thereof This is a Metaphorical Rule so called from the Analogy and Resemblance it hath in its use and end to a material Rule 'T is in this sense we call the Written Word a Rule of Faith and Lifâ— For as a Mason in raising a Wall a Joiner in squaring a Piece of Timber by applying the Level to the Building the Square to the Timber come to judge of the uprightness straitness and exactness of their Work So a Christian tries and examines his thoughts words and actions by the Holy Scriptures The Sacred Writings are his Square his Line and Level by which he measures and judges of Opinions and Practices Hereby he comes to know what is right and what is wrong what is duty and what is sin what is truth and what is errour All Doctrines which are to be believed all Duties which are to be performed in order to our acceptable serving of God on Earth or eternal enjoying of God in Heaven are to be measured by and conformed unto this Rule There are Three Rules which are eagerly contended for 1. The Pagans Rule The Light of Nature This Rule is good in its kind and place it discovers the Being Power Wisdom and Goodness of God so as to leave them without excuse who do not walk according to it (a) Rom. 2.14.15 1.19 20 21 32. But it cannot discover Christ by whom alone Sinners may be saved (b) 1 Cor. 1.21 2.13.14 2. The Papists Rule Vnwritten Traditions This is a Corrupt Fallible and False Rule Contradictory to the Scriptures and therefore no good Rule 3. The Quakers Rule the Light within which J. N. blasphemously calls Christ within and the Spirit of God in the Heart This is a very bad Rule to try or determine matters of Faith or Practice by God hath taught us in his Written Word to try the Spirits by the Scripture The Quakers teach their Proselytes to try the Scriptures by the Light within (c) 1 Joh. 4.1 6. which they also call the Spirit Whatever Spirit leads any against or besides the Rule of Scripture is not the Spirit of God but a lying Spirit God saith and Protestants hold that those who Speak not according to the Word have no Light in them Isa 8.20 Their pretended Light who contradict Scripture is Darkness Matth. 6.23 But Quakers impudently prefer their Dreams above the Written Word and so declare that their Light proceeds from the Father of Lies That Spirit who transformeth himself into an Angel of Light the God of this World whose Kingdom is full of Darkness blinds the Eyes of these Men of Light so that they speak against the pure Light of Scripture and prefer their Ignes Fatui before it And while they profess themselves to be wise they become Fools For loâ—â— they have rejected the Word of the Lord and what Wisdom is in them Jer. 8.9 Seeing therefore that the Pagans Rule Natural Reason and Conscience is insufficient seeing the Popish and Quaking Rules are false and uncertain it remains that the Holy Scriptures are the only Supreme Sufficient Perfect Standing Rule to try and judge all Opinions and Practices by For the Proof of this consult these following Texts 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. In this Scripture we are inform'd that the Holy Scriptures believed and obey'd are able to make wise unto Salvation That all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof c. That the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works What plainer Proof can we desire to evince that the Scripture doth contain all Doctrines necessary to be believed and command all Duties necessary to be performed in order to Salvation And if so 't is a sufficient compleat and perfect Rule of Faith Worship and Life Hence 't is that we are commanded to Search the Scriptures John 5.39 To hear Moses and the Prophets Luke 16.29 To take heed to this sure Word of Prophecy 2 Pet. 1.19 To go to the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8.19 Hence 't is we are told The Law of the Lord is perfect Psalm 19.7 'T is for this cause the Bereans are commended for Searching the Scriptures daily Acts 17.11 Believers are said to be built upon the Foundations of the Prophets and Apostles Eph. 2.20 Ignorance of the Scriptures is the cause of Errour Matth. 22.29 Many more Places might be cited but these are sufficient to any but a Papist or a Quaker to prove that the Scriptures are the Supreme and only sufficient Rule of Faith and Life which God hath given us They are a sure and standing Rule a compleat and Perfect Rule adequate and commensurate to the things to be regulated or measured thereby From which nothing can be taken away to which nothing can be added but upon the Peril of all the Plagues and Curses in the Book of God Rev. 22.18 19. Thus a Rule is described by Phavorinus 'T is an infallible measure which admits of no addition or diminution * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that if the Scriptures were not a Perfect Rule to measure and try all Opinions and Practices by they were no Rule at all The wrangling Quakers think to evade the force of all these Texts by telling us Gospel Truths c. p. 6. line 31. That Jesus Christ is the only Rule of Faith Worship and Manners And l. 38. they bid us Turn in our Minds unto the gift of Gods Spirit in our Hearts And p. 7. l. 20. It is the Holy Ghost that teaches People good manners Quaere What Spirit teaches the Quakers who want them And by the Light within Thoughts Words and Actions are tryed And this Light of Jesus is a higher and superiour Rule Rare edifying Discourse Christ is the only Rule The gift of God's Spirit in our own Hearts is the Rule The Holy Ghost is the Rule The Light within is the Rule And the Light of Jesus is the Rule And all these are one and the same Rule which is in every Man There is no difference if you believe these acute and subtle Doctors between Christ and the Spirit and the Light within Christ and the Spirit are one and are in every mans heart and yet they pretend to own the Doctrine of the Trinity and tho' they say that Christ and the Spirit of Christ are in every Man and 't is most evident that Christ is God and Man yet contrary to their avowed Principle they break poor Priscian's Head and say thou instead of you to every man who hath Christ and the Spirit in him I grant that Christ hath given us a Rule and the Holy Spirit enables all the People of God to walk according to it but the Scripture or the Written Word is the Rule according to which we are to walk that so Peace and Mercy may be upon us The Spirit is so far from being our Rule that God hath given us the Written Word to try whether we have the
high and honourable Office of the Ministry who as they are neither able nor apt to Teach so they were never call'd to it nor sent about it And if it be a Sin for J. N. and such as he to Preach Can it be safe Reader for thee to Hear How durst thou by thy presence harden and encourage them in their Sin The Pride of their Hearts could not continue them Preachers Didst not thou and others it may be the more for thee maintain them Hearers If thou be one who hopest to live in Heaven take heed of countenancing and hardening Illiterate Vnordained Mechanicks who intangle themselves with the Affairs of this Life †2 Tim. 2.4 in their proud Invasion of this Sacred Office for which without Repentance they must howl in Hell for ever The second Text is 1 Cor. 1.21 For after that in the wisdom of God the World by Wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe From hence perhaps the Quaker concludes that Folly and Ignorance are necessary Qualifications for the Pulpit And I know not but if Joseph Nott were in Italy where Ignorance and Vice seem the only Indelible Characters of the Clergy by entring into Religious Orders he might quickly be preferr'd to the Office of Confessor to some great Person seeing few are better stor'd with those Gifts which recommend Persons to that Imployment For the great Men at Rome as the Bishop of Salisbury * Letter from Rome informs us like to have to do with a poor ignorant Priest Accordingly some Celebrated Person 's Confessor was a great and notorious Blockhead head whom they us'd because a greater could not be found and whenever they found one better qualified that way if it were a Groom or a Footman that got into Priest's Orders they said they would certainly make use of him If J. N. would but go to Rome and shave his Crown this Penny Pamphlet would quickly get him Promotion But the Apostle Paul is not about to recommend real Fâ—lly but to Caution the Corinthians against vain Philosophy To this end he tells them that tho' the prejudic'd Jewish Rabbies and conceited Grecian Sophi's accounted the Preaching of the Cross Foolishness and ridicul'd the Christian Teachers for exhorting their Hearers to believe in a Crucified Saviour as many of Joseph Nott's Friends do at this Day yet this was the only sound and rational Doctrine adapted to display the Wisdom of God and promote the Salvation of Souls Those who rejected Christianity perished in their Sins whereas those who believed in Christ whom the Apostle preached found his Preaching the highest Reason and that thereby the Power of God accompanying it they were made wise unto Salvation But if the Quaker's Preaching be like their Writing 't is Foolishness indeed which neither this nor any other Scriptuâ—e doth countenance or patronize The third Scripture in the Title Page is Isa 30.1 Woe to the Rebellious Children saith the Lord that take counsel but not of me that cover with a Covering but not of my Spirit These words are a Threatning against Israel because they would neither ask nor take God's Counsel They were about to send Embassadors to Egypt to desire Succour from Pharaoh against the King of Assyria They distrusted the Power and Goodness of God and trusted in an Arm of Flesh thinking to cover themselves from the approaching Storm under the Shadow of Egypt For refusing to use those Means which the Spirit of God by his Word and Prophets had directed them to and using unlawful Means to rid themselves out of Trouble they are call'd Rebellious and this Woe is denounced against them And what is all this to Mr. Tross unless to shew what a woeful Case he should be reduced unto if J. N. and his charitable Friends could have their will of him If he thought to do Execution upon him with a Text he might have cited Rev. 8.13 where are three Woes in one Sentence The last Text is Isa 44.24 25. The Lord frustrateth the Tokens of the Lyars and maketh Diviners mad turneth wise Men backward and maketh their Knowledge foolish In these Words the Lord sets forth his Almighty Power in frustrating the Predictions of the Magicians and Astrologers called Diviners because by holding Intelligence with some evil Spirit they foretold Things to come and Liars because God would make Things fall out contrary to their Prognostications and so prove them Liars notwithstanding the Light and Spirit within by which they were guided And when their Designs should be thwarted and their Reputation blasted Grief and Shame would drive them to Madness and Distraction And now Reader What canst thou Infer less from this Text than that whoever doth not jump with J. N. in every Opinion is a Liar a Diviner and a Mad man I have but one thing more to Reflect upon in the Title Page and that is this Tho' the Author by setting his Name to his Book hath let the World know to whom they are oblig'd for that rich Treasure of good Sense good Reason and good Language which aâ—e crowded into this little Volume the Scurvy Printer hath not so much as told us his Name or where he dwells so that we are not like to know who Midwiv'd this sweet well-favour'd Babe into the World SECT II. Remarks upon Joseph Nott's Preface The abuse of Prefaces Several Nonsensical and Erroneous Passages exposed The light within Described Wrested and misapplied Scriptures Explained J. N's Chief Talents summ'd up THE use which many a Trivial Writer makes of a Preface is to Wheedle his Reader into a Belief of some great Matters with which the Treatise will entertain him or to bribe his Judgment into a good Opinion of the Author's Piety Learning or Modesty How often are the Thread-bare Stories of glowing Zeal against the Errors and deep Commiseration of the Follies and Vices of the Times together with repeated importunities of Wise and good Friends employed to stand as Motives for the Publication of those Pamphlets which hardly live a Month to an end before they are burnt as Sacrifices to a Pipe or are doom'd to a more Ignominious Death in a Jakes * Sâ—â—mâ—ros metuentia Carmina Pers But whatever the Pretence be commonly Mr. Author 's good Opinion of his Composure was the main Spring that set the Press a going Those whose Skuls are like a House half Furnished having but little Stuff themselves are apt to think others have less Hence it is that when they light on a Notion that is new to them they make Archimedes's Proclamation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and being big with some odd Crochet have no Rest until the Printer hath deliver'd them of the ill-shapen Monster Our Illuminated Author a Man born to oblige the World by his refin'd Thoughts and rare Paâ—ts as other Writers of great Note use to do fronts his Book with a Preface which serves as a Bush to a Blind Ale-House to
is neither of these but a superiour sort of Spirit Ask him when it was created How he came to know the time And what Scripture he can bring to prove that there is any other Spirit than God Angels Devils and rational Souls except it be the Spirit of a Beast * Eccl. â— 21 that he means If it be not a Creature as Geo. Whitehead saith Christian Quaker Part 2. p. 28. Desire him to reconcile Barclay who says 't is a creature yea a Body with Whitehead who says 't is no creature Put home these Questions to him and if he doth not boggle and equivocate 't is ten to one but he will betray gross Ignorance or utter downright Blasphemy J. N. For the great Mystery which hath been hid from Ages and from Generations is Christ within the hope of Glory Col. 1.26 27. In these Verses which Joseph Nott for reasons best known to himself hath alter'd and curtail'd putting Christ within instead of Christ in you or among you as 't is in the Margin and leaving out a great part of them the Apostle informs the Colossians that the Gospel which was a Mystery lock'd up in Gods own Breast from Eternity and hid from a great part of the World in former Ages and Generations being wrap'd up in dark Prophecies and cover'd under a Vail of Legal Ceremonies was now by Christ and his Apostles made manifest to the Saints The Wall of Partition was broken down the Vail taken away and the Colossians who were in times past Idolatrous Gentiles alienated from God and enemies to God v. 21. had this Gospel which displays the Riches of Divine Grace made known to them The next clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being as St. Peter saith of some things in St. Paul's Epistles †2 Pet. 3.16 hard to be understood this Prefacer being unlearned and unstable hath wrested it as he doth also other Scriptures to uphold his Error Being Ignorant of the Original he thinks which refers to Mystery whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being of the Masculine Gender hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his Antecedent So Zanchy Qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Christus And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not will in but either inter vos among you as 't is in the Margin or in vobis in you If we follow the Maâ—ginal Reading this is the meaning Christ preached among you is the Riches of the glorious Mystery of Godliness Christ is the Sum and Substance the Pearl and Treasure of the Gospel If we read Christ in you then this is the sense Those Saving Graces Faith Love c. by which Christ dwells in your hearts Eph. 3.17 are the Evidences of your Title to and the grounds of your Hope of Eternal Glory Your hopes of Glory are founded not only upon what you have heard of the riches of Divine Grace thro' Christ in the Gospel but upon what Christ hath wrought in your hearts by the Gospel 'T is the Image of Christ the Graces of Christ which he hath wrought in you by his Word and Spirit that confirm your hopes of Heaven What Christ hath done and suffer'd for you and what he hath wrought in you His satisfaction for you and your union with him cause you to hope Thus Christ was in these Colossians thus he is in every true Believer But what is this to the Quakers light of Christ in every mans Heart and Conscience J. N. Therefore to the Spirit of God in thine own heart I do recommend thee as unto that which will give a true discerning and right understanding of the things of God as it is hearkened unto and obeyed J. N. But I advise thee Joseph and as many of thy Friends as shall read these Lines to Search the Scriptures and not to Trust your own hearts untill you have examin'd them by the Light of God's Word Lean nâ—t to your own Vnderstandings Beware least the Light within be darkness Believe not every Spirit nor every false Prophet who pretends to the Spirit of God For there are unclean lying seducing Spirits Spirits of Devils To the Law and to the Testimony Take heed to that sure Word of Prophecy as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place That Word if hearkened unto and obeyed will discover to you what the Spirit is which you are under the conduct and influence of Try the Spirit in your own hearts hereby If it shun this Light if it speak not according to this Rule 't is because 't is a black Spirit and there is no Light in it Many grieve and quench the Holy Spirit and provoke him to withdraw and then an evil Spirit enters into them blinds their eyes hardens their hearts and scars their Consciences and when such set up for Teachers of others The Blind lead the Blind and so both fall into the Ditch Thus I have at length wrought my way through the Preface And by these Notes upon the Obscure places of it he that can see beyond the top of his Nose may discern what are the chief Accomplishments of this Doughty Champion of the Quakers in the West viz. Gross Ignorance not only of the sense of Holy Scripture and its Original Languages but even plain English the only Tongue he hath a smatterring in Intolerable Pride in troubling the World with his Non-sense and Impertinence â—â—â—id Vncharitableness in railing at reviling and misrepresenting a Reverend Divine who gave him no provocation And to name but one more for by these we may take a scantling of his other good qualities Abominable Profaneness in vilifying maiming and wresting Scripture Some People blame Mr. Hallet because he did not expose the Ignorance and Error of this Joseph Nott and John Gannacliff another of the Gang in a Pamphlet of theirs written in Answer to his 27 Queries Perhaps he thought it needless seeing that Book is so horribly scurrilous and silly that it carries its confutation in its Forehead Or else he concluded it would be lost labour seeing that Tho' thou shouldest bray a Fool in a Mortar among Wheat with a Pestel yet will not his Foolishness depart from him Prov. 27.22 And were it not for that the Party are Cock-a-Hoop upon their new Authors and vaunt themselves of their Jannes and Jambres as Men of such Courage that none durst enter the Lists against them I should not have commented upon their nauseous idle Stuff I know 't is no credit to have to do with such Fellows And all the return I expect from that sort of Cattle is roaring and bellowing throwing dirt and calling all the odious Names which the Spirit who acts them shall put into their Mouths SECT III. Joseph Nott's Scurvy Commendation of Holy Scripture He and John Gannacliff elsewhere prefer the Light within before it The Scriptures prov'd to be the only supream and sufficient Rule The danger of setting the Light within every Man above God's Written Word J. N's first
Cavil against Mr. Tross The World created long before the Son of God became Man or was actually Jesus Christ Scriptures wrested c. THE Wise Man saith Prov. 3.30 Strive not with a man without cause if he have done thee no harm and Prov. 25.8 Go not forth hastily to strive lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof when thy Neighbour hath put thee to shame Had Joseph Nott learnt this Lesson and held his peace he had better consulted his Credit and his Quiet But some People will be meddling tho' to their cost 'T is like some Spirit mov'd him but as to its Region Quality and Complexion albus an ater 't is left to the Reader 's conjecture When a furious Storm is rais'd on a sudden the Prince of the Power of the Air is thought to be going a Procession When a Fire breaks out no body knows how and threatens to consume whatever stands in its way we condemn some unseen Boutefeu To see a man that had no provocation act like a fury ranting and raving quarrelling and contending with those who had nothing to do with him makes all sober People conclude that he hath some invisible Driver But besides the External Mover it seems his very Complexion led him on Choler no doubt is his predominant Humor and he is as one said of a Goose Animal pugnacissimum Hence it was that he sent abroad his Challenges in Gospel Truths Scripturally asserted p. 6. lin 6. and in p. 23. Where is a Challenge to Mr. Hallet and all the Presbyterian Preachers in the World to Answer Joseph Nott and John Gannacliff And because neither Mr. Hallet nor any body else accepted that Challenge he hath a mind to pick a quarrel with Mr. Tross So have I seen a little contentious Cur breath forth Threats and Challenges against a generous Racer until a disdainful kick hath cool'd his Courage and sent him back howling But before he thinks fit to threaten he fawns and flatters for thus he begins J. N. We generally profess that we do believe that the Holy Scriptures were written for our Learning that is Episcalian 1 Presbyterian Independent 2 Anabaptist and Quakers c. And that we ought to prove our Doctrine and Principles by them And we also do say That if any Man do hold or endeavour to prove any Doctrine or Principle that is contrary to the Holy Scripture that we ought not to believe them 3 altho they never so Orthodoxly so called or subtâ—â— endeavours to prove their Assertion 4. Passing by the false spelling in the words mark'd 1 and 2 the false Concord in 3 them for him and the Non-sense in the two last Clauses we may observe how rudely our Paltry Author intrudes into the company of those who never sent for him He crowds himself and his Brethren the Quakers in among Protestants tho' I am persuaded they will no more own this Upstart Sect than Joseph Nott owns the Scriptures to be the only Rule of Faith and Life Yet to curry favour with them he pretends to commend the Word of God but does it after such a scurvy rate as doth sufficiently discover his kindness to it Tho' he Sacrifices it to his ador'd Light within yet he fawns upon it just as the Crocodile that weeps over his Prey his Tears being a sort of formal Grace before his intended Feast The meaning of his words seems to be this We Quakers c. i. e. Ranters Seekers Familists Adamites Muggletonians and the like do generally not universally profess to believe not without a reserve that the Scriptures are written for our Learning as was Cambden's Britannia and †Nickram'd by J.N. Verstgan pag. 8. line 21. Verstegan's Antiquities And that we ought to prove our Doctrine and Principles by them stretching and wresting them if they will not otherwise serve our turn And we also do say that we ought not to believe any Doctrine or Principle contrary to the Scriptures as expounded by our infallible Light by the help of which we make a Lesbian Rule or Nose of Wax of them and bring them to speak what we would have them That this is the meaning of this insipid Advocate for the Holy Scriptures is plain not only from what I have formerly Remark'd in the Preface where he scoffs at those who profess the Scripture to be the only Rule of Faith c. and would fain send his Reader to the Light within for Direction but much more from his Book against Mr. Joseph Hallet where he speaks his mind more freely and tells us plainly in Answer to Mr. Hallet's 3d Query That He and John Gannacliff esteem the Light within as a Rule to be preferred to and higher than the Scriptures p. 5. lin 20. and that by it Thoughts words and actions are to be tried and by it we come to understand those things which are written in the Holy Scriptures of Truth and therefore it is a higher and superiour Rule unto which we ought more especially to attend p. 7. Now wellfare Joseph Nott and John Gannacliff for their plain dealing in telling us their minds frankly and freely as to this matter What ever fine stories J. N. tells us here to insinuate his Errors and the minds of the ignorant you see his very heart in the fore-mentioned Quotations The Light within is that great Diana by whom these Jacks of all Trades have their Wealth Hence 't is that these Craftsmen speak so honourably of the Idol Great is the Quakers Light within 't is to be preferred to the Scriptures by this we are to try thoughts words and actions by this we are to understand the Scriptures This is a higher and superiour Rule to which we ought especially to attend This is one of the Foundations on which the Damnable Errors of the Quakers are built In opposition to these rotten assertions I lay down this as an undoubted Truth The whole Council of God concerning all things necessary to be believed and done by us in order to our Salvation is either expresly set down in Holy Scripture or may by good and necessary consequence be deduced from it unto which nothing at any time is to be added whether by new Revelations of the Spirit or Traditions of Men. Or in short thus The Scriptures are the only supreme and sufficient Rule of Faith and Life A Rule is a Measure by which the Quantity or Quality of another thing is sufficiently try'd and examined Sometimes the word Rule is apply'd to sensible and corporeal things Thus. e. g. John Gannacliff's Laste on which he makes his Shoes is his Rule that he works by Thus the Taylor the Brick-layer the Carpenter and other Artificers have their Rules which they apply to their Work to measure and judge of the length heighth and depth straitness or crookedness thereof This is a Proper Rule Sometimes the word Rule is apply'd to moral and spiritual things to measure and determine the Qualities Virtues and Perfections
Spirit thereby And if any Spirit would perswade us to receive any Doctrine or do any Action contrary to the Written Word we ought to abominate such a Spirit Besides the Confusion there is palpable Non-sense in these Expressions Christ is the Rule The Spirit is the Rule A Person may prescribe a Rule to another but cannot be a Rule himself any more than John Gannacliff is a Laste or the French King an Edict Yet further we have only the Quakers word for all that they affirm concerning Christs being the Rule and nothing that looks like Proof For those Scriptures which they have cited to this purpose will as well prove the Pope to be Christ's Vicar as Christ or the Spirit or Light within to be our Rule Therefore instead of following them any further in their impertinent citing and misapplying Scripture to exalt their Light within into the Throne of Christ and place of Holy Scripture I shall hint the Danger of this Opinion That the Light within every Man is the supreme Rule of Faith Worship and Manners 1. In this Opinion the Quakers join hands with the Papists and do their Work By denying the Perfection of Scripture they go about to take off People from the use of it They say the Light which is in all the Indians and Pagans is sufficient without the Scriptures No wonder then that they speak so slightly of Scripture as sometimes they do 2. They take the ready way to lull asleep their own Consciences when they alone shall be iudges of their own actions This Doctrine leaves every man to himself to believe and do what he pleases for he has no Rule to try his Spirit by 1 John 4.1 He is a Law to himself How doth this gratifie the Pride of mens Hearts when they think that they may do whatever they list And how is it possible to convince such men of their sin and folly who think themselves infallibly guided by the Spirit of Christ which as they say is the highest Rule superiour to the Letter as these Scoffers call the Written Word The Papists make the Man at Rome the Infallible Judge but every Quaker is a Pope in his own Conceit 3. According to this Opinion People are bound to receive the most absurd Notions that any Quaker shall dictate Yea they are bound to believe contradictions For the Light in one Quaker saith that the Light within is God but in another that 't is a Body as I have formerly prov'd Now suppose any Inlightned Sister at Exon should come with a Span-new-Light and tell the Quakers that 't is neither one nor 'tother they ought according to their own Principles to believe her for 't is Christ 't is the Holy Spirit that speaks by her for ought that ever they can prove to the contrary if they do not abandon this Opinion 4. This Doctrine gives up those who embrace it into the immediate hands of the Devil to receive his suggestions as inspirations and to take his impulses for the Commands of Christ and motions of the Holy Spirit But to return from thâ— Digression leaving the Quakers with their Leaden Rule and Dark Lanthorn Light Let us observe the Motions of our Author He thus proceeds J. N. Now such a one as the Latter is G. T. Prithee Joseph adorn thy Snout with that Instrument which the Men of the World call a pair of Spectacles and ken this same Passage a little Tell me if thou canst with all thy Light whom the word Latter does refer to Is G. T. a Quaker or is he a subtle endeavour or what is he where were thy Wits when this dark Expression dropt from thy Pen In thy Preface thou couldst not distinguish latter from former Here thou talkest of a latter where 't is hard to find any f rmer at all Joseph is this the way thou takest to confute Mr. Tross Get thee gone Brawl with a Tinker or squabble with a Porter but write no more Replies Thou tellest Reverend Mr. Hallet (a) Gospel Truths c. page 12. That working with his Hands was a thing he was never brought up unto And thy Pamphlet gives us to understand that thou wert never brought up to writing of Books If thou hast not some better way to get a Maintenance than by Printing Penny-Books I doubt thou wilt have but a cold Kitchen or wilt be forc'd to be chargeable to thy sound Brethren This Huckstering Trade of Retailing out thy Pamphlets at a Penny apiece will never hold long And perhaps thou mayst be called to account for making a Merchandise of the Word and seeking thy gain from thy Quarter (b) Ibid. J. N. For he greatly endeavours to prove That Jesus Christ was not in the beginning and that the World was not made by him which is contrary to the holy Scripture and he also endeavours to prove the first Day of the Week to be the Christian-Sabbath the which he hath no Scripture to prove as he himself doth acknowledge Here are the two Articles upon which Mr. Tross's Book stands indicted at the Quaker's Bar. 1. That he endeavours to prove that Jesus Christ was not in the beginning c. 2. That the first Day of the Week is the Christian Sabbath 'T is great pity Mr. Tross had not ask'd J. N's leave before he presum'd to publish such a Book in which are contained one Position contrary to Scripture and another which he hath no Scripture for if you will take J. N's honest word for it And who dares question the Truth of what a Man of Infallibity saith J. N. I shall set down some of his words in his Book First Concerning Christ Jesus in p. 4. He saith We say that it may be Orthodoxly denied and asserted That Jesus Christ did not make the World For the World was 4000 years before ever Jesus Christ was And in Pag. 5. he saith In the Old Testament Christ is prophesied of to come How could He then create the VVorld And in Pag. 12 he saith VVe have sufficiently answer'd that it was not the Lord Christ that created the VVorld And in Pag. 10. he speaking of (a) To help the halting Quak. over the Stile understand the time before the Fall of Man saith In which time there could not be so much as any need or use of a Jesus or a Christ nor was there so much as the least hint of him given by either Prophecy or Promise And then he saith Much less was he himself in Being And in Pag. 1â—0 he saith I think I have shewn that the Lord Christ did not make the VVorld See here how dextrously this new Confuter goes to work to prove that Mr. Tross holds that Jesus Christ as Mediator or God-Man did not make the World but that it was made 4000 Years before the Incarnation of God the Son How industrious hath he been to skim the Book from P. 4. to P. 130. that he may make it clear that Mr. Tross doth affirm that
Opinions may the wildness of their Brains assisted by that Spirit who mov'd Ahab's Prophets 1 Kings 22.22 in time produce And now I dare appeal to any Man of sense Quakers not excepted whether Joseph Nott hath not Written against Mr. Tross without Reason Sense or common Civility While he accuses others of Ignorance and Error he hath given it under his own hand that he is an uncharitable Wrangler yea a great Dunce who understands neither Argument nor plain English He multiplies Scriptures only to shelter his Errors under their Umbrage * Scit Diabolus nullam esse ad fallendum faciliorem viam quam ut ubi nesarii erroris subinducitur fraudulentia ibi divinorum verborum praetendatur auctoritas Vinc. Lirin c. 37. He talks of the Spirit in his Heart when a Trepan might perhaps discover a Bladder in his Brains He is proud knowing nothing but doting about Questions foolish and unlearned Questions about an invisible day and the like anâ— strifes of words about naming the days of the Week â— 1 Tim. 6.4 Joseph canst thou review thy botching bungling work without blushing Art thou not asham'd to find thy folly and ignorance made manifest Dost thou not perceive that thy Light hath lead thee astray Dost thou not repent of troubling the World with thy Impertinencies How canst thou look any ingenious Man in the Face after thou hast thus render'd thy self ridiculous Those who once thought thee Head and Shoulders above the common People now perceive that thou art a contemptible Pigmy But I spare thee forbearing any further to lay thee open in hopes that mildness may work upon thee though thou hast deserved a severe rebuke And as a Friend who wishes thee well I will give thee a few parting Counsels 1. Shut up thy Pack and don 't trouble us with any more of thy small wares Be not so unadvised as to appear any more in Print Thy Customers will be loth to throw away any more Farthings upon thy Toys Meddle no more with matters above thy Capacity but keep to the Trade which thou wert brought up to Believe me Joseph thou art one of the most despicable Triflers that ever blurr'd Paper Perhaps thy Spirit and Light may move thee to reply to what I have written Thou art not so perfect but that some things in this Paper may chance to stir the Old Man in thee And thou wilt it may be have recourse to the old pious Arts of Lying Railing and Calling Names I know not but thou mayst give me some of those Titles which thy Brethren have given Mr. Fald Mr. Baxter Dr. Owen and other Pious and Learned Ministers Such as Babylons Merchants ravening Wolves Pharisees whited Walls Darkness it self Reprobates Scarlet-colour'd Beasts Dark Sots Mountebank Priests comparing them to Lizards Moles Green-headed-Trumpeters Serpents Grinning-Dogs Wheel-barrows Whirligigs c. To furnish thy self with a good stock of these read the precious Writings of G. Fox William Penn Edward Burroughs and Sam. Fisher If thou wilt play the Fool again thou wilt but expose thy self to be ridicul'd and hiss'd at by the Boys in the Streets Therefore sit down quietly with the harm thou hast I wish thou mayst be so wise as to take this advice But if it should otherwise happen know that thou shalt bark long enough before I will turn back to give thee a kick I have somewhat else to do than to write any more remarks upon such empty Scribbles as thine 2. If thou write again Commit thy self to the care of some She-friend that teaches Children to read and desire her to instruct thee in the Liberal Art of spelling and reading English 3. Learn to distinguish sense from Non-sense that the World may not be puzzled with any more of thy Soloecisms and absurdities 4. Learn some plain Catechism that thou mayst no longer be ignorant of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ Thou who pretendest to teach others I perceive thou art but a Babe in knowledg and must have a great deal of pains taken with thee to make thee competently knowing 5. Converse with thy betters Be not wise in thine own conceit but be sensible of thy ignorance If thou hadst Humility enough to desire it there be many of Mr. Tross's Hearers that would be ready to instruct thee and lend thee some good Expositors upon the Scriptures by reading of which thou mayst see how ignorantly and profanely thou hast wrested many Texts 6. Pray earnestly to the God of all grace for a humble and teachable Spirit Desire the Lord to pardon thee thy Pride and Presumption in medling with holy things and to rescue thee out of the Snare of the Devil that thou mayst not fall into the Condemnation of the Devil I am persuaded Joseph that Thou and those other Mechanick Lay-Preachers which swarm in England at this day are stirred up by Satan and drive on his Design which is first to Deâ—aâ—e the Ministry and then to overthrow it That the Lord would open thine Eyes to see thy sin and danger and give thee repentance to the acknowledgment of the Truth is the unfeigned desire of Thine to do thee any Christian Office FINIS