Bread Rain and Dew only for the efficacy oâ— it and not for the extent and plenty of it but for this we have your bare authority contrary boâ—h to Scripture and Experience of thousands who witness the Word of God plentifully to dwell in them like to the drops of Rain and Dew for plenty of the divine droppings and showerings of it as well as for efficacy Ye grant The Scriptures are both by Metaphor and Metonyme called the Words and Word of God and in so doing ye give away your cause unto the Quakers for we say the same although the great out-cry hath been against us that we do not allow the Scriptures to be properly without all figure of metaphor or metonyme the words and word of God And since ye thus agree with us I see not how ye can call us Apostates for gain-saying you in this particular Pag. 21. Ye say I confound the Metonymie officientis with a Metonyme signi but I say ye prevaricate for I neither mention the one nor the other but the examples brought by me signifie both these kinds of Metonyme without confusion for Moses books are called Moses by the Metonyme Efficientis and Isaiah his book is called his vision by the Metonyme Signi CAP. II. I Shall briefly take notice of your Perversions and Omissions in this Chapter and so proceed to the end for it is but wasting time and paper both which are to be better bestowed than to follow you at large Ye disown the word Inspiration as given in our dayes Pag. 22. wherein as ye are singular so ye are inferior to the Church of England who for all your pretence to spirituality of Worship and Praying by the spirit yet are short of them for they in divers places of the Common Prayer pray for Inspiration and the Scots Confession of Faith in John Knox's dayes says expresly That Faith is the Inspiration of the holy Ghost And therefore your Ignorance and Prejudice doth here plainly appear and instead of defending the Protestant Religion ye but betray it and â—onounce it for sober Protestants both Episâ—opal and Presbyterian do own Inspiration which ye plainly deny Pag. 23. The Scriptures that both â—he Assembly and ye cite That divine Inâ—pirations and Revelations are ceased to wit of Antient Doctrine for we plead for no New Doctrines are wholly from your purpose as 2 Tim. 3.6 17. Heb. 1.1 2. Prov. 2.19 or any others for notwithstanding all these Scriptures divine Inspirations and new internal divine Revelations continued in the Church after all this in and with the Apostles But ye grosly preâ—â—ricate by your unfair way of answering That there was no New Revelation of any New Doctrine or New Doctrinal Truth And thus ye think to elude my Arguments before the Eyes of ignorant Readers But this mean Art of yours will not do for ye fight against your own Shadow and not against our Doctrine for we assent no New Revelation of any New Doctrine but of the Antient Doctrine abundantly delivered to the Prophets and Apostles but as their Faith could not save us so nor could their inward Inspiration and Revelation Pag. 27. Ye blame me for pleading for extraordinary Revelations such as the Apostles had which is a gross Perversion and plain Contradictory to my words for I told you that the distinction of Ordinary and Extraordinary Revelation may in a true fence well be admitted and the Prophets and Apostles had both ordinary and extraordinary we plead for the ordinary Revelations they had common to them with other Saints but not for the extraordinary they had whereas your Confession denyeth all sort of Revelation Again ye blame me for confounding Inspiration Revelation and Illumination but I say they are one and the same thing and it is great Non-sence to seperate or divide them and all the differences betwixt them that ye alledge are meerly begged and affirmed but not in the not least proved Ye should remember ye are not now in the pulpits where people take things on trust for your bare Authority but that your Book is gone abroad ye should bring better Proofs than bare Assertions 1st Ye say Illâ—mination is common to all Believers Inspiration is peculiar to some But this last is denyed not only by us but by the Church of England and the Scots Confession of Faith in John Knox's days and by the general sence of antient Writers especially Augustine who frequently mentioneth Inspiration in his Works 2dly Ye say Illumination ordinarily accompanies the diligent use of the means Inspirations ye say usually come upon men without using any means for them But this second distinction is also meerly begged Illuminations and Inspirations come â—t times with the outward means and at times without them and yet not without all means very frequently even outward for both the Prophets and Apostles used means to prepare them to receive divine Inspirations and Revelations and in the use of means received them frequently for Acts 10. while Peter went up upon the house top to pray about the sixth hour he had a divine Revelation and when Peter preached to Cornelius and others the holy Ghost fell upon them and as they ministred to the Lord and fasted to wit certain Prophets and Teachers Acts 13.2 the holy Ghost said Seperate me Paul and Barnabas c. It is great ignorance and want of Experience in divine Mysteries to think that divine Inspirations and Revelations are without all means or tend to make either outward or inward means void and useless for commonly and generally all ordinary divine Revelations come in the use of some means or another as hearing reading prayer meditation watching and silent inward waiting all which are means and most especially and alwayes in the exercise of true Obedience unto God Your 3d Distinction is to as little purpose viz. That Illumination becomes habitual but Inspiration is transient for if by Habitual ye understand permanent and abiding Illuminations and Inspirations may be and are permanent of some sorts and of other sorts transient or passing Your 4th Distinction is also vain and idle as that illumination encreaseth gradâ—ally but not so Inspiration for they may and do increase or decrease according to the various kinds of them and he who is faithful to God may expect his Inspirations daily to be increased continued with him Lastly Ye say Illumination is alwayes understood whenas Inspirations sometimes are not understood but no more is Illumination alwayes undâ—rstood yea how many have a divine Illumination and yet understand it not and ye your selves deny that Illumination hath a Self-evidence so thâ—n it would be objective Revelation and fit to be the Rule of Faith and Life which ye deny saying the Scripture is the ONLY Rule Pag. 28. The Saint Experience of inwaâ—d enjoyments of God and Châ—ist beyond all words warranted from 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Ye call a Rapsody in commendation oâ— our silent Meetings but this is a poor evasion and answet
a good work that is not false and hypocritical ye grant and if ye did abide by what ye have said in this matter the Controversie might end as to that head Pag. 110. The cutting off the Natural Branches If we may believe your bare Authority for ye give no shadow of proof ye will have it relate only to a viâ—ibâ—e Church state but the contrary is manifest from this that as the cutting off is so shall the grafting in again be for that Rom. 11. containeth a plain Prophesie of the Conversion of the Jewes and People of Israel when all Israel shall be saved And surely that Conversion and Salvation is a real thing Ye are no less absurd to say The Oyl that the foolish Virgins had in their Lamps was only a Profession they had of Grace and yet ye say expresly Their Lamps was their Profession which is a gross Self-Contradiction for the Lamp and the Oyl could not be one and the same thing if the Lamp as ye say is the Profession the Oyl must be something else unless ye will say The Oyl is the Cask and the Cask is the Oyl Pag. 112. Ye strangely contradict your selves in answer to Ezek. 18.24 saying The Scriptures assure us that no true Believer shall totally and finally fall away from Grace How strangely do ye forget your selves who within a few Lines before did affirm That the Faith that may be fallen from is not a false Faith see pag. 111. line 8. Pag. 113. Ye argue That David's Fall when he committed Murder and Adultry was not totally from Grace because he prayed Psal 51.11 Take not thy holy Spirit from me But ye are strangely inconsiderate may ye not think that a Child can answer you when David prayed that Prayer God had begun to restore him again and that Psalm is called one of his penitential Psalms and was a Testimony that God by his good Spirit had begun a true work of Repentance in him after his fall and had given him together with Repentance his holy Spirit and he prayed that it might not be taken from him Do ye think ye deal with Idiots and persons void of common sense when ye argue at this shallow rate I told you before and I again tell you That if a Murderer and an Adulterer while such may be a real Saint the worst of Men may believe that they are real Saints Your Answer hath no Validity when ye say They never had the work of Conversion past upon them but this is barely said Why may not others who have had some real beginning like that of David in some measure fall into these Sins of Murder and Adultry And surely these who commit Murder and Adultry whatever they have been before may be numbred amongst the worst of men They may say a cording to your Doctrine They had the work of Conversion wrought upon them formerly and they are Saints still and ye cannot convince them to the contrary by your Doctrine I say still it would argue great Partiality which far be it from us to think it can have place in God that one and the same Sin is Mortal in one and not Mortal in the other the pure Life of Faith is killed by every gross Sin or Crime such as Murder and Adultry for if he who hateth his Brother hath not eternal Life abiding in him surely nor he who with his hands killeth his Brother That Gods Promises are meerly Hypothetical to his elect Saints and Children I neither said nor say yet the Promises are held forth Conditionally and some are Conditional and some absolute Pag. 115. Ye grosly abuse me by alledging That I introduce the Popish distinction oâ— Mortal and Venial Sins I use no such words and have not the Popish sence of these words but yet I believe there are lesser and greater Sins and great and hainous Sins and Crimes kill the Soul such as the Crimes of Murder Adultry but every smaller Offence doth not kill the Soul utterly but yet hurteth or woundeth and this both Experience Scripture confirmeth and ye are a sad sort of men if ye think that the gross Sins and Crimes of Muâ—der and Adultry do no more hurt the Souls of men than some Weaknesse and Infirmities that are really culpable yet of a smaller kind as a little wandering of Mind a little slackness or remisness for a little time c. Whereas I did affirm There is a state in Grace that men may grow up into wherein they never fall away but are crowned with Perseverance for which I cited divers places of Scripture as Psal 119.2 3 1 Joh. 3.9 1 John 2.19 and these I called such who were the Sons and Children of the Free-Woman and who are made conform to the Image of the second Adam Christ Jesus beyond the Image of the Earthly Adam who fell and who sit down in Christ that never fell and these abide with him and go not out To this ye say nothing that has any weight but meer triffling ye say It belongs to Faith where ever it is that who ever have it are born of God And here ye contradict again your own Doctrine who granted That there is a Faith that may be lost that is not false Ye say I mistake the Notion of the difference between Servants and Sons for ye say true Believers are both Sons and Servants But this I did not deny nor do yet the Scripture maketh a distinction thus Every Son is a Servant as Christ was both Gods Son and Servant as he is called in Scripture and Paul was a Son of God and a Servant of God but yet every Servant is not a Son of God born of the free-Woman The Servant said Christ abideth not in the House forever but the Son abideth forever The Son of Hagar must become the Son of Sarah that he may dwell in the House of the Lord forever But ye falsly alledge against me as if I said None are in the New Covenant until that after Death they come into glory And ye show your great Ignorance and want of Experience to deny that men may be in a middle state between both as partly of a Legal Spirit and partly of a Gospel Spirit for some time for the Disciples were too much of a Legal Spirit when Christ told them Ye know not what Spirit ye are of Too many called Christians who have a measure of Gospel-sincerity are too much of a Legal Spirit and are not wholly leavened into the Gospel Spirit Pag. 117. Ye say I seem to lay the stress upon the strength oâ— Inherent Grace whereas the Scripture assâ—res us it is of God and depends upon his Power I say the same it is of God and depends upon his Power and both God and his Power doth preserve the Faith Love and other Graces and Virtues of his People and keepeth them ever green that they wither not as the Cedars of Lebanon Ye faâ—sly alledge I confound the two
true Bishop or Preacher do equally require him to be really holy and pious and virtuous as to seem or appear so to be 1 Tim. 3.1 Tit. 1.7 8. A Bishop must be blameless c. sober just holy temperate c. he doth not say let him be a Hypocrite only let him seem to be so but let him be so Pag. 48. Ye say Grace hath a spiritual sence and when the Spirit of God influenceth it it can feel it Ye need to explain this further how Grace feeleth the influence of the Spirit is Grace an intelligent perceiving intellectual being doth not the Soul feel it or is it only the Grace that is sensible of the Spirits influence and the Soul insensible and stupid If a Quaker had so expressed himself ye would have called it Non-sence My application of H b. 12.27 to things of mens makiâ—g though ye call it most gross it is but your bare affirmation for why may not things of mens making be comprehended under thiâ—g made as well as the things of the old Law which though first appointed of God yet seeing men did seek to hold them up beyond their due season they were nothing as such but beggerly Rudiments and things of mens making and Christ â—aid Every plant that is not of my heavenly Fathers planting must be pulcked up and every work oâ— man wroâ—ght and not in the Wisdom Spirit and Power of God shall be burnt up Pag. 49. Ye grosly and most falsly accuse thâ— Quakers That they confound the witness of Gods Spirit and their own Spirit This is utterly false Pag. 50. Ye say The Spirit when he witnesâ—th doth it infallibly yet he doth not make our Spirits infallible Here ye use a little fallacy but it is a very thin fig-leaf and will not cover your Nakedness for though he doth not make the spirits of his Children absolutely and in all respects infallible yet when he speaketh to the spirits and hearts of his Children infallibly and fitteth and prepareth them to hear it and understand it have they not so far iâ— that particular thiâ—g or things an infallible knowledge and assurance for even among men he who tells me an infallible truth as that the Sun is risen and I hear him tell it and my sense of heaâ—ing iâ— sound I can say I did infallibly hear him for to say the Spirit is only infallible to himself but giveth us no infallible knowledge and â—aith of what he saith is most abâ—urâ— for all that tâ—ue real Knowledge and Faith â—hat God giveth to men is infallible and to think otherwise reflects upon Gods goodness wisdom and veracity for why should the infallible God give men only a fallible knowledge Well then let it so remain that your Doctrine is All the Knowledge and Faith that ye have of God and Christ and Christian Doctrine is fallible and may deceive you and be only a fancy or dream How will this relish to sober Proâ—estants Is not this rather with a witness to betray the cause of the Protestants than to defend it But in contradiction again though ye say The Witness of your Spirit is falliblâ— and ye may be mistaken yet so far as the Spirit of god confirms you by his Witness ye are infallibly assured What greater Contradiction can there be in mens words first to say The Spirit of God witnessâ—th infallibly but your Spirits are not infallible Again ye say Ye are infallibly assâ—red so far aâ— the Spirit oâ— God coâ—fiâ—ms you by his Witness So in one thing and at one time and in one and the same respect ye â—re fallible and yet not fallible This Logick is fittest for Bedlam But ye tell not whether the Spirit of God at any time confirms you of any Truth by his inward infallible Witness for if ye grant this ye grant all that the Quakers desire in the case for that is divine inward Revelation and Inspiration and none of us pretend to an absolute Infallibility but only so far as the Spirit of God witnesseth to us and in us Pag. 58. Ye most grosly pervert my words and cite them falsly when ye say I make the Ministers more than meerly instrumental and that they can by their own virtue heal and convert a Soul Nothing can be more falsly alledged for when Grace Spirit and Life or living Virtue doth emanate through the Ministers to the Hearers they are but Instruments and instrumental Pipes and Conduits yet not dead but living Instruments and that Grace Spirit Life and Virtue is not their own as of themselves derived but is Gods and Christs and is only freely given them Pag. 52. That ye say The Spirit of God cometh in betwixt the Mouth of the Speaker and the Hearts of the Hearers is granted but so it cometh in betwixt the heart of the Speaker and the hearts of the Hearers and a good Minister out of the good Treasure in his heart bringeth forth good things and that is more than bare words 1 Pet. 4.11 Ye say Relates only to an outward ability or estate enabling them to give Alms. Which as it is meerly begged so is singularly strange and will be strange to the Ears of many who hear it Doth ever the Scripture call outward Riches the manifold Grace of God And doth not vers 11. say If any man speak So it relates to a Ministry of the Mouth and not of giving by the Hands Pag. 55. Ye grosly pervert to say I am for pulling down Preaching Praying Singing that are Gods Ordinances for neither I nor we are against but for all preaching Praying and singing that is rightly performed viz. by the help and ability of the Spirit of God and that is Inspiration and is confessed so to be by better Protestants then your selves yea the Church of England prayeth in the Common Prayer for Inspiration as above noted That men without the Spirit are under a command to pray is granted but yet Prayer without the Spirit is no Obedience to that command as men who have no Money nor Goods equivelent to Money may owe a debt to a man and yet if they go to pay him without money or moneys worth they do nothing in order to the payment they only but mock their Creditor and offend him even so all Prayer without the Spirit is a Mockery and the like of Singing That want of Grace dischargeth none from moral Obligations is granted but yet without Grace none can perform their Obligations Ye grosly deny that the Prayers of Abraham and the saints were universally by divine Inspiration contrary to the sence of many sober Presbyterians and Episcopals and that Abraham prayed for Ishmael by a natural affection sanctified doth not prove that he prayed not by divine Inspiration what is Inspiration but the breathing of the spirit into mens hearts both to enlighten and to sanctifie them and to quicken and warm them with warm and fervent Affections Christ ascribes the work of Regeneration in men to the
self-evident and yet may be tryed by the warrantableness of Scriptuâ—e Rules but the warrantableness of a practice doth not prove in the least the impulse or mâ—tion to be divine for a wrong or evil Spirit may move a man to do a thing that is not unlawful or unwarrantable in it self as to take a Journey from England to America and yet if he obey such a motion or impulse he should not do well and might suffer great hurt thereby And if a divine impulse have no self-evidence or some inward self-evidencing Light to discover it to be divine it is good for nothing for it leaveth a man still in the dark and at uncertainty surely Gods inward leadings are sure certain as thousands to Gods praise can witness against all your ignorant but presumptious Assertions without â—â—l Proof And ye say I tell you that Phillip Peter and others were extraordinaryly called to such and such Services where ye pervert my words for I do not say of these particular Services mentioned by me there that they wâ—re extraordinarily called unâ—o them for to go to a place or Persons to preach the Gospel is no extraoâ—dinary but ordinary inward Call of Gods Servants in all Ages though Peter and the other Apostles had in other cases extraordinary Calls and Revelations That place in James 4.15 If the Lord will ye uâ—derstand it only of divine Providence permitting any man to do what he wiâ—leth if not forbidden in Scripture But as this is meerly begged by you without all proof but your bare affirmation so it is altogether absurd for how many do rash and hurtful things both to themselves and their Families which yet are not forbidden by Scripture as for a man to leave one place and remove to another beyond Seas is not forbidden in Scripture and yet if he undertake such a thing meerly because divine Providence doth not outwardly stop him by some cross event without the inward sence and approbation of divine will inwardly permitting or allowing him he may have cause to repent it all his dayeâ— for mâ—ny by so doing have fallen into gâ—eat Inconvenâ—encies Ye are miserable comforters that wiâ—l not allow to People that priviledge that they may wait to know Gods divine good Will and Approbation in their hearts in their removals from one place to another and in other weighty concerns of this Life And as concerning Marriages ye do allow People to ask Gods mind and couâ—sel with whom to joyn in Marriage and if they are not to expect a return of their Prayers otherwise than a bare outward permission of divine Providence What is this but to mock God and deceive poor People But to Gods praise many can say they have both sought and received Gods counsel with whom to joyn in Marriage and because thereof have found their Marriage made both blessed and comfortable unto them in the midst of all Tryals Pag. 17. Ye call my saying That God answers the returns of the Prayers of his People c. A Quakerism i. e. Non-sence I pity your Ignorance and want of Experience May not the frequent and reiterated Prayers of his People for the same thing be called the Returns of their Prayers as when a Child returneth again and again to seek a thing of his Father and that God answereth these reiterated and returning Prayers as in Pauls Case who Prayed for one thing thrice thousands can witness though to you this is Nonsenâ—e because ye have neither sence nor salt in your selves to descern it It is a great encouragement to pray unto God that we find him to answer us by his living voice and speech in us and when God speaketh to us Scripture words or promises by his living voice and speech in us it is a new Revelation and divine Inspiration to us although not of any new doctrine for there may be thousands of new and distinct Revelations of the same Doctrine as there may be a thousand sights and eyes beholding the same thing and a thousand Voices speaking the same thing and all these Voices are new and distinct and yet the thing spokon is one and the same and Ancient and not New Pag. 18. That the word of the Lord grew and multiplied ought to be understood as well extensively in respect of multitude of living Testimonies as Intensively in respect of Efficacy for there was both at that time and though there was no new Doctrines yet there were new and that manifold and frequent living Testimonies to the same Doctrine and therefore the Word it self was properly encreased and multiplied Ye blame me for saying Christ and his Apostles expounded the scriptures by Inspiration and yet taught no new Doctrine but it seemeth ye have forgot that Paul said the same Acts 26.22 for all that Christ and the Apostles taught and enjoyned was either declared or fore-told by the Prophets loâ—g before therefore the Doctrine was the same for substance and the Gospel was preached to Abraham and to the Prophets but after Christs Resurrection the Dispensation of it was more clear and full Pag. 19. ye blame me for Charging that upon you in the 12th Article which ye never believed much less proâ—essed viz. that the Scriptures ought to be believed only for their own outward evidence and Testimony and not for the inward Evidence and Testimony of the holy spirit in mens hearts But in this ye are equally impertinent as in most other things as I have showed in my Answer to Cotton Mather to which I refer more at large Ye say The scripture is the only Rule oâ— Faith and hath a Self-evidence but the inward Testimony and Witness of the Spirit hath no Self-evidence but as some have called it Medium incognitum assentiendi i. e. and unknown middle or mean of assenting and that ye deny all Inspiration and Revelation properly so called all this proveth you guilty in the sight of all impartial men for to talk of an evidence or witness among men that hath not a certainty or Self-evidencing Authority in it by it self is absurd and illegal he who is a witness or evidence among men must not borrow his evidence from another and to say the Spirit of God in his inward teaching and illumination hath no proper and self evidence as it derogates from the Glory of it so it is as absurd as to say the Suns light at noon day hath no evidence of its own but men must light a Candle to let people see the suns light at noon This is rare Logick of yours Ye insinuate I seâ—k out more sences of the word Logos than it can bear without Tautologi s but if these be Tautologies the English Translation of the bible hath made them and not I and yet a true difference can be assigned by School-boyes betwixt Communication as passâ—ng betwixt two or more and words of talk and speech that may be of one when none doth answer Pag. 20. ye will have the word of God compared to
remote capacity of Holiness thâ—t is nothing else but a simple possibility of being made holy without having any inward Seed or Principle of Holiness lodged in the Soul I call not Holiness but because there is such a Seed and Principle of Holiness placed in all Children even Infants that is the purchase of Christ's Death and which God first promised to our first Parents and renewed to Noah saying And behold I establish my Covenant with thee and thy Seed after thee and yet again renewed to Abraham saying In thy Seed shall all Nations be blessed because of these three general Fathers which were as a holy Root the Branches are holy as I said not actually but in a capacity to become actually Holy through the holy Seed given unto them which before I called a near Capacity that iâ— more remote or near as that noble divine Seed and Principle is more or less clouded or vailed in them and ye show your selves more igâ—orant in Logick than ordinary School-Boyes who generally know that distinction betwixt a thing in actu primo and the same thing in actu secundo which is as much as to say in English betwixt a thing that is in a near capacity and readiness or tendency to be so and a â—hing that is actually and really or in fact so thus A field sown with Corn altho' the Seed is not sprung in it nor hath taken root if sown with Wheat we call it commonly Wheat if sown with Rye we call it Rye because the Seed of Wheat is sown in the one field and Rye in the other and if nothing hinder it may be expected that the one fiâ—lâ— shall bring good Wheat in due season and the other good Rye because the Seeds of Whâ—at and Rye are sown in these fields And how generally all Infants and Men because of Christ's Death and Purchase until they reject the Remedy are clean I proved from Acts 10.12 13 14 15. for by all manner oâ— four footed Beasts and wild Beasts and creeping things and Fowles of the Air all sorts of men are to be understood whom God hath after some sort cleaâ—sed by Christ's Death viz. by putting them in a near capacity to be cleansâ—d and sanctified by that divine Seed of Holiness put in them that is the purchase of Châ—ist who dyed for them But to this most weighty and demonstrative place of Scripture ye say nothing at all but pass it by with a dry foot as you phrase it lest if ye should have meddled with it your folly should have been manifest and this is your common way to pass by what ye cannot give some shadow of Answer unto and if ye give a shadow of Answer it is all Your easiest Answer is which ye have given upon this head viz. That our Doctrine in this iâ— a perâ—ect Arminian Principle and hath been enoâ—gh confuâ—ed by all that have written against them so ye might have spared your Paper and Pains with this one short answer to my whole Book That it hath been enough conâ—uted already by all that have written against us as T. Hicks J Faldo and J. Owen c. aâ—l which have been sufficiently answered But as for the Arminian Principle it is not our Principle nor do the Remonstrants or Jesâ—its hold the Doctrine of Universal Grace as we do as will be obviouâ— to any that will compare our Books and theirs for we say The divine Gospel Principle and Seed of Regeneration and Word of Faith is put by God as his free Gift in all men though it is not manifest or known to be such in aâ—l and this neither the Aâ—minians nor the Remonstrants nor Jesuits ever did affirm but aâ—e generally professed Adversaries to the inward Word and Spirit of God in men as much as your selves witness Bellarmine for the Jesuits who saith in his Treatise de Verbo externo That he is a mad-man who relieth upon the Testimony of a Spirit within him that is oft fallacious and ever uncertain And Arminius his followers are generally against the Doctrine of inward divine Inspiration and Revelation as is apparent from their printed Books It doth not follow as ye insinuate that the Condition of Pagans is better than that of Christians or thaâ— the Gospel opens a door to mans undoing which ye build on a false supposition That t e Pagans are incapable oâ— rejectiâ—g the Physitian who is neâ—er offered to them This ye assert without all proof and the contrary I have proved and is clear from Scripture that Faith is offered unto all men and the Gospel preached to every creature at one time or another before their end and all are called some at one hour and some at another Pag. 83. Ye most grosly traduce and abuse me by alledging and fathering upon me as mine which are not mine at all two assertions 1st That Grace is propagated by our natural Parents 2dly Tâ—at there is habitual Sanctification in all me by nature That both thâ—se are extream falsly alledged on me the Reader shall see by reading pâ—g 91 and 92. cited by them Yea on the contrary I say that Seed or Principle of Holiness put in Mâ—n and Infants is derived from Christ the second Adam and therefore not from the first Adam or our immediate Parents and I believe the Souls of all men have come from God by Creation and do not believe that the Souls of the Parents generate the Souls of the Children and if the Souls of the Children are not generated from the Souls of the Parents then surely the divine Seed and Principle is not derived by humane Generation as if the Soul of the Parent were the Author or Original of that divine Principle but on the contrary both the Soul and the dvine Seed and Principle in it come from God and Christ nor do my words give you the least occasion to think otherwise for although the Parents are not the Author of the divine Seed and Principle in the Souls of their Children yet according to Paul's Doctrine there is commonly a great diffrence betwixt the Children of Believers and Unbelievers the one he calleth Unclean and the other Clean or Holy and it is plain from Scripture that the Children of the faithfull Israelites were called the Holy Seed and had an excellency in them above the Children of the Moabites Amonites and Canaanites c. because the noble divine Seed and Principle was more clouded and vailed in these last and lay under more Rubbish and Impurity and therfore God forbid the People of Israel to joyn in Marriage with these unclean Nations lest their Seed should be defiled with them and a wrong mixture should happen as sometimes did and therefore the great Uncleanness of Parents commonly doth more vail and cloud the divine Principle and Seed in their Children than where that Uncleanness is not so great and that the Parents are true Believers And because I assert that there is a Seed of Holiness in all men
forth fruit but is thâ—t Talent that is taken away from the slâ—athful and evil Servant and given to him that had ten Talents accord ng to Christ's Doctrine which still I suppose iâ— a great Mystery unto you Pag. 89. Ye alledge I perversly interpret Christ to be the Word spoken oâ— Rom. 10.8 which is evident by the context to mean the Scriptures call'd the Word of Faith because it is an instrument of begetting it But this is your bare alledgance and your proof hath no weight nor solidity that because the Scriptuâ—e is the Instrumâ—nt whereby Faith is commonly wrought in men that therefore it is that Word of Faith Rom. 10. With as great probability ye may say the Scripture is the Spirit oâ— Faith but as the Spirit of God is called in Scripture the Spirit of Faith as being the Author and Object and Foundation of Faith so is Christ called the Word oâ— Faith aâ— bâ—ing the Author and Object and Foundation together with the holy Spirit of the same Faith and that â—hrist and not the Scripture is that Word oâ— Faith is clear from the câ—ntext v. 6 7 9. nor can it be the Scripture because little of the Scripture was writ when Moses spoke these words to the People oâ— Israel and the five Books of Moses were rather the Law than that Word of Faith and Moses told them this Word was nigh them in their hearts and moutâ—es as being of an internal or inward nature directing them to the heart where it was originally placed and not in the outward leaves of the Book or Scroles and he calleth it the Commandment in the Singular number to signifie the excellency of it that being one containeth all and that cannot be the Letter without Next what Moses said to Israel and Paul to the Romans may be said to every man in a day the Word is nigh thee in thy mouth viz. to eat it and in thy heart to believe in it that thou needest not to ascend nor descend nor go over the Seas to bring this Word and therfore it cannot b he Letter of Scriptuâ—â— which came over the seas from Judea to Rome and other places of the world Pag. 8â— â—d finâ— Ye most unchristianly and iâ—humanly wrest my woâ—ds to a â—uite contrary seâ—â—e saying â— interpâ—et that Word o Faith Rom. 10. â—oâ— Câ—rists coming in t e flesh both of Jewes and Gentiles â—nd to show your gross perveâ—sioâ— that seemeâ—h wilful in you I shall set down my words which are these Pag. 110. And because this great Mâ—stery viz. the Word of Faith which was in the Gentiles was much hid in the time of the Law and in all Ages of tâ—e world untill Christ came in the flesh both in Jewes and Gentiles as Paul called it the Mystery hid fâ—om Ages and Generations Where it is most clear to any that will not wilfully pervert the plain sence of my words that the words untill Christ came in the flesh doth not refer to his coming in the flesh in Jews and Gentiles as they wilfully pervert it but to his coming in the Body of his Flesh even in that prepared body that was born of the Virgin Mary c. in the fuâ—ness of time So that the words untill Christ came in the Flesh are insert only by way of Parenthesis although by some omissiâ—n either of the manuscript or print the sign or note of the Parenthesis was omitted that is no hing material for when men 〈◊〉 a Parenth◠〈…〉 no note 〈…〉 when ye must needs make the poor omission of a in my Book a ground to raise your chaâ—ge of Blasphemy or subverting the hopes of Salvation against me although in Contradiction to your selves ye clear me citing Pag. 59. that I did acknowledg that Christ came in the flesh but ye use a fig leaf cover saying ye know not when they own any thing And it was once the received Doctrine of the Quakers that there is no other Incarnation of Christ but only as he dwells in us But this is a most gross Calumny and falsehood which ye can never prove and because ye cannot prove it in the least therefore ye declare your selves to be of that Generation who make Lyeâ— your Refuge which God hath swept away and yet will more abundantly and ye will be seen what sort of men ye are that dare thus falsly accuse the Innocent The like poor shadow of advantage ye seek to catch at pag. 28. of your Book saying my Spirit mi-sinformed me when I cited Cant. 2.4 because of a mistake in the Manuscript or Print of the word and again for the word or in your so doing like thâ— Pharisees of old ye strain at a Gnat and swa low a Camel Pag. 90. Ye say The word Reprobate there used intends only that all Vnbelievers are at present unapproved by God and in a state of Perdition Ans be it so it no wise weakeneth my Argument for seeing all unbelievers by you are not finally reprobated but only at present unapproved and may pass from that state into a better viz. into a state of Faith that is approved this quite overthroweth your Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation that denyeth it possible that a Reprobate can be saved which here ye acknowledge And seeing these Unbelievers by your confession were not absolutely or finally reprobated but unapproved or disapproved what did so disapprove or judge them but Christ in them And therefore still it remaineth that Christ is in all but such who are finally Reprobates Ye say That Christ hath commanded that his Gospel be Preached to all Nations and he tells us that so it shall be before the end of the World is no proof of what it is brought for the many Generations past have no advantage by that being ended and gone before that time comes But this ye meerly begg and assert without all shadow of proof for that Christ told the Gospel shall be Preached to all the world before the end of the world is not surely to be understood that the preaching of it to all the world shall only be in the Last Age of the world yet to come but the Gospel that began to be preached from Adams fall immediately shall be preached to all men that ever lived in the World some time or other before the end of the world so that such who shall not live in the latter ages of the world have had it preached in the former Ages when they lived in the world and therefore the preaching the Gospel to all the World is the preaching of it to all Mankind that ever lived and shall live in the world in all Ages from the beginning to the end for all that part of mankind that is to live in the world in the Last Age or Ages of it yet to come are but a small or inconsiderable part of the world And though it may seem hard to demonstrate how this hath been and shall be effected in a general way and manner it
sence the seed is not in the ground though sown till it begin to take root but yet according to the more general sence he is in all men for his illumination and operation cannot be seperated from him Ye say I falsly render the place James 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Innate Word But ye only say it without proof it is composed of en in and phyo nascor therefore in tâ—ue English it is innate is so used by Plutarch a Greek Author who saith There is a Faith innate emphutos in every reasonable Creature living and dwelling in the Soul and never leaving the Soul destitute of Guidance and it is used in the same signification by Clemens Alexandrinus writing to the Gentiles where speaking of the inward Witness which was in Unbelievers he calleth it Emphuton Martyra testem innatum fide dignum The innate Witness worthy of Faith and I suppose ye judge not your selves better or so well skilled in the Greek language as Plutarch and Clemens Alexandrinus who were Greek Authors and Grecians by Birth Ye say If the Light be connate with men what needed G. K. make such a splutter about Immediate Revelations It may be said to be both innate and connate with men not as ye imagine Accidents or Qualities to be in a subject but seeing the eternal Word and Wisdom hath created all Souls of men after his Image therefore in a special way of presence that eternâ—l Word and Wisdom is in all Souls of men by a measure of it planted or if ye will grafted in all men for grafted and innate may be of the same signification and this eternal Word and Wisdom hath its operation and influence on the Understanding of the Souls of men generally to enlighten them gradually first with the more common and plain things of Religion and then as the former are learned with the more special and peculiar Mysteries of the Christian Religion yet not without the use of the holy Scriptures in Gods ordinary way so distinctly and perfectly as Christians know them who have the use of the Scriptures and all internal divine Illumination is properly Revelation P. 102. Ye find great fault that I conclude That the inward Dispensation that is among the Gentiles that have not Christ outwardly preached viz. by the Ministry of men and the holy Scriptures hath its glory and great service to those that are faithful in it and ye say This is to talk at liberty my self and to deny all others a liberty to judge But herein ye wrong me I allow all spiritual men a liberty to judge I question not but to all such who have a spiritual discerning and ability to judge what I have affirmed of the glory and great serviceableness of the inward divine Dispensation in the Gentiles will be approved and my Reasons and Proofs both from Scripture and other Authors found vallid And though ye seek to untye that ye call a knot that I judge is indissolvable p. 91. I judge so still that ye shall never be able to untye it as ye persist in your Doctrine But yet ye pervert my words in that ye call the Knot for I did thus argue That seeing Infants by your confession might be saved by Christ and regenerated by the Spirit of Christ that worketh when and where and how he pleaseth Therefore might the honest and faithful Gentiles be saved by the same regenerating Spirit of Christ who worketh when and where and how he pleaseth and by faith in Christ But that ye may with some seeming show appear to loose the Knot ye word my Argument quite another way I Infants may be saved by the working of the Spirit in them why may not the Gentiles be so by giving obedience to the Light in them And thus ye would make me appear to the ignorant as if I did plead that the Gentiles were or could be saved without faith in Christ and the regenerating Spirit of Christ only by obedience to the general dictates of the Light within but I say though none are saved but who are obedient to the Light in them yet no Obedience can save without faith in Christ and the Spirit of Christ regenerating them that is altogether necessary to every mans eternal Salvation Whereas I produced divers very convincing Arguments to prove That the Light in men that did accuse or reprove for sin could not be some natural faculty of mans Soul these Arguments some of them ye pass over very slightly answering by your bare Affirmations without proof and some ye give no answer unto at all nor take any notice of see my Book p. 119 120 121. which I again recommend to the Readers serious consideration I argued That since ye confess that man is wholly defiled and darkned so that he iâ— called Darkness in Scripture therefore the Light in natural men could not be any part or faculty of their Souls for that were to say Men are not fallen totally nor totally defiled but in part And I further argued That since your Confession saith All Sin is a Transgression against the Righteous Law of God and since the Heathen are sinners this righteous Law of God must be in them against which they transgress and this righteous Law cannot be any part oâ— faculty of the Soul which ye confess is wholly unrighteous and dâ—filed for a thing cannot be wholly unrighteous and defiled yet in part righteous holy and clean To this I find not that ye say any thing Ye say I mistake when I think ye reckon it any distinct Faculty but the Mistake is yours not mine I did not think that ye do reckon it any distinct Faculty but on the contrary I blame you for saying It is nothing else but the natural Conscience or some natural Faculty of mans Soul so that ye are wonderfully careless of what ye say see my Book pag. 119. and your Book pag. 98. And yet ye seem to make it now Not the natural Vnderstanding but something there imprinted Well let it be something there imprinted this evinceth that it is properly Gods Word for I hope ye will not deny but that which God writeth or printeth with his own Hand or Finger is Gods Word and doth as well or rather more deserve to be accounted the Word of God as that printed in the Bible seeing God is the immediate Printer of this without the Ministry of men but the Print of the Bible is the work of Men though the Truth there witnessed is immediately of God and therefore by your Confession there is an inward written or printed Word of God in Heathens and generally in all men and that immediately without the use or help of the Scriptures commonly called the outward Word Hence it clearly followeth that the Word without is not the whole Word of God nor the only Rule in contradiction to you who affirm it And seeing by your Confession the Word of God is in the Gentiles or Heathen who have not the
Scriptures why may not the same virtue and efficacy be given to it as to that which ye say is contained in the Scriptures It is improper to prefer that which is writ or printed on Paper by the labour and work of Men to that which by God immediately is printed on mens hearts and souls without the woâ—k of men And since ye grant That there is a Law written in mens hearts universally by God himself Why may not that Law be understood to be the same mentioned Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul yea that it must and ought to be so understood is clear from that analogy that the Wisdom of God in David maketh betwixt the preaching of the Heavens and Firmament Day and Night and the course of the Sun and the Preaching or Testimony of this inward Law that as universal as the outwâ—rd is so universal is the inward for the outward is the Symbole Figure and Type of the inward as the Ceremonial Law of Moses was symbâ—lical of the inward Gospel-Law and if both had not been Universal the Analogy would have been improper and false for the true Analogy is betwixt two Universals and not one universal and another particular And Paul by the Spirit of God applyeth the universal Language of the Heavens and Firmament Day and Night and Sun to the preaching of the Gospel Rom. 10.18 by the same Analogy Ye contradictâ— the Scripture expresly when ye deny it thaâ— the Law in the Gentiles so far as they obeyed it made them excusable for as some had thoughts that accused them when they did evil so they had thoughts that excused them when they did well and this excusing of them proceeded originally from the Law it self within them see Rom. 2.15 which ye expresly contradict And for Gods inward speaking to men most frequently without the Ministry of men or books as outwardly I cited divers observable places of Scripture as Psal 94.10 Psal 50.1.16 to 22. Amos 4.13 Micah 6.8 Prov. 8.1 2 3 4. Job 28.28.24.13 and 21.14 and that noted place Luke 12.20 from all which I did conclude that it hath been the way of God and ever will be to speak to men in their hearts to call them and warn them and fore-warn them of evil and danger and to perswade and incline them to that which is good And all these places of Scripture prove thâ—t God doth at present and in every Age move and stir upon mens Consciences and sâ—eak in them by his Word and Voice as really as he did in the Prophets tho' not equally nor the same in all respects and this is immediate Revelation and Inspiration seeing God doth it without the Ministry of men most frequently even in the Heathen and in the Wicked when they are neither hearing men nor reading nor thinking on any place of Scripture and all this ye meerly slubber over with a bare Magisterial Affirmation saying That it is all but the actings of a natural Conscience under legal Convictions But tell me What works these Legal Convictions doth not the Scripture say it is God and he doth it by speaking to them in their hearts for God doth not use to speak to men by an outward audible Voice and therefore there is more in men than what ye call a Relique left in men of a natural Conscience there is that which newly and freshly and immediately calleth to men in their hearts and is a new gift and visitation of God I find not that ye say any thing but one that hath some shadow or appearance of weight and that is from Rom. 8.3 Gal. 3.21 viz. That the Law is weak through the flesh and cannot give Life And this is even that Law which was within both Jews and Gentiles universally and was not the meer outward Law But to this I Answer That by the Law in these places cited by you and in many other places that could be â—â—ted as Rom. 3.19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 c. Gal. 3.8 9 10 â—1 12 13. is indeed to be understood not the meer outward Law given to the People of Israel but the Law within in its first Administration or Dispensation that hath its proper work and service to condemn and not to justifie to wound bruise and kill and not to heal bind up and make alive and this first â—dministration of the Law is most necessary and proper and is the real effect and work of Christ in his inward appearance in mens hearts as a Law-giver and judge but not so properly nor clearly nor distinctly as a Saviour as he appeareth in his second Administration perfectly to save the Soul and deliver it from Sin and Wrath and perfectly to restore and renew it into the Conformity of his own Image by faith in him the whole Christ intire and undivided both as he came in the flesh suffered Death for our sins rose again c. ascended into Heaven and is now in Heaven our Intercessor and Advocate with the Father and as he cometh in Spirit And of this twofold Administration of Christ first as a Law-giver secondly as a perfect Saviour Moses and Joshua were Types Moses was a type of Christ in his first Ministration and Joshua was a type of him as a perfect Saviour in his second Ministration both which are inward for though the true Christian Faith respecteth Christ come in the flesh without us and now glorified in Heaven in the glorified nature of Man c. yet the Mystery of this and the worth of his Death and Intercession must be inwardly opened and revealed in us by the Spirit of Christ And as Moses led the People out of Egypt through the red Sea and thâ—ough the Wiâ—derness and brought them to Jordan and the borders of the good Land and no further and then dyed so Joshâ—a was raised up to bring them beyond Jordan into the good Land therefore Moses begun the woâ—k but Joshua finished it Which two are plain figures of the twofold inward Ministration of Christ the one that is more Legal than Evangelical and hath the Evangelical hid in it but not clearly revealed the other that is clearly and apparently Evangelical and because the second inward Ministration of Christ in mens hearts doth not appear at first in its fulness of vigor and strength but gradually therefore there is a mixture of the first second which is a middle Dispensation consisting of both and this is well known and experienced by spiritual Travellers although to you it is a Mystery and a Riddle that ye mock at rather than enquire into And concerning this diversity of inward Dispensations and Ministrations both having one Author to wit the Lord Jesus Christ not only the people called Quakers but many sober and juditious Protestants have given Teâ—â—â—mony and their Testimony is upon record in print some calling them Three and referring them the one to the Father the other to the Son together with the Father and
and work of Sanctification is before good Works outwardly wrought in order of cauâ—e as the good Tree is before the Fruit. Pag. 108. That Faith is used in Scripture not only to signifie Gospel Doctrine as ye grant but Gospel Holiness and Virtues by a synecdoche of the part for the whole is clear to any who are not partial for the just shall live by Faith and said Paul the Life that I now live I live by Faith and yet certainly his Life was not only the Life of Faith but of Love and other divine Virtues And whereas the Faith of the Elders is frequently mentioned Heb. 11. is it only their single Faith that is there commended or rather the whole Body of divine Virtues whereof the Root as it were is Faith as when we name a Tree by the Root we understand the Branches included and when we number men by the Head we understand the Body also and Gal. 3.5 after that Faith is come that was not the Doctrine only but the Grace of Faith together with all the other accompanying Graces and Virtues and as Unbelief is put in Scripture for all other sin that men generally are under Rom. 11.32 so Faith signifieth the whole Body of the Christian Graces and Virtues but of this ye take no notice but pass it with a dry foot because ye can give no sollid Answer to it though mentioned in my first Book And that it may appear I am not Popish in the Doctrine of Justification hear the Judgment of James Durham a Presbyterian Preacher in his Commentary on the Revelations in one of his Digressions where he saith Who only place Repentance Conversion and Holiness c. but as Conditions necessary to Justification and but equally necessary as Faith and in the same respect with Faith or in words to that effect the are not to be accounted Popish and therefore hitherto ye cannot nor shall find in what â—emaineth any Doctrine asserted by me that is either â—opery or Heresie but what is defended by as good Protestants and better than your selves and which hath the Scripture Authority to warrant it Ye say Ye understand not the meaning of my Rant about a Christ divided a Christ without and a Christ within a Christ in Heaven and a Christ in the Hâ—art we believe say ye that there is but one Câ—rist c. Here ye grosly misrepresent my words and pervert the sense of them as if I did divide Christ or hold two Christs one Christ in Heaven and another Christ in the Heart Let the Reader see my words in my Book and he will find that I am not for dividing Christ but blame them who do divide him either in his Offices or in himself nor do I use these words a Christ in Heaven and a Christ in the Heart as if they were two but I say it is one and the same Christ which is both in Heaven and also in the Hearts of his Children and seeing ye call this a Rant it is plain that ye do not own Christ at all in the Hearts of the Saints Let this be well remembred against you for ye call it a Rant to say Christ is both in the Heaven and in the Heart did not the Lord say He dwelleth in the High and Holy Places and also in the Hearts of them that are Contrite c Ye say He dwelleth in the Hearts of all his People by his Virtue Influence and Grace But I say his Virtue Influence and Grace cannot be in the heart without him and seperated from him for if by Grace ye mean Faith Hope Love they would fail wither and dye if he were not present to nourish preserve them And how sillily and foolishly do ye infer pag. 135. That I hold two Christs because I say That by the Spirit of Christ a man is joyned both to Christ in him and to Christ in Heaven and if two Vnions then two Christs say ye But ye fight against your own shadow I say nothing of two Unions nor do my words infer it more than when I say a Graft that is grafted into a Tree is united both to the Branch that it is grafted into and also to the whole Tree Doth it thence follow that there are here two Unions and two Trees or that the foot is both united to the Life or Soul in it and to the Life or Soul in the Head that therefore there are two Unions and two Heads This shallow way of your Reasoning showeth what learned Clarks ye are Pag. 108 109. Ye deny That Faith hath any assurance in the being and nature of it but only that which is Objective and not Subjective And thus with School-Terms and Phrases ye seek to cover your selves in the Clouds from Ignorant People But let me explain it in English what ye say which is this That Christ Hâ—â—piness hath the Assurance but the Faith hath no Assurance of Knowledge or Evidence in the Nature of it as who would say There is assuredly such a City as London or Paris but he who is going towards it hath no assurance he is in the true way that leads to it Ye say further This assurance may be had without extraordinary Revelation and so say I for it is ordinary to thousands of Gods Saints in all Ages but what is that to you who deny all Revelation both ordinary and extraordinary at present and say The former wayes of Gods revealing his will are ceased And yet many Protestants have acknowledged a Spirit of Prophecy in some of the Martyrs as in George Wisehart and others as is to be seen in Fox's Book of Martyrs which contradict the Confession of the Assembly espoused by you CAP. VIII PAg. 109. Ye commit a great Abuse when ye say I deny the Doctrine of Perseverance I own both the Doctrine and Grace of Perseverance to all to whom God doth give it and my earnest Prayer is frequent unto God for my self and Brethren every where yea all who love the â—ord in any measure is whatever Name they go uâ—der that he may be pleased to establish them in that which is good and crown them with that most noble Grace of Perseverance And upon this head ye and not I give a way the Cause though ye contradict your selves in so doing for ye grant That not only â—ommon and preparatory works that are wrought in men that work a Reformation in many things but also a Faith may be lost that is real and true and not false and hypocritical for ye say expresly Pag. 111. We must distinguish betwixt a false-Faith and one that is not saving So ye grant that Faith which is not false but true may be lost but whether it may be called saving is rather a strife of words than any thing else which I love nâ—t to contend about That it is not finâ—lly and eventually saving is certain otherwise it would have continued but yet that it had a preparatory service and use and began
Covenants and do not show wherein Ye say The New-Covenant cannot be fallen from Again ye say It is a Contradiction that a man may be a Believer and yet but in Adam 's Covenant and fall away Whi h yet is your own Contradiction for ye have granted That the Faith that can be lost is not a false Faith and therefore if not false it is true in its manner But whether the Faith that can be lost and the Faith that persevereth and holdeth out to the end and is like to Gold and more precious than Gold differ in kind or degree is a Question too subtil and doth involve into Philosoâ—hical School-Subtilties for it is not altogether agreed among th m called Philosophers and School-men what maketh a specifical difference in all respects as whether Brass Silver and Gold differ in specie and kind or only in degree therefore such a dispute I waved and do still wave as not being so proper to be disputed in School Terms for it is best to keep to Scripture words which the holy Ghost hath dictated As Gold endureth all tryal of fire and is not consumed by it so the most precious Faith of Gods elect Saints and Children endureth all fiery Tryals of all sorts And becaus ye would appear to be such mighty Patrons Defenders of the Protestant Religion and Principles I shall cite the Testimony of Luther whom ye will not be so bold I suppose to deny but that he was a Protestant and a better man than any of you as concerning this matter and another Testimony of these who gave forth the Augustane Confession who were followers of Luther and are generally acknowledged Protestants In Luther's Mensalia cap. 13. p. 227. he saith expresly For Faith is either false or feigned or although it be upright yet it is extinguished when People witting and willfully do against Gods Command and the holy Spirit which is given to the faithful departeth and is lost through evil Works done against the Conscience as the example of David sufficiently witnesseth Thus Luther And the Augustane Confession given forth by Protestants says expresly Article 12. They condemn the Anabaptists who deny that they who are once justified can loose the holy Spirit So ye may see or if ye will shut your Eyes yet the Impartial Readers may see how it is a Doctrine of antient Protestants more antient than your New-England Model that they who are once justified may loose the holy Spirit and they who say they cannot are guilty of the Error of the Anabaptists and the Scripture Testimony is most plain that they may be Partakers of the holy Spirit and may afterwards fall away Heb. 6. So that hitherto ye have not showed any one Article of Faith wherein I or my Brethren differ either from Scripture or the best sort of Protestants for in all these matters we have both the Scipture and the best sort of Protestants on our side and therefore your Charge is false as if I or we did oppose the fundamental Articles of Salvation as ye alledge p. 127. ad fin Pag. 118. Ye falsly charge the Quakers that they boast of Perfection The honest and fober People called Qrs. hold forth the Doctrine of Pefection according to the Scripture as a state attainable by the Grace of God but boast not of their attainment they chuse rather to express any measure of Attainments they have by a good and innocent Life than by a talk of it Pag. 119. Ye falsly charge it upon me as a Cheat and Fraud That I infer it from your Dâ—ctrine that the good Works of Gods holy Spirit are defilâ—d in and by the Saints Answ I make no such â—â—ference but I did set down the express words of the Confession of the Assembly owned by you cap. 16. That the best Work of the Saints which proceed from the Spirit of God as they are wroâ—ght by them are defiled Let the Reader see the place and he will find the Cheat to be yours and not mine yea p. 119. forgetting your selves ye say expresly That the Works of the Saints which ye confess are wroâ—ght also by the holy Spirit are defiled by sin And whereas ye say The Wâ—rk is not totally perfect and totally sin yet ye teâ—â— not what part of it is not sin for the whole Work as done by you is sin which is still a Chimaera seeing that whole Work is done also by the Spirit Pag. 120. Ye blame me for alledging it to be â—our Doctrine That they must sin viz. Saints and Believers as long as they live as if there were a fatal necessity that God laid them under o so doing Answ But whether this be not the real and true sence of your Doctrine that saith No man is able by any Grace of God to keep the Commandments oâ— God but doth daily break them in Tâ—oâ—ght Word and Deed. Let Impartial Readers judge for whâ—t men cannâ—t do th y are under a necessity not to do and not to do is sin and ye say God hath decreed all this and if it be not a fatal Necessity in the sence of the Epicureans or others who held a fatal Necessity and denyed a divine Providence yet in another sence it may be called a fatal Necessity Pag. 121. Ye would cover the Impertinency of the Citation of Rom. 3.9 c. from the description of the natural state of man there given But this is but a fig-leaf for the Assembly brings that place of Scripture to prove universally That no man neither Saint nor any other can keep Gods Commandments c. And truly they are sad and miserable Saints who are in the case there described and yet as I said before too like to these in N. England whose feet were swift to shed Blood and their Throat an open Sepulchre Your answers to the places of Scripture I brought to prove the possibility of Perfection by the Grace of God are meer Assertions without any Reasons of the least seeming weight to prove them and therefore I refer both what I and Ye say to the Readers further Impartial Consideration Pag. 123. Ye say Nor was Noah so perfect but that afterwards he was drunken This is a weak Reason ye may at this rate deny that God created Adam free of all sin because after God made him he sinned We plead not for an impossibility of sinning but a possibility of not sinning by the Grace of God Ezek. 36.25 The making them clean from all their Filthyness belongs ye say to Justification Answ I doubt ye have forgot your selves sure I â—m it was the common Doctâ—ine of the Pâ—â—byterians That Justification took away the Gâ—ilt of Sin and Sanctifiâ—ation took away the Filtâ— oâ— it But now according to your New Model it seemeth Sanctification taketh no Filthilness of sin away at all and therefore aâ— in respect of Sanctification the whole filthiness of sin remains in the best Saints their heaâ—ts are as filthy inwardly as ever formerly for
of the Assembly is manifest from this thâ—t the far greatest part of them being Presbyterians and but few Independants in comparison of the â—ajor part the Presbyterian Church was then a National Church composed of the whole Body of the Nation both in England Scotland and Ireland as much as possible could be and the Presbyterian League and Covenant did not only take in all who were willing however many thousands of them were of a Scandalous Life but the Promoters of it forced them who were unwilling that either they must take the Covenant or suffer Banishment And it is manifest that the Presbyterian Church in England Scotland and Ireland was as National and consisting of as gross a mixture as the Episcopal or even as the Church of Rome it self as in respect of Scandalous Livers so that what Luther said of his followers in his day may be as much applyed to the Presbyterian Church whose Ministers did mostly compose that Assembly in the fore-cited Book called Mensalia cap. 22. â— 290 The manner of Life said Luther iâ— as Evil among us as among the Papists wherefore we strive not with them by reason of the manner of Life but for and about the Doctrine And it is manifest as the noon day that not only the far greatest part of the People composing the Presbyterian Church were of a dessolute and scandalous Life but too many of their Ministry and Elders which occasioned the breach betwixt the Independents and them that these called Independents thinking that the multitude of Presbyterian Professors were not duely qualified to be Church-Members as in respect of a strict life erected a new Model of Congregational Churches which are now again almost wholly degenerated if not altogether into a Presbyterian Laxeness and how can it be supposed that a National Church as such can have the multitude of its Professors to be free of a scandalous Life seeing no such instance can as yet be given for the Presbyterian National Church as well as the Episcopal and Church of Rome receiveth Men and Women to be Members of their Church either how soon born or by Infant Baptism and rarely if ever doth excommunicate any for their Vitious manner of living except in some extraordinary cases of Adultery Incest or Sodomy c. but if any dissent from them in Doctrine then nothing but dreadful Thunderings of Excommunication like the Popes Bulls against the primitive Protestants All which showeth that by Profession the Assâ—mbly understood much rather a meer verbal thing than the Practise of a holy Life or so much as the outward appearance thereof And ye may be ashamed to cite 2 Tim. 3.5 for that requireth us To turn away from s ch as having a foâ—m of Godliness dâ—ny the Power thereof and that is to be sure from all Hypocrites and such who have not real inward Piety and Holiness for who have not true piety deny the Power of Godliness And that either the Presbyterian or Independent Constitution of a Church require an uniform Practice of a Godly and Christian Life in all the necessary parts of it as of living Soberly Righteously and Godly and denying Ungodliness and worldly Lusts is no wise apparent from their Practise however it may be allowed that some external Practices in some things that Hypocrites may most easily perform yea and Scandalous Persons also may be and are required as particularly To present their Children to be sprinkled To break Bread twice or four times a year more or less c. together To come to Church as it is called once or twice a week To salute the Minister with a Haâ—l-Rabbi and a low Cringe in the streets and putting off the Hat and most especially as a most necessary practice To pay every one his share of the Preists Wages These and the like vâ—ry ordinary and superficial Practices are the moâ—t that I can find are required in your Church Members and what is there required of the Spirit of God or real inward Holiness in all this surely nothiâ—g by your own confession Nor ought ye to blame me for this Character of your Church Members seeing John Fox giveth me a President in his Book of Martyrs 1. volum Pag. 43. in the like cass where he dâ—fineth a Christian man after the Popes making by his practisiâ—g some outward things no wiâ—â— inâ—â—rring inward Holiness of Life and afteâ— concludeth with these expresâ— words Now look upon this Definition viz. that he hath given of a Member of the Popes Church and tell me good Reader what Faith or Spirit or what working of the holy Ghost in all this Doctrine is to be required Whereby it is most plain thâ—t John Fox a man of great Authority among Protestants agreeth with the People called Quakers against both Presbyterians and Independents in the true definition of a Member of the true Church visible viz. That every such Member should have the true Faith and Spirit and working of the holy Ghost which yet ye openly deny to qualifie them thereunto requiâ—ing only an outside Profession of words and at most some outward Practices that may be and are commonly practised by the greatest Hypocrites Pag. 132. Ye say I find fault with you for using an Hour-glass to know how the time spends and a Bell to gather your Assâ—mblies together But for the use of an Hour-glass simply to know the measure of Time I did find no fault with you but that ye commonly measure the Time of your preaching by the Hour-glass which showeth that none of you preach by the Spirit of God which is not limitted to any stinted measure of Time and the primitive Christian Preachers had no such thing as either Hour-Glass or Dial to measure the time of their Preaching nor are we against the civil use of Bells Clocks or Dials but the superstitions use of Bells hanging in high Steeples like the high places used by Idolators of Old and which ye follow the Papists in to call your Assembly together and the sound of which many ignorant and carnal People are vainly delighted with Hospimian de orig Templ saith Bells were not used for certain in the first five Centuries at most of Christianity when yet their Parishes or Church-Precincts were of a greater extent than the most diffused among us P. 133. Ye call the inward Gospel spiritual Bell ringing in the hearts of the faithful which is the living Word sounding in the hearts a Fancy more fabulous than any thing in Aesop Whereby ye show how carnal dark and ignorant ye are for hereby ye deny the inward Call Voice and Sound of Christ the Son of God in the hearts of the faithful which by a figure I call the Gospel Bell whereof Aarons Bells that did hang at his Garments were a Type and it is common in Scripture that the name of the Type is given to the thing typified by it But that Psal 89.15 intends the Silver Trumpets in the time of the Law ye barely alledge without
Saints outwardly eat together and then also inwardly eat of that inward and spiritual Food and have together an inward enjoyment of the Lord in their hearts that may be called the Supper of the Lord which both may be without and with the outward eating but I did not say nor do I now say that alwayes when the Saints eat outwardly at their ordinary Meals they eat together inwardly but that the times are very frequent of their outward and inward eating together at one time wherein they remember the Lords Death and praise him as for all his Mercies so for what he hath done and suffered for them and this Solemnity may be well used by any Number as well small as great and without any Gown-Man or ordained Priest either of Pope Prelate or Presbyter for all the Faithful are a Royal Priesthood unto God and there is no shadow of ground in Scripture that Saints may not eat and drink together remembring the Lords Death with Prayer and Blessing and Thanksgiving and enjoying an inward and spiritual Communion together though they be ever so small a Number and though having no Priest outwardly ordained as above said And seeing outward Ordination of Priests or Presbyters either by Pope Prelate or Presbyter none of whom have any inward and immediate call is a meer human Invention as John Owen whom ye esteem your reverend Brother hath sufficiently proved and that ye lay the main stress of this Ordinance its being observed or practised hereupon that some ordained Minister consecrate it or Independent Pastor which is of no better Authority than the former Ye can never prove that that ye call the Supper is any thing beyond what is frequently practised among us even as outwardly although as to the inward to Gods praise we know we have the advantage incomparably beyond all of you And instead of proving that your eating together hath any advantage above ours ye say Ye think your Supper is beyond ours as being an holy Ordinance of Gospel Worship and ours is only the common Duty of all men But as ours is not the common Duty of all men as ye falsly alledge so yours is not an holy Ordinance of Gospel Worship for it is essential to all Gospel Worship to be performed in the Spirit because God is a Spirit but ye plead That men called Ministers who have nothing of true Piety or the Spirit of Truth and Holiness may consecrate the Bread and make it a Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord. Pag. 145. Ye commit another gross Abuse falsly alledging on me that I said All outward eating and drinking is a natural and necessary sign of the inward see my Book p. 192. I say not All outward eating drinking but I say such a figure as is natural and necessary to be used by us all c. where ye may see I restrict it to Believers so that the outward eating and drinking of Believers is a natural and necessary sign or figure of the inward to Believers but not to Unbelievers as the whole outward World is a figure of the inward and spiritual as Paul doth expresly call it 1 Cor. 7.31 But whereas ye say There is not one Syllable expresly nor consequentially intimating any such thing there ye show your great Rashness or Ignorance for in the Greek to which I did refer the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latine Scema and Englished Scheme that most commonly signifieth figure and is expresly translated Figure in that very place by Pasor a zealous Protestant in his Lexicon thus Figura hujus Mundi preterit i. e. the Figure of this World passeth away Hence in all Mathematical Schools in teaching Geography or Astronomy we call the draught or figure proposed in the Lesson the Scema or Sceme and any ordinary School-boy or common Shepherd or Plow-man may inform you that this visible World is a Figure of the invisible and the outward a figure of the inward which is a common Saying in the mouthes of men generally and is further confirmed by Paul saying The invisible things of God are understood by the things that are made Rom. 1.20 and by the fore-cited Saying of Luther That in all Creatures we see a Declaration and Signification of the holy Trinity And whereas I said That in our outward eatings sometimes we do use both inward outward Prayer and Thanksgiving and sometimes only inward this in a way of Scoff ye call A new way of Consecration whereby ye declare your selves too great strangers to inward and mental Prayer performed only with the heart and mind for if ye did rightly understand inward and mental Prayer ye would acknowledge that the outward eating is sanctified by the Word of God and by inward Prayer as well as both inward and outward but the outward without the inward hath no virtue to sanctifie the Creatures of God and yet certainly ye give too much cause to judge that your outward Prayer wanteth the inward when ye allow both the Members Ministers of your Church to be Members and Ministers without all inward Holiness or working of the Spirit of God And how the Prayer of Unholy Men as ye allow your Ministers may be that consecrate the Bread and Wine to be the Sacrament of the Supper can consecrate sanctifie or make holy evâ—â—â—es Instruments these Elements is as strange a Paradox as how an unclean thing can bring out a clean or one contrary another Pag. 146. Ye alledge That the Seventh day was appointed viz. for a Sabbath before the Fall and so was no Type of Christ. But the former ye barely alledge for that the Seventh Day its being said to be blessed c. suppose a natural or common Day before any mention is made of the Fall of Adam no more proveth its Institution before the fall for a Sabbath than that it can be proved there were diversities of Languages before Babel because Languages or Tongues are mentioned Gen. 10.5.20.31 and yet in the following Chap. vers 1. it s said The whole Earth was of one Language for divers things are recorded in Scripture by Anticipation Pag. 147. Ye say Heb. 4.9 10. it is said Christ entred into his Rest and doth that mean that he entred into himself Answ It is not said that Christ or God entred into his Rest but That God ceased from his Works but allow it That Christ entred into his Rest is not That that he entred into that Glory he had with the Father before the World was and can God or Christ have another or better Rest than Himself or can any natural or common Day be a Rest unto God O blind Man Ye call an inward Day Non-sence but it is because ye have not sence to understand it Is not the Day of Gods Power and the Day of Salvation mentioned in Scripture an inward and spiritual Day Ye say again If I can find an inward Seventh Day in Scripture it will be a rare Invention I Answer As I