up thither and so is every regenerate man at present So that it is no strange or peculiar thing which our Saviour said of himself viz. that he was then in Heaven whilst he discoursed with Nicodemus Joh. 3.13 5 And I would then know how he passed through two Heavens or thought he did so for whether this were real or a vision is all one the vision signifying as much as the real motion And if you please I would understand also from your inspiration not conjecture what these two Heavens are which he passed to come to the third For alass I only take the one to be that of the Clouds and the other that of the Stars it being of old said The Clouds of Heaven And the Stars of Heaven But perhaps you can inform me of two other as well as a third hard by us somewhat alike comfortable 6 Being curious I would yet know how St. Paul's Body was or might be caught up Vnto this third Heaven a spiritual substance just before his Face For methinks it should then rather have been said his Body was caught or drawn into it Be truly serious and tell me whether Christ ascended up above the Clouds I mean ten or twenty Miles distant from Earth upward And since we read that at his Death he said to the Thief This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise whether their Spirits ascended upward as the Spirits of Men do especially since this Paradise is the third Heaven vers 4. In the mean time I go on with your words Ibid. p. 7. And out of these Heavens doth the Seed of God come who soweth it in the heart of Man and formeth it by his own immediate power and watereth it with influences from Heaven which have of the vertue and breath of his own eternal Life and Spirit in them whereby this Seed groweth up into a perfect substantial birth of one Heavenly and incorruptible nature which is Christ formed within the Body of Christ his Flesh and Blood which cometh down from Heaven and giveth Life unto that Soul or Life of Man which eateth it and feedeth upon it and it is called the Body and Flesh and Blood of Christ because his eternal Life and Spirit dwelleth in it immediately and communicateth unto man the knowledg of the glory and beauty of himself only in and through this Seed and Birth G. F. Catechism p. 142. They tell me of Christs human Flesh and human Body Doth Scripture speak of such things is not his Flesh from above and doth not Christ say his Flesh comes from above which was the Bread Ans. It was the first Adam who was earthly but the second is Heavenly The Text which proves as you suppose that Christ hath another Body besides that which was visible Flesh and Blood of a spiritual substance besides the material which he took of the Virgin which giveth Life unto the Soul which feedeth on it by the Spirit which dwelleth in it communicating of the knowledg of the glory of himself through the Seed of God is Joh. 6.50 51. This is the Bread which cometh down from Heaven that a Man may eat thereof and not Die I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven If any man eat of this Bread he shall Live for ever And the Bread which I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World From whence I suppose you would argue thus The Flesh here spoken of came down from Heaven The visible flesh came not down from Heaven Therefore the visible Flesh is not here spoken of I deny the Major and for this reason because the Text says not the Flesh came down from Heaven Which therefore you must prove by consequence thus The Bread came down from Heaven The Flesh is the Bread Therefore the Flesh came down from Heaven I Answer The Bread in the Major signifies whole Christ. As it is said I am the Living Bread and vers 48. I am the Bread of Life And though he speak of himself as then he was both the Word and Man that he came down from Heaven I came down from Heaven yes and said that he the Son of Man came from thence vers 62. What and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before Chap. 3.13 No Man hath Ascended up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven the Son of Man which is in Heaven Yet as the Son of Man he came not from thence but as the Word But Flesh in the Minor is not the Bread as that signifies whole Christ but only part of Christ. Now that may be affirmed of whole Christ or of his Person which cannot be affirmed of every part of him As your selves will grant that he came from Heaven and yet deny that his visible Flesh which is part of him did Wherefore though the Bread came down from Heaven and the Flesh is Bread it will not follow from hence that the Flesh came from Heaven unless either all the Bread which is Christ came from thence or the Flesh is all the Bread that is to say all Christ. Form the Syllogism as it ought thus and you may the easier discern your error All the Bread of Life came down from Heaven The Flesh is some of the Bread of Life Therefore the Flesh came down from Heaven Or thus all the Bread of Life came down from Heaven Some Flesh is the Bread of Life Therefore some Flesh came down from Heaven For the Major is false which affirms all the Bread of Life to come down from Heaven For all the Bread of Life is all Christ and all Christ came not down from Heaven For his visible Flesh did not and yet his visible Flesh is some of the Bread of Life I will use the like Arguments for Proof of the descent of Christ's visible Flesh and leave you to answer them because in so doing you will answer your selves The Bread here spoken of came down from Heaven The visible Flesh is the Bread here spoken of Therefore the visible Flesh came down from Heaven The Minor I prove That which Christ gave for the Life of the World is the Bread here spoken of as the Text affirms The Bread which I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World The visible Flesh Christ gave for the Life of the World Therefore the visible Flesh is the Bread here spoken of Again the Son of Man came down from Heaven The Son of Man is visible Flesh Therefore visible Flesh came down from Heaven Again all the Bread of Life came down from Heaven The visible Flesh is some of the Bread of Life Therefore the visible Flesh came down from Heaven Perhaps an Instance may be more clear to you and therefore say I thus Redemption came from Jerusalem The Mony is the Redemption Therefore the Mony came from Jerusalem Which yet will not necessarily follow because it might be taken up
Reader should think the Printer hath omitted the word of let him know that they frequently thus write Return to Priests about Beverly p. 10. You have put the Books Mathew Mark Luke John for the Gospel which are the carnal letter and part of the declaration of the Gospel which Gospel is Christ. G. F. Catech. p. 59. The Teachers of the World say To the Law and to the Testimonie and they call the Scripture so The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy and the Scriptures are not the Spirit and the Law is Light Rev. 19 10. Pro. 6.23 And the Testimony was put in the Ark and the pot of Manna was laid up before it unto it the Tribes went up unto Jerusalem and the Testimony Jehojada brought forth and gave it to Jehoash The Spirit of Prophecy was not put in the Ark nor the pot of Manna laid up before it nor to it went the Tribes unto Jerusalem nor did Jehojada bring forth the Spirit of Prophecy and give it unto Jehoash Again the Gentiles had not the Law we are not now under it we are delivered from it But the Gentiles had the Law within which is Light and we are still under this we are not delivered from it Again the Law is Light Then we may be sure that is so which Moses wrot forasmuch as that is the Law The just conclusion therefore is that there are more Laws and Lights and Testimonies than one Yes and more Testimonies of Jesus there are than the Spirit of Prophecy for the Scriptures testifie of him and you your selves say they are not the Spirit Well be it known unto you that as there is a Law within so there is a Law without and this is a greater and more perfect Light being added to that within since the corruption of it by the Fall for the better information of mankind insomuch that all that partake hereof are in a better condition than they that want it as partaking of a peculiar priviledge and special benefit This was the difference of the Jews and Gentiles they had the Law these not And what I pray you was this Law which the Jews enjoyed but that which was published by Moses and the Prophets for as for the internal that the Gentiles had as well as they Rom. 2.14 When the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things conteined in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves Chap. 3.1 2. What advantage then hath the Jew much every way chiefly that unto them were committed the Oracles of God Chap. 9.4 To them was the giving of the Law and the Services of God and the Promises Now when God saith to the Jews to the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no Light in them Isa. 8.20 Let any man judge whether he sends them for the knowledge of his Will to the Law of the Gentiles or to that given by Moses which is peculiarly called their Law It is written in your Law Joh 8.17 and 10.34 Moses gave you the Law Chap. 7.19 whether to the Light of their own hearts or to his Oracles Statutes and Judgments as they were externally published Or when he says the same to us Christians whether he sends us to the Light in us that we may know whether this Doctrine or the other which Men Teach be the Truth or to the Scriptures the Light especially in every one to whom this is said being not perfect especially not so perfect as the Scriptures in which God hath declared all his Will every one being not like Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles Let any man judge since God hath sent Prophets and by them hath published his Will and that in writing he yet sends us to the Light in us for the knowledg of his Will and for the determination of all controversies And whether if he had not externally published a Law and Testimony by his Servants the Prophets he would say to us To the Law and Testimony Let me know whether the Light in the Jews told them God would have them circumcise burn incense offer sacrifice and slay such and such Beasts and not others keep holy the seventh day abstein from several sorts of Meats from Blood and things strangled and if a controversie should arise about these whether they were to go to the written Law of Moses or to the unwritten Law of Light in every one of their own Hearts Let me know whether the Light within sufficiently tells us that the Messias is come or indeed that one was promised that Jesus Born of Mary is he or indeed that he was Born at all of a Woman and had real Flesh that he Died and by that Death redeemed us and through his Blood shed we are Saved upon our Repentance and an holy Life that our Spirits do not Die we shall be made Alive again and rise from the Grave the Wicked shall have endless Torment the Righteous endless Joy insomuch that if Christ and his Apostles had never spoken a word and we had never received the Scriptures nor had heard a syllable of all this Preached by Men we should have known it all and as firmly have believed it as now we do For it is said we are built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles And Jesus Christ hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel The Life was manifested and we have seen it and shew unto you the Eternal Life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us The mystery hid from Ages is now made manifest The things which God hath prepared for us have not entred into the heart of Man but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit And these things were Preached unto others that they might know them and believe and have Eternal Life Lastly the Spirit of Prophecy in the Text you cite Rev. 19.10 is not the Spirit as it is in every man as you understood it unless you will say contrary to St. Paul all are Prophets 1 Cor. 12.29 Eph. 4.11 for it is the Spirit as Prophesying and that in the strict signification of the word which is to praedict as the Angel and St. John did of whom it is here spoken For thus are the Words I fell at his Feet to worship and he said unto me see thou do it not I am thy Fellow-Servant and of thy Brethren which have the Testimony of Jesus worship God for the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy Which is to say I am but as thy self thou hast the Spirit of Prophecy as well as I I am but a Prophet testifying of Jesus like thy self As Chap. 22.9 I am thy Fellow-Servant and of thy Brethren the Prophets So that when Isaiah saith to all to the Testimony exhorting them to keep close to that word and to enquire there whether that which any man shall spake be Truth he
THE Spirit of Delusion REPROVED OR The Quakers Cause FAIRLY HEARD AND JUSTLY CONDEMNED Being an Answer To William Penn George Fox George Whitehead George Keith Edward Burroughs and several other the most leading Men amongst them Wherein their horrid Perversion and false and dangerous Interpretations of above 50 distinct Texts of Holy Scriptures are plainly Evinced By Thomas Wilson Rector of Arrow in Warwick-shire Imprimatur Guil. Jane Jan. 28. 1677. London Printed for B. Harris at the Stationers Arms in Sweetings-Rents in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1678. QUAKER'S FALSE INTERPRETATIONS OF SCRIPTURE ONly of this at present Hereafter perhaps I may Treat of their Doctrines and their Manners All that I desire of the Reader is that in the several Texts I shall instance he consult the Bible because words separated from the Discourse may seem even to a wise man to signifie what the Inspired Authors never intended and the like expressions and sometimes the same do mean different things as in all other Books so in holy Writ G. K. Immed Revelat. p. 21. We may not nor dare not make use of the Scripture but in the Life and Spirit as that opens and influences We dare not nor ought not to speak the Spirit 's words in our own Spirit We tie the words of Scripture unto the Spirit so as not to use them but in and by the Spirit G. K. Help in need p. 77. Away with that manner of interpreting Scripture and searching truth by drawing and knitting consequences by the fallible erring mind and natural understanding Keep close in all things to the determination of the Spirit of God and where that leads you to draw a consequence or frame an argument do it else forbear W. Duesbury's discovery p. 48. The word of the Lord came upon me in the common Gaol in Warwick 13. of 1. Moneth 1664. which constrained to be given forth from the Spirit of the Lord c. N. Love to Lost p. 1. The things following are not of Man nor did I receive them but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Atkinsons Standard of the Lord p. 30. Written from the Spirit of the Lord. Burrough's Trumpet p. 1. The Order and Authority given unto me by the Spirit of the Living God 31. of 10. Moneth in the Year 1655. about the 4 th hour in the Morning when my Meditations were of my God upon my Bed in Kilkenny City at that time the word of the Lord came unto me saying Write c. Given under my hand and Sealed with the Spirit of the eternal God Foster's Guide p. 59. Do you not Professors confess your selves to be fallible If then I can prove that you have Interpreted Scripture in a false Sense you must grant that you have not Interpreted only in and by the Spirit of God but in your own and by the natural understanding and fallible erring mind And I hope if it appear to you that you have thus done you will not lay the error how little soever it may be upon that Holy One but take it to your selves though it contradict your Glorious Pretence and abate your Credit and Shame you never so much And in the name of Christ I admonish you that you do so that God be not Dishonoured and his excellent Spirit Vilified The tryal follows G. K. Im. Revel p. 72. Out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem And he The word for that is his name Rev. 19. shall judge among the Nations Isa. 2 3 4. 1 Your reason why the Word of the Lord must here signifie Christ for that is it you mean viz. Because his name is the Word is infirm unless you can prove it always so signifies which it doth not as you may see in many places of Scripture particularly in this Prophet's writings Chap. 39.5 Hear the word of the Lord of Hosts That is not Christ but this Sentence which follows Behold the day is come that all that is in thine House shall be carried to Babylon Chap. 28.14 Hear the word of the Lord Namely this Thus saith the Lord behold I lay c. vers 16. 2 As in these former words Come and let us go up to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways He refers to God and not to house So it is manifest that in these latter For out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem and he shall judge among the Nations He refers to Lord and not to the Word For 3 it had been all one if it had been only said Out of Sion shall go forth the Law of the Lord and he shall judge The Law of the Lord and the Word of the Lord being here the same And then as the Law here is not Christ so neither is the Word 4 And thus was it fulfilled concerning the Gospel as that being distinct from Christ. For it was first Preached at Jerusalem and from thence proceeded to the Gentiles Luk. 24.47 Thus it is Written that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be Preached in Christ's Name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Thus Tertullian understands the Text. Adv. Marc. L. 3. C. 21. Ex Sion exibit lex sermo Domini ex Hierusalem Haec erit via sua novae Legis evangelium novi sermonis in Christo non in Moyse And Just. Mart. Apol. 2. p. 78 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For Out of Sion c. From Jerusalem went twelve men into the World who declared to all Mankind that they were sent of Christ to Preach the Word of God to all Ibid. p. 66. I desire the Reader to weigh what word it is David speaks so frequently of in Psal. 119. It is not any word writ any outward word or words But the eternal word which created the Heavens and Earth The word in the begining which taught him the Laws Judgments c. Jesus Christ P. 67.68 65. You may as well say Testimonies Statutes Judgments Commandements Law are not a written and outward word or words For they are all used promiscuously and what is spoken of the word is spoken of these As it is said I beheld the Transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy word So Rivers of Waters ran down mine Eyes because they kept not thy Law As I rejoyce at thy word So Thy Testimonies are the rejoicing of my Heart As I have hoped in thy word So I have hoped in thy judgments As Thy word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it So Vpright are thy judgments I love thy Commandments As For ever thy word is settled in Heaven So Thy testimonies thou hast founded for ever The word then here spoken of being the same with Testimonies Statutes Judgments Commandments Law it is as much outward written and spoken as they are and you may as well say the Testimonies Statutes c. are Christ as that this word is and that
3.6 Mar. 16.16 And of Christ's speedy coming to Judge or his being ready to execute punishment upon the Wicked which is the importance of The Judge standeth before the Door as also to deliver comfort and reward the Righteous you read in many places of Scripture As Rev. 22.12 I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be Heb. 9.36.37 Ye have need of Patience that after you have done the will of God ye might receive the promise For yet a little while and he that cometh shall come and will not tarry Luk. 21.26 Watch and Pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Men. Vers. 20. When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with Armies then know that the Desolation thereof is nigh Vers. 25 c. Vpon the Earth shall be distress of Nations with perplexity Mens Hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the Earth for the powers of Heaven shall be shaken And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a Cloud in Power and in great Glory And when these things begin to come to pass then lift up your Heads for your Redemption draweth nigh I. Parots Wren p. 5. Christ shall come the second time without Sin unto Salvation Thus unto you he is come in whom his coming is compleatly perfected Forster's Guide p. 39. His second appearance is in Spirit which no Fleshly Eye can behold and Live and Blessed are all they who wait for his second coming to wit without Sin unto Salvation For his second coming is to put an end to Sin P. 50. Ye Men of Galilee why stand ye here gazing The same Jesus which hath been taken up from you into Heaven shall in like manner come again to wit in a Cloud for so he went up This is a mystery to the Wise of this World that the Light of the World and Life of Men should come in a Cloud But so it is to the Children of Light it is revealed by the Spirit They can tell you that as Christ's first appearance was in the Flesh and the Fleshly Eye saw him so his second appearance is in Spirit and no Fleshly Eye can behold him he being now a Spirit W. Nature of Christianity P. 29. Is his appearing the second time without Sin unto Salvation in this Life or hereafter Thou sayst after the Bodily Death you shall be raised out of the Grave and made partakers of that Salvation P. 24. Thou puttest Salvation at a great Distance As for the Text Heb. 9.28 Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many and unto them which look for him shall he appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation You falsely Interpret these latter words of Christ's appearing in the Heart to destroy Sin and free from its power For 1 Whereas to appear without Sin is as the opposite doth shew without being offered to bear Sin or as it is vers 26. without putting away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself can any one imagine that the Apostle would go about to inform us of that which could not be and which none could ever Imagine viz. that Christ shall not Die again and make atonement by way of Sacrifice for Sin in his appearance in our Hearts And that this is the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Sin as you have seen the opposite doth manifest so you may the rather be convinced when you have observed that Sin doth sometimes in Scripture signifie the offering for Sin and that as applied to Christ in his first appearance Chap. 10.6 In burnt offering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for Sin i. e. in Sacrifice for Sin thou hast had no Pleasure So vers 8. And Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his Son in the likeness of Sinful Flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for Sin i e a Sacrifice for Sin Or if you read and for Sin Condemned it is the same i. e. by a sacrifice for Sin condemned 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 2 Cor. 5.21 He made him Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Isa. 53.10 When thou shalt make his Soul Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. an Offering for Sin he shall see his seed And thus the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is answerable to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as it signifies Sin so is used in the Old Testament for the sacrifice and offering for Sin Lev. 4.25.29 Psal. 40.7 Ezek. 44.27.29 and 45.19 Our Text then lieth plainly thus Christ came into the World to Die for Sin and whereas he is gone out of the World vers 24. he shall come again into it but not to Die but to give that Salvation which by his Death he Purchased for us He who was made Sin for us shall appear the second time without being made Sin He was once offered here he shall appear again here but shall not then be offered again 2 The Apostle had said just before that Christ entred into Heaven the true Holy of Holies vers 24. He speaking then of a second appearance must needs mean his Coming out of this place and that after the same manner that he went in viz. by local motion he Ascended and he shall so Descend Just as the High-Priest entred into the Holy of Holies of the earthly Tabernacle and came out again only with this difference that whereas the High-priest entred into that Earthly Holiest and came out of it once every year so often sacrificing and making atonement for Sin Christ entred into Heaven and cometh out thence but once and that in the end of the World and not then to offer another Sacrifice and make a new atonement for that he did sufficione for all viz. at his entrance there but to judge the World and to give Salvation to them that diligently wait for him Thus the Apostle here writes Vers 12. By his own Blood he entred in once into the Holy Place having obtained eternal Redemption for us Vers. 24. c He is entred into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us nor yet that he should offer himself often as the High-priest entreth into the Holy Place every year with Blood of others But he was once offered to bear the Sins of many and to them that look for him he shall appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation Chap. 10.11.12.13 Every Priest standeth daily Ministring and Offering oftentimes the same Sacrifices which can never take away Sins But this Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever sate down at the Right hand of God from
is in the Scripture and that the Power goeth along with the Letter which is Death Burroughs Trumpet p. 20. You say Christ commands it when the Letter doth but declare it and say in such a Verse of such a Chapter such a command is not having received the command by the same Spirit You are in Witchcraft who observe commands without from the Letter thereby drawing from the teachings within by the Spirit They that obeyed Christ were led by the Spirit and not by the Letter for they were not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit Return to Priests about Beverly p. 10. You put the Books Matthew Mark Luke John for the Gospel which are the carnal Letter G. K. Help p. 27. The finest truest words out of a bad mans mouth can never reach the seed of God either to the raising it up or refreshing it but kills and burdens it as said the Apostle of the false Apostles who had the Letter and were Ministers of it out of the Spirit and Power The Letter Kills I begin to believe that some of you understand by the Letter and the Scriptures the very Characters and the Books forasmuch as it is usual with them to call them Ink and Paper But others of you are more skilful calling them also words spoken By which yet I hope they do not mean the sounds only which are made by the mouth which if they do they mend not the matter at all the sounds being to the Ear no other than what the characters are to the Eye but I would believe they mean as they ought to do the sense and doctrine for Scripture is all one whether it be expressed by the Pen or spoken by the Mouth or only conceived in the mind that is to say the doctrine is Now we are to consider whether the Doctrine of the Scriptures be dead and liveless carnal and killing Here you differ again some saying it is so in it self alone without the Spirit or as it is Preached from the Scriptures without immediate revelation to the Preacher though that Preacher be neither wicked nor a seducer others saying it is so as Ministred by such vile persons We are again to consider of what Scriptures or Doctrine the Apostle speaks when he saith We are not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit And 1 can you in good conscience say the doctrine of the Gospel is a dead and carnal word Or which is all one that those Scriptures are which express that Doctrine and that after the most lively manner even according to the mind of God himself who so delivered them by his own Spirit Thus we read there and thus it is spoken to us from thence by our Preachers Sinners you must forsake your evil ways and become new creatures not only outwardly reform but be inwardly holy and changed in your natures must cleanse your selves from all filthiness not only of the flesh but of the Spirit also you must walk in the fear of God and observe diligently all his Commandments love them and delight in them or else you cannot be saved but must burn as God hath pronounced in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone and suffer his wrath and indignation for ever His love is exceeding great to us who is not willing that any should perish but that all should have everlasting life and to that end hath given his only-begotten Son to die an ignominious and painful death and to bear our sins on his own body on the Tree and to make atonement for us and hath set him upon the Throne with himself to rule over all things for our good and hath sent forth his mighty and gracious Spirit to enlighten convert strengthen and comfort us Courage poor Soul and look up Glory is provided for thee who hast offended greater than the most magnificent Prince on earth enjoys Harken to the holy Guide in thy Soul cease thy Rebellion and thou shalt inherit Heaven dwell with God in that supernal Palace beholding his Face in Peace and have fulness of joy all perfection and life for evermore Blessed art thou O man who hast subdued thy Lusts overcome the World and hast put on Jesus Christ for unto thee belongeth this blessedness Kingdom and Glory Though we Die we shall be made alive again and stand before the Judge which knoweth what we have done and what hath been in our hearts and who will accept no mans person but will render to all according to their deserts so that our portion in the end will be either that bliss or that misery and this is not our word but the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Now call you this a carnal Letter a dead insipid spiritless thing Hath it no more power in it to move the Soul than characters of Ink drawn upon a Paper It pierces the Sinner like a Sword and comforts the humble Soul more than Wine The very contrivance of the Scriptures spits shame in the face of your bold assertion they being adorned with all perspicuity that we may understand the truth and with the strongest arguments to perswade us to our duty as the love of God the Death of his Son the assistance of his Spirit the filthiness and incommodities of Vice the purity and beauty and benefits of Vertue the Resurrection and the Judgment the Glory of Heaven and the Torments of Hell And so long as men have understanding fear hope and love of themselves this word can not be as a mere block and stone to them And you may hence discern that there is a force in the very things themselves in that the same person works more upon the auditors when he Preaches clearly pertinently and the weightiest matters than when he speaks of more extrinsick Points and Doctrines of the least moment and makes Childish descants and involves all he says in obscurity I demand if the Scriptures be such a dead letter and killing thing death it self why the Apostle wrot or why do you Did he contradict his Tongue with his own hand at the same moment Did he believe that he sent the Corinthians a word as dead as his Ink and a letter that Killeth or will you say it was not so with him because he had the Spirit and that went along with it from him to them If so you must tell us why the Spirit may not as well accompany the same to us which we likewise have received But know you however it was that life came into the dead thing they acknowledged that his Letters were mighty and powerful 2 Cor. 10.10 And it seems some of you perceived that this Doctrine and these good works which the Scriptures contein are not altogether so weak and dead as others would make them for that they have added that out of a wicked mans mouth they can do no good and yet further that the Apostle speaks this of false Apostles The Letter kills Well then our Ministers may still Preach them with comfort if
they be righteous out of such mouths they may do good reach the seed of God raise it up and refresh it and there is virtue in them if they be not Ministred by false Teachers who yet you should observe Minister not them but another thing the figments of their own brains in their place false Doctrine as they are false Teachers whereas I thought you had understood by the Letter the Scriptures without their corruption and so you do however you thus speak But I like not these words The truest words out of a bad mans mouth kill and burden the seed of God in others It might be more innocently said his sinfulness doth this or is the occasion of it than to lay the blame upon the pure and incorrupted Doctrine of God or to charge it with so dreadful and dismal an effect I hope such a conceit as this lies not at the bottom viz. that the sin in the man infects the Doctrine and so it becomes noxious to others that hear it like as breath receives contagion from a contagious Body and conveighs the same to them into whose Lungs it enters Nor do I like this saying The truest words out of a bad mans mouth cannot reach the seed of God raise it up or refresh it For that hereby you spoil the word of Christ of all power and render the Doctrine of the Gospel as impotent in it self as is silence and a dead Mouth or as it is our hand to work any good upon the Soul which yet is of such a nature as I have shewed as that it must needs have a force in it and is called the power of God and even herein excels the Law in that it is more vivid and quickening And hereby you make all the efficacy and the effect to depend upon the goodness of the Preacher as if his Soul rightly moving affects the Holy Ghost with whom she is conjoined and that great Spirit which fills all places transfers the motions unto the Souls of others like as some say impresses being made upon the Spirit of nature are carried by the same from Body to Body just as a stroke given at one end of a line runs unto the other so that no good can be done let the Doctrine be never so right and excellent unless such a motion can be made and no such motion can be made but by a Pious Soul If this be the mystery I leave it to them that love it Only let me say The Wind bloweth where it lifteth and thou hearest the sound of it but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit Joh. 3.8 As thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit nor how the bones do grow in the Womb of her that is with Child even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all Eccl. 11.5 So is the Kingdom of God as if a man should cast Seed into the Ground and should sleep and should rise night and day and the Seed should spring and grow up he knoweth not how For the Earth bringeth forth Fruit of it self first the Blade then the Ear after that the full Corn in the Ear. The Seed is good cast it into the Ground and as for the success leave that to God who we may be sure hath a blessing for his own word of truth and as his blessing accompanies the goodness of the Man so it doth the goodness of the Doctrine and his Spirit which waters and quickens and brings forth Fruit proceeds not from man nor depends upon his sanctity as to others reception of it but proceeds from himself and he sends it forth whither he pleases and it is willing to work in us all Paul Plants and Apollo Waters but God gives the increase So then neither is he that Planteth any thing nor he that Watereth but God that giveth the Increase 1 Cor. 3. That we may know whether the Spirit in one can act upon another let the Spiritual man keep silence and let a particular Doctrine or some particular Sins be proposed to him privatly and let us see whether he can instruct the minds of others in that Doctrine or convince them of those Sins St. Paul makes me despair of any effect in that he says the Spiritual man that speaks in an unknown Tongue and that is as much as he kept silence effects nothing 1 Cor. 14. 2 Because you condemn our Preaching from the Scriptures without immediate Revelation calling us for that cause alone Ministers of the Letter let me tell you that whilst our hearts are honest and we entirely desire and labour after the Conversion and Salvation of Souls and God hath blessed us with the knowledge of his Will and with zeal for his Glory and with the sanctification of our natures and with good success of our labours we will not be ashamed of this Ministry though it please him to give us no more than ordinary assistance of his Spirit which he that hath not is none of his and we receive not his word as the Apostles and Prophets did by extraordinary inspiration and by inspiration alone but meditate and study and so Preach as we have learned the truth from the Scriptures through the help of God which we have had in our diligence according to the good sense of divine things upon our hearts For whereas St. Paul received not the Gospel of man nor was taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ Gal. 1.12 you read otherwise of Timothy and Titus and other Preachers 2 Tim. 1.3 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast learned of me Chap. 3.14 Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by Inspiration and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the man of God Timothy or any other such Preacher 1 Tim. 6.11 may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 1 Tim. 4.11 These things command and teach Vers. 13.15 Give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all Chap. 3.14 15. These things write I unto thee that thou mayest know how to behave thy self in the house of God 2 Tim. 2.2 The things which thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses the same commit thou to Faithful men who shall be able to Teach others also Vide etiam Tit. 1.9 and 2.15 Here then are Ministers of the Doctrine which they had learned and had been taught of men and of things committed to them by others and studying Ministers If they had received the word by Revelation like St. Paul what need he teach and direct them Did he