God The Nature of it is to Discover Sin Reprove for It and Lead out of It all such as Love and Obey the Convictions thereof It is a Principle of Divine Life that Quickens the Obedient Heart to Newness of Life It Raises the Mind above the World to God and searches out and reveals the Deep things of God to the humble and waiting Soul And be it known to the Bishop and all that with him profess Ignorance about what we mean by the Light of Christ within Man This is It I have been treating of and I have writ I bless Almighty God My own Experience the Taste and Relish I have had of Its Excellency and Sufficiency in the Course of far the greater and best part of my Life But the Bishop must excuse me if I say I â—annot but take it very Ill at his hands to â—orbid us in his following Words to pretend â—o give an Account of what we Believe unless â—e can make him understand our meaning And â—ecause he does not penetrate our Sense to â—all our way of Wording that blessed Prinâ—iple of the Light of Christ in Man a Perâ—ect Banter This to me is one of the seveâ—est Persecutions because Spiritual things â—re only to be Spiritually discerned and unâ—erstood I would fain know how a Regeâ—erate Man can possibly make a Carnal Man understand the New Birth It is cerâ—ainly the Gift of God to understand Divine Truths as well as Rightly to Believe So that supposing our Assertion of the Nature Power and Excellency of the Light of Christ in Man to be true not to have leave to say so unless we could make every Man rightly take our Sence and Meaning whether he be Spiritually Discerning or not looks Antichristian as well as Unreasonable We speak Wisdom says the Apostle among them that are perfect 1 Cor. 7. 6. It seems others understand him not must He therefore not have wrote of the things of God The very Preaching of the Gospel was Foolishness to the Wiselings of Jews and Greeks they could make neither Head nor Tail of It by Their way of Judging of Truth Must not the Gospel therefore be preach'd When the Apostle Paul preach'd to the Athenians some of the Men of the Gown the Philosophers of that Time Opposed and Despised him saying What will this Babbler say But had they known what he meant we cannot think they would have said so to Him Waâ— the Aposlte then or the Athenians in faulâ— that they did not understand Him Or was it Bantering as well as Babbling because he did not make them understand his meaning which is only the Work of the Holy Ghost to do Who was it I pray thaâ— said The World by Wisdom knew not God And can we suppose any thing else blinded the Scribes and Pharisees and the High-Priest of the Jews from discerning the Messiah when He came For they wanted not Academical Learning if that could have enlightned them nor yet the Scriptures but they Resisted the Holy Ghost their only True Interpreter and so stumbled and fell Let the Bishop also have a Care In the Second Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians he will find that the Aâ—ostle spake the Wisdom of God in a Myâ—tery which the Prinees of this World knew â—ot with all their Wisdom For the things â—f God fays the Apostle knoweth no Man but the Spirit of God by which those Christians knew those things that were freely given to them of God Which thing also we speak says He not in the Words which Mans Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teachetb comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual But the Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him Neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned Now according to the Bishops treatment of us the Apostle ought not to have writ of Faith and Salvation unless he could have made all that read his Writings understand his Meaning And it must be a perfect Banter to talk of speaking Wisdom in a Mystery and not in the Terms that Man's Wisdom teacheth But the Lord Jesus Christ was of another Mind when he said I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things the Truths of the Kingdom from the Wise and Prudent and Reveal'd them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seem'd Good in thy sight It is hence beyond all Dispute that God hideth the Mysteries of His Kingdom from the Wisdom of Man when Simplicity and Sincerity fail not to Reach and Understand them Here it was that poor Nicodemus was absolutely at a loss for Christ's meaning when Christ said Unless a Man be born again he can in no wise enter the Kingdom of God John 3. Insomuch as he asked Christ upon his Discourse of the New Birth How can these things be At which Christ seems to admire in a sort of Reproof upon Nicodemus Art thou a Master of Israel and knowest not these things As much as to say Art thou a Man of thy Station in the Church of God Ignorant of the Way to Heaven Whoever reads that notable Interview between Christ and Nicodemus will find that Christ resolves the Matter into Two Births That which is Born of the Flesh and That which is Born of the Spirit and these are Contrary And therefore no wonder if they differ in their Understanding of the Holy Scriptures being a Declaration of the Faith and Experience as well as Doctrine and Practice of the Servants of God that were Enlightned and Born of the Holy Ghost Nor is this all for they that are Born of the Flesh Persecute them that are Born after the Spirit So that when they can no longer commit Violence upon their Persons and Estates they will Persecute them with their Tongues and Pens They are Hereticks Blasphemers Illiterate and Ignorant yet Presumptuous Enemies to Caesar and Disobedient to Government if they will not give God's due unto Man viz. Conscience And if they choose to deliver themselves in Scripture Stile and speak earnestly of the Necessity of the Work of the Spirit of God in order to an Experimental and Saving Knowledge of the Truth declared in Holy Scripture and that Christ's Ministers are made by the Holy Ghost and not by Humane Learning and that the Worship which is acceptable to God must be in the Spirit and in the Truth that is with Clean Hearts and Right Spirits Kindl'd and Inflam'd with the Holy Spirit of God They must be called Enthusiasts Unintelligible Men of Cant and Banter And here I leave the Bishop upon this Paragraph desiring him to Consider whether his Knowledge of God the Father and Jesus Christ whom rightly to know is Life Eternal John 17 be by the Revelation of the Son of God in his own Soul since Christ himself Teacheth and Affirmeth that no Man knows the Father but the Son and He to whom the Son Reveals Him I should be glad
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost of which there is not one Instance in all the Scripture But that which further shews that Water cannot be understood to be meant in the Apostolical Commission is that one of the Greatest of the Apostles He that came behind and was added to by none of them denys It 1 Cor. 1. 17. to be any Part of his Commission for says he Christ sent me not to Baptize but to preach the Gospel And thanks God for that reason in the foregoing Verses that he had Baptized so few Which to be sure he ought not to have done but on the Contrary to have been sorry he had Baptized no more had Water-Baptism been Part of the Apostolical Commission Mat. 28. 19. Again this Eminent Apostle the Great Grand Father not to say God-Father of Gentile Christians delivered to them for Doctrine Eph. 4. 5. that there was but One Lord One Faith and One Baptism And if so That must be the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost which is Christ's Baptism and Proper to the Gospel Dispensation Now could any other make a Man a True Christian or a Child of God then nor can any be so now without It. That Baptism therefore without which a Man cannot be a True Jew or Christian or of the Circumcision made without hands that Worship God in the Spirit and hath no Confidence in the Flesh must needs be the One Baptism but such is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost Therefore the Spiritual Baptism is the Apostles One Baptism Rom. 2. 28 29. Phil. 3. 3. Again the One Baptism must be Christ's Baptism but Christ is the Baptism of the Spirit therefore That and not Water Baptism must be the One Baptism that 's in force according to the Apostle As John was the Fore-runner of Christ so was Water of the Holy Ghost But that which Fore-runs in Nature Ceases and that which succeeds of course Remains Therefore the Baptism of the Spirit is the One Needful and Permanent Baptism Yet further If it be Gospel That he is not a Jew that is one Outward nor that Circumcision that is Outward in the Flesh but that he is a Jew that is one Inward and that is Circumcision that is of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose Praise is not of Men but of God as Rom. 2. 28 29. Then unanswerably He is not a Christian that is one Outward nor is that Baptism that is of the Flesh But he is a Christian that is one Inwardly and that is Baptism that is of the Heart in the Spirit whose Praise is not of Men but of God For indeed in all Ages Men cry him down as a Slighter of God's Ordinances but his Praise however is of God let Men say what they will and this is the Inward Christians Comfort in all Undervaluings and Reflexions he meets with from Outside Christians For it 's not to be thought that the Apostle meant or designed to undervalue one Observation as that of Circumcision because it is Outward and set up another Outward Observation instead of it viz. Water-Baptism Again If in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a New Creature as saith the same Apostle Gal. 6. 15. Then by the same Reason neither being baptized with Water availeth any thing not being unbaptized with Water but a New Creature I will repeat the Apostles Discourse at large upon this Subject in the same Chapter because it is very Instructing and seems Discissive in this Case As many says he as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh they constrain you to be Circumcised only least they should suffer Persecution for the Cross of Christ It seems they were Outside People that laid stress upon Outside things or something else instead of the Cross of Christ for they Temporized in this matter to shun the Shame and Persecution that then attended the Christians Cross Which stood partly in laying down of outward Observations and which they that desire to make a fair shew in the Flesh stand most for But the Apostle goes on For says he neither they themselves who are Circumcised keep the Law but desire to have you Circumcised that they may Glory in your Flesh They were not exact in the other parts of the Law it seems as strict as they seemed to be for this Sacramental Practice which is the Case of too many now Yet they prest it that they might glory and value themselves upon gaining others to be conformable to them whether to excuse their Compliance with Custom that they might avoid Persecution or out of love to Ceremonial Religion But says that clear-sighted and plain-dealing Apostle God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the World is Crucified unto me and I unto the World If he rejoyced in nothing but in the Cross of Christ then in no other Elementary Rite Service or Ordinance any more than in Circumcision But he proceeds For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a New Creature That is to say for according to Christ Jesus or in the Religion of Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision availeth but a New Creature a regenerate Soul One born again by the Spirit of God For the Apostle in these excellent Words not only strikes at Circumcision but all Outward and Elementary Observations Neither This nor That Outward thing availeth in the Christian Religion or according to Christ Jesus but a New Creature He does not say but Water Baptism as some would have it who tell us that It succeeds Circumcision by Divine Institution by no means But that which availeth with Christ and in the Relâ—gion of Christ Jesus is a New Creature a â—ew Man one Changed Regenerated or Born gain by the Word and Baptism of the Holy Ghost And says the Apostle to confirm â—hem in this Doctrine of Inward Circumciâ—ion that is of the Heart in the Spirit which â—s the same thing with the Baptism of the Spirit As many as walk according to this Rule Peace shall be upon them So that We the â—oor despised Quakers take Comfort in this Apostolical Benediction and can say to God's Glory his Peace has been upon Us in our Belief and Confession of this blessed Docâ—rine of the New Creature It is what we have Aimed at and has been the great Drift of our Testimony since we were a People and in order to it have directed all to the Gift of God's Grace in themselves that by believing in it and resigning up their Wills and Affections and whole Man to the Teaching and Conduct of it they may be leavened and sanctified by it throughout by which the State of the New Creature which is Christianity indeed will be Experienced though It was and is a Mystery to the World As for the Apostle Peter's Question Acts 10. 47 48. Can any Man forbid Water that These should not
be Baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as We It Imports with submission no more than this That Peter well knowing the Narrowness of his Country Mens Spirits was Cautious lest his Latitude should Distaste them For the Gentiles being Unholiness to the Jews and even Peter himself without a Vision from God too narrow Spirited for the Convictions and Devotion of that excellent Centurion Cornelius It behoved him to ask if any body had any thing to say Why they might not be baptised as well as the Jews being Proselites to the Christian Profession In all which he seems more concerned to save his Own Credit than to recommend or establish that of Water Baptism As if he had said Why should this Custom be forbid to the Gentiles more than to the Jews But this will not warrant the Practice in General because Practice is no Institution and that their appears no Command to make It one So that asking who can forbid what was not commanded strengthens his Question instead of weakening it since what was done of Condescention could not have been forbid upon Authority There needed not so much Care or Strickness in the Matter And indeed the Apostles themselves seem not to have been so clear about the abolishing of the Jewish Observations as appears by the want Peter had of a Vision his own apprehension of the straightness of his Brethren and their calling him to Account for what he had done as may be seen in the same Chapter But I confess I cannot see why the Bishop should assume the Power of Unchristianing Us for not practising of that which he himself practices so unscripturally and that according to the Sentiments of a considerable part of Christendom having not one Text of Scripture to prove that Sprinkling of Water in the Face was the Water Baptism or that Children were the Subjects of Water-Baptism in the first times And yet this is all the Baptism the Bishop practices who seems so severe upon us I think our forbearing of Water Baptism from a Belief and Sense of the coming of the Invisible Grace signified by that Visible Sign cannot be reputed such a slight to Water Baptism as presuming to alter the Manner and Substance of its first Institution For then it was in the River of Jordan now in a Bason it was then unto Repentance now to Children Uncapable of Repentance But that which perhaps misled the Doctors of the Declining Church first into this Practice being at the distance of some Hundreds of Years from the Apostolical Times might be the supposition that Water Baptism came in the place of Circumcision and that being to Children so might Water Baptism too But they forgot among other things which even before that time were crept into the Church without Precept or Evangelical Example that Repentance was not made a Condition to Circumcision at it was to Water-Baptism I would beseech the Bishop to tread softly in this Matter for if Water Baptism should indeed prove a Badge of Christianity he would be at a loss for one that would pass currant in Scripture Thus much for this Point What I have said upon this Head of Water Baptism may serve also for what is commonly called the Lord's Supper which the Bishop Reproves us for Omitting to Practice Urging Luke 22. 19. This do in Remembrance of me And the Apostles words 1. Cor. 11. 24. 25. It is true indeed Christ said when he eat it with his Disciples That they should do it in remembrance of him till he came And this seems much more of the Nature of a Commission than that cited by the Bishop for Water Baptism But the Limitation Christ â—ives to the Practice of it and a Right and â—roper Consideration of the Import of his â—ords and the Nature of the thing will best â—ad us to undestand his Mind therein 1st This was also a Jewish Practice as â—ell as Water Baptism and so in Nature of â—o Gospel Institution but Temporary in its â—se 2dly Christ seems by this to break or â—pen to them what was so hard for them to â—ear to wit his Departure and Death by a â—oken of Memorial till he should come to â—hem again 3dly Christ takes occasion from thence â—o shew forth to his Disciples the Mystical Supper they should eat and the Fellowship â—hey should have with him when he came again Now we believe this Coming was Spiritual suitable to that saying of his I will drink no more of This Fruit of the Vine till I drink it New with you in the Kingdom of my Father And some here shall not taste of Death till they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom Matth. 16. 28. Again He that dwelleth with you shall be in you John 14. I in them and they in me Chap. 17. All which plainly Imports a Spiritual Coming Also Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the Door and knock if any Man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come into him and will sup with him and he with me which was said near Fourty Years after his Ascention Now since this is acknowledged to be an Outward Sign of an Inward and Invisible Grace what can Outward Bread and Wine more properly Signifie and Resemble than Inward Bread and Wine And an Outward than an Inward Supper And if so the words may reasonably be read thus Eat this Supper of Outward Bread and Wine till I come into and sup with you and be your Supper that am the Bread and Wine from Heaven which Nourishes the Soul unto Eternal Life 4thly The Kingdom of God being Spiritual and in the Soul such should be the Ordinances of that Kingdom Now Christ tells the Pharisees Luke 17. 20. The Kingdom of God is within And the Apostle Paul Rom. 14. 17. saith The Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost But the outward Supper is Meat and Drink and therefore not of the Kingdom of God which is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost And this was made Use of by Christ in the State of Humiliation before his Death and the pouring forth of the Holy Ghost to fasten upon his Disciples that were weak and of little Faith the Remembrance of him till they should know him with them and in them by his Spiritual Appearance as he was the Lord from Heaven the Quickning Spirit according to his Promise For if the Scripture be consulted we shall not only find that Christ Reproves the Apostles for their Infideâ—ity in him but after all the Example Precepts and Miracles they saw by him and that he had so very lately left them with such Assurances of his Coming to them again yet when Mary c. brought them the Tidings of his Resurrection it is said Luke 24. 10 11. Their words seemed to the Disciples as Idle Tales and they believed them not Which sufficiently shews the low State they were
better than Light in this World should have their Fill of It in the next from which God Almighty redeem Thee Reader that thou mayst walk in his blessed Light as he is in the Light then thou wilt have fellowship with the Children of Light and the Blood of Jesus Christ the Great Atonement shall Cleanse the from All Sin 1 John 1. 5 6 7. yea from the filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and being sanctified throughout in Body and Spirit thou mayst live to serve God in the Newness of his holy Spirit Rom. 7. 6. and come to be made a New Man that is an other Man From a Proud an Humble Man from a Passionate a Patient Man from a Rough a Meek Man and of a Cruel Covetous Unjust Lascivious Intemperate Vain and Ungodly Man thou becomest a Merciful Liberal Just Chast Sober and Godly Man And where this Change this New Birth or New Creature is not known Sacrifices avail nothing Religion is but Formality and the Peace of God will never be their Recompence of Reward But they that walk after this blessed unerring Rule of the New Creature Peace be on them and Mercy and upon the Israel of God Gal. 6. 15 16. who are the Circumcision made Without Hands in putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ Col. 3. 11. even that of the Heart in the Spirit whole Praise is not of Men but of God Rom. 2. 29. And who therefore Worship God in the Spirit and have no Confidence in the Flesh Phil. 3. 3. that is in fleshly Ordinances or the observation of Figures and Signs compounded of Outward Elements which represent Heavenly Things Wherefore the Apostle Exhorted and Commanded Col. 2. 16 17. Let no Man Judge you in Meat or in Drink or in respect of an Holy Day c. which are Shadows of things to Come but the Body is of Christ that is Christ is the Substance of all outward representations and they that have Christ have the End of all those things Whom Reader we Labour and Pray may be better known received and obeyed by the Professors of his holy Name and Religion That as he is Given of God to be our Priest Prophet and King we may all Know Feel and Enjoy him such in our selves and then the Kingdom of God will be come in us and his will done in our Earth as it is in Heaven Which God Grant I most Humbly beseech him For the Conclusion of the Bishop's Paper it is either Repitition or Reflection the one needs no Answer and the other wants a Defence However I will not have it said that I either wave or suppress It and therefore without any Reflection I will consider his Which should have no weight with my Reader but against him He says in his 12 Paragraph He pities us thinking many of us Harmless and Well-meaning but under the Power of strong Delusions And in his 13 Paragraph he gives us his sence of the cause thereof viz. that we make the Light within a Rule of Faith and Practice Co-ordinate if not Superiour and Antecedent to the Holy Scripture To prove which to be our Sentiment he cites these words out of our Gospel-Truths where speaking of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures we say they are the Double and Agreeing Record of true Religion Now if the Light and Spirit agree with the Scripture there is no fear of contradicting the Scripture and so we can have nothing to answer for on account of that Expression for what agrees with the Scripture establishes it instead of Slighting or Superceeding the Authority of it And though we used no such words as Co-ordinate much less Superiour and Antecedent which is the Bishop's Gloss to render our most True and In-offensive Expression suspected and make way to fasten his supposed Strong Delusions upon us I will be very frank with him in this matter that we Believe the Scripture to be the Declaration of the Mind of the Holy Ghost and therefore not Superiour to the Holy Ghost but Credited Confirmed and Expounded by the Holy Ghost so that without the Illumination of It the Scripture cannot be understood by them that read It. The Grammatical and Critical Sense of the Words and Allusions therein may be understood but the Inside and Spiritual Signification of them is a Riddle to those that are not Spiritually instructed therein tho' they were never such Grammarians or Linguists Again Christ says He that loves the Light brings his Deeds to the Light to see if they are wrought in God John 3. 21. which was before the New Testament Scripture was in being and this makes It both Rule and Judge of the Life and Deeds of Men. What says the Bishop to this Also John 14 15 16 Chapters Christ promises the Spirit to lead them his People into all Truth and this was not the Scripture but something at least Co-ordinate if not Superiour and Antecedent to the Scripture which is more than we said before Also the Apostle Paul tells the Romans Ch. 8. that as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God Then the Spirit is to Lead Believers or they cannot be the Children of God And that which Leads Rules and that which Rules is a Rule to them that follow it And the same Apostle referr'd the Galathians Chap. 6. 15 16. to the Rule of the New Creature to walk by and that must be the Spirit which begets the New Creature viz. Christ formed in them of whom he tells them Chap. 14. 19. He travelled in Birth again And the Beloved Disciple expresly says to the Christians in his First Epistle Chap. 2. 20. that they had an Unction from the Holy One and they knew all things that is all things they had to Believe Know and Practice And Verse 27. he adds But the Anointing which ye have received abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of All things and is Truth If the Bishop will break through all these Scriptures to undervalue the Light and Spirit of Christ for no other Light or Spirit do we Assert Recommend People to or Contend for that he might render us Guilty of Strong Delusions I cannot help it but must be truly sorry for him But I beseech him to have a care that he does not like the Jews of old Undervalue and indeed Blaspheme against the Holy Light and Spirit of God and by miscalling the Fruits and Effects of its Power Strong Delusions and Transformations of Satan For God will not hold such Guiltless in his Great and Terrible Day of Judgment And after all the Best and First Reformers and Martyrs as well as Fathers Concur in our Assertion and Testimony As Zuinglius Luther Melanchton Calvin Beza Bucer Peter Martyr and Erasmus too Also our own Excellent Martyrs viz. Lambert Rogers Philpot Bradford Hooper Woodman c. that the Double and Agreeing Testimony
that had commanded It for their benefit stirred up Hezekiah to Destroy it 11ly Besides these things are become matter of Gain and made a Sacerdotal Revenue not to say Merchandize which has also helpt to Scandalize People to Tender Consciences who think it a Prophanation of Religion to suffer any part of it to be Excised to the People that ought to be Free 12ly But passing that by at present and supposing Water Baptism and the Supper were not Antiquated but still in Force Who is there Qualified to Administer them Who has received a Commission or the Mind of the Holy Ghost and Power from on High to perform these things For if those that hold they are in Force have no Divine Force or Authority to qualifie them to Administer them there will be but a Lifeless Imitation instead of an Edifying Reality Which â—eads me to what I promised long since That I would at the Close of this Discourse â—ay something of the True Ground of our Difference and Dissent I say then that where we are supposed to â—iffer most we differ least and where we â—re believed to differ least we most of all differ Which I explain thus It 's generally thought that we do not hold the Common Doctrines of Christianity but have Introduced New and Erroneous Ones in lieu thereof Whereas we plainly and entirely Believe the Truths contained in the Creed that is commonly called the Apostles which is very Comprehensive as well as Ancient But that which hath affected our Minds most and engaged us in this Separation was the great Carnality and Emptiness both of Ministers and People under their Profession of Religion They having hardly the Form of Godliness but generally speaking denying the Power thereof from whom the Scripture warns Believers to turn away Next Ministers being made such and preaching and the People worshipping without the Spirit confining the Operations of it to the First or Apostolical Times as if these did not want them as much or that Christ would be less Propitious where his Gifts were not less needful I say an Humane and Lifeless Ministry and Worship together with the great Wordliness of Professors have occasioned our Separation and the Persecution that has commonly followed it hath abundantly confirmed our Judgment In that Matter Hence it was we Retired our selves to wait upon God together according to the Gift of his Holy Spirit and as the Apostle Paul exhorted the Athenians Acts 17. We felt after him with our Souls if by any means we might find him and hear what God the Lord would say unto us who speaks Peace unto his People and his Saints but let them never turn to folly any more We could not I say tell how to think that such as God had never sent but run of themselves and were made Ministers by Humane Learning and Authority not knowing the Work of the Spirit to their own Regeneration could possibly Profit or Edifie the People unto their Regeneration And yet that is the very Work and End of the true Gospel Ministry for no Man can guide another in the way he never trod Besides we apprehended the Ministry was â—ery much a Temporal Preferment and thereâ—ore few were to be found among them that â—â—d not court the Better Places I mean those â—â—at gave the Greatest Pay and by those â—ethods mounted to Worldly Wealth and â—onour as the rest of the World did Turnâ—â—g Alms into Dues and by Law making â—ifts Rents and vexing those extreamly â—â—at for Conscience sake could not uphold â—â—em Which we thought very Foreign to Primitive and an Apostolical Spirit and â—ort of a True and Through Reformation This is not said with any disrespect to their â—ersons or yet Calling simply Considered for â—e that desires the Office of a Bishop certainly â—esires a good thing but the Holy Ghost in â—hose days had the Making of them and the â—ood thing then was their Service and not â—evenue or Worldly Dignity They were then â—ot only no Lords one being their Lord â—ut they lorded it not over God's Clergy or Heâ—itage which was the People in those days â—or â—o the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies tho' it is now â—â—scribed only to the Ministry Then the Ground of Prophesie or Ministry was the Revelation of the Spirit in those ancient Assemblies as may be read 1 Cor. 14. 29 30 31 32. For all might Prophecy that is Preach as the Spirit of God moved upon their Spirit and gave them utterance be it to Reproof Instruction or Consolation Now Study Collection and Memory In those Days they Preach'd their Own Experience of die Work of God upon their Hearts but most now Preach of the Experiences of Others recorded in Scriptures but according to their own and others Humane Apprehensions To be brief we Ground our Conviction Conversion Ministry Prayer and Praise upon the Light and Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Powerful and Effectual Spring of our Religious Performances and that alone which prepares the Soul and Enables it to Perform those respective Services and Duties in a Manner Acceptable to God And that Ministry and Worship which stands not in the Spirit and is not performed in the Preparation and Inspiration thereof but according to the Compilings Traditions and Precepts of Men we cannot allow to be Primitive and Evangelical and consequently cannot join in them And we are satisfied that it is the good Pleasure of God that all who profess the Name of his Dear and Only Begotten and Well-beloved Son should Acquaint themselves with the Spirit of His Son in their own Hearts in its Reproof Instruction Conviction and Consolation that they may become Spiritually Minded such as mind Spiritual Things more than Earthly Ones and that Daily sow to the Spirit that is bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit and become the Children of God who are led by the Spirit of God Now the Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance Against such there is no Law And they that are Christ's have Crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof But the Works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murder Drunkenness Revilings and such like Of which I told you before as also in time past that they which do such things shall not Inherit the Kingdom of God Rom. 8. 6. 14. Gal. 5. 16. to 24. Chap. 6. 7. 8. And under these Marks and Directions all People may examine themselves and know their Birth Family and Inheritance whether they are the off-spring of God and true Christians or Children of the Evil One Those that are born of the Spirit for whom is reserved an Inheritance With the Saints in Light or the Seed of Evil Doers for whom is reserved the Blackness of Darkness for ever And truly it seems just with God that those who love Darkness
of the Spirit of God within and the Scripture of Truth without is the Rule and Judge of Faith Doctrine and Practice yea that the Spirit is given to Believers to be the Rule and Judge by which they are to understand the true Sense and Meaning of the Scriptures Now let the Reader judge who gives the Truest Honour to the Scripture the Bishop or the People called Quakers They say the Scriptures have a Double Record that is the Evidence of the Spirit of Truth in the Hearts of Believers as well as their Own Or the Bishop who by his way of Treating us and our Principle will allow us no other Evidence of their Truth but Themselves For to say the Evidence of the Spirit of God with that of the Scripture make a Double and agreeing Testimony is with him to undervalue the Scripture and the Ground in his Apprehension of our Strong Delusions It must be my turn now to pity the Bishop and truly I do it with all my Heart to see him strain so Sound as well as Inoffensive an Expression as that which he makes the Reason of our Delusion that he might have an occasion to lessen our Credit with the Professors of Christianity and especially Protestants Can it Dishonour the Scripture to deny the Evidence of the Principal and Author of the Scripture to back the Authority of the Scripture Or doth not he rather lessen the Authority of Scripture that will not allow us another Evidence of the Truth of Scripture than its own for fear of Co-ordinacy which was not so much as once intended to be insinuated by us nor do the words import any such thing yet it had been no strong nor any Delusion at all to give the Holy Ghost the Preference But I shall keep to the Terms of the Paper whatever the Bishop is pleased to do knowing that whoever Concludes an Argument in terms not in the Question nor plainly deduceable from the Premises is not a fair Dealer in Controversie In which the Bishop if he pleases may reasonably enough think himself more than once concerned Blessed be God we have known the Power and Efficiency of this Holy Light and Spirit of Christ in our selves and being in good measures Witnesses thereof we do not only speak by Report but by Experience We had the Scriptures in the Days of our Ignorance and Worldly-mindedness but disregarding the Reproofs and Instruction of the Light of Jesus in our Hearts we never could come to know the Power of those Truths the Scripture declares of But when it pleased God in the Riches of his Love to cause his blessed Light that had shined in Darkness and the Darkness comprehended it not to shine out of Darkness and gives us the Knowledge of himself in the Face or through the Manifestation of his Son Jesus Christ we saw and bewailed our selves and by an unfeigned Sorrow and Repentance returned as Penitent Prodigals towards our Fathers House and in this Turn we were brought to die daily to that Love and Satisfaction we once had in the Glory Pleasures Honours Friendships and Diversions of the World which now became Burdensome more than ever they were pleasing to us Hence it was and from no Sinister Ends or Self-righteous Conceits that we became an altered and a distinguished People in our Behaviour Garb and Conversation More Retired Watchful Silent and Plain than formerly equally avoiding Luxury and Avarice I say it was the Work of God's Spirit upon our Hearts who by his Light gave us to see the just difference of things and to distinguish between that which pleased Him and that which pleased Him not And this Holy Pattern he gave us in the Light of his beloved Son which we design to follow as did the Holy Ancients and is a full Answer to the Bishop's Unfriendly Queries upon our distinguishing Behaviour in his 14th and 15th Paragraph as if it were not out of Fear towards God or upon a Conscientious Bottom but to serve a worldly Turn For he asks us Is it not your main Aim End and Study by pretended Mortifications to make your selves a Party Considerable Again Are not to this Purpose your different Garb Speech Looks and Gestures and to make your selves remarkable rather than out of a Sense of Duty or Conscience of Obligation Which as it is the worst Construction that the most Irreligious and Prophane could make upon our Behaviour so I beseech God to forgive the Bishop and make him sensible how little such Treatment of strict sober Living advances the Common Cause of Religion and how much it indulges those that know no Reins or Check to their Excesses in his own Church But to go no farther than the Bishop and his Clergy pray who distinguish themselves more by their Garb from other People then they Tho' I cannot say as much of their Behaviour So indeed did the Chemerims or black Coats of old and Those that wore long Robes in our Saviours time but as I take it they went not without his Censure while I think the Bishop will find none in Scripture against our Plainness But the Bishops Pontifical Robes do in my Opinion look much more like Singularity and a Sight than ours for our Garb is like other Mens only freed of their Superfluity In short I wish him a better Understanding of the true Grounds of our stricter Conduct and Where and Who they are that make a Trade of Religion that if he has any Shot left against Mercinary Religionists he may not miss the Mark next time but may make it his main Aim End and Study to Expose Hirelings and Hypocrites in their Proper Colours And some are of Opinion he need not go far to find too many of them It is strange the Bishop should be so unsensible of the Advantage he gives me by his Queries and what a wide Door he opens to a severe Retaliation but my desire to be Modest and to be Silent upon such Advantages is I think to be abundantly so Howbeit I must take Notice of one Expression for it may too seriously affect us not to be observed to him When he asks If it be not our main End and Study by pretended Mortifications to make our selves a Party Considerable He adds and such to which for Reasons of State Peculiar Priviledges must be indulged If this were not more than Mockery I should wave my Notice but calling the meaning of the Government in Question about the Liberty of Conscience we enjoy He must forgive me if I bestow a few Remarks upon that Expression It seems then our Liberty flows not from the Inclination of the Government to Liberty less from Compassion and least of all from Justice and a Christian Principle Which Motives carry with them a Prospect of the Continuance of Liberty if not for Liberties sake But the Bishop believes no such thing and if he would not have us of his mind he did weakly to tell us so Well then we are all of