is here of T. D's making here 's grace with a witnesse almost all manner of grace mentioned as materiall and of moment in the matter of justification but one which is of so much use that all the rest are in a manner uselesse till it come in and which makes all the rest grace so that to say no more then then truth they are no grace to us before it or without it and that viz. Sanctification while others are included is onely and alone excluded Poor Sanctification it s set aside it s thrust out still from entring the lines of Communication among its fellows T. D. stands against the dore so that if he may Rule the Rost men shall be in favour with God and contrary to what Divines commonly say when they say as they do all that Sanctification manifests Iustification and the favour of God have it manifested too in the donation of his Son to them the imputation of his righteousnesse and acceptance of them as righteous in him and so consequently a Title to the inheritance the Kingdome Glory and all the good that heaven affords to all eternity but washing Regeneration Sanctification Renovation by the Spirit Sanctification and Saâ—vation from the sins which sins deserve the wrath the curse and the condemnation which Salvation from the sins alias Sanctification must be before any well grounded hope of escaping the codemnation curse and wrath to come can be had this latter sort of grace is shut out for a wrangler by the wrangling contenders against the truth who had rather obey unrighteousnesse then it and their lusts then him they call their Lord and Saviour and must be none of the ingredients among the company of causes of mens acceptance with God and being accounted Righeous by him but if they be not Righteous and Holy must be counted to be so without it and if they be so must be counted so by that which resides in another person by which till it come into themselves they are not made so and without it by the being of which as in themselves and not as in another they can onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be truly made and really become Righteous and Holy and so that grace which mainly if not onely as it is a gift gives the proper name and nature of grace to all the other grace may say of it self cum nemo extru di potest itur ad me when none ought to be excluded as not meant where every grace God is mentioned in the Gospell I onely am left out alone and they seek my life also But Go too T.D. thou must not have thy wicked will in this wise against Gods about this thy so bold a bolting out of this grace of Sanctificatin from concomitating and concurring together with faith which is but a part of it the whole Series of the particular graces of which generall grace of Sanctification are all fruits of the Spirit in the matter of our being counted just in the sight of God But as blindly buisy as thou art to tell us in a far other sense then Paul does that if it be of grace then not of works and if of works not of grace yet I must tell thee that albeit it be of grace and as Paul sayes truly Rom. 11. and in this 3. Tit. 5. not of works of Righteousnesse which we work in our own wills wisdom and strength in obedience to the Law without Christ and the Spirit who onely can conform us to it and fulfill it in us otherwise grace indeed is no more grace but it being of grace that kind of work is no more work Yet it is not so of grace as that the fruits of the Spirit Sanctification Washing Renewing and the works of Christ in us are excluded
p. 9. the figment and imagination of whose hearts are the foundation of all they speak And this I as readily grant they are not to be deemed as thine T. Ds and some other mens are who in your private narrow conceptions and thoughts of things thrust out what yee tkinke feign and fancy still to be truth though nothing so about both the Scriptures and many other matters for they are true Scriptures of holy publick spirited men who wrote or caused to be written what was known and surely beleveed Luke 1.1 at least among Saints who were no liars if not all at the immediate motiâ—n of the Spirit they declared the things they had seen heard and witnessed within themselves to be the truth even when they wroâ—e from others in matter of Doctrine Prophesie or so and in Chronicle either immediately or from more credible testimony then I.O. and T.D. when they write at all adventure upon leastly hear-sayes from very goâ—d hands when the matters are in point of fact many if not most of them very lyes And in this sense thou strivest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be taken which thou sayest some think is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 19 20. and one Copy read◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an evident error or mistake without ground and much more ado then needs thou there makest to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denote the writing of the Scriptures to be by men that were moved by the publick Spirit of God and not by mans private Spirit nor at his will but Gods which I grant and a little more too whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie so much or not viz. That it neither is to be interpreted now it is so given forth at the Will of man or by mans private spirit or by our own coâ—siâ—â—ration of its sense and meaning p. 21. which sense I see thou wouldest fain exclude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from bearing or having in any tollerable sense affixed to it and I cannot blame thee as thy principles are for else thou who deniest the presence and guidance of the infallible Spirit to all men in these dayes must cut off thy self and fellow Doctors Divines and Expositors of the Scriptures from medling much by your own conceptions thoughts understandings and wills to interpret open or give your senses and fancies on them by which craft you have your wealth but only alone by the publick Spirit of God which gave them out and only knows his own minde and meaning and reveals it to those that walk therein and not after the flesh as ye do For we saith Paul of himself and those Ministers have the minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2. So I give thee thy sense and more then thou wouldest willingly have as concerning the intâ—rpreting of the Scripture which men in their private thoughts are not to expound nor yet to deem it as meer private mens Writings Howbeit none of all this comes out of this place so clearly as thou conceivest for it speaks not of the Letter and Writing so much as thou in thy private spirit interpretest it to do but of the Truth or holy things written for whereas thou who doest not see that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one thing and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is another takest the Prophesie of Scripture it intends the Prophesie it self that was as to the summe of it written but not the Writing that is of it which Prophesie whether written by the hands or spoken by the mouthes of holy men of God who live in the Spirit was not to bee interpreted as the written or spoken Doctrines of private men that speak and write from the conceivings of their own narrow private spirits the figment and imagination of whose hearts is the fountain of all they utter write or speake but as the undoubted infallible eternal truth of the living God made manifest in them which they wrote and spoke forth as moved by Gods publick holy Spirit 3. That the Letter Scripture or Writing ' or Copies of the original Texts as ye have them at this day are that Word of God called there the Word of Prophesie v. 19. 4. That they are a more sure Word in their evidence to us at least though not in themselves then any voice from heaven whatever yea then Gods own if hee should speak to us from heaven or then that voice by which hee spake from Heaven which Peter James and John heard when they were with Christ on the holy Mount 5. That the said Letter of the Scripture is the light said there to shine in the dark place of mans hearts with an eminent advantage to its own discovery as well as unto the benefit of others All which three last Assertions I not only deny to follow from this Text as I did the two first which yet I deny not the Truth of but do as much deny them all three or any one of them to bee Truth at all as I do absolutely deny all or either of them to bee possibly by any sound reason to bee deduced or inferred from this place and likewise affirm that measure of the Light and Spirit of God and Christ in the hearts and consciences of men which we bear testimony unto to be the more sure word of Prophesie and Light here testified to by Peter And the grounds of my denial of the one of these viz. That the Letter is it and of my affirming the other viz. that the Light is it are clear from two or three clauses of the Text it self which are proper and the very import of the phrases and truly and plainly agreeable to the Light or Spirit or Word of God within but not a tall true or proper or in truth agreeable to the Letter without if predicated thereof for First it is as much as I.O. jeers at the verbum seu lumen internum said to be the Word and Light within and so the Letter without is not if it were either the Word or the Light therefore it cannot bee the Letter ad extra which I O. labours for against the Light and T.D. also who p. 45. of his 1 Pamph. cotâ—s this same Text 2 Pet. 1 19. affirming the Scripture to be the sure word of Prophesie intended here but the Light ad intra wee stand up for against them both that which is said to be within is not intended of a thing that is without only as the formal Letter or the Scripture is formally considered according to its proper name and nature as I.O. dreams or that proper essential form quae dat effeci per quam Scriptura est id quod est which gives to it that very being whereby it is what it is but of something that is really within as the Light only is which the Litera scripta or Letter without declares of And that not the Letter or Scripture formally considered but that Word of God only and Divine
earth and sate on the many waters peoples multitudes nations and tongues with whom both Kings and inhabiters of the earth being drunk intoxicated with the wines of her wisdom have committed fornication run a whoring from the wisdom of God divided and dividing the people that profess the name of Christ without his nature respectively into three PPParts Rev. 16.14.19 Rev. 2.20 21 22 23. Rev. 17.1.2.15.18 viz. 1. Pope and his carnall crue of Cardinals Mount Seniors Priests Iesuits Monks Friars of all sorts and all the other sorts of his spirituall men and women which are enough to weary one to read much more to reckon them all up in writing 2. Arch-Prelates Prelates Deanes under which name I.O. was lately the onely man in England till removed that stood denominated whose Popish Traditionall Title was Dean of Christ-church in Oxford an Officer that Christ never instituted in any Church that he constituted Deans and Chapters and all that hang on that Hirarchy in the fall of whose Spirituall Courts Tithes went down too as to the way of Recovery of them by any law from any that are not free to pay them if our wise Statesmen who sate at the Stern once had been made willing in their time to see what they saw before their fun was setting 3. Presbyters Parsons Vicars Curats and all manner of spirituall persons and their Officials Clerks Sextons c. depending still together with some that were once Independents as none of Christs but nationall messengers for nationall stipends Which said three swarms of Locusts who love the dark smoak they came out of more than the light which dispels it have covered over the whole European â—â—â—th and more too in all corners of it and have what they could withheld the wind of Gods spirit from blowing upon the earth that themselves might eat up the good things thereof and none of Christs spiritual ones appear to hinder them Rev. 7.19.3 But also even among those that truly pretend to it such as pretend falsely to the foresaid inspiration yet do not thou dream that because among these by Gods permission as a snare rained down on Ps. 11.6 and a stumbling-block laid in the way of the wicked that are disobedient Ier. 6.21 1 Pet. 2.8 there arise some false Prophets therefore God himself hath no Time ones for if he hath as so sure as thou hast clothes on thy back he hath many more than thou art yet aware of thou wilt get little by that fond conceit fith as thy self truly sayest Those whom God 〈◊〉 send are to be received on the same 〈◊〉 on which the other are to be refuse i.e. n paine of Damnation Neither deceive thy selfe so far I.O. any more as to make and imagine it such an unwonted wonderfull impossible matter as in a manner thou dost that even in these dayes men and women too should as of old they were be moved and inspired both to speake and write by the holy Spirit howbeit 't is true there are times of Gods going away and returning to his place withdrawing hiding himself his face in a little wrath for their forsakings of him from his own seed as it hath fell out for ages and generations together even 1260. years at least wherein all the inward Temple worship and worshippers therein lay wast and trodden down by the Gentiles or Nations that have had it given them so to do to glory in that name of Christians without any true Christianity and in literall formes and observations of externall Ordinances according to the letter which they have not kept to neither but abominably corrupted themselves in the use thereof and made void by their own tradition without either of those two witnesses the Word and Spirit which have been much more then the letter abused and depressed into so low a condition as to speak low out of the ground and whisper out of the dust and bear their Testimony fiting in Sackcloth regarded and attended to but by a few to which yet God is now giving power again to open their mouths and to devour their enemies and to burn up all that hurt them and to smite the earth and the dwellers in it that rejoyce and make merry over them with all Plagues as often as they will yet thereis a time of his returning to his own again and of being found of them that seek him and of his appearing to all those that love and wait for his appearing to their joy though the shame of their adversaries and of bringing forth the blind that have eyes and the deaf that have eares and of opening the eye of the blind and unstopping the eare of the deaf and causing the waters to break out in the Wildernesse and streams in the desert of pouring of floods upon the dry ground and making the thirsty Land springs of water and of speaking himselfe not so sparingly as before and of pouring out his Spirit on his Sons nad daughters Servants and handmaids that they shall prophesie and of revealing himself in Visions and of the heavens dropping down their dew and of preparing himself as the morning to meet such as follow on to know him that they may live in his sight Though therefore I.O. as little believes this as one of the Lords of King Ioram did Elishas Prophesie of so great plenty in Samaria after the wofull famine that came by the Syrians siege when an Asses head was sold for 41. and the fourth part of a kab of Doves dung for 55. and may come to see it with his eyes but not eat thereof because he saith as that Lord if the Lord make windowes in heaven can this be 2 Kings 7.1 2 17 18 19 20. yet such plenty of the Spirit of God shall be given out to them that believe in the light that out of their bellies shall flow rivers of living water and the spirit shall be a well of water springing up into eternall life and there shall be a measure of fine flower for a shekell and two measures of barly for a shekell and preaching and prophesying by the Spirits motions and writing by his inspirations shall be as good cheap as a measure of wheat for a penny and three measures of barly for a penny Rev. 6.6 and abundance of oyle and wine yea new wine that is now in the cluster which must no more be spoyled nor hurt nor destroyed by neither the great nor the little Foxes but we will be to them that hurt or hinder the tender grapes thereof for a blessing assuredly is in it Cant. 2.15 Isa. 65.8 Rev. 6.6 then shall the Asses heads be priz'd no more so high nor the Doves dung be sold so deare nor the chaff that hath been sold for wheat be so costly as it hath been nor any outward Excellencies which are but excrement with the spirit and the spouse who prize the Doves innocency above all that nor fleshly wisdome which is foolishnesse with God be
thereunto that he is comparatively to such â— one but as the â—east of the field that perisheth yet in the Fall he hath all that is Essential to him as a man and flowing ex principirs naturae But and this may be an Addition to the other Arguments in the Book if it be not touch't upon therein already Gods Law or Light in the consciences of all men which we call them to though given of God in some not the same measure at first to All so that universally every Individual or hath or hath had somthing of it yet through mans not using it well may he yet remaining Essentially a man be totally taken from him as the Talent from the sâ—othfull and darkness come upon him and be left to walk in utter darkness and to stumble in that dismall night of which its said then and of that time he that walketh in it knows not whether he goes and to stumble not only because he hates the Light as he did before while yet he had it but because now he hath it 〈◊〉 and because now there is no light left in him Of which Light and of its universality and sufficiency to save such as seek God in it and how it 's a supernatural spirituall gift and grace of God to all men where it is and not the naturall faculty of mans understanding only as our Opponents pittifulâ—y praâ—â—e to prove it is is most plainâ—y proved in the 4th Exeâ—citation from p. 49 to p. 194. and made more apparent in the Appendix also And when we assert the Ministry of Christ to be an infallible Ministry and the Spirit of God by which his Ministers are ever guided in the work of his Ministry for they are out of his Ministry or Service and in the Devils at that time who ever are at any time guided by any other is an infallible Spirit for God hath no fallible Spirit that we know of and that all the directions leadings and guidances of that Spirit are infallible which Spirit hath no fallible guidance as J. O. little lesse then seems to intimate he has that we know of and consequently that All who are led by that Light or Spirit are so far infallibly led and that all and only they are the Sons of God that are led by that Spirit of God and that God hath Children at this day in the world and so consequently that at this day his Ministers and Children who are all â—aught of God are infallibly taught as they attend to that Anointing that 's given to be their Teacher that leads into all truth which Spirit of Christ also whoever hath not as his teacher is none of Christ's Then they bely us as saying of our selves that we as of our selves as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as J.O. flouts are infallible Whereas we say no such thing at all of our selves nor of any men but that All men as in themselves and in the Fall are no more then fallible But because men in the Fall are fallible liable of themselves to erre still as they are erred already to their own ruine Therefore God in his love hath sent his Son a Light into the Nations So to be his Salvation to the ends of the earth to lighten them that sit in darkness and to guide their feet in the way of peace out of the crooked paths they are in in which who walks can never know peace and that the Light and Spirit of him who is the Light of the world the Lord that Spirit which is Truth it self and no Lye is lent as the Letter speaks of it to every man even that True Light that enlightneth every man that comes into the world given to lead him back infallibly unto God from whom it comes who can be known out of that no more then the Sun can be seen by any other Light then what shines from it self in which Light wherein he looks after the Lost whoever look after him are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall find that Salvation of which he says Look ye unto me and be ye saved All ye ends of the earth Of the Infallibility of which Light and Spirit and of its guidance of all Christ's Ministers and Children and of all men also so far only and no further then as they are led by it as of old so at this day there is much said in answer to those Ignes fatuos that fain the contrary in the 4 Exercitation from p. 1. to p. 47. And because we call on men as the Scripture does to perfect holiness in Gods fear and to cleanse themselves from all uncleannesse of Flesh and Spirit then which there is no more as a thing attainable by Christs grace and Power only improved as a thing not only Possible to be done here as God requires who calls not for Impossibilities from his People on pain of Eternall Punishment if they Perform it not but also needfull and necessary to be done here if they mean to do it at all sith as Themselves say with Vs against the Pope there 's no Purgatory in the World to come They commonly accuse Vs of saying in A Self-Vaunting Proud Disdainfull Vain-glorious Boasting Way over all other men of our selves that we are perfect and as J. O. impudently intimates that we impudently Glory in it that we are free from not only Hypocrisyes Fraud Wickedness Lyes which it seems he can't Glory yet that by the Grace of God he is yet free from but even from all other even the very least evils and so would have us have Punitiones Incarrationes Punishments Prisons c. for so saying Whereas we use not to bear Testimony to our selves but to the Truth of Carist and though by the Grace of God only We are what We are and His Grace to whom alone therefore We give the Glory and not to our selves who have nothing but what we have received and Glory not as some do in Sin and Shame nor boast as they do in evill doing of anything that 's Good As if we had not received it is not in vain so but that our walking is such that they can't accuse some of us Justly of the least Evills yet we Testify the Truth rather as a Doctrine to all Teaching not what our selves are what ere we are so much as what both We and All men should be and also may be by the Grace of God who is not wanting to us if we be not wanting to our selves and must be also viz. Deniers of all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and Godly Righteous Sober Livers in this present world or else it had been better men had never been born seeing for them that loose their day for it here it 's too late to begin that life in the world to come where there is no Purgatory nor place for Repentance though it shall be then sought carefully with Teares Pro. 1. Math. 25. Luke 13. In this Doctrine
Slaughter and Eternal Slavery for you not to Try their Talk First Who tell it you for Truth that there is now no Guidance of Christs Own Ministers by Christs Own Infallible Spirit They that Teach that their own Teaching is but Falible may easily draw all their Implicit Followers together with themselves into the Ditch Secondly Talk for Liberty of Conscience while they are under the Lash of others and for Persecution as soon as they can Climb to be Lords over all Thirdly That Affirm Christ's Righteousness Wrought in his Saints Persons by his Power and Spirit Serving to Sanctifie them too to fit them for Heaven to be of no other worth and worth no better Name and worse they cannot give it then that of unclean Dung Losse and Filthy Rags which Doctrine is Necessarily Deducible from T. D's Writing against the Quakers who yet sayes David even while Guilty of Adultery and Murder was not in a Condemned but in a Justified Estate Fourthly That where and while God Tenders Salvation Openly and Universally to All Men He Secretly Intends it but Particularly only to a Few Fifthly That that Light the Quakers Testify to which in Truth is no other then the True Light which the Life is which their own Rule of Scripture sayes John 1.9 Enlightens every man that cometh into the World Enlightens not every one but very few And is an Horrible Figment of the Quakers an Imaginary Christ as to Salvation in all Divine Matters Darkness Blindness it self and many more sayings of that sort under which they Scorn it as J. O. does and other Divines viz. R. B. and J. T. little lesse Sixthly 1. That the Letter of the Scripture is the only Sure Foundation and Rule of all Faith 2. That the said Letter is Variable and Varied and yet 3. That A thing that is Variable can be no Rule neither which is one of the many Rounds the Rabbies Run in Seventhly That Preaching of Perfect Purging and full Freedom from Sin in this world is a Doctrine of Devills so T. D. and Punishable With Prisons and other Paines so I. O. that there 's no Purgatory for purging away the Remnants of it as the Pope Falsly sayes there is in the world to come neither which Perfection of Holiness so far as to deny of all Unholiness and Salvation of Souls from Sinning is the meer End of Christs coming Matth. 1.21 the end of all Ministry that 's of his giving Eph. 4.11 12 13. the end of all the Apostles Writing willings of men to walk in the Light 2 Cor. 7 1. 1 Iohn 1.6 7 8. 1 Iohn 2.1 and of all true Faith or Beleiving 1 Pet. 1.5 And as it 's no Treachery in us to you nor others nor yet in you and us and all men to our selves to Try what 's Truth before we Trust Take and Talk for it much more Obtrude it as that Truth which must Subpaena as so be believed by Ali So it 's no lesse then time for us to Ask and put it to the Question among you Sith both cannot be so who are so Contradictory and if they be Right wee l own our selves to be wrong when once they prove it whether those who in Christs Name Minister the abovesaid Messes for Truth or the Qua. who in their Ministry Minister the very contrary and no less then the Infallible Truth it self be Christs Ministers So having in my time Born my Testimony as a Friend to the Truth against such as Tread and Trample it under Feet and Aâ—k'â— an Answer from that of God in All Consciences to which I Appeal to Judg between the Clergy and the Quakers who are in Truth I Sit down Satisfied in my Own Conscience in the Sight of God holding Love to All Mens Persons and Warr with nothing but Mens Wicked Works not knowing whether this may be the Last Time of Asking After which as to this way of Appearing in Print against the Pervertures of the Parish Priesthood I may for ought I know for Ever possibly hold my Peace Sam. Fisher. A Lamentation over Lost-Souls With a Word of Warning to All Kings Princes Parliaments Powers And People to Beware of Such Priests aâ— Uphold the Devils Kingdome by Pleading Contrary to the Scriptures of Truth A Continuance of Iniquity for Term of this Life A Necessity of Mens Transgressing of Gods Law while they Liâ—e in the World Or have any Abode in the Body IN th' Snare You Are Dear Souls I truly Know it And Wot I't Not yet there is That doth Shew it For First that 's Worst You are Beset with Sin Next Those are Foes without for That 's With in Who Preach yea Teach Yee cannot Live with out it Who Hint Live In 't yet shall Yee Live ne'r Doubt it Such Watchmen Catch men in Sins Snares not Out By Such how Much to take Sin lies at Scout Yâ—u In its Gin You 'l know when th' Light is Heeded Know'â— Now and How Christ Iesus is not Needed To Win from Sin if in it Souls can Thrive To Save from th' Grave if there Souls are Alive I Trow You 'l Know You Cannot Live in Sin When All Dy Shall who Live and Dy there in Wherefore before you Live You ought t' Eschew it Then Must I Trust even whilst you Live or Rue it Read This for 't is a Riddâ—e else in th' Light Heart Read for th' Head herein obtains no Sight It s Wis-dom Is too Dim this Depth to Enter Vn lesse you Guesse by th' Spirit which Dives to th' Center Give Ore no More your selves with Vain Hopes Cherish For Lie and Die in Sin who doth doth Perish But Lay Away all Weights Sins which be set you Abandon And shake off such Priests as Let you And Shun that Run you may with Saints that Race Which Brings with Wings from Sin to th' Holy Place To th' Place where Grace is Perfect Holy Sion The Mount where Count upon 't there comes no Lyon Nor Man that Can work Evil where the Pure In Heart leave Part Alone and their Right 's Sure For While You Stile those Saints who plead for Evil And Them Christ's Members who still Serve the Devil Nor Leave but Cleave to Them the Light ye Flee And Sure ye Pure as Christ is cannot Be. For Hire They Tire You out with Talk â—ut Know Their Words are Swords which will Souls Over throw Their Eyes toward Lyes are set Truth They Be spatter Time Serving Swerving still from God They Scatter They Sooth speak Smooth Charm Dawb Sow Pillowes Flatter Cry Peace where Peace is Not So ends this Matter Sam Fisher. A List of some of the Typographicall Mistakes THough in I. O's blind judgement it seems to Border on Atheism to say the same Fate as to Mistakes hath attended the Hebrew and Greek Text of Scripture in it's Transcribing as hath done other Books yet it seems to me upon that but Running Review I have yet taken thereof that the
it were not a little more strange then true for one here is though it be not yours is a very fair In-let to and by my conâ—ent might without much scruple usher in that old Antichristian Ministry and its pertenances here again as that which may stand welny with as much safety to peoples souls and give as good security and infallible assurance of its guiding and conducting them infallibly to salvation as your own can doe since that at the worst is little worse then fallible and your own by your own consent at the best is little better for it s much at one to me and other poor people of it what Mnistry stands here in England if in a case of such main moment and eternall concernment there stands none that by the Spirit of God are made in their ministrations infallible if there be no guides to be had save such as are fain to confesse they are but fallibly guided themselves or if in this case there be no other as the Proverb is then Hobsons Choice to be made which is chuse whether you will have this or none One blind guide being to me little better then another if others would be rul'd by me I would chuse none of that sort at all but cleave to the light and Spirit it selfe which is infallible and leads all that follow it into all truth for if the blinde lead the blind whether Papists or Protestants they must all at last into the ditch and if England must have an outward ministry and by no meanes will be made to own that ministry of the Qua. now among them which is of God seeing it is so that none of all those other she takes hold on in this day of her breaches saying thou hast cloathing be thou our Ruler in things of God Let this ruine be made up under thy hand that answer her any other then so as Isa. 2.6.7 I will not be an healer for in my house is neither bread nor cloathing I am not guided infallibly my selfe I am a deceivable erring man I dare not say my ministry is unerring make me not a Ruler of the people seeing I say there 's none to guide her assuredly among all her own Sons she haâ—h brought forth Isa. 15.18 Neither any that taketh her by the hand infallibly to direct her among all the Sons she hath brought up with great care cost and charge at her own Universities here at home but they are all at a losse within themselves mâ—ping up and down in a mist their Divinest Doctors confessing and declaring that to be justly come upon them which God aid should Isa. 29.9 to 15. viz. that its night to them they can't infallibly divine the vision of all is become as a book sealed to them they can't read c. Though I advise her not to give way to any of those guides yet she could have neither more nor lesse said to her if she should send for some of her own native Sons to come home and guide her that are brought up in the English Colledge at the Popes own charge at Rome it selfe But if she be resolved no more to be foold with a fallible ministry but will have one that is infallible as I would or none at all then if she mean never to bear the Popes Bag and Baggage in truth as she talks she will not let her take the infallible Spirit within for her guide and no man without but such as are guided infallibly by it which guides none fallibly that unfainedly follow it as thousands of Quakers do and if any seem to do it and do not they in so doing undo themselves but I know no other men call'd Ministers in all the world beside the Qua. that so much as pretend to infallibility but he that sâ—ts in the infallible chaire 7 Neither is our Doctrine of the light and spirits being the rule of the true faith and good life and not the externall Text or letter of the Scripture onely any fair In-let for the Pâ—pish Bag and Baggage for howbeit they take not the Text thereof to be their onely truest Touchstone most certain Standard and measure of Truth and Doctrines as we doe not yet that they take for their sure and certain Rule which we say with you is a manifold more fallible matter yea by an hundred degrees more fallible then the most falsified Coppy of the Scripture that ever yet came forth is something that stands more at Staves end and at a far wider distance from that aforesaid Rule of ours then from yours who for your Rule and Standaâ—d doe own no other then the Scripture by how much two things whereof the one is fallible the other infallible are further off each other by far then two things are both which are at most no more then fallible for the Light and Spirit of Christ which we onely do and all Christians ought to own for their standing Rule and trusty Teacher are iâ—fallible and will hereafter in the proper place for that be proud to be to But your professed Standard which is no other then that outward Text and the Papists which is no other then Tradition taken from that dark and worse then dubious Oracle viz. the erring miâ—d and mouth of their great Grand Ghostly Father excepting ever that this is far more fallible then the former i.e. then the letter are both but fallible Your Doctrine then who teach the meer Text which is but fallible as must anon be shew'd to be the most true Touchstone comes neerer to the Papists Doctrine who teach another thing to be the most true Touchstone which what ere you say of the infallibility of yours and they of the infallibility of theirs is at best but fallible and at worst but more fallible then yours is then ours possibly can do which is on all hands own'd to be infallible And howbeit the Scripture which lyes in the midway between us and Papists so that till they March so far towards us as to own it better then they do they and we are never likely to meet in one unlesse they can come ab extremâ— ad extremum from their ill extream to our true extream and misse the mâ—dium as they cannot howbeit I â—aâ— the Scripture and its honest owners are really neerer and dearer to us then they and their most trusty traditions are which they take from their sore aid Oâ—â—cle yet is there not so vast a disproportion and diâ—agreement betwen â—uch owners as ye are of the Scripture for the only Rule and such as own that Treasury of Traditions that lyes lockt up in the Pope Breast as the only Rule as is between these Tradition-Trusterâ— and us who own as our only Rule the true light of Christ and the holy Spirit the inconsistency being not so much between your meer fallible lâ—tter and their more fallible chaire as it is between the most assuredly infallâ—ble holy spirit and their most assuredly fallible though supposed
Ye King a Requiem to your Souls saying with him Luke 12. Soul thou hast been disquâ—eted perplexed and intangled about these considerations as all men are more or less without exception how thou mayest be Reconciled and at Peace with God or have an attonment for that guilt which Super naturally thou art sensible of and how thou maist attain to true blessedness and come to the enjoyment of God and thou hast miserably groped up and down in the dark not able to â—â—me to any satisfaction what will become of thee in time to come and no way able to stand against the uncontroleable convictions of thy own self-condemning Conscience yet now Soul take thine ease eat drink and be merry there 's merit enough in store laid up in the Righteousness that Christ wrought in that single body of his that long since liv'd and died at Jerusalem for the sins of many years past present and to come so that there 's no need of any Righteousnesse to be wrought as in order to thy Justification and Peace with God in that sinful body of thine own it must may safely fith the Righteousness by which thou standst justified in thy sins as T.D. sayes David did in his murder and adultery resides without thee in another person â—â—n as long as it lives let the Popâ—sh Merit-mongers run when they have no good works of their own to their Treasury of the Saints meritoriâ—us gâ—â—d works the merit of which they buy of the Pope for money and by which they have indulgence and pardon for all sin for many years to come and let the Qua. run to that Righteousness they talk of which is to be wrought by Christ in the persons of men before ere they can be justified with God here 's that which shall administer to all and every one of us satisfaction as to all these things as Plenipotentiary to the quieting and calming of our spirits and cut off any further enquiries after such a thing as Goodness Righteousness Holiness though that of Christs own working as the Qua. say in our selves in order to our peace with God here 's that that gives us wherein to acquiesce and wherein we will be satiated viz The Doctrine of the Scripture which gives as glorious incontroleable a conviction of Peace with God by Christs Righteousness without us not within us as the Qua. prate as that Light in our Consciences they tell us of gives uncontroleable convictions of our sins there it s revealed to those say I the eyes of whoâ—e understanding are blinded by the God of this world that its Christ without and not Christ in us or else the Devil and his Doctors are blind say I which is the hâ—pe of glory and upon which we are lookt on as no Reproâ—ates So that O Soul I would not have thee to cry out of wrath and wo nor sing to thy self of Iudgement but of mercy to the Lord do thou sing yea I must needs cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have found an easie broad way to Life by applying the good of another to my self as mine as truely as if it were in me inherent so that I need not turmoil myself as some do and as the Qua. who cant beleeve that what Christ has is theirs till they see it conveyed and derived from him by way of participation to themselves We can beleive that all that Christ hath is ours though all that we have is our own and need not be forsaken for his sake I have found that without me which in vain the Qua. seek elsewhere as within them waxing foolish in their Imaginations viz. the businesse of attâ—nement reconciliation and acceptance with God which they are contriving to find by Christ within them to the producing of such horrible effects and fruits as tedious doing good and induring evill for their Tenets as we are loath to expose our selves toâ—â— What have they not done What have they not suffered What miseries extitusque infelices have not the Qua. puld upon themselves ubivis gentium quo impelluntur Fanatici by their faith and doctrines of Devils so I.O. of Qua. doctrines Ex. 3. S. 35.36 and T.D. and T. Rumsey of perfect holynesse in this life let them meditate terrour and dream of dread and bring themselves into Bondage we will cast these troublesome things far away from our thoughts though we do sin and he that commits sin is the servant of sin as they tell us yet whatever bondage we are in to sin we will not be under the spirit of bondage so far as to fear wrath or dread any danger so long as with such a glorious soul appeasing light which say I is the Devill transformed into an Angel of light in you the doctrine of satisfaction and attonement by the blood of Christ the Son of God comes in upon us This is that that astonisheth us another way so that we can't be astonish't nor afraid of any amazement about the matter of our our sins this conquereth all the Quaâ—â—â—s of conscience this ravisheth and satiateth our souls that though we may yea must sin while we liâ—e yet they have been already reckond for with one that is Our Righteousnesse without us though his Image is not formd nor his righteousnesse wrought in our selves This is the designed of the Apostles discourse to the Romans to prove justification by faith without works of ours by Christs righteousnesse imputed to us as ours to justification before it be infuâ—ed to our sanctification when the Devill is blind say I Oh with what glory and beauty to them that see so much as we do in the worlds glory and the lust thereof with what full and ample satisfaction this Doctrine breaks out this is that we looked for this is that we were sick for want of the knowledge of being wounded by the light of God in our consciences for our sins and withall in such love to them as to be loath to leave them or depart from them viz. to beare of a way or Saviour whereby to be sav'd in them and that we have now found and though we once câ—yed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and were at our wits ends feeling our selves sinking to hell yet this Christ without us without whom we also are feeling neither him us nor our selves in him this and not in the imaginary Christ of the Qua. within them is the stone by which we will stay our minds in as perfect peace as we can by putting away the sense of sin and the evill day far from us Ex. 2. S. 28. Dicat quod quis que volet ex hac opinionem non dimovebimur Though I say these things are in truth the sum and substance of your sayings the very Image proportion lively pourtraiture of your dead faith which ye count living and saving and justifying and what not Yet as the Lord lives you l find it dead even thou I.O.T.D. and your fellowes as well as we have done who
Paul means not in us but in Christ and so tell Christ he is in us enough to our justification if he be but in himself And as this last sense or senselesse meaning of T.D. who sayes by in us is meant not in us but in another as also that the righteousnesse that is in another i.e. Christ is in a sense too as good as â—on-sense i.e. by imputation Ours and in us for that which is fulfilled not in our persons but in Christ is according to T.D. in that Scripture Rom. 8. Said to be fulfil'd in us as if it had been inherent in selves I say as that distinction of T.D. concerning in us not meant in our persons but in Christ and by in Christ when fulfilling the righteousnesse of the Law is spoken of Ministers Latitude and liberty enough to our Ministers whereby to fence of and save themselves from truth so it lends Liberty and license more then enough to their Priestlike people to save themselves in their sins for what will many care what they do themselves if the Law be not to be fulfil'd in themselves by Christ but 't is enough in themselves fulfil'd to their justification if in Christ for them and as well as if it were inhaerent in them So though the Priests oft preach thus viz. he that made us without our selves will not save us without our selves yet fith they to the contradiction of themselves as oft unpreach it again saying he that made us without our selves will save us without our selves by anothers fulfilling the Law not in us but in himselfe for us their people will quickly cry hang sorrow and care and of their two selfe confusing doctrines cleave to that that 's next to them easiest and most fitting their turns and fall a preaching presently in their works the pleasing things their Priests who do docere faciendo faciendo do preach both in words and deeds he that made us will save us and shew us mercy without any goodnesse of our own If in another in us be and in us in another Wee 'l ne'er be good good deemd are we in this in that ith rather So having wiped out by the way that blot or blurr'd answer of T.D. to my Argument from Rom. 8.3.4 Seeing his answer to what we urge from Rom. 8.2 The 2d of the 4 Scriptures above said is as neer in kind to it for fillynesse as that 2d verse from whence we argue is neer in truth to the 3d and 4. He here make as short a dispatch and round a Reply to that too now I am about it Arg. The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free fâ—om the Law of sin and death saith Paul and say we the Law of the Spirit that is in Christ and in the Saints whereby the Saints are justified is the same therefore the work of the Spirit of Christ in us is the cause of our justification That place quoth T. D's p. 16. but I trow not is much against you for the Apostle asserts the holiness of mans nature as a work of the Spirit conforming it to the Law to be the meritorious case of our freedome from sin and death Rep. Thus far is son and not against us I am well assured for 't is no lesse then the very Cardinall truth we plead for against T.D. that the holynesse of our nature as a work of the Spirit conforming it to the Law is the deserving cause of justification for conformity to the Law cannot deserve condemnation but non-condemnation and so which is all one justification and if this be not enough on our side T.D. adds more let me add quoth he p. 17. that the Law of the Spirit of life here spoken of is not onely the meritorious cause of our freedom from death but from the Law of sin or obeying sin as a Law In all this I own T.D. whose Answer to my Argument is thus far as answerable that is as yeilding to it as I do desire But then T.D. whose manner it is often to give a thing and take a thing which is the Devils gold Ring as I have heard Children say when I was a Child doth not in all this give the cause to us so much but he thinks he gets it and carryes it away from us again as much in other parts and particulars of that his parti coloured answer But I hope we shall fetch it all again and no thank to him for his gifts and grants sith what he gives he would have it all again if he could tell how and he thinks he plucks much from us again 1st by saying thus viz. mark withall quoth he though I grant you the holynesse of mans nature as a work of the Spirit conforming it to the Law is the meritorious cause of our freedom from sin and death yet 't is not that which is in us but in Christ the Law of the Spirit and so the holynesse of mans nature I and Paul 〈◊〉 of is that in Christ and not that in our persons R. To which I Reply thus 1. What if I should answer T.D. that by in Christ is not meant in Christs person but in us 〈◊〉 ebâ—tlâ—â— â—â—lionis to serve him in his own kind for when we say with Pâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 4 that the righteousnesse of the Law is by Christ condemning sin in ou◠〈◊〉 to be fulfilled in us he answers us thus that by that Term in us is not meant in our persons but in Christ I might as well say retro that by in Christ is not meant in Christs person but in us adbomiâ—â—m it holds well enough till T.D. recants his own odde distinction of the same kind But as it s as unfound in itselfe as his is so T.D. is not yet come to bear it to be done to by us as he does to us and therefore I must sit him to a better answer 2. Then I Reply that thought the Law of the Spirit of life be in Christ yet not onely in him or exclusively of its being in the Saints but so as that from him and from his being in them it consequently and upon that account is in them also for Christ is not in any as their Righteousnesse in whom his Righteousnesse and the Spirit of life that is in him is not together with him also yea though it will not follow as thou fainest from the Saints being in Christ who were once sinners to their sins being in Christ together with them so the reasons above said where I told thee that men must leave their sins behind them and be by Christ divested of them before they can come indeed to be in Christ to whom no sinners while sinners are or can be united unlesse thou wilt contradict Paul who faith what Concord between Christ and Belial yet if Christ be in Saints who leaves nothing of his own behind him where ere he comes his righteousnesse holynesse and spirit of life is in them also But no more of
the remaining of so many Relikes of the Romish Whoâ—e among our English Clergy that they are still living in and loving the Skirts of that great Whores Scoâ—tations Indeed to say as T.D. doth of S.F. He hath been at Rome He had great Bills of Exchange from Constantinople thither He witnest against the Pope and Cardinal there yet was not medled with He saith he is above Ordinances He saith Iesuits and Friars are sounder in doctrine then those call'd the Reformed Churches He made light on 't when he was charg'd with Popery before 100ds of peâ—ple He affirm'd justification by our good works and such as doctrines are a fair inlet to the Papists Bag and Baggage therefore probably he complyes with the Pope and Cardinals hath a Pension from him and is manifestly a rank Papist These 7 or 8 piball'd Magpie premises and Humbâ—â— Bee propositions whereof some are true and some false may like so many Roaring Megs and Thundring Canons make such a hideous Rumbling noyse in a Country Church as they use to say as to frighten poor Folck out of their senses and force all Priest-bewitcht people whether they will or no into the faith of what followes at their heels as the conclusion they serve to usher in viz that S.F. is a fer-vent Factor for the Sea of Rome Neverthelesse there is no more Consequence in them though less Truth then if a man should argue thus where the Antecedent and Subsequent are both true though the one very untruly deduced from the other viz. The Wheelbarrow runs Rumble to Rumble Therefore the Clergy will never leave climbing up by lyes till down they Tumble The Second Apologetical and Expostulatory Exercitation CHAP. I. NOw I Return again to thee Iohn Owen whom excepting here and there with a word or two as occasion was I have not visited of a long time being by T. D. his interposings in this Question about Iustification which is excentrick from all the points in which thou encountrest the Quakers so totally taken off for many pages together from any steady discourse or any but meer cursory conference with thee that some men who measure others by themselves and take an account of the Quakers conjunctions with them in contending for truth by the cowardly spirits they carry in their own brests may Term it little lesse then shameful or total Tergiversation in me to tarry so long from thee and not so much as face thee all this while And now I am come to deal with thee I shall freely allow thee the advantage of the utmost assistance that T.Ds. Book against the Quakers and that of I. T. or R. B. also affords thee to help thee if need be at any dead list where thou art a stand in the Doctrines about which I have to do with thee which though some are more eminently to be canvased between us two then the rest which are but transiently toucht on by thee yet are no less then the five aforesaid viz. 1. The Letter 2. The Light 3. The Infallible Spirits present infallible guidance 4. The Universality or particularity of the grace of God to the Sons of men 5. Perfection of holinesse and cleansing from sin in this life In all which five whether in the selfe same order as they are here laid down in or no I cannot say nor is it much matter for that as I am first or last to speak on or to joyne issue in against thee So more or lesse T.D. falls in and joyns issue with thee in them against the Quakers so directly that I see not how I can meddle with one and let the other wholly alone but must unavoidably hold an entercourse briefly or largely as occasion happens either simul or successivè with you both and with I. Tombes and R. Baxt. also who whether they meddle in their last book with them all or not so as to prosecute them yet intimate themselves both in that and other of their labours to be of the same minde with you as also most of the Divines so called are throughout this Nation Now concerning these which are the grand Subjects in reference to which all that is said of any of them by either of us in our Disputation about them is but the Praedicate so contrary are we as the Case yet stands between Thy self and me to each other in our Assertions that very much if not most of that which is denominated of them respectively by either of us is as absolutely gain-said by the other So as whatsoever is as most that thou sayest at all of it is falsly Affirmed by thee of the Scripture the Subject which in a shallow sound of words thou seem'st to stand for but art seen in truth to stand against is utterly denyed by me and most of that which is most truly Asserted by me and the Quakers of the Light and all the rest of fore-named Doctrines is as positively denyed by thy self though in thy denying thereof thou dost not more evidently contradict both the Truth and us then thy silly self who art yet so sensless as not to see it What Testimony it is that we bear of the grace of God the Spirits guidance Perfection and true Light the Subjects which we plead for and thou impleadest will be seen when I come in all plainness to give it out with the good grounds thereof as at last I shall God willing howbeit not till toward the last for as much as in the last place thy false witnesse comes out against it and in the mean while betake my self to the intended Tryal of those things which are as blindly as boldly bolted out by thee about the Scriptures and to declare wherein we do and wherein we do not and also why it is where-ever we do not that we neither do nor may nor can accord at all with thee about the Scripture for not Assenting to whose meer fancies about which as infallible and undoubted Truths having hung up thy Flag of Defiance against Atheists Anti-scriptural Iewes and Papists and sought up thy foolish fight also with sundry of thy fellow Protestant Divines for not dancing after thy unharmonious Pipe nor singing to the same Truthlesse tune with thee about the Scriptures Thou beatest up the Quarters of the Quakers and unjustly Quarrelâ—st against them slandering them as fowlely as falsly in a long Latine Piece of Scholastical scrible as slanderers of the Scripture whom yet thou neither dost nor canst evince to be such unless that be to slander the Scripture to say no more of it then matter of truth Now for as much as my Businesse with I. O. principally and in part also with T.D. as to the Scriptures will lie mainly these two wayes viz. First to clear the Quakers from those clouds of ignominy wherewith they as all their fellow Clergy-men commonly do seek to cover them by their lyes of them as a people that deserve to be held accursed among
the Apostles Doors which they will not Father and you shew what you are in Abbetting their Wickednesse Reply 1. What a wicked and Adulterous Generation of men is this like that in which Christ lived who would have something to say against the Gospel and the Truth let it come handed to them which way soever they would neither lament at Christs mourning to them in Iohns Ministry nor Dance at his Piping to them in his own but reject and belye him when he came contrarily to them in Iohns Fastings and condescendingly to them in his own Eatings and Drinkings as either having a Devil or being a Drunkard or a Gluttòn or a Friend of Gods Enemies and Sinners or somewhat or other still that was nought rather then own the Truth at any hand that in both Ministryes was held out unto them So is the Ear of our now Pharifaical generation of Scribes stop'd like that of the deaf Adder at the Voice of the Charmer let him Charm never so wisely among whom T.D. is a Chieftain who Ranks us among the Popish party as spitting out our venome that we are big with against it Page 28. 1 Pamph. and as denyers of the Scripture together with them because we deny many false things that many such Ministers as himself do most absurdly affirm of it and yet Charges us as Brotherly owners and Abbetors of the Papists wickednesse also for owning the holy Scripture in many parts of it wherein our English Ministers do not blush to deny it and so consequently for owning it much more truly and fully then themselves Thus Heu stirpem invisam Hei mihi quod nâ—llis amor est Reparabilis Herbis If we should as they falsly Accuse us own the Scriptures lesse then our Accusers do we must be Papists if we own them more and more of them then themselves do we must be no lesse then Papists We must stand doom'd as Papists who be we nere so wary Are Papists deem'd in this and in the clean contrary But that I am not so Popishly affected as I am as well every way as every where misrepresented to be by those who to sit the more securely in their own Popishnesse do in the Apishnesse of their Spirits sound it out with a dreadful noise to the stunning of their already Pope-serving people Popery Popery against all that come neer to Storm them out of their Popified Parish postures practises and preferments to what I have said sufficiently above I shall now adde what followes in evidence thereof whether you will hear O all ye my unjust Accusers in that particular or whether ye will forbear to the perfect ending of my Protestation which I have begun to enter against that Synagogue of Rome viz. First That whatever they may own of what I have above or shall yet say I own not them as Apostolical nor as any other then that Apostatical Harlot which together with her two Brats that more lately are broken out from her bowels viz. Prelacy and Presbytery hath in Three parts as the great City is said to do before its fall Rev. 16.19 sate like a certain unity in Trinity and Trinity in unity or one great Tripartite Mystical Babylonish Whore with her Tripple Crown upon the many waters or Tongues Nations Kindreds and People and reigned over the Kings of the Earth Rev. 17.1.2.15.18 And as to their behaviour toward the Scripture which they wofully mistake themselves to be the only Trustees to whose care and custody it was committed I professe against them with I. O. that they have wofully misdemeaned themselves towards it as by sowly betraying and to their own eternal shame falsifâ—ing that their pretended Trust corrupting depraving vitiaring interpolating adding detracting forging foisting into the Scripture what never was of the spirit so by abusing it every way so that none of the Copies of it as it comes thorow their hands whether Original or Translated and if thou I O. canst shew any that come thorow other hands of which thou canst say infallibly they are not altered and corrupted as in thy Book thou hast not done Dic quibus in terris eris mihi magnus Apollo are fit to be a fixed stable Rule or infallible Guide to us thoroughout in the knowledge of the Will of God And lastly for take it at the worst its worthy of a better carriage towards it then they afford it in a scurrilous scoffing way underva'uing vilifying defying unworthily depressing it far below it self as much as it is over-valued Idolized blindly worshipped deisted and enthroned far above it self by your selves who together with the Popish party like the Frog and the Mouse being very busie in busling against each other with your Bulrushes about the Scripture in your two opposite Imaginations will find a Generation that waits upon the Lord and mounts up with wings as quick-sighted as an Eagle though no better then a blind Buzzard in your eyes who will winne the field from both you stout Warriours which are at it tooth and nail to your own ruine and shall one have no more thank from God then the other whilest for all your zealous pratings pro and con in two different Erroneous extreams concerning the Letter ye are both exceedingly and both extreamly erred from the Light it came from and the Life it calls for the one exalting the bare dry bones and dead body of the Letter above the Word of Life which Letter too is magnified more in an empty sound of windy plausible Commendations of it then by any so much as outward Conformity to it in Conversation the other establishing the dark lumpe of their own lying Legends and dead stinking Carcase of their Traditional Divinations partly derived from faithlesse Forefathers and partly divined forth from the deep pit of their Great Ghostly Fathers fathomlesse Fancy as a Standard in stead of it So that howbeit I.O. the detestable wickednesse of that Antichristian Conclave who as thou sayest sell themselves to work all manner of Abominations against the Scripture I abominate as much as thou canst do yea be not thou so blind as to believe that I abet them in any of their beastlinesse of that nature yet withal do not thou believe that that while I abandon their brutishnesse I can own thee in thy blindnesse and the many absolute Absurdities whereby thou grossely abusest it and the truth and thy self well-nigh as much another way who perhaps thinkest thou canst not easily if at all be transported into Errour while thou art Extolling the outward Text of Scripture and gain-saying at a venture all that those Debasers of it hold out about it for aâ— the time is coming as thou truly enough Prophesiest unto them wherein it shall repent them for ever that they have lifted up themselves against this sacred Grant of the wisdom care love and goodnesse of God page 4. oâ— thy Epistle So say I to thee the time is at hand wherein it shall repent thee that ever
by it while it sits in supream Authourity on the Bench as the most perfect infallible Touch stone Lydius lapis and standing Rule for no lesse but much more thou wouldest have it even Light Rule of Trial Iudge Witnesse and all to which all Spirits even Gods own that gave it out as well as all false ones must stand or rather stoop and submit to be judged by and the foundation which the Church or World in the World or Wheel in a Wheel must stand or else fall and fail for ever for as there was a time wherein the Church which is but one from Abel till now can have but one and the same Rule bottom and foundation for ever and one Rock on which its built which is neither Peter nor Paul nor any of their Writings nor of any Prophets that wrote afore them but Christ the Light to the Nations and the Rock of Ages and Generations was without it and not placed upon it so there was a time of thousands of years together wherein it had no place nor use at all in the Church nor so much as any being in the World and as for such high place as thou in thy own will now alowest it as it s own as wise and quick-sighted as thou art to know and see non Entities and things that never were at all I know no such Place that God ever set it in nor time when he so super-eminently exalted it and though I acknowledge and am not ignorant as thou art that meer men and blind builders as seeing as thyself have Canonized it into the Head of the Corner laying him aside whom God hath made so yet I am to learn and so art thou for all thy hasty teaching it as Truth to others where ever the bare Letter or Scripture which is all one was created into such a Lord as thou lookest on it to be over his inward Light Spirit in the heart and authorized so infinitely as thou imaginest over all things by the Lord God of Heaven and Earth the only Author and Creator of all things J.O. Not only to detrade the Scripture from its place but also that by that one only device of denying to the Scripture that glorious Title of the Word of God the Quakers aim and endeavour to divest Christ himself of his Personality and divine Being Reply Was ever man left of God to shew his own Folly by more palpable apparent absurdities then thou here utterest who by that very thing whereby we seek to invest Christ with the proper and peculiar Right both in Name and Nature whereof your selves rob him belyest us so as to say we thereby seek to divest him of it Is not the Word of God not only the proper Name Ioh. 1. Rev. 19. but also the proper Nature and divine Being of Christ which he had before he was made flesh from the very beginning before the Scripture was that declares of him before World it self was which was made by him and all things in it so that without him nothing was made that was made And because that we will not take this glorious Title of his to whom only of Right it belongeth viz. the Word of God who hath no corruptible Word that I know but only one that 's incorruptible and liveth and abideth for ever and is both essentialiter and effective and enunciative too the Word of God and invest such a corruptible thing herewith as the mouldring Letter a Writing with mens hands which Worms may eat and mens Hands blot out deface and destroy and because we will not attribute that everlasting Name of his to that which in Nature is not everlasting as ye do but decaying dost thou say we divest him of his divine Being Dost thou not beget this bastardly businesse of divesting Christ himself of his divine Name and Nature Excellency and Existence in thy own brain by ascribing these to the Scriptures and giving the glory thereof to another under that high Prerogative Title of the Word of God due only and alone to him and not to any Letter that man as moved by him writes of him and then lay it at the door of the Quakers Art not thou the man that appropriatest that Name and Nature which is proper to Christ alone to the Scripture by disputing as to Name and Thing in esse reasi cognoscibili that it is the Word of God that glorious Title is its proper Name and is not this what in you lyes to dethrone Christ who only is so and place another ever him as the only most perfect Light Foundation Touchstone by which his Spirit must be tryed and yet accusest thou the Quakers of displacing him Doth not the Scripture say that Christ is the Light which the Church Ministerially is to hold out bear witness to Ioh. 1 in all her Preachings Administrations and Walkings and the Scripture is written out for the sake and Instruction and profit or use and service of the Church 2 Tim 3.15 16. 1 Cor. 10. yet settest not thou the Letter above the Church and Christ too saying Page 76. The Scripture is Light it is the duty of every Church to hold it up almost the whole of its duty and this Duty it performs Ministerially not Authoritatively A Church may bear up that Light it is not the Light it bears Witnesse to it but kindles not one divine beam to further its discovery All the Preaching that is in any Church its Administration of Ordinances all its walking in the Truth hold up this Light Thus magnifying the Letter above all and making it the main businesse of the Church to magnifie and hold it up much what as the Iewes do whose Work in their Synagogues is to lift up the Letter while they loath the Law and the Light it came from and is but the meer Letter or Writing of J. O. The whole Truth of the Words of God is as to Name and Thing opposed by the poor Fanatical Quakers Satan in these dayes assaults the sacred Truth of the Word of God in the poor deluded Fanatical Souls among us commonly called Quakers Reply It was none but Satan himself that is a Lyar the Father of it who told thee so and in thee tells it out for Truth to the whole World For 1. The whole Word of God which is but of one not of many kinds that I know of as thou wouldest make it as if God had one Living one Dead one Fallible another Infallible one Corruptible another Incorruptible one Eternal one Temporal Word one that 's only Letter another that 's Spirit and Life one Written and another Unwritten one within men and another that 's not the same in Nature without men that one and the same Individual Word of God I say which is the same whether within or without Written or Unwritten neither of which the bare Writing is as to both Name and Thing we own and honour as that which from
self-condemned and that we will not easily yield to a Renouncing of this Confession Is all this then that thy self Confessest of us the Quakers whom thou Condemnest for utter rejecting the Scripture consistent with such an utter rejecting it as thou Chargest them with Dost not here clear the Quakers out of thy own mouth out of which thou Condemnest them for the same thou clearest them in to the Condemning of thy self to be one out of whose one and the same mouth comes to the same men Blessing and Cursing Excusing and Accusing for the same thing Doth any good Fountain send forth sweet Water and bitter at the same time Is not thy Tongue an unruly Member which thy self can'st tame no better then therewith to blesse God and men too that are made after Gods Image as owners of the Scriptures and yet to Curse them with thy Lyes as denyers thereof when thou hast done Art thou not herein right Baalam like who for the Preferments-sake from which God kept him would sain have Cursed Israel with his Divinations as thou dost with thy Divinity Disputations and yet was against his will forced to forbear and to his own shame to blesse them altogether Object Oh but quoth I.O. no matter what the Quakers confesse of the Scripture now no doubt had things fallen out accordinn to their desire and if People could have born the denyal of it who bore such respect to the Scripture that they would have flown with fury on the Quakers Pates if they should have seemed to deny it the Quakers from whom the fear of that more then the force of Truth forces that Confession Proculdubiò Jamdudum rejecissent had doubtlesly Rejected them utterly long ago Ex. 3. S. 19. Reply This is not so true not well-grunded a Surmise as this viz. No matter how the Priests fawn own the Kings Protectors Parliaments or Powers still that are in present Being to save their Standings in their present Places and Preferments No heed's to be given to their Crouchings Cringing and Humble Representations No doubt but as things fall out and succeed to the serving of their Interest they will turn still to what best serves their turns and have Exceptis excipiendis been generally known to have done so now long ago even from Henry the Eighths time to this very day As for the Quakers could they have dissembled so as ye do for fear of mans Fury they might have escaped many if not all those furious Fallings of your bloudy mad-brain'd Parish-Professors upon their Pares and have saved Oxford and Cambridge that labour pains they more like Fiends then Friends of Truth have been at to persecute them long since also Again I.O. Dost not thou say 't is evident enough that some of us Read the Holy Scripture in Private or at least Remember what we have Read or Heard out of it and for the most part carry the Holy Bible about with us and that in our Digladiations or Disputes we very often rehearse and urge the words of the Scriptures and that the reason why we own Translations is because being not learn'd farther then our Mother Tongue we shall then deprive our selves of all use of the Scriptures which we are loath to do Which of these two I O's must we believe Or if it be but one I.O. as no doubt it is divided against himself and telling two contrary Tales whereof but one can be true which of his two Testimonies must men give credit to That wherein he sayes we strive to bereave men of All Vse of the Scripture and count it odious and abominable to have Heresies Errour false Doctors and Doctrines Convicted and Confuted out of it Or that clean Contrary one wherein he tells all men that we use it so as to Read it in Private Remember what we Read or Hear of it Carry it about with us use it and urge out of it in our Disputes and are shy of denying it to be Translated into English for our use least we should be deprived of All that Vse of it our selves which we are willing to make For my part let others do what they will I have found I.O. telling so many Lyes when in his malice he talkes against the Quakers that I shall rather take that for Truth now which against his envious lying self he here talks for them for some Vse and that not a little himself here affirms we make of the Scriptures and in other places quotes many Scriptures out of which we argue against our Opposers and if it be never so little use it s enough to stop his mouth out of his own mouth who sayes we utterly reject the Scriptures as to All its Vse for he that rejects it as to its Whole use or All its use must be one that makes no use of it at all And if I. O's Testimony had been only that we deny many ill uses of it that himself and other Scribes make that spend and take up more time in scraping and scribling for it then take care to live the life of it and that wrest it to their own ruine he had said the Truth Or had he said we deny many of those good lifes that many make of it he had much lessened his Lye and his Folly in it but because we own it not as useful to all those extraordinary weighty and mighty lifes which he sayes falsly are to be made of it which indeed are to be made only of the Eternal Internal Spirit Word and Light it came from to say we deny all Vses of it as if it were good and profitable and useful and fit for nothing this renders his Lye the more lyable to all mens view and himself to be as blind as one that can see no difference between staring and stark mad What I. O. is that which is not said to be good for all things thereupon said to be good for nothing If I should say soft Wax is not useful to stop hot Ovens with must it straitway be thrown away and must it be taken for Granted that I say it s not good to Seal with or that its useful for nothing That may be good to Cut and Kill as a Knife that when it hath so done can't quicken nor heal nor save nor cure The Letter kills as an Executing Instrument but the Spirit only gives the Life And whereas thou sayest we wish it blotted out that men may come to the Light within in which is the life Nay stay I. O. no hast to hang true men we would have all come to the Light and Life within indeed no such hast yet of the Scriptures going hence though old it will wax once and wear away there 's many pretious Uses though not all the Eminent ones thou talkest of to be made of it before it go hence One whereof is that very thing upon the account of which thou falsly sayest we wish it blotted out viz. That men may come to the Light within which
opened by the shining out of that Light in it that lyes yet smoothered and then thy misery will be so great upon thee that as I told thee above what thou sayest of the Pope for his misuse of Scripture will be verified not on him only in so much the greater measure by how much his Vilislations and Violations of it may be greater then thine but in some measure also upon thy self so that as thou together with me sayst Papae so say I Et Tibi Tempus erit quo magno optaveris Emptam Scripturam intactam It will once repent thee not a little in thy own Spirit that ever thou appearedst in publick in such a proud and peevish Prate against its purest Friends so pretensively only but not properly for and so piteously and unpolishedly about the Scriptures Now as to thy Vindication or Plea it self for the present Integrity and Indentity of the Text of your Copies with those Original Copies that were first given out which thou positively hadst before Asserted thou failest and fallest short so in thy Confidence of what thou hadst so peremptorily propounded for Truth in ipso limine at the very threshold and entrance thereinto as to stile it no other then an Account of thy Apprehensions a delivery of thy Thoughts and a runing the Hazard of giving out thy Thoughts and of what thy own Thoughts suggested to thee pag. 146 147 149. 163 and a discovery of thy Thoughts 151. As also thy First Treatise wherein thou talkst of the samenesse of the Letter in every Tittle and Iota to what it was at first so Authoritatively so Positively so Impositively so seemingly Infallibly and Uncontroulably a publication of thy Thoughts Though I had thought a Minister of Christ or Doctor in that thing cal'd Divinity especially about the Foundation of all his Faith and in that Chapter where he layes the Basis of his Businesse and of hâ—s building should have bâ— thought himself better before-hand and have saâ—e down and counted his cost and cast it in his mind before he Printed his Propositions out in such peremptory terms as thou dost in this case of non-Alteration of one jot or Tittle of the first divinely inspired Scripture pag. 13 14 28 whether it would hold it out in such a height for certain or no without parching it up with So I think and such loose Conjectures and Imaginaâ—ions as are attended with such great uncertainty that himself confesses as thou dost pag. 297. They ought not to be admitted to any Plea or Place one way or other in so wâ—ighty a cause and Propound things that are false as boldly as undoubted Truths and then puâ—s off such as expect hiâ— pâ—oof with weak Conjectures and his Conceits â—eâ—t men mock him saying This man began to build but was not able to finish Yet now I bethink my self thou pretendest to be no divinely Inspired Prophet nor one that owns any such to be now a dayes but one of those Other men thou speakest of pag. 9. The Pigment and Imagination of whose hearts are the fountain of all that they speak and so no better can be expected from them 2. Thou grantest that ye have not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 13 Nay It is granted sayest thou pag. 163. that the Individual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Moses the Prophets and the Apostles are in all probability and as to all that we know utterly perished and lost out of the world As also the Copies of Ezra the Reports mentioned by some to the contrary are open fictions The individual Ink and Parchment the Roâ—es or Books that they wrote could not without a Miracle have been preserved from mouldring into Dust before this time Nor doth it seem improbable that God was willing by their losse to Reduce us to a neerer Consideration of his Care and Providence in the Preservation of every Tittle contained in them Had those individual Writings been preserved men would have been ready to adore them as the Jewes do their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their Synagogues Reply How like a Child dost thou talk in that groundlesse guesse of thine that God was willing to let the losse of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be for such an end as in thy foolish vain mind thou imaginest and fondly fanciest What a bawbling and blerting dost thou make of thy boyish bolts out of the Cross bow of thy crooked Conceit both here and else-where up and down thy Book Who told thee that trifling Tale which thou tellest for probable Truth that God let all the first Writings be lost for this end to reduce men in the latter Ages to a neerer Consideration of his Care in Preserving every Tittle till now that was contained in them When yet we know as I told thee above and prove by and from that little of the first Scripture that hath happened to come to our hands which ten parts to one of the World never saw neither that not Tittles only but many whole Books of the first divinely inspired Scripture that belonged to the Bulk of Holy mens Writings by the Spirit are not preserved but perished for ought thou knowest both the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of them also Did God himself tell thee this to tell for Tsruth or did the Serpent suggest it to thy Thoughts that suggests a legion more oâ— the like lying vanities Even he surely insinuated this into thy Imagination that crowded those other crude Conceptions and Conjectures which thou hast and holdest out to such Tom of Bediams as will take them for Truth from thee So in pag. 12 14 34. where perking up into Gods privy Councel as if thou wer't one that fate in his Bosom from which thou art yet as far being from the Light as the Rich Gâ—utton was from Abrahams where poor Lazarus saâ—e whom he dispised saving that the gulf was fix't against his passage whereas there 's hope concerning thy coming thither if yet in time thou tern and take hold on Truth and intruding thy seâ—f into what thou hast not seen vainly pufâ— up in thy fleshly mind thou proudly falst a Pratin◠〈◊〉 Propounding for Truth what swims and floats in the Cock-boat of thy Fancy viz pag. â—2 That the Writing was the product of Gods Eternal Councel for the preservation of the Doctrine after a sufficient discovery of the Insuffiency of all other means for that end and purpose Reply Into which piece of Gods Eternal Councel I trow who or what Spirit or Scripture or Key of any kind did ever let in I. O. who Proposes it so peremptorily in his Preachings as if God had discovered something by experience after a while that he was not so well acquainted with before namely that manifesting his mind by Dreams Visions Voices Word of Mouth was after his tryal thereof sufficiently â—ound by the Lord to be an insufficient means to save his Word from loosing which means he intended once to that end and
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.
Imagination seems to me to border on Atheism Gods Promise c. require other thoughts at our hands and such like must therefore the Children and Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit run a Whoring with the dead Literatists back again from the Spirit to the Letter from the Son to the Servant from the Substantial Word to the Image and Copy of it from the Living to the dead from the eternal inalterable incorruptible Truth to the varying vanishing perishing Tittles of Greek and Hebrew External Texts Must they that are of the Light and of the Day Think and Dote and Dream with the light-defying Doctors of the Night and of the Darknesse And because I.O. those Point-prizing Rabbies and Tittle-trying Textmen and thou with them think so yet shall we think that every Tittle and Iota is the Word of the great God and that our eternal Concernment lyes in every outward Apex of thy Canonized Copy and that such an Accidental Attome is dearer to God then the whoâ—e World besides and that every Copy of the holy Scripture is prophane if redundant or deficient from what at first Writing it was in one Letter and that 't is more to mistake so as to alter a Letter in Transcribing a Copy of the Law then to burn the whole World Shall we think that the writers of Aristotle Plato would not for Money or for their Credits sake or something as most Scriveners do in what they undertake Transcribe as exactly as they could and shall we think that men uninspired as thou confessest the Scripture Transcribers were could possibly do any more then they could do Yet to entertain the best Thoughts of them that may be grant their Care and Diligence to be more then that of Common Scribes of Heathen Authors to save thee the pains of proving it and that à minori ad majus as the Romans would not Treacherously mis-transcribe Sybills Verses so much lesse would Iewes the Scriptures having therein to do with God yet shall we think all that Transcribed Scripture Translated it too knew not whom they had to do with as well as some Yet varieties thou here Confessest are in the Copies among themselves and that cannot be but that some of them must differ from the first Original and if at all in Tittles at least and if but so its enough to over-turn the universality of thy Assertion and so what was possible to some as mistakes were was possible to All and not impossible to any Transcribers Shall we think then because thou so thinkest that there are no Mistakes crept into the Original Copies upon they groundlesse Conjecture that if it be so that any be all Truth it self fails as to its certainty and that without remedy or relief though sufficiently propounded by Capellus and others to the satisfaction of any save wild I.O. that 's resolved to hold the Conclusion and is loath to abate of his once uttered rash Assertion but as it is forced from him by degrees professing that he will acknowledge nothing of this nature but what is proved by undeniable and irrefragable Instances which Instances also himself gives and though he would have others give heed to his own improbable Probabilities yet is Adeo infeliciter stupidus ut nulla ratione neque experentia erudiri possit quasi tamen ipse solus superer vana perswasione sideratus in contemptu omnium audaciter persistit cum Comico illo clamans dicat quod quisque volet ex hâ◠opinione non dimovebimur Etenim si seniorum suorum Cap. J.P. Testimonium seu Experientia ipsa ullius apud eum pondeâ—is effeâ— aut momenti Scripturae lectiones Transcriptiones esse variâ—s negare verecundaretur Ex. 2. Sect. 28. i. e. so unhappily irrefragably stupid himself as not by any Reason or Experience to be instructed but as if he alone must impose possest it with a vain perswasion pertinaciously proceeds in contempt of all men Crying out with the Comedian Let every one say what he will we will never be removed from this Opinion for if the Testimony of his Seniors Capellus I.P. or Experience it self were of any weight or moment he would blush to deny that there are various Lections and Transcriptions of the Scripture Shall we think because I.O. so speakes aâ— he thinks that it can with no colour of Probability be Asserted though learned men as is confest do confesse it that the same fate hath attended the Scripture in its Transcription as hath done other Books Shall we think because I.O. saith it so seems to him that so to imagine and so on deliberation to Assert borders on Atheism Shall we think and Conclude because I.O. Concludes so in his Thoughts that the whole Scripture entire as given out from God even every Letter and Tittle without any losse is preserved in the Copies of the Originals yet remaining Shall we think because I.O. without the least colour of Sense Reason Certainty or Probability thinks so that the Promise of God for the preservation of his Word and his Love and Care of his Church fails utterly if one Iot or one Tittle of the outward Text fails so as to be mistaken in the Transcribing Surely if so it fails as much through the failings that are in Translations not without his permission for his Word and Church as to her knowledge of it if the Letter were the only way to know it now are as much concern'd in the right Translation as Transcription yet I.O. denies that God vouchsafes his infallible guidance in either but surely the Promise of God for the Preservation of his Word with his care of his Church of whose Faith and Obedience not the Letter or Writing of it but the Word it self declared of therein is the Rule and was so before the Letter was the Preservation of which is neither more nor lesse by the Letters being or not being requires other Thoughts at our hands CHAP. VII NOw as for what follows that above named Crue or Brigade of Arguments that were crowded so close together for as to what I have spoken to last it was but a kind of carelesse Forlorn Hope that past afore them its mostly made up of a stragling Number of Grants Concessions Confessions Allowances Acknowledgments and yieldings up of the Case in hand or the Cause it self by I.O. so much before contended for howbeit so as that I.O. gives the World to know such is as he sayes truly pag. 191. of others and himself too the vanity curiosity pride and naughtinesse of the heart of man and his readinesse to please himself with his own thoughts of things having once published them as Evidences of his Learning and diligence and so exceedingly vain-glorious curious uncertain is the mind of man as I.O. also De quo fabula narratur sayes Epist. pag. 20. after a door to Reputation and Renown by Learning is opened in the World that having once spread himself in
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
Rule and standard the touchstone of all speakings whatsoever that that must speak alone for its self which must try the speaking of all but its self yea it s own also See Tr. 1. c. 3 pertotum That which is the ordinary unmoveable perfect and siable infallible Rule of Gods worship and our obedience so that ther 's no further need we should be instructed with any other new daily Revelations in the knowledge of God and our duties Yea the most perfect Rule that is given us of God whereby to attain to eternal salvation so that after the compleating of that which is called the Canon of the Scripure ye beleeve and profess no new Revelations about the common faith of the Saints or the worship of God are either to be expected or admitted as well such as are made by the Spirit or light within or inward speculation or heavenly inspiration or speech of Angèls to our instruction in the knowledge of God and our duty in order to our obtaining eternal salvation which all are a vain unprofitable false uncertain hazardous and utterly unnecessary means which the Fanaticks fain toward the knowledge of God and his will Yea that by which we are commanded to try and examine and prove all Revelations Visiâ—ns Spirits God's no more excepted then the Devil's Dreams inward appearances or speaking or prophesyings within or from within whether true or false without difference or distinction 1 Cor. 14.21 1 Thes. 5.21 1 Joh. 4.1 Ex. 3. S 33. The onely Rule of the faith and obedience of Gods Church Page 173. so Ex. 4. sect 22. Rep. In the handling of this head concerning the Scriptures being in the nature of the Canon Rule or Standard to the Church of God I say in the nature use and office of a Canon for as to the measure or bounds of your Canon I have elsewhere spoken to it I shall have to do with thee I. O. and thee T. D. also who both are as like one another in your ignorant invectives against the Qua. as enemies to the Scripture for not owning it to be what your fore-fathers and your selves have also ignorantly Canonized it into the name of viz. The standing Rule of faith and life as if one of you had been spit out of the others mouth As for thy self I.O. having Ex. 3 sect 25 26. professed thy faith or rather fancy and opinion that the Scripture is the only most perfect Rule of the faith and worship of God thou stilest thy Teeological subsequent foolish defence thereof a proving of it against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the haters of the Scriptures as if all they that side not with thy false weak supportless suppositions about the Scriptures were presently to be condemned as enemies to them without any more ado And as for thee T.D. thou stilest it a spitting out of vemome and bringing in of another Gospel to deny the Scripture to be the Rule Thou engagest me in a publick discourse about this Question Whether the Scriptures are the Word of God or no and then when I owning the Word of God to be the Word of God publickly denied the Scripture that is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Writing not mentioning the paper or inke that is the foolish phrase of thy own inserting to be the Word of God in a shameful way of Tergiversation thou ran'st away from the Termes of thy Question and never camest near them any more but leftest quite another Question in its room viz. Whether the matter contained in the Writings be the Rule of faith and life as the Reader may see in the 25 and 26. pages of thy first Pamphlet Sir You cannot beleeve us so simple surely as to affirm the Scriptures in that sense the Word of God but we mean the matter contained in the Writing whether that be the Rule of faith and life Which matter written of and the Writing or Scripture are two different matters say I still as the Lanthorn and the Candle or the light contained therein so that thy doings T.D. that day was altogether as silly a peece of business as if one that had challenged another to dispute it openly with him that the Lanthorn is the Candle or the Light being come as T.D. did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with much pompous shew or fancy upon the publick place of hearing before hundreds to that purpose should say to his Antagonist on this wise Sir You cannot beleeve me to be so simple surely as to affirm the Lanthorn to be the candle or light but I mean the candle or light contained in the Lanthorn whether that be a Rule for men to walk by in a dark night or no a Question which was never denied by his Antagonist at all for neither I nor any Qua. that I know deny the Word of God to be the Word of God which is contained in the Scripture or that the Scripture or Writing declares thereof any more then we deny the Candle and Light to be a Candle and a Light which is contained in the Lanthorn but that the Writing it self is that Word of God written of in it or that the Lanthorn is the ' candle or the light ' that is in the Lanthorn at least that the Word of God is the proper name of the Scripture as to his shame I. O. hath undertaken to prove in Latine against the Qua. of whom he saith they understand him not in that tongue this I and the Qua. do deny against him and thee and all men for our denial of which dream of our benighted Doctors and Divinet we have been yet damned down through the false suggestions and silly insinuations of their busie ear-wigs the Priests by all Parliaments and Powers that have yet appeared at the Helm in this Nation and deemed unmeet to be let into the lists of that liberty of conscience allowed to other men and doomed out as deniers of the fundamentals of Religion Thus T.D. As the King of Spain and forty thousand men Went up a hill and then came down agen Gathered his Forces and Fellow-souldiers together pitching his own day of battel betokening to obtain some eminent victory over the Qua. and as soon as he came into the field laid down his Arms and confessed he had no quarrel against the Qua. as to the Question he was to dispute about as stated and held by them so like some Bettle he flyes aloft with a humming noise into the ayr and at last flaps suddenly down into a peece of Cow-dung Nevertheless T.D. that thou mightest for very shame seem to do something for the Scripture even for the Book it self and Letter of it as well as for the good matter therein contained sith thou wast come upon the stage on that account after some parley that was held a while between my self and thee about the Latitude and Limits of your supposed Rule in which thy pitiful poor put offs of
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
let it stand and pass on about my business concluding against thee I.O. in thy own words for the Light and Spirit to be that Rule thou sayest the Letter is from its perfection ab Authore A causa perfecta c. From a perfect voluntary cause nothing but what is perfect can be expected for nothing can hinder God being willing to reveal his will from revealing it perfectly as before the Letter was so now where the Letter is not among heathens by his Light and Spirit by which thou confessest he reveals it very far in the words forecited but either because he cannot which denies his infinite Wisdome and Omnipotency or because he will not which agrees not with his goodness and grace Therefore God hath and doth give out by his Light and Spirit within a perfect Revelation of his will so that they consequently must be secundum te by thy own Argument J.O. the only perfect standing Rule for there are not two so far is the Letter that came from them from being so as thy fancy fancies it to be alone and exclusively of them as uncertain useless needless perillous and detestable The second medium by which thou goest about to prove the foresaid conclusion viz. That the Letter or Scriptures are the only perfect Rule Revelation of God his will and our duty that gives to know him to eternal life and not the Spirit and light which as Enthusiasm dubious useless figment c. are with thee to be detested is A naturâ librorum sacrae Scripturae c. from the nature of the books of the holy Scripture which are sayest thou those of the Old and New Testament so sayest thou the Apostle clearly dilates of the Old Testament 2 Cor. 3.14 in the reading of the Old Testament of the New there 's the same reason vers 6. Now every Testament sayest thou alluding to but not quoting Gal. 3.15 though but a mans is perfect and being once confirmed no man disanulleth or superaddeth thereunto Reply Never did I discern such absolute self-overturnings proceed from a professed Doctor as do from J.O. thick and threefold in the very cause he prosecutes whose proofs of his own producing do as frequently confound him and as fully foil him as to the matter he would prove thereby as any that can likely be produced against him by those he opposes and yet I verily beleeve he speaks the sense wellnigh of the whole Vniversity it self in which he hath in the late clawing cringing corresponding and climing times atchieved to become a Chieftane And that it may appear le ts reason J.O. hereabout a little with thee let me ask thee Is the Gospel is the New Testament Letter Scripture external Text and outward Writing as the Old Testament is Is it such a passing perishing dark low obscure thing as writing or graving of Points Tittles and Iotaes in Tables of stone though with the singer of God himself much more it such a mouldring matter for so thy self callest the most Original Copies of the external Text of the holy Scripture that ever was in the world p. 167.164 and therefore well may I so call thy best bare transcribed copies of it as Writings with inke and stamping with Lamb-black in Roles and Books and Papers and Parchments with press hands and tools which cannot be preserved so long as from Ezra till now from mouldring without a Miracle Is the Gospel the New Testament no more than such as thou talkest of Is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Typography which meer men can take and turn and translate and tumble to and fro and transcribe and tear and dash out and do what they will with Is it outward writings of Epistles and Recommendations and Histories and Letters as that of Paul to Philemon about private personal and domestick affairs and such like Is it not an Epistle of Christ in the table of the heart though ministred sometimes by man at the motion of his Spirit or if a Writing yet not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God in fleshly Tables of the heart 2 Cor. 3. Is is as the Old Testament as all meer writing ad extra only is whether of old or since Christ and all outward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Letter only that cannot quicken nor cure but killeth such as serve as thou yet doest in the oldness of it Is it not Spirit Light and Life Is it not the Words of Christ spoken by the Lord himself alone which are Spirit and Life in newness of which the true children of the New Covenant that are more then Bastards that pretend to it do serve and not in the oldness of a letter or that old way of the old Scribes that came no nearer to Christ the Life then the outside of the outward Scripture which was wrote of him Is it any of these things are not these the best Instruments of the Old Testament foolish Shepherds wherewith for a time they were suffered to feed who made the poor of the flock the flock of the slaughter taken up again since Christ directly beside the intent of Christ and such as wrote the later Scriptures by our Idol Shepherds that leave the flock to starve so they can be better fed themselves who are not behinde those of old in feeding with Gall and Wormwood the flock of the slaughter in not pitying but slaying them and yet holding themselves not guilty for which the sword of the Lord is now upon their arm and upon their right eye so that their Arm or Power is now to be clean dryed up and their right eye utterly darkned Ah poor be-wildred be-nighted blind-guides of your blindly-guided people that by custome and tradition from your mouths who take it so to be by tradition from your Fore-fathers are now naturallized into a naming the naked dead letter by the name of the living Word of the living God and the four mis-transcribed and mis-translated Copies of Matthew Mark Luke and Iohns Manuscript of what Christ did in that body wherein he was born at Bethlehem and dyed at Ierusalem by the name of the Gospel and those four bare Books with the rest of those few that follow fardelled together with them in what fashion men most fancy and bound up as the Bible sellers please by the name of the New Testament So thou talkest I.O. telling the world of the nature of the Books of the Scripture as ye now have it is this they are the Old Testament and the New so thou intendest in thy saying Sunt autem veteris novi Testamenti 1. Citing Paul who calls the Books of Moses the Old Testament 2 Cor. 3.14 as â—â—ll well he might for the Old Testament was indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Letter or Writing writen with Inke and Pen or ingraven outwardly on Tables of stone and not Spirit or writing with the Spirit of the living God in the fleshly Tables of the heart as the New is which the
that shall say the Horn-book is per saltum perfect to this end that without need of reading or learning any other books a person may by it alone become capable immediately of Commenâ—ing Dr. in Divinity shall by my consent be counted as ridiculous silly and senseless as such as side with J. O s. sayings are who say of the Scripture or Letter alone exclusively of the Spirit and Light within it calls to walk in that by it men may have the Life it gives the Life it is the only most perfect standing Rule of faith and life yea is so perfect and absoluâ—â— in all respects that there is no need of any other Revelation by the Spirit or Light within to instruct us in the knowledge of God and our duty to this end that we may obtaine eternal life yea all these means of knewing God and his will are uncertain dangerous unprofitable in no wise necessary and therefore to be rejected and detested as Fanatick figment For the foresaid honâ—urer of the Horn-book in his Hyperbolical adoration of it would be as contrary to common sense and reason as I.O. and T.D. in their absolute admirations of the Scripture and abominations of the Spirit and Light within for its sake are both to sense and reason and the common Testimony of the Scripture it self also which testifies every where concerning the Old Testament or Letter which I confess to be profitable perfect and absolutely able to the ends and uses of Gods appointment as a Typical testimony of those things which were to be spoken after that is weake imperfect and unprofitable as to that end for which I O. asserts it per salium to be so absolutely able powerful and perfect to that is to say to salvation and eternal life for it faith that it is the Light and Spirit that give the life and the liberty from the lust and sin to which the mother that is under the Old Testament or Letter of the Law is yet in bondage with her children and that the Old Testament or Letter lyes only in eatings and drinkings and diverse Baptisms and carnal Ordinance imposed only till the time of Reformation Heb. 9 10 in weakè and beggerly rudiments or elements of the world unto which who having once begun in the Spirit are tuâ—ned aside to are foolish and bewitched and disobedient to the Truth and do but think in vain to be made perfect by the flesh and desire again to be in bondage and know not yet Christ formed in them but know him only outwardly and after the flesh Gal. 1.3.4.9 19. 2 Cor. 5.16 18. are Iews outwardly only not truly nor inwardly nor circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands which is that of the heart in the Spirit not of letter whose praise is not of men but of God but Concis'd and conformâ—d according to the outward bodily exercises found in the letter loving the praise of men more than the praise of God and according to the law of a carnal Commandement not the inward worship of God in Spirit nor after the power of that endless life the light leads to That the law of the Letter which had but the shadow of good things and not the very image of the things themselves could never make the corners thereunto perfâ—ct as pertaining to the conscience Heb 9.9.10.11 That the Old Testament was faulty and failing and defective whereupon Gâ—d made a new one that could bring to life as it could not for if there had been a Law which could have given life verily righteousness should have come by it Gal. 3.21 for if it had been faultless or perfect or could have made perfect or given life there had been no occasion for the second Heb. 8.7 8. That there is a disanulling of the Commandement going before which was attendance to an outward letter because of the weakness and unprofitablness thereof because it could make nothing perfect but only was the ushering in of a better Hope even of the Light and Spirit by which we may draw nigh to God who is Light Heb. 7.16 18 19. and with whom no Letter lauder that lives beside the light the mystery of the Letter also can have any fellowship at al. And lastly as to thy saying that every Testament if it be but mans is perfect so that when once confirmed none may disanul or addâ— to it I answer no perfect Testament is to be dianulled when confirmed and in full force as it is only by the death of the Testator but that shews thy assertion to be false who sayeâ— that every Testament is perfect inasmuch as the Old Testament or Letter was disanulled which secundum te could not have been if it had been perfect and so omnibus numeris absolute as thou sayest in regard of the weakness unprofitableness of it to bring to life and for the the faultiness and imperfection of the first God himself whose Testament it was dedicated with the blood of Bulls Goats Lambs and Calves for the time then being only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as intended for a while only 't was called a Ceremony takes it away that he might establish the second Heb. 7.18 19.8 7 8 9. that is perfect to the giving of the life which is ignorantly asserted by thee of the Letter for the Letter that was perfect to its own end as a shadow was altogether imperfect thereunto And that nothing is to be added to any Testament once come in full force and vertue by the death of the Testator as all Testaments do then and never till then for Heb. 9.16 17. where a Testament is there must of necessity also be the death of the Testator for a Testament is of force after men be dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the Testator liveth This I freely grant as a truth but utterly overturns all thou contendest for which that is the Books of the Apostles and Evangelists which were all written after Christ the Testators death ' are the New Testament which how they can possibly be if thy own Position be true as it is that to a Testament if but mans when confirmed as it only and alwayes is by the Testators death much more God's New Testament after once confirmed by the Death of Christ the Testator as it was before one letter of that Scripture thou callest the New Testament as written nothing must be added thereto let all who are not void of judgement judge For if the writings of the Apostles and Evangelâ—sts which were all added and penned after Christs death the Testator of it by whose death it came into full force and strength be the New Testament an outward literal Declaration of which New Testament I know it is as the Writings of Moses and the Prophets also are both which are but the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Old Testament that in an external way declares the New with this difference only that the writing before Christ declared
Chrisiumexihibendum those since Chrisium exhibitum the first Christ to be offered the later Christ already offered I say if these later be the New Testament then either one or both of these two absurdities must be owned viz. that there hath been where there should have been none a superadding of very much to the New Testament or rather secondly that the whole New Testament was it self made since it was ratified and confirmed by the Testators death Vtrum horum mavis accipe own thou I.O. which thou wilt or both of these if thou wilt but I le never own that to be a mans Testament only much les Christs but only fained so to be that is added to or rather wholly made after his death whose Testament it is I.Os. other Mediums are all too frivolous to insist upon The third is ab expresso Testimonio the express Testimony of Psal. 16.7 8. Reply Where I have shewed before that by the Law Testimony Commandement of the Lord is intended the Light wee talk of not the Letter The fourth A materia Scripturarum the matter which saith he is all the Councel of God and nothing but what the Prophets and Moses spake alluding to Act. 20.27 and citing Act. 26.22 Reply In neither of which places Paul doth either mention or mean any outward Scriptures or Writings of his own much less other mens but the things he ministred to the Church of Ephesus and her Elders by word of mouth delivering to every of them according to their Stations and Relations how they ought to walk and to please God and with-holding nothing that was profitable either to Elders or flock Act. 20.20 and to all men small and great the summe and substance of things fore-spoken of old viz. Repentance toward God and faith toward Iesus vers 21. and how there was now as to the mystery of truth Nil dictum quod non dictum prius nothing said which was not shewed before in the type and shadow 5. A fine from their end which quoth he is 1. Faith Joh. 20.21 These are written that ye may beleeve and Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing Reply Which first Text if intending faith in the history of things that the Letter may beget men may have and have from Rome to this place and yet perish which latter Text intends a saving faith but that comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God which Word saith Paul above in the same Chapter is not the Letter without but a Light within nigh in the heart and mouth of men that they may hear and do it even the Word of faith which they preached 2. Wisdome to salvation perfect instruction to all good works 2 Pet. 1.19 2 Tim. 3.15 16. Reply Which Scriptures I have spoken to before and shewed how little they make to I.Os. purpose the first speaking not of the Scripture at all The second how throw saith in the light first the letter may be profitable toward but not per saltum to salvation and perfection 3 Attainment of eternal life 5. Joh. 39.30.31 Reply Which life comes as is there said above through Christ and beleeving in his light which is his name whom and which the Scriptures testifie of as appears by the two Texts he cites talked on enough by me already in way of answer to I.Os. Fancies and not by the Letter or Scriptures themselves though searched after and lookt for there by the Scribes that neither heard nor saw the Father nor came to the Son for life nor could abide that his word should abide in them So that howbeit he concludes the Scripture perfect in all respects I say in respect to its own appointed end it is as abiding incorrupted by mens wresting as at first given out by holy men yet not in all the respects in which I.O. and T.D. assert it to be perfect who makes it as now altered and adulterâ—ted the only most perfect Standing Rule of faith and life and way and means of knowing his will our duty and of coming to eternal life and that exclusively of all inward light and Spirit and other Revelation of which but where is the ' proof on'â— his saies there is no need of them but they are fictitious uncertain dangerous abominable and the like Whereas I trust to make it appear there is no knowing God but by other Revelation of him then the outward one that is made in the Scripture even by the Revelation of himself within men As for thy Enthusiasm and colloquia Angelica vel ficta vel facta thou mayest keep that to thy self I pretend not to the defence of discourse with Angels fained or true yet to thy shame I shall say thus much in vindication of truth against thee viz. that thou shewest thy self but a silly man to conâ—emn Colloquia cum Angelis vel sicta vel facta and by whole sale to throw away without making any difference all conference with Angels whether made indeed or but fained for what were all Daniels Maries Pauls Iâ—hns Christs conferences with Angels truly made fit for nothing but thy flours and for thee to make thy self sport with Col. 2.18 which thou cotest below will not save thee from the just censure of ignerant impudence sith that condemns a worshipping of Angels only as also the Angel himself condemns that whom Iohn would have worshipt Rev. 19.10 22.9 and forbids it but conference with Angels not counterfeit and ficta but facta which thou makes no bones of to render detestable in thy dirty driblings as well as fained are of those good things thou speakest ill of because thou knowest them not Having Grubd up by the Roots the first of J. Os. Grand Artificial Arguments grounded inartificially upon Testimonies of Scriptures which he calls inartificial ones and disproved all his petty and subordinate proofs of the minor Proposition thereof on which the whole stress of his evidence stood I proceed to examination of the rest Arg. 2. His second is A perfecta operatione seu effeâ—tu Scripturarum from the perfect operation and effect of the Scripture In English thus If the Scripture doth accomplish in its way of efficacy which is moral All things that can possibly be effected by any Revelation of Gods will whatsoever in order to our due and sincere worshipping of God and coming at last to life eternal Then vain are all those foresaid principles of the knowledge of God viz. The Spirit and Light within which the Fanaticks falsly boast of But the former is true Therefore c. The minor of this Argument which I deny hath a whole Troop of Testimonies or Texts of Scripture pressed to attend the proof thereof which I.O. takes to be such a Trusty Life-guard and most of them are so to the Qua. cause concerning the Light Word and Spirit within that there is no doing any thing in denial thereof that can reach to the rendring of it untrue but unless it be some one or two of them that mention the
same spirit of falshood viz. in vindication of the Scriptures to be powerful to salvation to beget faith to bee living sharp spirit searching discerning thoughts a Light and Lamp and so consâ—quently the only perfect standing Rule of faith and life exclusively of another Revelation by the Spirit Word or Light within these are aâ—â— true of the Word and Doctrine of Christ the Spirit and Light within the Qua. call to and the Letter points at in all these Texts of thy traducing but mâ—thinks thou shouldest be ashamed to expound any one of those of the Letter and Scripture itself As to that of Paul to Timothy Take heed to thy self and to the Doctrine continue in them in so doing thou shalt save thy self and them that hear thee What 's this in proof of the Scriptures being powerful to save the soul which is the end of thy alledging it he bids him continue in the things he had learned as also 2 Tim. 3.14 and had been assured of knowing of whom he learnt them which if it were from Paul as a means under God as it rather seems to be from Christ himself whose Disciple he was as he could not be but as he laarnt of him before he became acquainted with Paul Act. 16.1 2. the promise is entailed unto his continuance in the things and not ascribed to any power or efficacy of the Scriptures to save though yet we know Timothy was well skilled in the Scriptures also as is owned above And as to that of James with which thou joynest this in proof of the outward Letters power to save to which also p. 83 84 85. thou jumblest together a number more then are in this Catalogue underhand and which I shall take in here that speak of the Word with one consent to one and the same purpose but not to thine which is to prove the Scripture to be so as most effectual powerful and able to save souls yea the very power of God to salvation viz. Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 1 Cor. 2.5 1 Thess. 1.5 Psal. 110.2 Act. 20.31 Joh. 6.68 Gal. 2.8 Col. 1.6 and more out of the Coâ—â—nths miscoâ—ed from which Texâ—s thou powerest out thy blinde opinion of the Bible and concerning the Scripture thereof in this particular in such wise saying it is absolutely called the power of God Vis virtus Dei the Power of God the Gospel the Power of God and faith which is built on that Word without other helps or advantages is said to stand in the Power of God the Word that comes not as a naked word but in power and in the holy Ghost and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving all manner of assurance and full perswasion of it self even by its power and efficacy It is termed the Rod of power or strength denoting its Authority and Efficacy that which is thus the Power and Authority of God able to make it self known so to be It is not only said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power the power of God in it self but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able and powerful in respect of us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sacred Letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are able to make wise to salvation they are powerful and effectual to that purpose it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potens servare animaâ— nostras the Word that hath power in it to save the able powerful word that Paul commends the Ephesians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is living and effectual By vâ—rtue of this power it brought forth fruit in all the world without sword without for the most part miracles without humane wisdome or Oratory without any inducements or motives but what were meerly and solely taken from it self consiâ—ting in things that eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor could enter into the heart of man to conceive hath eâ—erted this power and efficacy so the conquest of the world causing men of all sorts in all times and places so to fall down before its divine Authority as immediately to renounce all that was dear to them in the world and to undergo what ever was dreadful terrible and destructive to nature in all its dearest concernments and such like Reply All this I know to be true of the Word Light and Spiâ—it of God in the hearts of men which the Letter points to and the Apostles preached as that which men should beleeve in it is absolutely the Gospel the power of God to salvation but the Letter not so the faith that is built on that word without other helps or advantages from the Letter stands in the Power of God as Abraham Noahs Enoch Abels and all the holy men did that lived by faith in the Word 't was Gods power mighty and effectual to save them before any outward Letter was written and without the help and advantage thereof but the outward Letter is profitable to nothing at all without the help and advantage of the Light and Spirit within but is a dead letter of no efficacy for the good of souls and this the same J.O. who sayes the Scripture without other helps and advantages is so absolute and perfect that we may obtain eternal life that there 's no need of any other Revelation by the Spirit or Light within but those are all dangerous uncertain unprofitable in no wise necessary fanatick figment desestable c. Ex. 17. s. 28. to the wonted contradiction of himself in all tâ—at and what is underhand confesses with us in totidem verbis of that Scripture which he calls the Word p. 236. saying that without the adminisâ—ration of the Spirit accompanying mens possession of it it is a dead letter of no efficacy to the good of souls The word Light and Spirit of God and Christ within nigh in the heart but not the Letter without is the Gospel which Paul bare testimony to and was sent to turn men to by his Ministry and was not ashamed of saying its the power of God to salvation to every on that beleeves in it and comes in the outward Ministry of it by word of mouth and writing and is witnessed so to do at this day as of old it did to many not in word only but power and the holy Spirit giving all manner of assurance and full perswasion of it self to such as through prejudice put it not away from them and thereby judge themselves unworthy of that eternal life which it is the word of that it is not the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God that is both light and living and Spirit and life it self even the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ the Image of God which is not Letter 2 Cor. 3. thining unto them both in and also out of the darkness that is mens hearts where the God of this world blindes not the minds so that men will not beleeve it to the giving them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. This and not the Letter
when it shines upon him that is ignorant of it or assents not to it since as R.H. told him then it was so so I tell him here over again in R.H. his words with the addition of the long tract of time wherein t was wont to be so The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God which was effectual two thousand years before the Letter was And this I the rather assert against T.D. here in this place because he is so ignorant as to tax R.H. there for usual speaking non-sense and for understâ—nding non-sense as well or better then good sense in that when T.D. said The Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter R H. repeats him saying thus The Sword of the Spirit is ineffectual without the Letter which in effect is all one if T.Ds. eyes were well open to see clearly what the Spirit is and what the Letter and then replies thus The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God which was effectual before the Letter was Now I demand of thee T.D. 1. where is any non-sense R.H. spake whose words I here speak after him that I may clear them from thy unjust cenâ—â—re of non-sense And if R.H. understood any non-sense as thou sayest he did then that must import that thy self with whom he was then in discourse hadst spoken some for he could not understand that non-sense from thee which thou never speakest Out of thy own mouth then at least thou art condemned for speaking some non-sense if a man were minded to prosecute thee for it for habemus Retâ—â— conficentem we have it from thy self if it were so but though thou tacitly taxest thy self with non-sense yet I shall do thee that Right this once as to clear and exuse thee from thy own false self-accusation for in truth both what thou spakest and what R.H. spake was all good sense as to the intelligibleness of the phrases unless thou account every sentence to be non-sense that is false as to the matter propounded in it as in a sense thou mayest there being no sense nor reason for it that any man should affirm and tell an untruth and then I confess thou spakest non-sense and R.H. good sense Sith his saying was true and thine was false For the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and the Spirit it self and not the Letter as thou who art somewhat low and implicite not very loud me thinks nor express as if thou durst not for shame speak out thy minde about it seemest to make it was wont to be effectual without and was effectual before the Letter was But here 's indeed the very knot of the business thou deemest R.H. to utter non-sense in not being so non-sensical as with T.D. I.O. and their Chronies to interpret the Sword of the Spirit there called the Word of God of the outward Letter or Scripture that is the thing will not down with T.D. without straining at it as a peece of non-sense to assert the Sword of the Spirit not to be the Letter witness T.Ds. words of R H. T.D. As for what he says that the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God if he meant like a man in his oppositions he must mean Christ who but once is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 And Christ cannot be intended Eph. 6.17 because he is not the Sword of the Spirit but the Spirit his Sword rather for by the Spirit he works in the hearts of men and therefore Gen. 6.3 he sayes My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man which is meant of the Holy Ghost as will appear by comparing it with Act. 7.51 where Stephen tells the Jews Ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Christ by the common operations of his Spirit strives with men and by the special operations thereof preâ—ails with them Rep. In this parcel is more truth granted to the Qua. then T.D. himself understands so to be or will ever stand under the force of when made use of by them against himself for he sayes the Spirit is Christs Sword by which according to Gâ—n 6.3 Act. 7.51 he works operates in men mark his words and is said to strive with them that alwayes resist him even in themselves I could never yet get it granted from T.D. or any other contenders against the truth in this point that Christ had a Spirit of his in men by the operations of which he is said in those two Texts to strive with them n themselves for howbeit its the common Doctrine laid down positively by themselves unawares many times yet when they meet with Qua. in verbal discourses who urge these two self same Texts and that in 1 Pet. 3.18 19 20. By the which Spirit Christ preached to Spirits in prison which were disobedient in the dayes of Noah c. And that Ioh. 16.8 9 10 11. concerning the Spirits convincing the world of sin c. in themselves and that Ioh. 3.19 20 21. of Christ the light coming into the world i.e. the word which is in mens hearts there condemning the evil deeds even in the dark cells of wicked mens own consciences which Light is sent not to condemn but unless men love the darkness more then it in order to their salvation and that they might be saved by beleeving in it vers 17 18. And that Text also Ioh. 1.9 concerning the truâ— Light which is Christ enlightning every man in the world all which places and many more are parallel together in this point among all the several sorts of shifts whereby to shuffle of the sound Doctrine of the Qua. this is most commonly made use of viz. that the strivings and shinings of Christ by his Light and Spirit with and unto the Sons of men which they dare not deny neither to be universal and yet do own ten parts to one of the world too to be at this day without any true outward Gospel Ministry or Traditions by by men or Letter of Scripture O Rotas where 's the beginning and end of these mens Rounds are not by any Light or Spirit of his that is in them for that measure of his Light and Spirit within wee call men to they name natural imaginary figment Fanaticisme Enthusiasme and ironically that infallible Doctor Qualitas nescio quae divina seu anima mundi omnibus mista 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 merae tenebrae caecitas nesâ—io quid niâ—il nothing and much more as I.O. pleases but by a Letter and Ministers of the Letter without them only he strives and shines by his Spirit say they and reproves and conviâ—ces the world that resist but t was of old by the outward Ministry of Noah only a Preacher of Righteousness t is since by the Scripture and Ministers of it that preach outwardly out of it though perhaps not one of an hundred in the world ever read it or heard it preacht on but not by any measure of his Spirit or immediate workings of any Light or
ascribe that to the Scripture or Letter which is peculiar only to the Light and Spirit that only searches the deep things of both God and men and Satan and which reveals and manifests all things and to which all is manifested and revealed And howbeit he appropriates this all along to the Scripture and Letter which he means all along by the VVord of God yet if he did but well understand himself he not far off ascribes the same to the Light that both we and the Scriptures speak of which yet he will advance no higher then to term it natural the voice of God in nature c. for as p. 42 43 44 45. he tells how God by that hath placed a thing called self-judgement in us in reference to his own over us and reveals himselfes the sons of men and much to the like Tune and p. 81 sayes it is by the light in the Scriptures which is say I that which the Scripture testifies of that t is in the heart by which the Scripture dives into the â—earts and there determines judges in the Majesty and Authority of God yet the Crown still is stated on the head of the Scripture by him and that Light it came from in holy men which is the same a small measure of which is in all mens hearts and consciences whose external subordinate instrument sometimes the Letter is is made by him but the subordinate instrument of the Letter by which quoth he the Letter 〈◊〉 and doth this and that and effects and perfects all which yet to go round again contradicts his own excludings in the other fore-cited places of his book of the Spirit and Light within from bring needful or any way concurrent with the Letter but rather as fiâ—â—icious and detestable So thâ— Letter is the supream Judge only most perfect Rule and Ruler of all and transacter of all still as to mans salvation with I.O. who little heeds how the Revelation made by the light in the conscience is of an unexpresiably larger extent then the manifestation of things is that is made by the Letter that came from it for the naked Letter or the light by it only manifests dâ— jâ—re the right of matters what is to be done what not what is good what evill the Moral law shews the Moral good that is to be acted the Moral evil that is to be declined or else no life but cursing but the naked lighâ— without the Letter that was within mens hearts as it now is before the Letter was discovâ—rs not onâ—y as the Letter doth de jure the Moral good and evil as I.O. himself confesses and Moral or Evangelical obedience and righteousness that is the substance of that legal and ceremonies that stood in Typical Transactions and ouâ—side-observations â—or a time but also over and above searches the heart and shews to every man de facto what is and is not done of the will of God de jure revealed and accordingly accuseth or excuseth justifieth or condemmeth in the Majesty and Authority of God so that its particular sentencing of every man either to life or death blessing or cursing acceptation or rejâ—ction stands ratified inalterably in the Court of Heaven yea hereby Christ shews every one as hee did the woman of Samaria all that ever she did and what they do and are think or speak and answerably either acquits or accuses as 1 Ioh. 3. as our hearts condemn us or not by that of God in them so are we justified or condemned have boldness or bashâ—â—â—ness before the Tribunal of heaven for whose sins the light remits are remitted and whose smâ—â—s is retaines are retained and the Ministers of the Light do by it judge the world that lyes in wickedness and justifie the righteous and we know their judgement is true and their sentence sure and shall stand in fore Dâ—i as it doth in farâ— conscienâ—ia But the Letter is too too weak an Engine to enter here and too short a Sword to divide so distinctly within as the Spirit and Law of the Spirit of life doth which is the Light the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God Which Titles I say still against T.D. and I.O. also are not to be all attributed much less as they are by them often appropriated to the Letter of the Scripture but are to be denominated only of Christ or his Spirit either of which a man may mean as in opposition to the Letter T.Ds. conceits to the contrary notwithstanding and yet mean like a man and a Minister also for as Christ whose Name is the Word of God is that Spirit Sword of the Father who is also a Spirit with which he will wound and Rule the wicked unruly Nations to the Spirit of both the Father and the Son or Word which is one Spirit with them for these three are one 1 Joh. 5. is that Sword that goeth out of his mouâ—h to the consuming of that wicked enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sits as God in his Temple both within and without 2 Thess. 2. and both are the Armour of God of Righteousness of Light which we are bid and and said to put on Rom. 13.2 Cor. 6. Eph. 6. And because it may seem such non-sense to T.D. to say the Sword of the Spirit is the Spirit it self and not another outward instrument of a Letter which yet we know the Spirit can use too when he pleases though his operations are most effectual when he is heeded in his immediate workings within the heart for T.D. I wot judges the phrase improper to call the Spirit it self the Sword of the Spirit and that that manner of speech must needs import another thing let me ask thee why so T.D. must it needs import another thing then the Spirit to say the sword of the Spirit why must it be improper so to say hadst thou had thy eyes in thy head and thy wits well about thee when thou busiedst thy self about that Text thou wouldest have seen the Spirit and Paul by it whom thou wilt not dare to charge with speaking nâ—â—-sense though thou chargest R.H. for the same speak in the same way of the whoâ—e celestial Panoply as ye use to caâ—l it Is not the brestplate of righteouâ—sness shiâ—ld of faith preparation of the Gospel of peace faith righteâ—usness and the Gospel of peace it self in the verses next above and the Armor of light the light it self Rom. 13 why then may not the Sword of the Spirit be meant of the Spirit it self and yet a man mean like a man and not mean non-sense as thou wouldest seem to make R.H. to do in so meaning And now to I.O. again about the Text Heb. 4.12 in which there remains one clause more which if he did not ad solem caecutire shut his eyes against the Sun me thinks hee could not possibly relate to the Letter and that is this Epethite of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quick or living and that so
and truly partaking of the Divine nature and begotten by the light and living Word of Truth from death and darkness into a real union with it self by receiving with meekness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the innate ingrafted word â—am 1.21 by which they become incorporated and as it were transubstantiated into one seed with it self having the Image and glory of God seen upon them and shining in and through them before the world men before whom let your light shine faith Christ Mat. 5.16 Is. 60.1 2 3 c. 2 Cor. 2. ult I say if such men may be stiled the Light of the world as Iohn Baptist was stiled by Christ a burning and shining light Joh. 35 36 then whom yet Christ had a greater witnesâ— Wil I.O. therefore prefer the deaâ— copies of the writings of those living men who wrote from the life light and Spirit of God moving before or at least into an equality with the holy men who under God were the Authors of those writings as they were at first which now are but the fallible â—andyworks of by his own confession but meer fallible Transcribers or if he will will any wise men of God become so foolish with him I trow not in as much as the work-man is more glorious than the work that issues either originally from or but subordinately through his own hands the Writer more honourable than his meer writing as Heb. 3.3 4. Hee who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house for as every outward Writing or Letter yee now have the use of was written by some man as every such house is built by some man but he of whom are all things and he that originally built all things is God indeed Yet me thinks I sent not only I.O. but T.D. also who is so a kâ—n to him that in most matters here hee prosecues the same point unless where he contradicts him and hobbles upon the same notions enthroning the Scriptures or outward Letter very high above the Church whose children it immediately was pend by the hands of and whose meer outward Engine the outward letter is insomuch that I.O. makes it not only dearer to God then the whole world besides p. 171. but also p. 76. the very Darling of God so that his Church whose servant the Letter is and for whose sake written is made by him but some subservant to hold out the honour of the Letter that it may bee the more conspicuous rather then to let her own light image grace glory which is that of God Isa. 10.1 2. shine out before man the duty t is quoth he almost the whole of the Church to hold up that some time and when wee say the Church is a Pillar and Ground of truth from 1 Tim. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words Pillar and Ground should not bee taken for the supporter or foundation nor inholder of truth in sensu Architectonico which T.D. denies â—e not dispute See p. 356. See p. 355. but grant him his sensum forensem or foreign sense of it in which I.O. also who sayes absurdly however that these words Pillar and Ground may in good coherence of speech refer to the words following viz. the mystery of godliness as well as to the Church will take it in and let them have it yet what follows that the Church is but the Ground and Pillar to set the Letter upon which I.O. calls the light and truth there and to hold forth only the outward literal publication as T.D. pleads p. 18 19. of his 2. Pamph. or the seat or place of residence for the Scripture as upon the Exchange in London are pillars and places upon which hang Tables and Proclamations in no wise surely for though the Pillars of the Exchange are for support as well as shew and so T.Ds. Simile doth not quadrare nor run on all four to bee sure yet to give them the sense of a pillar to hold up or hold out only yet that which the Church is the Pillar to hold up that is hold forth is the Truth whether by or without the Scripture of it between which Truth and the book they both sometimes do distinguish which truth or light is the Foundation or Pillar in sensu Architectonico on which the Church is built and not it on the Church as the letter is which under God the Church that gives no being to the truth or light nor kindles one beam thereof as I.O. sayes but only bears witness to it gives being to and so is in sensu Architonico the Pillar or Foundation of though in sensu forensi of the light and truth only for the Church is more honourable then the letter as the Builder or that which supports the house is more honourable then the house that receives being under God and preservation from it and its Prophets but its less honourable then the light and truth it lives by and hath its being from as a Church in respect of which light and truth t is confest it is not a pillar and ground in sensu Architectonico as it is of the letter but in sensu forensi only that is the seat place or pillar from whence it is held out and shines or as the Church is called Reâ— 1.20 Zach. 4.2 a golden Candlestick that serves to hold out in life and doctrine voice and writing the eternal Word of grace light truth and word of life conveyed in measure to her from the two Olive trees or anointed ones or sons of Oyl the living Word and Spirit that empty themselves into the golden Candlesticks feeding them therewith and from thence shining as God witnesses to the world which two witnesses shining and prophesying to the Church or Candlesticks and through them to the world in power and much patience and sufferings stand before the God of the whole earth Zach. 3. Rev. 11. And if the Saints born of the incorruptible seed the Word of God which liveth and abideth ever may bee stiled the Seed of God Will I.O. thence conclude that a corruptible Letter copied out by corrupt mens hands as the Scripture is at this day may be so stiled also The Word of God took upon him the nature and seed of Abraham but never took upon him however he is written of in it the proper nature of a dead Letter that was written with ink and pen by mens hands There was no time wherein the Word and Light by which all was made was made or born into the true nature of such a Letter but there is a time of its being made flesh and dwelling as their food in the Saints Joh. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 natus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word was born flesh and dwelt in us Ioh. 6.51 to 64. the bread I give is my flesh c. howbeit all flesh is not the same flesh there is a flesh of Christ that if eaten with a carnal mouth would as so have profited nothing vers 63.
that if he were set to extoll and set forth Christ Jesus himself in all his Dignity Authority Dominion Might Majesty and Glory unless it be the express names of the only beloved and begotten Son of God King of Kings Lord of Lords Mighty God the Ever-Father the Prince of Peace and perhaps some few more I can scarcely suppose on a sudden that he could finde any other or at least any more eminent Titles to dignifie him by then those by which hee dignifies not to say Deifies his adored dead Transcript Text and Corps of the Greek and Hebrew Copies of the Scriptures which hee vermilions over with the honour and veneration as to sundry of the most excellent glorious Titles and properties hee attributes to it that is due either to God or Christ or his living VVord Light and Spirit alone For howbeit every such particular expression of VVonderful Councellor Leader and Commander to the people Redeemer Saviour Salvation c. that Christ is stiled by may possibly not bee used in I.Os. book to express the outer Scriptures by yet I beleeve there is but little asserted in honour of Christ the Spirit the living Light and VVord througout the Scripture which is not asserted if not in the same yet in Termes equivalent in honour of the Scripture it self Witness all those most high flown phrases and eminent strains he flyes out and strikes up in in way of ascribing little less then all Authority Dominion Exaltation Transaction self-evidencing efficacy Light Power Dignity and Glory here on earth at least unto the Scriptures as if the Father had sealed it and not his Son and Spirit to be the disposer and orderer of all things next and immediately under himself as supream Iudge Rule Ruler Head and Governour over the sons of men and the giver and dispenser of the meat that endureth to eternal life CHAP. IV. ANd now I return to take more notice of what more is urged in his Latine Theses as concerning the Scriptures being the only most perfect rule of faith life worship and knowledge of God as to salvation The second Argument in proof whereof is its perfect operation and efficacy Ex. 3. s. 29. omnia perficit necessaria c. it accomplishes all that is necessary to Gods glory and our salvation in vindication of which a whole Dozen of Scriptures are urged eleven of which are above answered and one onely remains to be a little spoken to viz. Isa. 55.10 11. And as to that of Isa. 55 10 11. I grant That the Word of God as the Rain and Snow comes down and returns not without watering the earth and causing it to bring forth and bud and give seed and food so it returns not void at any time without working that for which he sends it to any person or people and prospering to the accompliâ—â—ment of what he pleases but I am half amazed to see that thou I.O. shouldest bee so silly as to interpret that of the Scripture since it so expresly speaks de verbo oris sui of the Word of his mouth which is asserted immediately from himself with his own voice so shall my Word be that goeth out of my mouth which Word expressed by his own voice speaking who so upon second thoughts and serious consideration shall say the Scriptures are properly too as I.O. excusing his ignorance for as much as not for want of incogitancy I my self sometimes so thought while I ran as our National Ministry now doth making haste and saying he saith before himself had sent mee howbeit I wanted no sending of man or had spoke to me or I heard his voice I shall make bold to accuse him of arrant Absurdity miserable mistake wretched blindness and utter unâ—â—rthiness to bee denominated a Doctor in that thing which our Divines call Divinity Nevertheless not having so well minded the matter as upon occasion they may do in time to come being carried in times past by custome to take things and term and talk of them according to tradition more then true discerning of them in their proper natures the very preachers of this Nation as well as the poor people that have lived on their lips have been so habituated by common Metonymies to miscall the Scriptures by names not proper to their natures that they now stand up to depend them to be most properly denominated by those Metonymical and improper names so that howbeit we are never so willing to allow them to express themselves by such figurative phrases as are frequently found in the Scripture it self as Act. 13.27 the voices i.e. Scriptures of the Prophets are said to be read in the Iews Synagogues every Sabbath and that satisfies them not but the Qua. are deniers both of the Scriptures and of the Word of God and spoylers of them of their proper names if they yeeld not to their as absurd as arbitrary Appellations of them by those glorious Titles of Gods Words Gods Voice as their proper names yea in this dotish disquierness and peevish perversnes of his prejudiced spirit doth I O. quarrel with the Quakers as bereavers of the Scripture of its proper name because they own not his improperties in ignorantly and impudently imposing the names of the Word of God and the spiritual Light on the Letter as its Proper names which it chalâ—engeth to it self from its preheminent participation of the nature and properties of the Word of God and of Light viz. Life power to quicken and save and to shine to the evidencing of it self J.O. I am now to deal against the Qua. about the proper name of the Scripture for this sort of men are glad that the care of this business is committed to them by Satan that they may spoil the Scriptures of that glorious Title the Word of God This name doth the Scripture challenge to it self So p. 49.73 74 77. That the Scripture is light we shall see that is so or can be called so unless it hath this nature and properly to evidence it self as well as to give light to others cannot in any tolerable corespondency of speech be allowed Whether spiritual intellectual light regarding the minde or natural with respect to bodily sight be firstly or properly light I need not inquire both have the same properties it is spiritual moral intellectual light with all its mediums that hath the preheminence as to a participation of the nature and properties of light Now the Scripture the Word of God is Light a Light â—hining in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 with an eminent advantage for its own discovery c. a glorious shining Light an illuminating Light compared and preferred abâ—ve the light of the Sun Psal. 19.5 6 7. Rom. 10 18. The most glorious light in the world the most eminent reflexion of increased Light and Excellencies the Psalmist ascribeth light power stability and permanency like that of the Heavens and Sun in commutation of properties to the word i.e. Scripture with I.O.
prove that general ignorant audacious Assertion of thine Doth any one of them respectively prove the particulars thereof that it is particularly alleadged to Doth Gal. 1.8 because it is said If we or any man or Angel from heaven bring any other Gospel then what we have preached to you twice over let him be accursed prove him cursed that writes more Scriptures of the same Gospel by the same Spirit if so was not Iohn hereupon accursed that wrote more Scriptures of it after Paul was dead by a new Revelation not the same and was not Paul if he wrote any Epistle after to Galatia cursed out of his own mouth by saying though wee bring any other Gospel let us be accursed if that were his meaning ' that no more Scripture must be written is every new Revelation and new writing by way of Revelation of the old Gospel a new Gospel or doth Rev. 22.18 prove there must be no more Scripture nor Revelation within nor new outward Scripture and Revelation of the Gospel by motion from the Spirit after by Iohn because he saith If any shall adde to the words of this Booke God will adde the plagues of it to him Said he therein any more then what was said long before Deut. 4.2.12 ulz. Prov. 30.6 Adde thou not to his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar were all those adders to Gods Word or words and reprobate and liars as they must be if the Scriptures bee Gods Word and the adding of more Scripture be additament to his Word that added all that Scripture which was written after Deuteronomy and the Proverbs and if the Scripture were the Word of God is not taking away his name out of the Book of Life threatned to him that takes away from the words of that Book as well as plagues to him that addes and so ye in that ye discanonize most of what was writ there by the Prophets are discarded from the comforts of the Scripture by the places of you own quotation Doth Col. 2.18 twice over cited and allowed two votes in this Section vote either of those particulars it is cited for Doth the Spirit there condemn Angelorum alloquia alias called by thee Colloquia Angelica s. 28. all conference with Angels or only that worshipping of Angels forbid more expresly as I hinted to thee before in Rev. 19.10.22.9 where I also told thee of the lawfulness of talking with Angels or receiving of Revelation of the truth from Angels unless thou wilt Tax such as received the Law which was given by the disposition of Angels and Daniel and Mary and Zachary Cornelius and Paul and Iohn that wrote the Revelation and Christ himself who all were spoke to and ministred to by Angels were these all guilty of sin and condemnation Look again I.O. on the words in English which thou Greekest out perhaps to the further hoodwinking of Idiots that ken not Greek lest they should finde out thy folly who settest it for a Cypher if rendred in plain Latine which to give thee the reading as they stand in your Translations run thus Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility or worshipping of Angels Is the talking of Angels to men here deeply damned by the Spirit of God as thou dreamest And 2. what 's that Text to prove there must be on pain of cursing no additament of more Scripture or Writing to that Scripture that is in your Bibles with pretence of immediate Revelation of the same Doctrine Truth or Gospel there taught from the same inward Light and holy Spirit which is the second purpose for which it s cited a second time And again as to Heb. 1.2.4 cited Heb. 1.1 3. for thus thou citest that twice to the 2. same purposes with Col. 2. what hath that in it to the evincing the Spirits damning of either all talk with Angels or addition of more Scripture thereof from the Revelation motion or inspiration of the same holy Spirit to that Scripture of the Truth that is now truss'd up as the close of the whole Councel of God that ever must be declared in writing or counted upon as part of your Canon according to the Clergies Councel who first caused that consignation of it by Book-binders within the bounds of your Bibles thus run the words God who at sundry times and in diverse maners spake in times past the Fathers to the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us in his Son who is better then the Angels c. Must not his eyes be out that sees any such things hinted at here as those above the proof of which I.O. intends by this quotation Because Angels are here named inferiour unto Christ therefore Anathematized is he that hears or heeds any thing that shall be spoken to him by an Angel though he reveal the same Truth and not another seeing that truth is already written in the Scripture yea cursed be hee from henceforth even for ever there 's one of I.Os. Concâ—usions who consequently concludes Iohn accursed that wrote the Revelation from thenceforth even after this of Paul to the Colossians and the Hebrews were written from whence forward I.O. drives his execration downward to this day sith the said Iohn had his Revelation immediately from an Angel by whom Christ who had it from the Father sent and signified it to his servant Iohn Rev. â— 1 And because Christ is better then the Angels and God in these last dayes speaks in and by him his only begotten Son the light of the world the great Shepherd and Over-seer of the soul whose own voice his Sheep hear warning all to hear him to hear his voice in all things what ever he sayes on pain of being cut off from among his people therefore the Scripture must have no more writing though of the same truth that is there added to it on pain of damnation for ever there 's the t'other of I.Os. Conclusions from Heb. 1. from which Conclusion I can much more clearly conclude that a cloud of darkness is drawn over I.Os. understanding and that a beam is in his eye then draw such an untruth as that no more Scripture since Iohns time was to be written by the holy Spirits moving and added to that from that Text which tells the truth if I.O. would once heed it viz. that the hour now is wherein God speaks to the Sons of men in and by his own Son whom he hath given to be a Light and Leader to all people wherein the dead must hear his voice before ever they live to God who since God speaks by him and hee by his own light Spirit Voice in I.Os. conscience why doth not I.O. heed him then but scoffe at him in his inward Light and Spirit the Qua. call to as at Christum quendam Imaginarium infallibilem Doctorem nescio quod lumen scu verbum internum nescio quem Deum seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deoforsan quopiam
Spirits and ye also shall beare witnesse saith he putting a difference between his Disciples testimony by the Spirit and that of the Spirit by it self for that of the Spirit is the Word it self that is testified to by inspired men whether in writing or speaking and not the writing or the speaking it selfe The Word I say put by the Spirit into mens mindes and into their mouthes which Word is promised to abide with his for ever and so saith I. O. many times over in his Book repeating that Scripture and putting almost the whole stresse of his ill cause upon it and bringing it in the folly and blindnesse of his minde to prove the letter by the promise of God himself of necessity to remaine inviolated inalterable and uncorrupted for ever whereas the Spirit speaks it not of the letter at all but of the Word which should be put into his peoples mouth Isa. 59.21 The Word which I put into thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouth nor the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever which strengthens what I have now in hand to prove i.e. the continuance of the Spirits immediate movings of God people under the Gospel more or lesse even for ever And doth not Christ also say Mat. 28.20 to his Disciples and in them to his Church which is a successive body and not simultaneous nor appearing wholly in this world at nor altogether at one time Lo I am with you alwayes even to the end of the world and if there have been a time of more darknesse then ordinary even to his own by reason of Christs absence and the Devils presence in the world yet more or lesse to his own which are those that own him and heed his voice he hath ever appeared but however as his promise was to be with his more or lesse to the end so at the end his promise is to be by his Spirit more with them then ever I will saith he speaking of his returne after the mournfull time of his absence who is the Bridegroom from the Bride see you againe and your heart shall rejoyce as a woman when her houre of travel is over having no more remembrance of her sorrow because a man child is borne unto her and into the world and your joy shall no man take away so that in these dayes we may expect more then ever was enjoyed before the glory of the second Temple being to be greater then that of the first which was trodden down more pourings out of the Spirit then the primitive ages had these being the dayes wherein refreshment is to break forth from the face of the Father wherein he will send Act. 3.19 20 21 22 23 to his Church Iesus his Son who hath withdrawn and retired and been retained in the heavens till these times who so readeth this let him understand which are the times of the restitution of all things that ever haue been out of order and of his people since they ran astray from God which have been spoken of by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began Why then sayest thou while the infallible spirit continued his guidance as if after he should come he was to go suddenly quite away again of whom Christ while present in flesh saith he was after his passing hence to come and to continue in and with his people Mat. 28. throughout all ages in all which ages he had people and a seed as in Eliahs time Rom. 9.27 29. and a remnant though small and unseen Rom. 11.4 left trodden under foot by the outward Israel that held the outward Court which were as the sand of the Sea for multitude even to the end Iohn 14.25 26. What did the promise of Christ fail to his own because of the worlds unbelief and did he leave them to be guided by the Prince of this world that was to come and by his blind guides to guide and govern the world and have his kingdome in it a while and was his own seed which never consents to any iniquity but condemnes it given up by God because the seed of evil doers was to be guided by the spirit of the God of this world that totally blinded some from looking at the light and by the man of Sinne and Son of Perdition to be strongly deluded to damnation by the mystery of his iniquity who was Permitted indeed to withhold and hinder and let not a little till he should be taken away but after That wicked should be revealed in his time was not the Lord to be revealed again in his time which is the principall and most proper and seasonable opportunity for Christ to appeare in his Spirit and shew himself in 1 Tim. 16.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its proper times And was he not to conjure the other lying spirit with the spirit of his mouth which is not the letter that declares of the Word but the living Word it self which opens the Letter also the sword of his mouth put then into the mouth of his seed as aforesaid yea into the mouths of very Babes to the stilling of the enemy and avenger and to destroy it with the brightnesse of his coming What Spirit was to take the guidance of his people if his own infallible spirit were not to continue with them for ever or would he deprive them of the presence of his infallible spirit in their hearts and place it without in the fallible Letter so that if ever they would see or speak with his spirit they must look for him and hear what he testifieth there onely so I. O. talkes T. 1. c. 5. and must go forth and talk with him there onely i.e. without but not within he being gone forth from his dwelling in the hearts of his people now to dwell in the Letter onely and minded there and no where else to be spoken with And why sayest thou while the infallible spirit of God continued his guidance in an extraordinary manner And again T. 2. C. 5. S. 1. the infallible direction of the spirit of God Hath God any other then that infallible spirit and if he meant to direct his people at all by his spirit in the dismal times that were to come must it it not be by that infallible spirit continuing his infallible which thou callest extraordinary guidance and direction or else by none at all Or hath God two spirits to direct his own by at sundry times one extraordinary and infallible the other fallible and ordinary and hath that nfallible spirit of his two kinds of guidances and directions one extraordinary and infallible the other fallible and ordinary which extraordinary and infallible spirit and his extraordinary and fallible guidance was to continue with them but a while it being for high and holy and extraordinary dayes and times the ordinary and fallible for more ordinary and lower dayes and times as that the presence of which may as well serve the
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
at knees with Rings or Ribbons and Aprons of Points and costly if not golden Buttons and such like Garments gay and gorgeous attire neither is it so much of that fine linnen their Bishop-like Boot-tâ—ps and double Cuffs are cut out of as of that which is the Righteousness of the Saints by reason of which these as internally golden as externally earthen vessels that bear Gods Name and bring his heavenly Treasure are ill treated turned out and trampled on by both themselves and the people of those guilded high super-celestial earthly minded empty Carks that ever sound the loudest among their shallow waters which make such a noise together with them that the still small voice wherein God is can come at no audience 1 King 19.12 13. Ecclus. 9.14 15 16 17 18. These not bearing such a broad bulk as the other nor bringing so much of that all sorts of externall excellencie and ornament as the other doe which commends their persons though never the more to God nor good men yet to men that have not Christs mind but being many of them as Christ was of low outward birth and education and till he was sent to preach a Carpenter by occupation Mark 6.3 Amos's that by the Priests good will should never come so near the Kings Chappels and Princes Courts as of late some have been admitted to do by such Rulers as will never repent of the admittance of them into their presence if they repent from what wayes soever the light within them manifests to be evill as they are advised to do by such of the Lights Children as the Lord at any time sends unto them Amos 7.10 11 12 13 14 15. Aquila's and Priscilla's Phebe's Prophecyers by the Spirit of both Sexer Sons and Daughters Servants and Handmaids as to the lower sort of literature unlearned Iames's Peter's Iohn's few of the Priesthoods function as Ieremie and Ezekiel once were for as many Priests as were obedient to the faith at first I find few or none of them that came forth to be Prophets and few Lawyers or Learned ones of any sort unless in some handicraft employments one able Paul well skill'd in the Law brought up at the feet of Gamaliel an indifferent honest Doctor at the Law very dark and doubting yet more moderate then his fellows Acts 5.34 38 39. 22.3 which Paul was a kind of Pursievant to the chief Priests till he became a Preacher of what he ignorantly persecuted before Acts 9.1 2 c. and then turned Tentmaker for his living Acts 38.3 Likewise Zenas another Lawyer at least a Disciple And Luke an honest Physitian that wrote some of the Acts of Christ and of some of the Apostles of Paul especially whom he travelled much with one Apâ—â—â—os eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures Acts 18.24 Col. 4.14 Tit. 2.12 One Mathew an Officer in the Custome-hense and the rest for the most part of the inferiour sort as they are at this day few or no Rulers of the Pharisees some rich wise mâ—ghty noble not many the rest mostly Tradesmâ—n some such as I. O. speaks of in a place fore-cited Baâ—bers Porters perhaps some Alehouse-keepers why not the Calling being as honest in it self as that of Gaâ—us the Churches Host or any other Inne-keeper though often much abused as what Trade is not when evill men manage it Carpenters Shoemakers Taylors Tentmakers Tributegarberers but no Tithmongers that I yet know of Shop-keepers as Lydia an honest Purple-seller that lived at Philippi and kept shop or market at Thiaâ—yâ—a Shepherds Heardsmen Husbandmen Farmers Fishermen out of all or most of which sorts Christ makes some Fishers of men in these dayes while the Popish Parish Priests and other flaunting unclean spirited spirituall men fishall their dayes and get nothing but unclean croking Frogs like themselves Rev. 16.13 14. Howbeit it is but few that receive the true Faith because such as broach it bring little or nothing with it of that outward pomp that people look for at the Kingdâ—mes coming And so Sinihil attuleris ibis Homere Fâ—ras 4. Partly both Priestâ— and Peoples iâ—câ—gitancy â—scitancy non observation of it that the Kingdome comes not with so much outward observaâ—ion and sumptuâ—us shows as they seek after and as the Kingdomes of this world come with but with all its glory which the Saints see in Christ and the Spouse when the world doth nor Psal. 45.13 Iohn 1. lyes more inward then men are ware of viz. in righteousness peace with God and joy in the holy Spirit a little thing a grain of Mustard-seed at first though to be at last the greatest among the Hearbs and so they dâ—spise the day of small things though it tend to the greatest good and truest glory They consider not no not when they read the very writing which is their own Rule as the Iews did not when Moses was read the vail being over his face and their hearts what the Scripture itself saith but in their lâ—ftiness and lordly minds which fly up above the Light overlook the lowly mind of Christ in the very Scriptures they to themselves seem to be so much skilled in they heed it not when in it God declares that out of the mouth of Babes he will perfect his own pâ—aisâ— Psal. 8.2 Matth. 21.16 that 't is not by such a fierce people as are for five and faggot as Papists are and carnall weapons Prisons and other punishments as I. O. is to defend Truth by nor by a people of a deeper speech then can well be understood by plain honest hearts as the Scribes and Disputers of this world but by stammering lips and another tongue then that they think of in which all are Riddles and Parables to them he will speak to people and especially to such as hearing will not hear and seeing will not see when things are plain that hearing they may not hear yea that such may go and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken Isai. 28.9 to 14. Isai. 33.18 19. 1 Cor. 14.21 and that it is that foolishnesse of preaching as it is called by such as perish that God is pleased to save such by as will bâ—lieve that he will destroy the wisdome of the wise and bring to nought the understanding of the prudent and turn wise men backward and make their knowledge foolish and frustrate the tokens of the Lyars and lead Councellours away spoiled and make the Iudges fools and remove away the speech of the trusty and take away the understanding of the aged and take away the heart of the chief of the earth and cause them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way and make them greap without light and stagger like a drunken man and befool the Princes of Zoan and caâ—â—â— the counsel of the wise Councellors of Pharoah to become bruitish and decâ—ive the Princes of Noph that have seduced and been the stay of the Tribes thereof and mingle a perverse spirit among them
coin to your selves in your own conceits I care not for knowing for more then a good many ye have but this I know that if the Scriptures be true as I know they are which ye profess to be your Rule of Tryal for all things there is noe true way of coming to the true knowledge of God so much as a Iudge much less as a Father but one and that is neither the Scripture itself which tells of that way nor any thing else but Christ himself and his Light to whom God hath committed all Iudgement which Iudgement he administers by his Light before any see his face as a Father in righteousness and live He hath given forth a Light to the world whereby to know himself but this Light is in his Son he that hath the Son and believeth on the Son in whom is the Life and his Life is the Light of men hath everlasting Life he that hath not and believeth not in the Son hath not life though he is capable of it but by the Light in which he stands condemned the wrath of God yet abideth on him So that whereas ye say there 's knowledge of God but not of Christ by that universal internal light there is in truth no knowledge of God at all but in the Light of Christ who bears his Image who gives forth the Light of the knowledge of his own glory in the face of Iesus Christ I am the way saith he John 14.6 the Truth and Life no man cometh to the Father but by me The Father reveals the Son in men by his Light before he reveals himself Gal. 1.16 So that as no man knows the Son but he in whom the Father reveals him so no man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him as he will to all that wait and walk on in his Light let him search ne're so long after or in the Letter Mat. 11.27 Ioh. 6.45.46 till he feel after him in the Light within himself in which only God who is not far from every man though most men are far from him is to be found Act. 17. No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son who is in the bosome of the Father whose out-goings from thence have been from of old Mic. 5.2 as well in a way of manifestation of the Fathers mind to men from the beginning of the world as in way of Eternal Generation before the world began Prov. 8.20 to 32. though T.D. not knowing the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world knows not how to say Amen to this See page 4. of his 2. Pamp. he it is that by his Spirit and Light within which the Letter only relates of doth reveal him Ioh. 1.18 Men must know Christ i. e. in his Light which Cornelius was in which is his day that Abraham saw whether they ever see his fleshly person yea or nay before they can know God who is known in nothing but his own Light the Son who is known in nothing but his own Light the Spirit that comes from and leads to him so that to say as a Professor of note said in a publike Assembly in Ireland of a Friend of Truth call'd a Qua. whom I know having heard him speak This man knows much of God but little of Christ is little less then a Bull that favours for all the natural literal knowledge of both of little less then a spiritual ignorance in the mystery of both God and Christ. And this gives me the hint to make mention of another Argument That this Light is not natural which is in all viz. because it comes from God and Christ into every creature not by Creation as the rational Soul and its faculties of understanding will mind memory conscience it self do and such properties as are de esse hominis whether constitutive or consecutive so that a man is no man at all or hath not the essential form of a man as distinct from the outward Brutum or Beast of the Field for a man may remain Phusicos a natural man or rather Psuchicos as the word is in many places where rendred natural as well as where sensual 1 Cor. 2. 1 Cor. 15. Iam. 3. Iude 15. a true animal soul-ly man a man that hath a Soul rational and sensitive though in its faculties defaced clouded darkned benighted and lost from the Lord and his Light now withdrawn from him even after the Light is kid from his eyes as it was ever at last from such as to any life by it who would not be led to life by it while they had it witness the Pharisees and Ierusalem and after he remains now irrecoverable for want of Light to the primitive pure nature which only loveth and obeyeth the Law and delighteth truly in the Light The Light then I say comes from God and Christ into the mind and Conscience not as the Soul and its essential faculties of understanding will c. do which with the Organical body make that one compositum call'd man that may be either in unity and communion with God and Christ or in onmity and separation from them according as he walks or walks not in the Light that shines from them but by way of immediate infusion from them into the mind and conscience which of itself is a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 and destitute as to the knowledge of God without a measure of it as a thing distinct and separable from the man in whom it is and a witness against him when he runs from the Will of God revealed to him in it though eternally one with God and Christ from whom it shines and flows and not ex principiiis natura as I. O. sayes with whom it ever sides let the man go whether he will never consenting to any but condemning all iniquity committed by him and counselling continually whether heeded or no before hand against it And lastly from whom it is as unchangeably inseparable as the light beams and rayes of the Sun are from the Sun it self from whence they shine with which they are in conjunction still whether this or that part of the world be actually enlightned by it or by the Moons interposing eclipsed from it yea or no. So that upon these considerations it can't be natural as I.O.T.D. I.T. R.B. deems it but do nothing at all to the purpose in proof of it so to be So that in further proof of it to be spiritual and supernatural and disproof of their proof-lesse position that its natural to save the pains and charge of laying them out at length I lay down these following proofs which wise men may argue out more at large to their fuller satisfaction within themselves Argum. The Light in all Consciences shines thereinto from God Christ and his Spirit therefore 't is not natural but supernatural and spiritual for these two viz. natural and spiritual natural and supernatural do tollere se invicem are inconsistently
Spirit also by himself as saying one thing and meaning another and so would set the Spirits words and the Spirits meanings at odds and together by the eares against themselves Christ enlightens only such men as are spiritually inlightned Nor secondly if he had said so would it have followed that every individual man is not enlightned for of a truth every individuall man is not only enlightned but also spiritually enlightned for he that is enlightned to discern spiritual things good or bad spiritual wickednesses or spiritual righteousness many sins and duties and divine attributes which are all spirituall objects and some of them some of those things of the Spirit which the meer natural man without the Spirits revealing cannot know because they are spiritually discerned that man must be spiritually enlightned so out of a better Bow then the Devils even that of Iosephs which abides in strength I shoot back T Ds second Arrow again thus against himself as that which hath done us no harm howbeit he meant it otherwise it being in his mind to have mischief'd the Truth viz. Christ enlightens every man that is spiritually enlightned witness T D p 36 but every individuall man is more or lesse even spiritually inlightned i. e. to discern spiritual objects which by the Spirits revealing them only and not naturally but spiritually only or by the Spirit are to be discerned witness T D again p 1 therefore Christ inlightens every individuall man 3 T D who hath mostly two hath here a third string to his Bow left the two first should not hold from which he shoots thus viz. He enlightens some of every Nation Kindred Tongue and People as the phrase is Rev. 5.9 Repl. And this however he meanes pinchingly yet is true too in terminis that Christ enlightens some every where a number in all Nations as he expresses it over again p. 36. for the termes all and every one are conclusive continually of some but that Arrow reaches not far enough to wound our universal construction so long as the termes some a number many without a but put to them whereby to bolt out othersome which is wanting here though elsewhere added and by and by to be talkt with is not exclusive of all men of every man nor of any man and so his bow and bolts shoots too short to hit the Butt still Nor is the Phrase Rev. 5 9 which T D in his fancy fellows and Identifies with this in Iohn 1 9 like it in any wise for one is enlightens every man in the world the other Redeemed us out of every Nation c. were it Redeemed every man in every Nation and made every man in every Nation and Kindred c. a King a Priest to God c. then it had been somewhat neeâ— a Kin to it indeed Thus T D by his single self with all his sharpest shafts or sorry shifts can make nothing stick to the gaining of any ground against us nor so much as to stirre us a hairs breadth from our interest in it much lesse to storm us out of the strong Hold we have in that high place of Scripture wherein the Qua. stand over the head of the Serpent to the bruising of it Let us see sith vis unita fortior what the joyned forces of him and I. O. together can do for they two who fight as under from that Text in some of their several senses against the Qua. fall in together in one of their four or five senses even that which hath the least sense and reason in it of all the rest and so of two make one most senselesse head against the Qua. and the Text and the Truth or true sense of the Spirit no lesse plainly imported and implyed to any but that darkness which comprehends not the true light when it shines in it then it is plainly end evidently exprest therein That sense I shall joyn issue in against them both at last but there lies on single sense of I O wherein T. D. joyns not with him wherewith I. O. shoots out of the same Bow as hard as he can against us though too short to hit or hurt us the which must be shot back again upon himself first in the service of the Qua. and the Truth which it serves perfectly while not at all themselves nor their own false doctrine and then I shall have the more Field-Room to fight them both in about the other The sense of I. O. which is not only his own neither though T. D. appears not to own it with him for I have seen others besides as himself seeking to shuffle off the Truth with it is this viz. Christ coming into the world inlightens every man and this sense seems to be ushered in with a deal of pâ—mp and ceremony as if I O was confident of carrying the cause by it when it first Center'd within his conciet and so intended to act his Triumph over the Qua. before his effecting of the victory I shall set down some of his triumphant matter wherein he marches on towards the Text where he meets us and make some occasionall notes on some crosse whets to himself and halts and inter-feeres he makes by the way I. O Videanâ—us porro quid contra garriunt Fanatici ut que operam dent quacum ratione aliqua insanire videantur c. Ex. 4. S. 23 24. Le ts see quoth he what the Quakers prate to the contrary and how they do their best to shew that they are not mad without some Reason but they bring no new thing they are old worn out Arminian matters they bring a thousand times confuted already they have nothing more frequently in their mouth then those words concerning Christ John I. 2 They never make a more horrid out-cry then when they come upon this place here they fain wonderfull triumphs to themselves and not a little cast ignominy on their adversaries Repl. No otherwise I say still do we reproach then as the Virgin of Sion Isai. 37.21 22. Despised laughed to scorn shook her head at the insolent filliness of the haughty Assyrian that reproached blasphemed exalted his voice and lifted up his eyes on high against the Holy One of Israel in his Truth and People o're whom he looked so superciliously as if he would pluck them out of Sion by the eareâ— when he was not so much as to shoot an Arrow that should reach to do any execution there No otherwise then as plain Ephraim the people and the honest hearted Sons of Sion are at this day in the Spirit and Power of the Lord to be raised against thy silly-seemingly-wise Sons O Greece and to be made against you Greekish Scribes and Disputers of this world as the Sword of a mighty man and a polished Shaft and his Bow and Arrows and Battel-Axe in his hand to beat down aud break in pieces the Horse and his Rider and as the Potters Clay the works of them that turn Gods things
Copy of it as Professors have whom they will Iudge and be justified before for all the Professors boasting if they do the things contained in the Law as it s written in their consciences and much more to this purpose is so clear to them that in the Light with any solid understanding and not in their own benighted minds and prejudiced spirits against the true Light which the Letter points to read the first and second Chap. of Paul to the Romans thoroughout that all the Objections to the contradicting of this Truth we even thence plead against them made by our hasty opposers will appear to be but Obulaty sticks and straws reeds and rushes when as anon we must we come to examine them Therefore the premises well considered it will plainly appear that some measure at least of that saving Light and Grace which is sufficient to lead such as follow it unto Life is vouchsafed to all and every man Arg. 6. If Christ the Saviour and the Salvation of God it self be a Common Salvation given in Common to All and every man without exception so that All that will may have it then that sufficient saving Light that leads to it and the gift of that Grace of God that puts men into a power and possibility to work it out to themselves brings it to them and being not neglected but improved brings them to it must be given also in Common to All and every man else it cannot be said properly they are in posse to it or so much as that they may have it But the Salvation of God is freely given in common to All men so that every man who will may have it else God who means as he sayes and mocks not most men in such cruelty as to say to them whom he knows are lockt up so that they cannot come at it unless loosed by him who yet never intends to loose them here 's Salvation here 's plenteous Redemption for All you sinners which I would you should All have without respect of persons Take it who will freely as 't is freely tender'd else far greater vengeance shall fall on you then if I had never been gracious to you for refusing my rich Grace and Goodness which I would have had you enjoyed but you would not would not utter his mind with so many strong and serious Asseverations Complaints Commands and seemingly compassionate Câ—mpellations by which to take all scruples away and put his great and true love to them out of doubt as he does saying Look ye unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth Behold my Servant I gâ—ve hâ—m a Light to the Nations to be my Salvation to the ends of the earth Ho every one that thirsteth come ye unto the waters and he that hath no money come yea come and buy wine and milk without money and price Hearken unto me and let your souls delight in farness hear and your souls shall live Why will ye die turn and live Chuse life that ye may live The Spirit aâ—d the Bride say come and let him that is athirst come and whoever will let him câ—me and take of the water â—f life freely The Son of man is câ—me to seekout aâ—d save that is lost I am came that they might have life abundantly Ye will not come to me that ye might have life He hath laid help on One that is mighty who is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him Him that cometh unto me will I in no wise cast out In the Lord is compassion and with him is plâ—nteous Redemption Let the wicked forsake his way the unrighteous his thoughts and turn to the Lord for he is gracious and to our God for he will abundantly pardon he is long suffering not willing any should perish but that All should come to repentance wills that All should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believeth in him may not perish but have everlasting life for he sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved He that believeth shall not be condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he believeth not on the only begotten Son of God This is the gift that he hath given us eternal Life and this Life is in his Son the Light He that believeth not makes God a lyar because he believeth not the testimony God gives of his Son In him is life and his life is the light of men and the light shineth in the darkness but the darkness comprehends it not He came A Light into the world and the world knew him not This is the true Light which enlighteneth every man that comes into the world Glory be to Gâ—d on high on Earth peace good will towards Men. Glad tydings of great joy which shall be unto All People to you is born a Saviour which is Christ the Lord the One Mediator between God and Men Iesus who gave himself a Ransome for All who died for All by the Grace of God tasted death for every man God commendeth his love to us in that when we were sinners Christ dyed for us dyed for the ungodly justifieth the ungodly i.e. from not in sin the Saviour of the world given as Gods witnesse to people a Leader and Commander to people if any man sin A Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World in whom God was reconciling the world his enemies by his blood to himself not imputing trespasses to them that will not persist in their enmity giving out a Ministry of this reconciliation by whom as by Embassadors for God men are besought in Christs stead to be reconciled to God who made him sin who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him The Wisdome of God that cryes out How long ye scorners will ye delight in scorning simple ones love simplicity fools hate knowledge Turn at my reproof I will pour out my Spirit upon you make known my words unto you Wherefore is a prize put into the hand of a fool seeing he hath not a heart to make use of it Because I call and ye refuse stretch out my hands to a rebellious and gain-saying people and no man regardeth but ye set at naught all my counsel will none of my reproof I also will laugh at your caâ—amity and mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction as a whirle-wind when distresse and anguish cometh upon you because ye hated knowledge and did not chuse the fear of the Lord for the turning away only of the simple slayes him And this is the condemation nothing else irrecoverably that light is come into the world and men love darkness more than Light which is come into them to save and
the Lord which shall be counted to him for a Generation and to confess as much as they are now a curse among men that they are the Seed whom God hath blessed Virtutem incolumem odimus Sublatam ex oculis Quaerimus invidi Their eleventh argument from Jude 19. Having not the Spirit John 14.17 The Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive is this Every man hath not the Spirit of God therefore every man hath not a light within sufficient to guide him to God Rep. Every man that hath not so long resisted grieved quenched the motions of the Spirit of God striving in him that it thereupon is taken from him as it was from those sensual ones Iude speaks of whom God had given over to their lusts hath the Spirit striving within him and that 's enough to our purpose who own such a state that some may be given over to for not using what they had while they had it as wherein to have wisdome at whose reproof they would not turn withdraw and leave them to the way of folly and the good Spirit depart from them as he did from Saul Iudas the Iews and others and leave the house even their hearts wholly desolate and destitute of his presence for the evil spirit that lusteth in men to envy to enter and totally to possess them and the talent or measure of Gods Light within sith they would not trade with it taken away from them that the outwaâ—d darkness might come upon them and the grace of God that brought Salvation to them which at some time or other appears to all men Tit. 2.11.12 sith they would not learn of it to to deny ungodliness but turned it into wantonness and received it in vain despising the riches of it when it would have led them to repentance leave them to the impenitency and hardness of their hearts that they might fill up their measure of sin and so wrath come upon them to the utmost but all this proves not but that once they had it or else Christ would not have said to such as yet walk't not in it Walk in the light while ye have it least darkness come upon you and ye know not whither ye go nor could your selves say rationally as ye do to wicked men often O people now while his good Spirit moves in your spirits resist not quench not his motions left like them that lay at the Pool of Bethesda not stepping in while the Angel moved on the waters you be left unhealed forever Work whilst its day left the night come on you wherein none can work his spirit will not strive alwayes c. As for the worlds not receiving the Spirit so as to walk in it it proves not that God gives it not any more then that they have no grace given them of God because they receive it in vain and ye may as well say unreasonable men have no principle of reason left in them because they live not by it as that they have not a sufficient light in them to lead them because they do not walk in it Besides it is expressly said of Christ that by the same Spirit by which himself was quickned he went and preached to the spirits in prison i. e. to their own lusts which were disobedient in the old world in the dayes of Noah which was not by his Ministry without only as the dream but within also in their own hearts Their twelfth runs thus The Son did not reveal the Father to every man nor did every man come to Christ therefore every man had not a light within him sufficient to guide him to God Rep. The consequence of this is utterly false for though the world hates Christ the Light and comes not to him yet he is come a light into the world this he that 's not willingly ignorant of it can scarcely chuse but see if he read Iohn 3.16.17.18.19.20.21 it follows not because men come not into Christs Light that therefore it is not come into them it being as is shewed above one thing for the Light to be in men another for them to be in it I am come that they might have life faith Christ of the Jews John 10. yet ye search the Scriptures and therein look for Eternal life but will not come to me that ye may have life faith he to the Scribes Iohn 5. both these comings of each to other are necessary to the life else though the Light that is able to lead to it be in men they not being led by it cannot have it Moreover Christ does by his Light reveal the Father to such as hate both him and his Father though they like not to know him thereby else he could not say truly as he does to such Iob. 22.23.24 If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin If I had not done in them the works which none other doth they had not had sin but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father In what measure men see the mind and will of Christ and his Father manifested in them by the Light within Rom. 1.19 and hate that they see and hate both Christ and his Father whose Light and Mind and Will that is which appears to them Their fourteenth is urged by them from Texts of Scripture every of which most clearly prove or rather positively asserts the very thing they contend against viz. that Christ is come a Light to them that sit in darkness and so all men do a Light to the Nations a light into the world that whosoever that is in the world he is come into believeth in him should not perish nor walk nor abide in darkness but have the light of life Iohn 3.19.8.12 9.5.12.46 for not coming to which nor believing in which not loving but hating of which not living by which only the world comes to be condemned Were ever men so blinded But say they Christs coming a Light into the World would be needless if every man had a light in him before Christs coming into the World sufficient to guide him in the way to God Therefore the Quakers Opinion about the light in each person is a manifest errour Rep. Your apprehension of the Qua. Opinion is either a manifest errour or a wilful piece of ignorance or a miserable mistake or something for they hold no such thing as a light in each man sufficient to guide him without or besides that of Christ or before Christs coming into the world but that the whole world lying in wickedness and sitting in darkness Christ is sent a Light to enlighten them who without him are lost and that he who is that true Light doth more or less by his coming into the world enlighten every man that comes into it The fifteenth concludes a lye against the Qua. as denying the use of and dehorting from searching the Scriptures which while Christ Iohn 5.39
for the sin he hath once committed he hath and the sins by which Iohn and they had sinned of old were theirs or else they needed no Saviour nor purging as cursing men possibly might be sins of which Iames and them he writes to could not say we have no such for such and such were some of you saith Paul to the Saints 1 Cor. 6. But now ye are washed sanctified justified by the Spirit c. So that if we confesse he is faithfull and just to forgive and that 's not all though the Priest stops there but to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse yea the blood of Iesus his Son doth in praesenti cleanse us from All sin If then there be any filth remaining theres not a cleansing from all but if as the Text sayes it was to some it be from all then there 's none at all remaining so as to be committed or acted to defilement though the Saints may be said to have it in and about them so as to be tempted to it while it is fully under them yet temptation to it is not transgression And the same may be said of 2 Cor. 7.1 let us cleanse though Paul himself was cleansed from all uncleannesse of flesh and Spirit then which I know no more pâ—rfecting holinesse in the fear of God who say I commands not impossibilities to the visible Churches in which sundry were who were not clean as Christs Saints and true Disciples are through the word he speakes to them nor cleansing but some waxing worse and worse Ioh. 13.10 11 16 3. Phil. 3.18 19. much lesse doth Christ command no to his true Ministers as fast as false ones hasten to that fruitlesse work if there own doctrine were true in his Name to command what is impossible yet even to the little children in the Church does Iohn write that they sin not 1 Ioh. 2.1 as well as of the young men in commendation that they are strong and have overcome the wicked one and yet there are Fathers beyond all these Next to G. W. mentioning Phil. 3.15 as many as be perfect c. in proof of perfection here T. D. Replyes well-nigh a whole page full of worth nothing which is scarce worth noting on any other account then to shew how 't is worse then nothing to his own purpose 1. He tells us that 's spoken of grown Christians that were perfect in comparison of Babes Rep. That every Babe in Christ is perfect as to the divine nature which assents to no sin much lesse acts it I have shew'd above but if all that are born of God were not perfect yet that some are T. D. there confesses and if but one it proves the possibility of it which we plead against him and he pleads against 2 He tells us that perfect in Scripture is put for upright and these are made Synonimous and of the same import Rep. True Perfect and upright are one and both import no lesse then a man that sins not Eccles. 7.29 Adam in innocency was perfect it 's said God made man upright For while any are upright they are answerable to the Law or Light lent them to live by which sin is the transgression of and so no transgressours and while they transgresse that Law they are not perfect nor upright but crooked and so accounted Whether it be Iob himself whom T. D. so much instances in and insists on p. 10. 1. Pamp. and p. 6. 2. Pamp. or David himselfe or any other Therefore while David stood in integrity and uprightnesse as mostly he did it preserved him and God so accounted him and justified him as an upright man as he did Iob. 1.1 in the same case but where he turn'd aside into the deceit defilement God held him not upright but hypocriticall false filthy and sinfull much lesse did he therein hold him guiltlesse and justifie him as most ignorantly T. D. delivers it that he did p. 38. 1. Pamp. even when he was guilty of adultery and murder in which juncture nevertheless T.D. sayes he was not in a condemned state but in a justified estate The Scripture exempts him from justification so far that it vouchsafes him not that denomination of an upright man in that matter of Vriab but brands him with the name of a pittylesse blood guilty man a secret evill doer in the sight of the Lord a despiser of him and his comandement and a causer of Gods enemies to blaspheme his Name Psal. 51. 2 Sam. 12.6 9 10 12 14. Howbeit this one thing by the way is worth noting concerning T. D. not for any good that is in it or in T. D. as touching his demeanour in it that when he speaks of the Saints good and duty that they do he says that 's not perfect but an unclean thing dung and filthy rags yea that he calls sin and iniquity p. 7. 2. Pamp. They sin quoth he in doing good duties holy for the matter are iniquity for the manner â—f performance but when the Saints as in Davids caâ—e commit Adultery and Murder he pronounces them blessed as having no guile nor guilt in their Spirit but sincere which is the same with upright or perfect see p. 11. 1. Pamp. David quoth he Psal. 32.2 Pronounces the man blessed which hath no guile in his Spirit or sincere which himselfe was at that time though under the guilt of a great sin v. 5. which is by interpreters supposed to be the same sins for which psal 51. was composed Rep. Here 's Doctrine of Divinity with a witnesse when the Saints do the best good they sin their holy things are all as an unclean thing their righteousness is dung filthy rags though T. D. holds also that Paul had no righteousness which was not Christs p. 22. 1. Pamp. nor any righteousnesse but what from Christ he received their performing duty at least is no lesse then iniquity but when they are under the guilt of such great sins as Adultery and Murder oh blessed men they at that time have no guile in their Spirits are in sincerity or to speakin the diminutive Phrase by which sometimes he lessens the foul faults and great sins of the Saints at the worst but under infirmity But be it this or be it that greater or lesse better or â—â—â—se infirmity or iniquity good or evill duty or dung righteousness or rags holy or unclean the upshot of all is this the men are blessed men what ere they do they are never in a condemned but ever in a justified estate and let their works be as they will perfect or not perfect good or duty which they call unclean dung iniquity or filthy rags their persons though thus sinning are ever Saints and believers which together with their works are accepted with God who yet say I never accepted any such works as are iniquity and sin nor any Persons while they are the workers of them And as to the remnant of T. D's talk in answer to â— â— which is
the deeds of darknesse which are sin For the light and Spirit lead none into sin But there be such as walk in the light in the day in which if a man walk saith John he stumbles not 1 Ioh. Much lesse fallsâ— There be some that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and are led by the Spirit and those that are led by it are not under the Law the lash of which they would be under as all sinners are if they transgressed it but under grace And these are the Sons of God those that are born of God whom the world knowes not 1 Ioh. 1 2 3. for they are his hidden ones Psal. 83. against whom they take crafty councel as against an impure generation though they purify themselves even as Christ himselfe is pure whilst such as know neither the Sons of God nor whose Sons themselves are while they sin are that generation that 's pure in their own eyes though not yet washed from their filthiness nor meaning to be so here Who ever walkes after the Spirit and no more after the flesh and lusts of it at it seems by that very Text Rom. 8. some do to whom alone there 's no condemnation because no sin for they are in Christ so out of the transgression in the light out of the darknesse in but one of which a man can be at one time such sin not who ever they be unless T.D. I.O. and the whole Gang of blind guides who tell people that none but that person that Christ appeared in a Ierusalem ever were shall or can be fuâ—ly freed from sinning in this world will being â—ore shooes in that sink of sottishness run ore boots too so as to say the Light and Spirit leads such as follow and walk after it into lust and sin Therefore there are some that live without sinning And this is one infallible Argument from the very letter it self if it were not become now as a Book sealed to the learned lookers into it that freedom from sin was attainable by the power of Christs light and the grace of God which alone even we say is sufficient to that end and was attained by Paul and others then and therefore may be now even in this life in that Panâ— declares concerning Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus the head from whence as the holy ointment it runs down to the Skirts of the Garment and as the unction 1 Ioh. 2. abides in his body teaching all things it had made him free from the law of sin and death of which Law of sin and death he relates in that 7. Chapter that he was once wretched by reason of its carrying him captive to it self of its motions of sin working in him and bringing forth fruit in him unto death of its warring in his members against the Light or Law of God in his mind by which he had the knowledge of sin in the very lust of it as that he should not covet nor lust to envy anger uncleanness c. Which the Scribes and Pharises Mat. 5. and Paul himself while a Pharisee looking into the lâ—tter without only as he did from a child knew not till he turn'd to the light within and came to the Law in the Spirit till he and it came to look each other in the face from which time and not from his looking into the letter he saw the Law in the spirituality holinesse righteousness and goodnesse 〈◊〉 and for all his former formality and strict pretence to unrighteousness profession of a letter ad extra his own meer naughtinesse and carnality as that of one that was still sold under sin and a committer of it in the sight of God from whose wrath that old drosty dunghilly righteousnesse of his own Phil. 3. which was not Christs as T. D. blasphemously belyes it to be p. 22. 1. Pamp. could not deliver him till he witness'd himselfe cloth'd with another even that righteousness which is of God by faith in Christ not imputed onely but imparted also to the true sanctification as well as justification of every one that believeth which passages nevertheless of that 7th chap. to the Romans and that 12. of his 2d Ep. to the Corinthians our senseless Seers have made among others one of their main common places from whence to prove the very contrary even that there is no such freedom from sin while in the body but that of necessity it must be acted by the Saints themselves while they breath upon this outward earth For say they if Paul complained of a body of sin and death while he liv'd and how he was sold under sin and carryed captive to the Law of it and of the Law of sin waâ—ring in his members against the Law in his mind so that he could not do the good he should but when he would do good evill was present with him and also of a Thorne in his flesh a Messenger of Satan to buffet him as he does 2 Cor. 1 2 3. c. and all this after his conversion to his dying day Then much lesse can any other Saints expect to be set so free from sin by what power soever in this life as to live and not sin and such like But Paul did so therefore what man can do otherwise Who can ever live and not sin Thus they argue against Qua. as a damnable sort of Hereticks that deliver a doctrine of Devils because they hold out as attainable that hellish thing as they count it call'd holiness and such freedom from sin in this life so as not to commit iniquity any more not considering all this while that Paul in those terms speakes what he once was yea even after his conversion to the light till sin was wholly subdued by the light condemning it in his flesh and bringing forth in him judgement over it into victory and not of what he was at the writing thereof in which time he sayes the Law of the Spirit had made him free from that Law of sin Not yet heeding at all that the Thorn in the flesh was not a transgression but a temptation with which God exercised him that he might shew the sufficiency of his own grace to support and keep him from transgression even from that sin of being exalted above measure and that no lesse then 14. years before he wrote this and not just then when or while he wrote it much lesse a transgression that remain'd unmortified in him till his dying day One argument more I shall urge from I O's own book thus viz If perfect Salvation from sin be the proper end of the Scripture and it be perfect to that its end and does perfect it and yet does what it does in this present world or nowhere to which it is accomodated only and ceases to do ought into the world to come then that perfect Salvation must be wrought out by it or here or no where at all But
all the former are asserted abundantly ore and ore again as truth by I O himself Ex 3 5 28 22 Therefore the conclusion is consequently true that its either here or no where Again they all say in opposition to the Pope ther 's no Purgatory in the world to come therefore it must be here or no where unlesse they know any other world between this present world that which is to come which middle world though I have heard some talk of a world in the Moon I am not yet acquainted with There be some therefore that sin not in whom the Law is not transgrest but sin condemn'd and judged in their flesh so that the Righteousnes of the Law by Christs Power is fulfild in them and they walk not after the the flesh but after the Spirit which is the end of Gods sending his Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh and of his sending out his light into mens hearts even that Law of the Spirit of Life which is in himself viz to make men free from that law of sin and death which sometimes they obeyed to condemnation and to condemn sin in the flesh and out of it also by his Iudgment brought forth into victory over it that his Righteousness might be Revealed and the Righteousness of the Law which he fulfilled in himself might be by him fulfilled in us also Many more passages truly there are in T D's and I O's books besides these many that have bin spoken to some of which are worth no more being but confusion then confutation and some of which also are not worth so much and therefore I shall draw to an end making many books and much writing being wearisom but by these men maybe admonished what a meer Fallible kind of guidance they must expect from their University Admired leaders while they hate the Light of God in their own hearts and hang only on their lying lips for their learning the plainSoul-saving Truth of Christ FINIS AN ADDITIONALL APPENDIX To the Book Entituled Rusticus ad Academicos OR The Country correcting the Clergy WHEREIN In somewhat a smaller Compasse and closer Circumference then that of the Volume it alludes to some few of those Rabbinical Riddles which yet are obvious enough in the other to any observant Reader are rendred more conspicuous to the observation of all To the end that all that have Eyes may see and a Heart may understand How the Scribes and School-men are unskild in the Scriptures How the Sun is set upon the Seers How it's night to the Diviners that they cannot divine How the Vision of all is become unto them as a Book sealed How blindnesse has befallen the Babel-Builders How the Race of the once Reverenced and Renowned Rabbies is wrap't up in Rounds in their so much respected writings against the Light How the Doctors are doting on a Divinity of their own The Teachers and Text-men tangled in their own talkings about their Text and the Priests pull'd down by themselves in their own Prate pretensively for i.e. Pro Scripturis but in very deed against both the very Text and the very Truth it talks on How among the Gameliels in general but more particularly among those four choice ones T. Danson I. Owen R. Baxter I. Tombs who as Representatives of the rest whose sense they speak and in whose behalfe they reason are reckoned with in the bigger Book abovesaid Ishmael-like Every mans hand is against every man and each mans hand against himselfe R.B.I.T. sometimes confuting I. O and T.D. and these foure sometimes confounding and contradicting each man himself and in a word dancing the Rounds together in the dark tracing too and fro crossing and capering up down in out and sometimes round about in the Wood of their own wonted wisdom in the clouds of their self-created confusion about sundry Doctrines they concurre in together by the ears against the Quakers Contradictionibus scatet Spiritus Enthusiasticus Vnusquisque asslatum habet ita faedè et apertè inter se aspiritu immundo committuntur ut vix duo eorum in eadem doctrinâ conveniant sed mirè digladiantes adversas et contrarias sententias quotidie venditant etiam in Nomine Dei se aliquotiès mutuò devovent et execrantur Itaque Nihil Certi ab i◠expectare licet The Enthusiastical spirit flows with Contradictions So fowlly apparently are they whifled by the evil spirit among themselves that scarce two of them can agree in one Doctrine but clashing wonderfully they daily vent opposite and contrary opinions often they even curse one another in the name of God therefore there 's nothing certain to be expected from them Quoth Iohn Owen Exer 3. Sect 34. Quid rides O sacerdos de te fabula narratur In Homine Domini ac in Nomine Domini saith the Proverb Incipit Omne malum By S. Fisher. London Printed for Robert Wilson 1660. AN ADDITIONALL APPENDIX c THat flood of Follies and Absurdities that loud of Confusions and self Contradictions which diffuses and shatters it self up and down by plats in sundry showers thorowout the sun dry Pages of these four mens Books Every eye that reads them as they lye at a distance in theirs and in mine by which theirs is more largely answered may possibly not set sight on them easily Therefore I shall cull some few of them only out for the whole number passes my skill to cast account of and clap them a little closer together Not so much to shame them as to honour the Truth which they would shame That they may be the more ready to be read and apparent to the view of every ordinary Reader That any save such as seeing will not see may see the Sword of the Lord already laid on the Arm and Right-eye of the Idol-Shepheard To the drying up of the one and the darkning of the other For perverting the right way of the Lord so that he not only seeth not the Sun of Righteousnesse which he loves not that it should shine as Elimas of old did not for his seeking to turn away the Governor from hearing the Faith Acts 13.10 11 13. nor yet the Moon of so much as common sense and reason but groaps about with him in the mist of his own muddy mind so as to need some to lead him by the hand and to shew him in answer to his Question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereabouts he is and what a shaking sandy ground he stands on Self-Contradictions Confusions and Rounds about Iustification 1. As to the Doctrine of Iustification by Christ and his Righteousnesse within us 1. They tell us one while that the 3. Question debated on at Sandwich and held in the affirmative by the Quakers was stated in these terms Whether Our Good works are the meritorious cause of Our Iustification which is a Lye with a witness witnesse T.D. who tells it P. 14. of his first Pamphlet Otherwhiles to go round again leaving out
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
Priests as the Septuagint are gone off quoth I. O. from the Original in a thousand places twice told And yet To go round again the only infallible Rule and sure Word of God which they tell the poor people that they have is the Scripture Text as it is thus Translated for they to them either the infallibility of their own Ministry or of the Holy Chair and any present guidance of any by the Infallible Spirit also Thus they run the Rounds trace to and fro and dance up and down in their dark minds about the transcriptions and translations of their Text which they take to be their Rule which transcriptions translaions were they never so certain and entire by answering to the first originall copies yet are not capable to be to all men any other then a lesbian Rule or Nose of Wax for as much as even where men have them as halfe the world has not they are liable to be wrested and actually twisted twenty wayes by interpretours whose expositions senses and meanings which are as many and various as the thoughts and conceits and inventions of the men are who comment upon them must be the Rule to such as can read them neither in Hebrew and Greek nor in their own Mother-Tongues neither And whereas we ask them who tell us that Scripture rightly interpreted only is the right rule of the faith by what Rule shall we know whether the Text be rightly interpreted yea or nay and not rather wrested and what is the Rule according to which men are to interpret that Rule of their faith i.e. that Scripture to go round again they tell us the Analogy of Faith And when we query how it may be known that that Faith is right according to which the Scripture is if rightly to be interpreted To go round again they tell us the Scripture rightly interpreted And when we ask them how it may be known assuredly uncontroleably infallibly that the Scripture is at all of God and not a cunningly devised fable invention of men they tell us by the Testimony of the Spirit which say they is necessary onely all-sufficient to that purpose see the Articles of the Clergy of England about the Scripture And when we ask them but by what shall we try and find assuredly infallibly that that Spirit is of God and not a false one that tells us the Scripture is of God To go round again they tell us by the Scripture Moreover as when others deny his asserted Authority purity integrity of the Text I. O. pleads it to the least tittle and yet to go round again falls flatly to affirm the Nâ—n-integrity of it himself so when he dreams those poor deluded Fanatical souls as he calls them call'd Qua who yet own it as usefull helpfull profitable perfect to its own end through faith in the Light to the man of God do deny the perfection of the Scripture to its proper end then I.O. strikes up in such strict strains of proving the living power efficacy perfection of the said Scripture to its own proper end which he sayes is the effecting and perfecting of mens eternall salvation without any help of the Spirit and Light within stretching it out into such a singular absoluteness this way as that which by it self alone is Regula perfectissima Ex 3. S. 26. ita perfecta c. omnibus numeru absoluta ut nihil opus sit ulla alia revelatione per spiritum out lumâ—n internum c. as revelatio omni respectu perfecta Ex 3. S. 28. Potens servare animas restituens onimam potent a Dei ad salutem so that inania mutilia sunt alia omnia principia c. S. 29. which all is more fully inculcated at large in Greek and English p. 83 84 85 86 87. where he sayes its absolutely call'd the power of God and that to its proper end the Rod of his power without other helps and advantages that hath efficacy and power in it to save souls living effectual sharper then any two edged sword c. as Heb. 4.12 and much more to that tune adoring and extolling the external Text with the honour and veneration that 's due to God Christ and his Spirit Light and living word in the heart alone But when I.O. comes to quarrel with those poor deluded souls the Iews for the self same adoring and glorying in their enjoyment of the naked letter and seeking for life and salvation in the Scriptures without the Light and Spirit within which he and his Fellow-Scribes are found in and condemned by the Qua for at this day as they were by Christ of old and when he comes to quarrel with the Qua for asserting that doctrine of Devills as they call it viz attainablenesse of perfect freedom salvation of the soul from sin in this life then I. O. runs and rambles round about and about again with as great an Ardency as he danced the other way before saying Ex 3. S. 39. Falsissimum est sacram Scripturam dum in hoc mundo Haeremus respectu nostri totum suum finem obtinere aut obtinere posse It 's most false to say the Scripture or doth or can obtain its whole end in respect of us while we live here and if we ask where then does it do it in the world to come no neither then cessâ—bit Scripturae usu c. its use will then cease it s accimmodated to our present state only and if we ask does it do it at all yes quoth he or else it cant't be perfect as I assert it to be for Ex 3. S. 24. Disciplinae cujusvis perfectio c. In English thus The perfection of every discipline stands in it's relation to its end so as that is to be held perfect which can and that imperfect which potis non est cannot effect its own end and the perfection of the Scripture can consist in no other thing then its sufficiency to its own proper end which is the perfecting our eternall salvation which salvation though the Scripture be perfect and does accomplish it yet To go round again it can accomplish it neither in this world nor that to come and so not at all and To go round again is imperfect and further yet That it s not so absolutely perfect nor effectually powerfull to this end of saving souls so as to need no other revelation by the Spirit or Light within as he says 't is witnesse its inefficacy to the Iews who are as busie in it to no urpose as I. O. himself of whom I. O. to go round again sayes â— 236. thus The Iews enjoy the letter of the Scripture yea they receive it sometimes with the honour and veneration due to God alone Their possession of it is not accompanied with the manifestation of the Spirit will out which as we see in the instance of themselves the Word is a dead letter of no efficacy for the good of souls
secundum te cum scriptura I.O. Ex. 4.15 * Ioel 2.28 29. Act. 2.17 18. Luke 24.49 Act. 1.4 Gal. 3.14 * The Grand Senior Oldest Master of Arts in most Universities Countries * Isa. 29.4 43 4 8. 54 7 8. Isa. 8.17 66. 5. Hos. 5.15 16. Hos. 6.1 2 3. Zach. 8.2 3 6 11 12 13 14 15. Rev. 11.1 2 3 4 5 6. c. Isa. 44.3.35.7 Ioh. 7.38 Ioh. 4.14 * T.I.C. 5. S. 12 13. For speaking there of the Testimony that the Spirit beares in the Scripture of the Scripture that it is the Word of God which in all the Scripture is not to be found for neither the spirit in the Scripture nor out of it neither or in the hearts of any doth testifie that false thing that the bare letter or Scripture is Gods Word nor doth the Scripture say any such thing of its single self but whatever spirit saith the Letter is the Word of God in any heart is the lying spirit and not the spirit of God * Col. 1.23 Acts 3 32 33. * Why dost thou not write it Holy Sprit but then perhaps it would not sound so well to thy turn for many Idiotish people are ready to think as if the Holy Ghost were some more extraordinary matter than the Spirit if thou dost not thy self whereupon perhaps thou so often writest in this phrase the Holy Ghost Ghost is that terrible word which the Ghostly Fathers have used to fright poor simple people with in their Liturgies Talkings Treatises and Translations it sounding somewhat more hideously then the word Spirit or else I know no reason why they render not the Greek word by that English word Spirit in one place as well as another for its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all along in your Originall Copies as well where they did translate it Ghost and wind as they do in one place John 3.8 as well as where they translate it Spirit but though it were an uncouth sound to say Ghost in most places where the word Spirit stands as it were strange to say The Ghost of God witnesseth to our Ghosts c. the Ghost lusteth against the Flesh and the Flesh against the Ghost c. Such as are led of the Ghost of God are his Sons c. The Ghost helpeth our infirmities c Et sic de caeteris yet where the Epethite Holy is joyned to it it is more dreadfull and enought to frighten Priest-befool'dpeople and some of our Ghostly men too to say Holy Ghost and so mostly where Holy is with it it so stands in your Translations * The selfe same that in the flesh was an Advocate or Intercessour to God for his people in the Spirit is their Advocate or Intercessour to Godward in them Compare John 16. with 1 John 2.1 where though translated Comforter in one place and Advocate in another yet the Greek word is the same i.e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both So Rom. 8. The Spirit helps our infirmities and prayeth for us and maketh intercession * Neque uspiam litera esse mortua dicitur occidit quidem sed ideo viva est Compare the Scriptures where all these are used promiscuously as one in the Originals and in the Translations also Ex. 3. S. 39. Nobis Testimonio sunt illorum mendacia fraudes scelera hypocrisis Fanaticos non esse perfectos iis vero punitiones incarcerationes quas akatastasia sua sibi ultro accersunt de quibus muliebriter quiritantur esse debeant * Multa ferent Anni verientes commoda secum * Though the Cobler and his Last oft troubles them more then all the rest and makes the Doctors cry out Ne sutor ultracrepidam let the Taylor keep to his shop-board say they and the Shoomaker to his last So D. Featly D. D. and some others * Errorum causa Scripturam quia lucem Scripture fugientes Andabatarum more in tenebris dâ—micant atâ— utiolim Hammouitae Moabitae habitaâ—ores montis Seiâ—is bellum adv sus pepulum Dei suscipientes internâ—cioni se mutuo dâ—vovenâ— ad lumen solis hujus viz. lucis in corde conscientia cui testatur Scriptura confestim evanâ—scent I. O. Ex. 3. S. 3. * Non iisdem rationibus ducti sedilli pro traditinitus bi pro Scripture traâ—scripâ—ionibus translationibus interpretationilus ac imaginationibus suis tonquam pro aris fâ—cisque contendentes atque ita â—on secus ac Sampsonis vulpecular obversis candis ignitas faces in segetes Ecclesiae ferentes cuncti amicissime e loco suo sacram lucem sanctum spiritum de quiâ—us Scriptura loquitur detuâ—bare aggrediuntur Ex. 3. S. 4. * This is spoken of some Baptists who now preach some Doctrines of the Qua. For which they once cast them out of their Assemblies * Opportet mendacem esse memorem * Though in the Antitypical sense 't is true enough that some men not turning to it being deprived of it at last for not improving that measure of it more or less which as a Talent they were instrusted to trade withall at first Mat. 25. become as to the things of God as blind and bruitish and short of what those men are that arise out of the fall by it and beastial Image of Satan into the Image of God again who at first created them upright as the bruit beasts of the field which are figures of man in the fall as to the things of the animal or natural man aâ—â— sâ—â—rt of him * Negant lumen hoc naturale esse aut ita dici debere sed a Christo Spiritu Christi esse * Ex. 4. S 24 * See Baxt. Epist. The principal work of Papists and Quakers is to take off people from the holy Scripture and from the reformed faithful Ministers * Of like sort with those of Underhill and Blome in the Fanatick History who with ground of shame enough if he were not past it having found a Legend of Lyes collected out of T. Ds. and others books against the Qua. by he knows not whom dedicates it together with his own Haman-like desires to have them forcibly supprest unto the King * Vt cunque ei attendatur I O Ex. 4 S 17. * Absit blasphemia far be from us that blasphemy once to think that God lies * Which is a state different from a non posse peccare * Tins shews you that men may have a gift of Grace and yet receive it in vain * Gradus non variant naturam Rei * Ex. 4. S. 11. Futetrur quidem Christum lucent esse Mundi omniumque adeo hominum quia lux illa Scriptura Sacra fulgens est sufficiens ad perfundendum omnes homines luce Salutari ad quos per Dei providentiam pervenerit * Ex. 4. S. 24. Lumen Illuminationem quarum hie loot mentio facta est Spirituales esse at que ad Renovationem Gratiae non Naturales at que iâ— aâ—ad Creationem pertinere quo
If every mans private light be the Rule of obedience then we have as many Rules as men but the Divine Rule is onely one and that only one quoth he falsely elsewhere is the Scripture Rep. His minor as is said above serves our turn and as for his major its consequence is most false if by the Word private light he means every ones particular measure of light that shines from God into his conscience for that doth not make tot Regulas c. so many men so many Rules for the Light and Spirit which is the only Rule is one and the self-same thing in all distributed to every one as to degrees which never vary the nature of any thing severally as seems good to him And this is but a piece of his own peevish private piece of prate so often as he doth in his Disputes to term the light of God we testifie to as one in all though in different measures lumen privatum the private light for its lumen publicum commune that one publick light that comes and is communicated from God and reproves sin in all men and never did nor doth consent to any iniquity but condemns it in all men and all men as found in sin and were I.O. as well skilled in the Scripture as he is in the way of unskilful scribling for it and would once learn of Paul whom he often prates on he would have learnt ere this time with him to stile the light in all the different measures of it attained to by men to be but one Rule one thing still and not to say that if every man minde the light in himself then so many men so many Rules which Apostle Phil. 3 15 16. saith Whereunto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule let us minde the same thing And as to T.Ds. saying That so much of the matter contained in the Scripture as is written upon the hearts of the Heatbens is a Rule to them I very readily grant that to be the very truth but what will T.D. get by it but 1. The glory of his granting to the Qua. that other Grand Question about which he quarrels with them viz the being of a measure of the same matter and not naâ—â—ral as man is in statu corrupto but supernatural and spiritual light of truth which is contained and testified in the Scripture to be in all men in the world even in the Heathen that have not the Scripture 2. The fuller just censure of a contradicter of himself who by telling the truth herein gainsayes that false Doctrine which he teaches for Truth in another place For here he owns some of the same truth or holy Doctrine declared in the Scripture which himself and I.O. stickle to prove it against such as deny it not for the truth is so though the Text is not that every Tittle and Apex thereof is as equally divine or supernatural and entirely given by God himself and as immediately as the very voice wherewith he spake to and in the Prophets See I.O. p. 27.153 and properly the Word of God 24. and the Gospel and a supernatural and spiritual light and such like See I.O. p. 77. and T.D. p. 1 2. of 1. Pamph. and p. 23. of his 2. Pamph. I say here T.D. owns some of that same Matter Light Truth Law or Gospel the letter declares to be written upon the hearts of the Heathens that never had the letter and to be the Rule from God to them But when we affirm as the Scripture doth and T.D. too that every man in the world is enlightned by Christ the true light 1 Joh. 9. with some measure of that Light the Letter speaks of and hath some of that holy divine supernatural spiritual truth doctrine and Evangelical matter which the whole Scripture either more obscurely or more clearly declares then he denies it asserting the Gentiles or Heathens to have none of those Judgements that God gave to Israel and as T.D. to the contradiction of himself so I O Christus nullâ sub consideratione lumen salutare omnibus stngulis hominibus du sit Ex. 4. s. 17. Christ hath in no kind vouchsafed saving Light to all and every man One ignorant untrue Assertion more of T.D. while my eye is on it I may not here let pass without notifying it to the Reader and then for ought I see I may leave T.D. as to his talk of the Scriptures being in the nature or office or authority of a Rule and see what I.O. sayes as to this T.D. sayes p. 17. of his 2. Pamph. Suppose we had the signs recorded that are not written yet were they not our Rule yet confesses that were they written they might be useful being done for the very same end with those lest us G. W. telling him he contradicts himself in so saying T.D. answers he is not sensible of any contradiction herein but of subordination only between the efficient and instrumental cause That the second creation doth not exclude though the first did instruments or second causes instancing Iam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us by the Word of truth And Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rep. To which say I T.D. is not so little sensible of the contradiction G.W. charges him with as every understanding Reader may be greatly sensible of the flat falshood that is told for truth in this latter clause wherein he asserts the first creation did exclude second causes or instruments though the second doth not whereas if T.D. had not been in a Dream he would have seen that the first Creation is so far from excluding instruments or second causes if that be an instrument or second cause which himself instances to be one in the second Creation viz. The Word of God for as the Scripture sayes that the Saints are begotten to God and faith by the Word of God so it sayes but that our Scriblers for the Scriptures are little skill'd in it and so study it in their dark minds till they cannot see what who is not blinde cannot easily over-look Heb. 11.3 2 Pet. 3.5.7 By faith we understand in plurali the worlds were framed by the Word of God and that by the Word of God the heavens and earth were of old and the heavens and earth that now are by the same Word are kept in store and reserved to fire against the day of Judgement and perdition of ungodly men You had need be ashamed to pretend to be such appearers in publick pro Scripturis that appear so much in your testimony so flatly against them as ye do Now as to J. Os. prosecution of the proof of this matter which he so often over and over again avouches as a truth with divine faith to be imbraced on pain and peril of eternal ruine and damnation viz That the Scriptures are in the Authority of the only and perfect Rule and Canon since the compleating
of which no inward Light or Spirit or new Revelations about the faith and Divine worship of the Saints are either to be expected or admitted it lyes more in the negative then the positive or affirmative consisting for more largely of disproofs such as they are of any inward Light Spirit or spiritual Revelation to be at all then of proofs of the Letter or Scripture yet some pedling ones are puzled out to such a purpose to be altogether and alone the Rule of faith holy life and divine worship He professes to prove the inward Spirit or Light the Qua. plead for not to be the Rule and that the Scripture or Letter is so two wayes first Authoritative or by the Scripture it self 2. Rationative or by a Rational way of Argumentation But though I own the Authority and veracity of the Scripture so far that if I.O. could produce any place of the Bible as he pretends to do many wherein the Scriptures do ascribe to themselves the Honor Authority and Title of the onely perfect Rule either in terminis or by any such due deduction as is not more duely deniable then so much as probale to a prudent man indeed I should truly submit to one such testimony being perswaded that the Scriptures are writings of truth where not altered and not adulterated by mens mistakings and mistranscribings yet the Scriptures being wrested besides all sense and reason by J.O. and the Theologians he adhears to to that end I deny his proofs to be either Athoratative or Rational The testimonies he urges the Authority of to prove the Text to be in the Authority of the only Rule he casts into four Classes the first sort of which consist of such places as expresse as he sayes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel per immediatam cousequentiam perfectionem hanc Scripturis ascribunt do expresly verbatim or else by immediate consequence ascribe such a perfection as of the only Rule to the Scriptures The second such as expresly reject all Additions to the Text and Word of God whatever The third such as contain the examples of Christ and the Apostles trying and commanding to try all things by the Scriptures The fourth such as commend the holy Scriptures to all Religious uses Of the first sort he impannels eleven in all not being able it seems to pick out a whole Jury to serve his turn howbeit I acknowledge these if they would as freely as he forcibly would have them pass their verdict for him to be enough being all of them good and true witnesses in another case then he calls them for they stand all together in Ex. 3. s. 26. viz. Joh. 2. ult 2 Tim. 3 13 14 15 16. Psal. 19.18 Luke 1.3 4. Luke 16.29 Act. 1.1 Rom. 10 17. Eph. 2.19 20. 2 Pet. 1.19 2 Cor. 3.24 Gal. 6 16. Of the second seven viz. Deut. 4.2.12.32 Rev. 22 18. Gal. 1.8 Mat. 15.6 1 Cor. 4.6 Isa. S. 20. Of the third four viz. Luke 16.28 29 30 Act 17.11.21 Act. 18.24.28 Act. 26.22 with intimation of very many more commonly cited as he saith to that purpose Of the fourth seven viz. Joh. 1.7 Deut 28.58 Luke 24 27. Joh. 5.39 Rom. 15.4 Phil. 3.1 1 Joh. 1.4 It may do well to take some notice of them at least and hear their evidence I shall draw them up into the form of an Argument and then we shall see what expressnes in them or immediate consequence there is from them to the Scriptures being the only Rule Arg. John sayes Jesus did more signs then are written in his Book or History of him but what he wrote was that men might beleeve that Jesus is the Son of God and beleeving might have life through his Name David that the Law of God is perfect converting the soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the Statutes of the Lord pure enlightning the eyes Luke that it seemed good to him also seeing some others had taken in hand such a worke having had perfect understanding from the first of the things Iesus did and taught to write an orderly Declaration thereof to Theopilus whether a particular person so called or any lover of God who can tell for so is the name by interpretation that he might know the certainty of the things wherein he by which it seems rather to have been some eminent man had been before in part informed and Christ said Men must hear Moses and the Prophets or else will not be perswaded to repent if one rise to them from the dead Peter that the Saints have a more sure word of Prophesie to which they do well that they take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place till the day dawn and the day star arise in their hearts Paul to the Romans That faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God To the Corinthians that the minds of the Jews were blinded for until this day the vail remaineth on their hearts untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament which vail is taken away in Christ. To the Galathians that as many as walk according to this Rule peace shall be on them and Gods Israel To Timothy that evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived willing him to continue in the things he had learned and been assured of knowing of whom he had learnt them and that from a childe he had known the holy Scriptures which were able to make him wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Iesut that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine Reproof Correction Iastruction in Righteousness that the man of God might be perfect throughly furnished to all good works To the Ephesians that they were no more strangers and forrainerâ— but fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone God forbids to adde to his Word he commandeth and threatens to adde Plagues to them that so do Paul sayes Let him be accuâ—sed who ever brings another Gospel then that he had preached to the Galathians though the Apostles themselves or an Angel from heaven Christ asked the Pharisees Why they made Gods Commands void by their Traditions Paul sayes He in a figure transferred to himself and to Apollo the things that he had wrote to Corinth that none of them might think of either of them above that which he wrote of them as meerly Ministers by whom they beleeved and not be as they were very apt to be puâ—t up for one of them against the other and glorying in man God bids seek not to Wizzards that peep and mutier but to himself his Law and Testimony The Berean searched the Scriptures daily whether the things were so or no the Apostles preached Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures and as mightily confounded the Jews proving thereby that Jesus was Christ.
or accuse according as the Consâ—ience thereby enlightned bears inward witness both of the Ius and the fact and that the moral instinct of good and evil that is within by that is seconded by a self-judgement i. e. an inward justifying clearing and acquitting as it s answered or else a terrifying and condemning as it s transgrest This therefore is another argument of the common Lights sufficiency to save from condemnation such as walk by it from which I may conclude it Arg. 16. That which can and doth excuse its observers does not only serve to restrain sin and to leave he transgressors of it without excuse but also save from condemnation but the Law in the heats of Heathens excuses it observers witness Rom. 2.15 from which place ye are fain all to confess the same where it s said That by the work of the Law which the Heathen shewed written in their hearts their inward thoughts not only accuse but excuse yea very Ethnicks are not left without Plea or excuse by it if it be not sufficient to save as is shewed above asd as T. D. confesses page 40. 1 Pamp. We may suppose quoth he the Heathen might say had we known of a remedy we would have made use of it therefore it not only leaves without excuse when men violate it but saves from condemnation such as obey it That 's a strange unheard of kind of Law that kills as well its keepers as its breakers or that takes vengeance on the violaters of it and cannot keep the keepers of it from the vengeance of it neither yet T. D. sayes page 5. 2 Pamp. The Light condemns the Heathen when they disâ—bâ—y it but cannot save them though they do obey it indeed he adds without Christ and so say I too but that Light is in them from Christ and so if it save them as it does if they obey it it saves them not without him for it s he that saves them by it but our Diviners Divine enough to the contrary to the utter confutation of themselves in this when by their own confession the common Light in the Conscience they more commonly then properly call Natural doth not only accuse such as go from it but also excuse such as keep to and walk by it within themselves for is not Iustification non-condemnation absolution and consequently Salvation from guilt and wrath where excusation is as well as guilt wrath and condemnation where accusation and no excuse Is it possible there should be any condemnation where no transgression but an answering to the Law lent men to live by for sin as before is but the transgression of the Law or Light that every one hath and as where no Law is so where no breach is of the Law where it is there 's no transgression and where the Conscience gives a good answer and the heart by the Light in it that shews Ius and Factum condemns not doth God condemn is there not acceptance boldness and confidence toward him as there is fear terrour wrath and condemnation from God where it doth condemn yea your selves confess it yet the Law in the heart the Light is sufficient to accuse yea and excuse well and ill doing respectively but not to save justifie or give life say our light treacherous Prophets dark Divines and lifeless Leaders Ob. The Letter kills cannot give life Rep. True but why is it but because it s desobeyed and cannot give ability to any to do what it requires The Law or Light and Gospel and All kills such as transgress it I say the Gospel it self condemns but whom is it none but such as hate and take not heed to it that thereby they may come from under the curse and death into the life it calls for else it being the power of God to the Salvation of such as believe in it Life should be by the Light one way more then it could come by by the Letter for the Letter could keep them that keep it from the Curse denounced in it to the breakers of it yet cannot give any an ability to keep it But the light is not only able to acquit justifie clear absolve secure and save from wrath all such as believe in and obey it but al o to enable such as look to it and impower them more and more to obey and walk by it and consequently by the letter which cannot be transgressed by such as abide in the light all such as singly come to it and continue waiting on the Lord in it Object The Law cannot give life if it could righteousness should be by the Law Gal. 5.21 Rep. True the Law in the letter the Old Testament which he there speaks of as in opposition to the New which is the Gospel the Light and Spirit cannot in regard of the weakness of flesh to fulfil it and its weakness to enable any to the fulfilling of it for the Righteousness declared and required therein must be performed or else it utters nothing but accusation and cursing and yet to perform that Righteousness the letter can no wise impower But the Law which is the light in the Spirit that is and comes from Christ into the Conscience is the Law of Life forasmuch as howbeit it taketh vengeance en mens inventions and ministers first judgement and condemnation to the transgressors for transgression and wrath on the evil doer and his evil deeds yet when it hath condemned sin in the flesh wherein it is committed so long till it hath condemned it out of the flesh and brought forth judgement in thâ—se that wait on it unto victory over the sin that is judged it ministers the righteousness and the peace and the liberty from the sin and the Life of God it self it requires calls for and through the Judgement leads too and then justifies those whom it hath this way enabled to perform it In both which respects though the Law of the letter is not so yet the Law of the Spirit of Life which is the Light in Christ and in us from him sith it both 1. enables the followers of it to fulfil it and 2. secures from wrath and condemnation the fulfillers of it who e're they are Iew or Geâ—tile such as have the letter without or have it not that obey it it is not sufficient only to accuse the rebels against it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and condemn them within themselves but also as utterly insufficient to save and bring to life utcunque ei attendentes such as never so punctually observe and perform it as our Preachers prate it is altogether even every way sufficient to save to the utmost all such as come to God by Christ from whom it comes and to Christ in it According to Rom. 8.1,2,3,4 There is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit For thâ— Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the
Law of sin and death For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Thus then it is evident that the Law of God which is not the letter of it but the light is powerfull and sufficient to save save only that men turn from and transgresse it and that it is universal and in all men is as evident out of Rom. 2.13 14. where it is said that those ye call Heathen who have not the outward literal copy of it do shew the work of the Law written in their hearts which wâ—rk of the Law T. D. who yet grants the Law it self to be spiritual in his meer natural understanding calls natural as if the work of the Law of God which is Spiritual and perfect were not spiritual as the Law it self is which work or effect of the Law Psalm 19.7 8 9. is said to be the conversion of the sâ—ul rejoycing the heart enlightning the eyes cleansing purifying c. and not only the shewing of sin and good and censuring for the obedience oâ— disobedience as T. D. dotes who undertaking to teach G. W. what the work of the Law is and how it differs from the Law it self p. 3.2 Pamp. understands neither what he himself sayes nor whereof he affirms which works of the Law the Scripture there mentions which diâ—covers T. Ds. ignorance of the works or effects of the Law if they be natural I know not what â—s spiritual and yet to get out of that absurdity in proof of it he runs into another saying in the next clause thus viz. the Heathen do by nature the things contained in the Law as if that were corrupt nature in the Heathen that did conform them to the Law when as the nature there spoken of by which they are said to do the things of the Law is that rature after which God at first made man upright and after his own Image in righteousness and holiness of truth before they sinned and run out into their own inventions and so fell short thereof which nature and image is in it self â—are divine perfect in reason and understanding and doing thâ— Mind and Will of God though men mostly become degenerated from that into another swinish brutish nature even the nature and image of the Serpent the subtillest of beasts of the Devil and Satan himself and so of men as they were made become beasts of the field and of noble Vines of Gods planting in his Garden at first and wholly a right seed turning from the light into the darkness of their own vain thoughts and imaginations became a seed of evil doers and a degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto the Lord in which staâ—u corrupto and by which contrary nature not created by God but contracted to themselves the other nature image and glory of God which when man sinned crept inward lies hid and covered in them till by the Light of God which is given to that end they are as by a line or clew led down into themselves and through the laborynth of their own learning and lusts which lies a top of it to find it out again and till by the said light the house be swept and the lost money seen and that swinish nature destroyed and the lost sheep sought out and saved and till the works and image of the Serpent who hath in the dark stampt his own likeness on them be again defaced and till the tares which he hath sowed in the night while men slept in the field or inner world of the heart and that earth which hath overgrown the other and brought forth briaâ—s and thornes weeds neetles thistles c. which is accursed be burnt up and consumed from above that which brings forth herbs meet for the Masters use to which the blessing is by the spirit of judgement and of burning in which selfish nature which is that of Cain and Ishmael and Esau the three Elder that have no acceptance men will be sacrificing serving and glorying in Righteousnesses and Church-works of their own devising which All are abomination with God because done in that same nature still in which they are disobedient sinning and serving divers lusts and so by that nature become as well in their very righteousness as in their wickedness children of Gods wrath Ephes. 2.2 Tit. 3.2 incurring his displeasure by their doing of such things as are not only besides but against the Law or Light of God in the Conscience and contrary to that pure primitive nature by which only as men by the light come back to it as many do without the letter the things contained in the holy Law can be done And this contradicts that grosly absurd sottish false blind and ignorant Assertion of T. D. which as A. Parker related to me he uttered in a discourse with him at Sandwich before many people since those three more publick disputes held by R. H. G. W. and my self with him and his Confederates and Associates against us who yet are at odds amongst themselves some Prclatick some Presbyterian some Independent viz. that it is the corrupt nature by which the Nations are said Rom. 2. to do the things contained in the Law Which is I say the grossest absurdity false doctrine and contradiction to the Scripture that can well-nigh possibly be given for by that corrupt sinning nature by the yet T. D. is not ashamed and blushes not to say men do the things câ—ntained in Gods Law alias keep obey observe conform to Gods Law which is the pure light shining in the Conscience that is spiritual holy just and good that never did nor can pâ—ssibly consent to the least sin or do other then reprove and condemn it in the heart I say by that corrupt nature which men have by the fall from God who made them upright contracted to themselves which is the very enmity it self against God and all good men do and can do no other then sin against God and do the things that are not contained or commanded in but are contrary to the Law and walk in the trespasses and sins in which they lie dead according to the common course and custome of the World while it lies in the wickedness not minding the light according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience and have their conversation in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind drinking in iniquity as naturally as the beast drinks in water without satisfaction working uncleanness with greediness 1 Iohn 2.1 2 3 14 18 19. and so are by that nature children of wrath But in respect of which said pure primitive nature some Gentiles that have not the letter but the Light