there is an unavoidable necessity of coming to that Spirit which made it theirs 'T is granted that all True Doctrine is according to Scripture but the Question is What is true Doctrine Scripture is a strong Testimony but what enlightens the Mind resolves Doubts and works Faith and informs guides and helps the Soul through the whole Work of Conversion and without which the Testimony of Scripture it self is truly an unintelligible and an incredible thing This must be nothing less then the Spirit it self In short The Scripture is not the Rule but Declaration of Faith and Knowledge That only must be the Rule of Faith which gave and ruled the Faith of those that gave forth Scripture And because none can give or work Faith now but what did give and work Faith then 't is not the Scripture but that which was before the Scripture even the Spirit of Truth which was the Author Rule and Finisher of their Faith And if our Faith in this Age be the same with the holy Men's of old that gave forth the Scriptures they are no more our Rule now then they were theirs then who had a Rule and a Faith before them But as it was a Declaration of what they believed knew and witnessed so it is a Declaration of what we now believe and desire to know and witness John's Epistle was not writ to be the Saints Rule for he directed them to the Anointing yet their Faith and Life of which the Anointing was the Rule was according to John's Epistle Agaiâ— The Declaration in time was after the Faith declared of but where there was Faith there was a Rule consequently that Declaration which was after that Faith and Rule was not that Rule so that the most that can be said against us is this The Scriptures cannot be a Declaration of your Faith till you come to such a Belief of the Truth 's thereby expressed as they had who writ them and a great Truth it is But then say we The Spirit must work that Faith before the Scriptures can be accounted a Declaration of our Faith or we interested in them And because that Faith has a Rule so soon as it has a being it must needs follow that the Declaration of that Faith cannot be either the Author or Rule of it Here lies the Mistake of my Adversary and many more that because what a Man does is according or agreeable to a thing therefore that is the Rule of the thing done To proceed For this reason it is a Constraint lies upon us from God to direct and exhort all People diligently to mind that Measure of the Holy Spirit which God hath given them to profit with as that alone by which Man comes to a certain Knowledge of his Mind and Will and to do the good and acceptable Thing in his Sight and that by which his poor labouring Mind is brought out of the Incertainties numerous Interpretations vain Janglings Men have pesterâ—d the World withal who have darkened Counsel and bewildered many in their Conscientious Enquieries after God drawing out their Minds from the seasoning Principle of Life instead of bringing them nearer to the Lord for which great and heavy Plagues hang over the Head of this Generation who make War against the Spirit with the Letter instead of confirming its Appearance from the Letter and under Pretence of calling the Scriptures the Word of God and Rule of Faith and Life divert People from Waiting for the Word nigh unto themselves which is the Word of Faith and gives Life to all that believe and obey it decrying us as Seducers and deriding us as Euthusiastick Canters because we prefer and turn all to the Spirit of Life within an Out-side Carnal Envious and Hypocrical Generation as it is I will conclude this Head with a Passage out of some certain Authors that were never professed nor reputed Quakers Wherefore they who are true Believers sayes the first and have received Christ's Spirit their Judgment is to be preferred in the Tryal of Spirits before a whole Council of Clergy-Men And they only who can try Spirits by the Spirit of God and Doctrines by the Word of God written in their Hearts by the Spirit can in measure discern all Spirits in the World And the Spirit of Christ which dwells in all true Christians cannot deceive nor be deceived in the Tryal of Spirits With abundance more to the same purpose The other brings in Two Objections frequently made against us and by him pertinently answered for us Object 1. It is said Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if any Man speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in him Answ Truth there is the Law and Testimony in the Spirit as well as in the Letter The Law of God is in the Heart there it is written and there it testifies the Truth of God and if any Man speak not according to this Rule it is because there is no Light or Morning risen in him The Spiritual Man judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no Man Object 2. It is said Gal. 6. 16. That whoso walketh according to this Rule Peace upon him Answ True but that is not the Rule of the Letter but of the Spirit even the Rule of the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Read the Words before and you shall see it There is nothing of any Value but the New Creature And whosoever walketh according to This Rule Peace shall be upon him c. And truly my Brethren it is my earnest Desire to see Souls to live more in the Spirit and less in the Letter and then they will see that we judge of the Letter by the Spirit and not of the Spirit by the Letter which occasions so much Ignorance amongst us and those who profess themselves to be our Teachers are chief in this Trespass Observe this J. Faldo Again The Spirit of God who is God is the ALONE RULE of a spiritual Christian c. Further declaring That some setting the Scriptures in the room of the Spirit they make them an Idol Ibid. p. 248. Let him either discard these Men from being Christians that were reputed great and refined Professors before the Breaking forth of the People called Quakers or leave off censuring this part of our Doctrine as no part of Christianity Nor have we any Ground to believe that they were intended for the Rule at first since they were not given forth all at one time and yet every Age stood in need of such a Rule but on divers Occasions as Miscarriages in the Churches Threatning of Judgments Prophecies Histories and Comfortings under Afflictions c. required Nor do they carry the least Method or Designment of the great Rule with them here they are Proper there Figurative in one thing Literal in another Allegorical without all Definition of Terms framing of Articles such Plainness and
to invalidate the most convincing Testimony Man can have of a Deity and to principle Men for the rankest Atheism that ever was Yet such a sort of a Doctor J. Faldo is become and of all other Texts in the Bible from which to preach it hath chosen this Col. 1. 27. This Mystery among the Gentiles is Christ in you the Hope of Glory which indeed of all other doth most oppose and subvert it Once more and he hath done with us upon this Passage for this time Christ is in his People by his Graces wrought by his Spirit which is his Image and Likeness by the Manifestation of his Love and Glory his Works and Image in and on the Soul and do as effectually possess the Soul for Christ his Vse and Interest as a Faithful Friend can do according so that Text That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith Eph. 3. 17. But I would fain know of J. Faldo how Christ's Graces Works and Image can be there and Christ the Workman excluded If Christ be not actually there they can never Actually be wrought there for none can work them but Christ by his Spirit In short either they may be wrought without Christ's Spirit which J. Faldo disallows or Christ's Spirit may work them and yet not be where iâ— works them or if the Spirit may be where it worketh them yet Christ cannot be where it works them and consequently divided from his own Spirit though indeed the Lord Christ is that Quickening Spirit which only makes alive again to God who is the Resurrection and the Life Oh the Dreadful Darkness that yet over-spreads the Hearts of called Christians It may be as truly said of them as it was of the Jews The Vail is yet over them and Christ Jesus the Anointed Saviour is unknown to them by that Redemption which he effectually worketh in all those that hearken to his Voice and are conformed to his holy Government They are Witnesses of his Graces Works and Image through believing in his Appearance and giving up like the Clay in the Hand of the Potter to be ordered and disposed by him Nor doth the Scripture he quotes impugn the Real Presence of Christ in his People for by Faith Christ dwelleth in the Hearts of his Children that is by believing in Christ he cometh to live and dwell in us who through the Unbelief of Men is shut out from being Head and Ruler in them Our Adversary would make Faith and Christ's real Presence incomparable or inconsistent whereas the one cannot possibly be enjoyed without the other Faith being as the opening of the Door of the Heart to receive Christ in to be Lord and King and if this be not J. Faldo's Faith he is void of the Faith of God's Elect which purifieth the Heart and gives to see God according to Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see God This Doctrine is the Overthrow of Christianity a turning back of the whole Stream of the New Covenant a cutting off the Spiritual Union for the Christian Dispensation is IMMANUEL God with us the Word is not stinted to Christ as the Head but concerns the Body also and God is manifested measurably in his People as he was in fulness by and through that holy Body nay some eminent Professors have gone so far as to say They make up but one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Anointed for the Oyl runs from the Head to the lowermost part of the Garment which takes in all It gives the Lye to Christs own Words who said He would come and receive them to himself he would not leave them Orphants which implies a real Presence Testimonies Good Old Apostolical Ignatius was not of J. Faldo's mind who in his Epistles produced and endeavoured to be proved genuine by Bish Vsher Isaac Vossius and D. Pearson says in that to the Ephesians pag. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Let us do all things he so dwelling in us that we be HIS TEMPLES and he our God IN us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Corrupters of his House shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Iust Mart. Expos Tid p. 375. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. See saith he how he Paul is teaching the Edification that is in Christ whence we are the Temple of Christ according to what is written I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God The Story of Richard Woodman in the Book of Maâ—tyrs affordeth us thus much to our Purpose in answer to the Bishop of Winchester I believe verily that I have the Spirit of God No Man can believe aright without the Spirit of God It is impossible to believe in God unless God DWELL IN US C. Goad defends our Faith in these words The Gospel is nothing else but the bringing forth of Christ IN us It calls us from Conformity to the World and from walking as Men unto the Life of God Right Spirit of Christ p. 17. T. Collier God is a Mystery Col. 22. and it is by the Appearance of God IN US we come to know God who is a Mystery The Truth is that we have had and stâ—ll have low and carnal Thoughts of God judging him to be a God AFAR OFF and not a God NIGH AT HAND This is that ANTICHRIST WHICH DENIES CHRIST TO BE COME IN THE FLESH See his Works p. 399. Again God who is in himself and in the Son not only by Union but also by a Dispensation of Grace to Men is likewise IN THE SAINTS and that not as in the Creatures or other Men BUT HE IS IN THE SAINTS AS HE WAS IN CHRIST The Saints are TRULY made Partakers of his Nature hence called CHRISTIANS they are CHRISTED and indeed Christ and Christians MAKE BUT ONE CHRIST ONE ANOINTED ONE GOD FILLS THEM BOTH See his Works p. 241 242. J. Sprig in his Preface saith thus Those that know Christ in them only immediatione virtutis not suppositi know not so Full and Glorious a Proportion in him to their End It is and must be confessed that God is and subsists otherwise in Himself then Men but this hinders not the IMMEDIATENESS OF HIS PRESENCE AND DWELLING IN MEN If you confine Christ's Dwelling to a LOCAL HEAVEN you are ignorant of that which is the greatest Joy that can be CHRIST DWELLS IN THE HEART Sprig ' s Testimony p. 87. Thus Martin Finch who stiles himself Preacher of the Gospel in his little Treatise intituled Animadversions upon Sr. Henry Vain ' s Book pag. 81. The Word of God abided and dwelt in them 1 John 2. 14. If we take it for Christ they had him Christ ABIDING IN THEM and surely they that abide in Christ and have Christ abiding IN THEM they are true Saints Thus Reader we take leave of this Chapter and proceed to examine his next CHAP. XI That we are not guilty of Idolatry as charged by our Adversary True Worshippers The Charge inverted
believe great and good things of them and that from no less Evidence then the Eternal Word that gave them forth which hath oftentimes given my Soul a deep Savour of those blessed Truths it declares of only we cannot allow them to be The Word though the Words of God and the rather forasmuch as we see the great and general Neglect that People are guilty of towards that Living Powerful Regenerating Word of Life by whom alone all right Knowledge and lasting Peace is derived to the Soul of Man through this Apprehension that in having the Writings they have the Word of God and therefore look no farther the very State of the professing Jews of old who thought better of the Scriptures then of Christ believing to have Life in them at what time they crucified the Lord of Life and Glory From whose Proceedings we learn thus much That the worst Enemies to the invisible Word of Life may carry the greatest seeming Respect to and bestow the highest Titles upon the Scriptures that were given forth from it In short It was when Men turned from the Power of Godliness to the Form only that they did Canonize and lay so vast a Stress upon them In the first and second hundred years after Christ they were so scattered that very few had all of them and it is not unreasonable for us to believe that many had none of them especially those of the New Testament Were they therefore without the Word of God and a sufficient Rule for Faith and Practice Surely not It was an Administration of Life and Power of writing the Law in the Heart and putting the Spirit in the inward Parts From whence came that Christian Answer to the Heathen concerning Swearing Fighting such contra-Evangelical Practices They could not do so because of God in their Consciences At that time of Day the Anoâ—nting led them into all Truth But in process of time when Christians grew Careless and Worldly whereby they lost the Power of Godliness then they began to set up an outward pompous Religion ascribing that to the Letter and Form which was only due to the Spirit and Power And as thus entered the Apostacy into the World so where Men are not turned and conformed to that eternal Spirit and divine immortal Power the Apostacy still remains And our End in pressing People unto the Eternal Word of Life is that they may be brought out of Death and Darkness which the Scriptures can never do They are a Declaration and Testimony of Heavenly Things but not the Heavenly Things themselves and as such we carry an high Respect unto them We accept them as the Words of God himself and by the Assistance of his Spirit they are read with great Instruction and Comfort I esteem them the best of Writings and desire nothing more frequently then that I may lead the Life they exhort to and whatever sleight Apprehensions my disingenuous Adversary is pleas'd to have of these kind of Acknowledgments I write the naked Truth of my Heart knowing I must give an Account to God CHAP. IV. His Pretence of our Equalling our own Writings and Sayings with the Scriptures VVIthout any flourishing Reflections most commonly the Head and Tail and sometimes Middle too of my Adversary's Reply I shall lay down his words Rep. The Means I used for confirming the first part of this Charge were two First Their pretending them to be from Immediate Inspiration This he is so far from denying that he pleads for it but after such a rude impertinent manner that I should but injure you and shew my self Idle to transscribe and animadvert upon it Rejoyn How rude and impertinent a manner I pleaded for it the Reader may best judge by perusing something of the Passage For Inspiration the Scriptures are not more express in any one thing No man can know the things of God by the bare Spirit of a Man The Scriptures are a sealed Book to all but those who know them by the same Hand that originally gave them so that however common they may be in the World they are Strangers to them that understand them not And though Old respecting the Time when they were revealed to the Saints yet New to every Age. So that we assert not a Revelation of New Things but a renewed Revelation of those Things God made former Ages Witnesses of otherwise men are no more benefitted by them And to be benefitted they must be made ours by the Spirit which made them the Holy Ancients In short No Man can understand Spiritnal Things but the spiritually Discerning nor can he so be without the Inspiration of the Almighty This is Scripture Now the Author of those Queries and J. Faldo also denying Inspiration they consequently deny themselves to be spiritually Discerning And for Men not spiritual to judge of spiritual Matters much 〈◊〉 to write of them and bid their Writings go and throwdown Self-will and exalt the Truth is Vain and Idolatrous For the Scriptures themselves considered meerly as such are unable much less Writings founded on Self-Will For it s the alone Priviledge of God's Power and Spirit and no writing whatever distinct from it can perform that Great and Mighty Work in Man Now as Rude and Impertinent as this Answer may be in John Faldo's Eyes his Reply has not afforded me Light enough to see it He would prove us guilty of holding Inspiration as if to do so were a Crime From a Passage of John Story 's who rejected certain Queries exhibited against the Quakers because meerly grounded upon the Author's Imagination of certain Passages in Scripture and not any certain Knowledge or Experience received from the Revelation of the Spirit It must be left to the Reader to judge how pertinently I returned upon my Adversary Sure I am that Self-willed Queries can never throw down Self-will And to urge Scripture not experienced is to steal the words of Truth from our Neighbour Inspiration was in request after Scriptures were in the World And indeed are unintelligible without it The New Birth is never the more known for Christ's Saying to Necodemus though thereby we are taught that without it no man shall enter into the Kingdom of God It is the Spirit alone that reveals the Mysteries of Regeneration therefore to deny Inspiration or Revelation is to overthrow the only and Evangelical Way to divine Knowledge Erasmus himself could tell us What Men set forth by Man's Device may be perceived by Man's Wit But the thing that is set forth by the Inspiration of the holy Ghost requireth an Interpreter inspired with the like Spirit And without the Inspiration of it the Secrets of God cannot be known which is also the substance of the fourth Article exhibited against the Lutherans in the Council of Trent as an erroneous Doctrine they held That to understand the Scripture neither Gloss nor Comment is necessary but only to have the Spirit of a Sheep of Christ's Pasture Vetablus
Learn'd Ministers do defend and rather out-word us in Testimony to the Truth But before J. F. proceeds to any such Excommunication let him remember that he cannot do it without Disturbance to the Grave and Injury to the Memory of Joseph Carl that Famous and Ancient Independent Pastor who Licensed J. Spâ—â—gg's Book Ann. 1647. and consequently entituled himself to the Doctrine therein exprest And for Christopher Goad's not only J. Sprigg perform'd the Friendly Office of Publisher after his Decease but himself was Pastor of a very eminent Congregation of Independents in his Life-time Strange that the Men of these dayes should not know the Principles of their Admir'd Fathers and Teachers when they meet them but that worthy Witness C. Goad in his Conclusion of his last Testimony pag. 74 77. gives a good Reason for it He that hath Ears to hear let him hear he that hath not it may be will cry Whimsie Fancy and turning the Scripture into an Allegory and whilst the Vail is over Error Heresie Blasphemy I had thoughts of adding no further Testimony but a most remarkable Passage of that Christian and Learned Martyr Dr. Barnes Burnt for his Faith in King Henry the Eighth's dayes after having been his Ambassador and in high repute pressed hard upon me and I know not but his greater Distance from us then those before cited may carry more Authority and obtain greater Favour with our Enemies who will at least make shew of Reverence to his Autiquity and Martyrdom his words are these That Man's Will Reason Wisdom Heart Soul or whatsoever thing is in Man without the Spirit of God is but the Wisdom of the Flesh let him intend his best do all that lieth in him with all his Might and all his Power and yet can it not please God for it is but all Flesh Again It is the Spirit of Christ that maketh him Christs and the Spirit of God giveth witness to our Spirit that we be the Children of God Our Spirit giveth no witness to himself thâ— he is Christ's for then were the Spirit of God frustrate wherefore let our Spirit as well as he can study his best to apply himself to Goodness or to the uttermâ—â— of his Power and yet it is but WISDOM OF THE FLESH and HATH NO WITNESS OF GODâ— yea it is but an ENEMY and it must needs bâ— SIN as St. Austin saith He that feedeth without mâ—â— feedeth against me Thus far D. Barnes which is but a little of the greaâ— deal that he writes to the same purpose against thâ— Papists about their Doctrine of Free-will And iâ— deed he cleaves the Hair and hits the Mark above moâ— Ancient Writers for as he unanswerably argues in thâ— very Smart Discourse that Man's cleaving to his oâ— Power brought him into transgression and consequenâ—â—ly could never redeem him out of it So doth he eâ—â—press the absolute Necessity of Man's having Recourseâ— the Spirit of God in himself for Counsel and Assistanâ— in order to understand and fulfil the Good-will of Goâ— which implyes that all those who call it opposing 〈◊〉 Spirit to the Scripture and vilifying the Knowledge Scripture to press the understanding of it and witnessing the Truths therein declared of from the Revelation and Operation of the Eternal Spirit only are upon the rankest strain of Free-will that was ever yet broach'd among Men and there we leave our bitter Enemy J. Faldo I am now come to a Passage more immediately concerning my self which he thinks touches me to the Quick but I know not why unless he measures me by himself being a Man so quick to be touch'd that at the soberest and solidst Answer which I could give him he doth so gaul and fret that there is no coming near him without being kick't and abus'd His Carriage towards me in this Particular amongst many Instances already past and yet to come proves what I say In a Book of mine called The Spirit of Truth Vindicated c. in Answer to a Socinian who seem'd to deride the Quakers asserting a Necessity of having a Right Faith in God and Knowledge of the Scriptures from the Revelation and Operation of the Eternal Spirit I used these words But I assure them they shall grope in the Dark till they come into the daily Obedience of the Light and there rest contented to know only as they Experience At this he scoffed What know God only as they experience Can we experience his Omnipotency That W. P. of all others should talk at this rate is most ridiculous To which he brings me in thus answering 'T is Unchristian in John Faldo to assert the right Knowledge of God obtainable any other Way then by Experience Here 's my Reflection by way of Consequence but where 's my Argument That he left behind as being better able to jeer it then confute it some short Account of it I will give That it is the Light or Spirit of God that by its illuminatition giveth the right Knowledge of God that such Knowledge never goes without Experience Again The World without in its Make Order Perservation Providences his Powerful Work of Redemption within prove what I writ But of this he takes no notice Now his Dis-ingenuity thus far is two-fold First his stretching the word Experience to all Cases when the Scope and End of my words went no farther then every Man 's particular Saving Knowledge of God with respect to his Repentance Conversion and Eternal Salvation 2 ly He not only has taken no notice of my Argument but has abused the Consequence viz. That the Right or Saving Knowledge of God is not obtaiâ—able but by Experience after this manner Rep. Reader you have his Character of asserting that Reason Faith Scripture yea the Spirit of God too all which are not one and the same thing with Experience are any Means by which to obtain the Right Knowledge of God Rejoyn How like a Disputant or an honest Man he deals with me may be seen First In that no Man can have Experience without Reason because Reason is that part of a Man which is eminently concern'd in receiving that Experience therefore not the Giver of it nor yet it without Reason Secondly The Work of Faith is one great thing experienced Thirdly The Scripture is oftentimes an Instrument to that Experience Lastly The Spirit of God is the efficient Cause or Worker of the Experience in the reasonable Soul For must not He be very Blind or Malicious that can suppose I meant by the Knowledge of Experience such an one as God's Spirit brings not to who have been all this while pleading for that Knowledge and Experience which the Spirit of God can only give and abused with a Witness by J. Faldo for doing so but that he should suppose me to exclude Reason from Men in their Experiences which is to render them Brutes and because therefore unreasonable to be sure most uncapable of Experience unless Men may Experience without their
Besides the Apostle tells us That though an Vnknown Tongue might render him as a Barbarian to him that understandeth him not will it therefore follow that he was a Barbarian or that he had not the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him By no means for he might speak Mysteries in the Spirit as saith the Apostle vers 2. Men may also pray in the Spirit in an Vnknown Tongue vers 14. A Man may Bless Praise and give Thanks to God in an Vnknown Tongue vers 14 15 16 17. Nay the Apostle saith of such a one Verily thou givest Thanks well Now how all this can be and yet that such a Person should be acted by another Spirit then the Spirit of God and the Apostle for my own part I cannot see In short The Apostle tells us That Tongues are for them that believe not vers 22. But our Friend spoak among them that believed and though they did not all know what her bare words imported yet they might be and were sensible of the Divine Power in which she spoak which gave a general Refreshment unto them of that Assembly that were acquainted with it otherwise all Fellowship in Spirit must be renounced But 't is to be any thing J. F's Froth will have it because its unknown to his thick and carnal Understanding However the want of a Known Tongue may render one less Profitable but not less a Christian for a time should come the same Apostle said that Tongues should cease but never that Christianity or having the Spirit of Christ should cease Therefore to reâ—ute all that cannot speak in a Known Tongue Antichristian or of another Spirit then the Spirit of God and his Apostle is unworthy of any Man that makes any the least Pretence to the Christian-Religion indeed to common Sense One Passage more then we conclude this Chapter Reply p. 60. To my Reflection upon their affirming she spake by the Spirit because they all found Reâ—reshings viz. so have Children many a time of Puppet-Plays W. P. calls me all to nought especially because I could not as he saith but think it meant by Refreshings what came from God But let not Penn think we take our selves bound to reverence such Fooleries Rejoynder That it was a Reflection he confesseth whether it were not an Unseemly one I refer to every Man of Conscience I did not intend to obliege J. Faldo to believe what we say but reprove his prophane Scoffs at what we believe I would have so much regard to any People seriously professing Religion as not to explain what they mean by their Refreshment by the Pleasure some irreligious People take at the vain and frothy Sport of Puppet-Play And the worst Word I gave him and his Comparison was Prophaness further adding that it out-did Ben. Johnson's Alchimist a Play made in Scorn of Puritans which all good Men detest and himself dying abhorred But why may not People be refresht in their Souls from that divine Power which may attend a Person speaking in a Language unknown Suppose a Godly Assembly of English People and an English Preacher endued with God's holy Spirit and there happen into such a Congregation some serious Forreigners of the same Judgment is it absurd to say That notwithstanding their Ignorance of the Signification of the Words spoken they may have an inward and spiritual Sence of the Zeal Power and Spirit that eminently attends the Preacher if it be how much more ridiculous is it then for People to say It gladâ—ed their Hearts to see such a Godly Countenance or to hear the Voice or Sound of this or the other good Man though they had no distinct Understanding of his Words I am in this Case a more allowable Witness then J. Faldo who have seen Sinners struck the Weak strengthned and the Strong confirmed at the hearing of the Truth of God declared in a Language they could not understand The divine Power and Vertue went forth and they were judged comforted or confirmed in themselves and they no Fools though J. Faldo calls such things Fooleries and Pupppet-Playes To deny this is to overthrow Spiritual Fellowship in the Ground of it and to center in this Atheistical Notion That all our Knowledge of God comes in by our carnal Eyes and Ears that is What others have written and what others have told me that I believe and therefore I believe and not from the Testimony of this Infallible Spirit of God in my self which Credulity renders him more like Rome in that wherein she is condemnable then any thing he can truly suggest of us but this gross Doctrine being so obviously taught by our Adversary in his first Book second Part p. 91. we have the less Reason to wonder that Fooleries and Puppet-Playes are the best Words he can bestow upon the divine Consolation Refreshment and Communion of the holy Spirit within Men. We will add these Testimonies as the Conclusion of this Chapter W. Tindal in his Works p. 250. Church the Elect in whose Hearts God hath written his Law with his Holy Spirit and given them a feeling Faith of the Mercy that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. D. Barns's Works p. 244. The Holy Church of Christ is nothing else but that Congregation that is sanctified in Spirit redeemed with Christ's Blood and sticketh fast and sure alonely to the Promises that he made therein So that the Church is a Spiritual Thing and no exteriour Thing but invisible from Carnal Eyes I say not that they be invisible that be of the Church but that holy Church in her self is invisible as Faith is and her Pureness and Cleanness is before Christ only and not before the World for the World hath no Judgment nor Knowledge of her but all her Honour and Cleanness is before Christ sure and fast Peter Martyr fourth part of Common Places cap. 1 pag. 1. The Name of a Church is derived of the Greek verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to call for none can be Partakers thereof which come not thereunto by the Calling of God And to define it we say that it is a Company of Believers and regenerate Persons whom God gathereth together in Christ by the Word and the Holy Ghost It is every where called the Body of Christ because all the Members thereof have him for their Head of whom by the Joints and Sinnews they take their growing and attain unto Life by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost Christoph Goad p. 37. 'T is a sad thing that there are Churches that think it is enough there is a Form of Godliness that we are in Church-Fellowship and so lie down together and sleep I have no Quarrel with Churches or any Form but such as have not the Spirit in them here are all asleep asleep in Death T. Collier's Works p. 42. The Church of Christ under the Gospel are the Spiritual Seed the Seed according to the Promise T. Collier p. 102. The Church which is Christ's Kingdom are a People Saints
to be the Effect or purchase of inward Righteousness and Holiness for its impossible but the free Love and Mercy of God yet without the Holy Sanctifying or Regenerating Work of God in the Heart by the Operation of his Eternal Spirit whereby to do the Will of God as it is in Heaven it is impossible to have Access into God's Tabernable and Holy Hill much less to be justified by him And indeed as true Repentance which is the beginning of the Work of Sanctfication opens the Way for the Remission of Sins that are past which I call the first part of Justification so is Regeneration or Sanctification throughout in Body Soul and Spirit as well the compleating of Justification as Sanctification consequently it is that second Part of Justification because it is a making Man just by Nature who was before Just but by Imputation that is he that was accounted just by not having Sin imputed through Repentance and Faith in the Love of God declared in and by Christ is now inwardly made more just because made Holy as God is Holy Levit. 20. 7. Perfect as his Heavenly Father is perfect Mat. 5. 48. Righteous even as God is Righteous 1 John 3. 7. through the effectual Working of the Holy Ghost There are Two Scriptures which prove this The one is 1 Cor. 1. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption where the word Justification is left out and yet the Thing Justification doubtless included and implyed The other is Rom. 8. 30. Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified where Sanctification is left out yet without Dispute the word Justification includes it Nor are we alone in this Judgment since both Ancient and Modern Writers avouch the same Irenaeus adv Heres lib. 4. cap. 30. Irenaeus Disciple to Polycarpus who was Disciple to John the Divine Apostle sayes Justiantem Patres virtute Decalogi conscriptam habentes in cordibus sâ—is legem The Patriarchs sayes he were justified by vertue of the Law written in their Hearts Again Lib. 3. cap. 4. He speaks of many Nations of the Barbarians of whom they that believe in Christ have Salvation written in their Hearts by the Spirit without Paper or Ink. Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. lib. 7. And sayes Clemens Alexandrinus who lived in the same Century Ye are made of him to be Righteous as he is Righteous and leavened of the Holy Ghost Orig. Epist ad Rom. L. 4. c. 4. And Origen also tells us Therefore Christ Justified them only who have betaken themselves to a New Life by the Example of his Resurrection and have cast away the Old Garments of Unrighteousness and Iniquity as the Cause of Death Thus far of Fathers Of the Reformers from Popery H. Bullenger Decad. 1. Serm. 6. de Justif H. Bullenger thus To justifie signifieth to remit Offences that is as I distinguisht the first part but hear what followeth to cleanse to sanctifie and to give utterance of Life Everlasting Again Justification is taken in this present Treatise for the Absolution and Remission of Sins for Sanctification and Adoption into the Number of the Sons of God D. Barns's Works p. 243 244 245. To him I will add D. Barnes Burnt in Henry the Eighth's Dayes who in his Discourse of the True Church against the Romish Bishops asserts in full and pathetical Expressions That what gives her Acceptance in the Sight of God is her being presented to God by Christ her Head without Spot through the Washing of Regeneration B. Downam of Justif chap. 1. So Bishop Downam of Justification distinguisheth and determineth this Point almost in the very same Terms I will conclude with some Passages out of J. Spirgg's Book entituled A Testimony to an Approaching Glory J. Sprig Test p. 81 82 83 84 85 88 89. We may be bold to say after Christ That Flesh profitteth nothing If you only know Christ's Dying and Rising without you it will profit you nothing except you have him Dying and Rising within you Error in this is the Root of the Dead Faith whereof the World is full Paul doth not say that the Hearing that Christ dyed for the Sins of Men doth make them free No there was the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Here is that which puts a Difference when the Spirit of Jesus Christ brings the Covenant to the Heart of a poor Creature when the Spirit of Adoption and Sonship revealing us God as our Father revealing God in Vnion with us our Righteousness and our Strength he doth indeed seal us to the Day of Redemption He sets apart Christ's Sheep this distinguisheth them from the other So that if you lay your Salvation upon an Historical Christ ye will be deceived If you will have that in which you may confide you must have Christ revealed in you in the Spirit This is the sum of all I desire to commend unto you that we are not justified we are not sanctified by Christ's dying by Christ's suffering in the Flesh only That is not the compleat Ministration of our Salvation There indeed we see our Salvation as in a Glass and it is transacted as in a Figure as in the History but then are we actually sanctified wher as God doth send that same Spirit of Adoption into our Hearts revealing unto us the Love of the Father and revealing unto us our Reconciliation that Reconciliation that was held forth to us on the Cross but which is dispensed unto us by our being offered up upon the Cross as Christ was All these Persons put great Value upon the Inward Work of God and Christ in the Heart and plainly determine Sanctification and Justification to be one and the same thing but if any one have the Preference the Scripture it self gives it to Sanctification 1 Cor. 6. 11. Know ye not that the Vnrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor Abusers of themselves with Mankind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God and such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of our God H. Grotius expounds the word sanctified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accepistis spiritum sanctum ye have received the Holy Ghost and the word Justified majores quotidie in justitia fecistis progressus ye have made daily greater progress in Righteousness And D. Hammond in his Annotations upon the fifth Chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Righteousness a being first sanctified and then justified To end this Chapter serious Reader It is our Faith that Christ to conform us to his Heavenly Image who have
Why did Christ say I thank Thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and revealed them unto Babes if they are discoverable by humane Reasoning for Babes are ignorant of that Art yet out of the Mouth of Babes and Sucklings c. The Apostle's Question 1 Cor. 1. 20. was very impertinent if J. Faldo may be of Authority who said Where is the Wise Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer c. for this implies an Exclusion of all those Arts Sciences and Natural Gifts from any Capacity to reveal the deep Things of God shut up in the Divine Principle of Life Besides W. S's Words imply a Clouded Understanding and degenerated and therefore Uncapable J. F. must either intend by his Derision that he thinks W. S. deserves to be hiss'd for denying the Knowledge of Divine Things to be attainable by the Degenerated Understanding of Man or sanctified If the first All may have Cause to abhor his False Doctrine If the latter I would know which way that can be without the Divine Principle of Life This abundantly manifests J. Faldo's unsavory Spirit and proves him to be ignorant of the Way Method Work of God in his Children When the Natural Man by his Reason can know Christ he may know his Sheep the Scriptures and the Power of God and not before but because it is impossible in Reasoning or Arguing pro and con by the utmost Strength and Search of Natural Abilities to know Christ but by the Revelation of the Spirit of God alone as hath been abundantly proved therefore William Smith's words are sound and weighty and J. Faldo's carnal and prophane showing himself to be a Mocker of the Priviledges and Mysteries of the Gospel but what else may we expect from one that walks after the Lusts of his own vain Mind having not the Spirit Jude 18 19. Yet that we may manifest how inconsistent he is with himself as that he can't write against us but he must write for us take this Passage out of Quakerism No Christianity which ought alwayes to begin his Books against us upon this subject as it ends this Chapter of mine Those Gospel-Illuminations are beyond the utmost reach of our Natural Faculties of the Mind though sanctified and therefore it is said to be 2 Tim. 3. 16. Divinely inspired It is not produced in the Exercise of the Rational Faculties the Soul is purely passive or receptive therein and is to those Illuminations as the Wax is to the Seal CHAP. XV. His several gross Miscarriages summ'd and further observed I. Of his Over-looking my Answer and Arguments OF Twenty Two Chapters in his Reply there is not one of them in which he hath not wilfully declined inserting my Answer and Arguments and only flutters about pecks and scratches at some part that is of least moment to the Reason of the Point perhaps some Rebuke or Reflection upon the ill use he makes of our Friends Writings particularly pag. 9 22 23 24 30 31 35 53 56 57 71 73 82 83 85 86 90 92 93. How is it possible my Arguments should be conquered when they were never encounter'd I was never yet so unjustly dealt withal in this Particular by any Adversary of his Pretences II. Of his drawing False Inferences Where he ventures at any time to insert any considerable part of my Answer he is sure to draw some Inference that may bring an Odium my words never deserved I could particularize at large pag. 6 13 17 18 31 35 41 42 47 49 71 72 73 74 75 85 86 87 88 89 90 91. but take these following for the rest 1. From Edw. Burroughs Reflecting upon Peoples imagining God to be confined to some place beyond the Stars he implies they deny Christ's Manhood Vindic. pag. 6. 2. From our not styling the Scriptures the Word but Words of God he infers that we deny the Scriptures First Book p. 18 19. 3. From our Asserting the Doctrine of Inspiration and Certainty of what we are inspired either to write or speak he infers not only our Equalling with but preferring what we speak and write before the Scriptures First Book pag. 40. Vind. p. 17. 4. From our Condemning the Imitation of any of the Holy Men of God of former Ages in particular Cases without they are thereunto required by the Spirit of the Lord he infers that Commands of God in Scriptures are no Commands unless we think so and that it is no Sin to break all Commands in the Bible if our Consciences can but be so blinded as to tell us it is no Sin Vind. p. 34 35. 5. From our Asserting that there is no knowing of God but by the Spirit and that Mens Apprehensions of God and his Work in the Souls of his People are but the Endeavours and Effects of the Wisdom of the Flesh he infers that we oppose the Spirit and the Scriptures nay that we reject and scorn them Vind. pag. 41 42 47. 6. From our denying a Carnal Worldly Mercenary Ministry Lifeless Prayers a meer formal Church Preaching and not by the Spirit and W. Smith's saying that the present Use of Bread and Wine and Water called Baptism and the Supper as they are used at this Day are no other then Popish and Humane he infers that the Quakers deny the Gospel-Ministry Gospel-Prayer Gospel-Church Gospel-Preaching and that we CALL Baptism and the Lord's Supper as PRACTISED IN THE FIRST AGE AFTER CHRIST the Popes Inventions c. Vind. from p. 49. to p. 71. Oh Injurious 7. From our reproving People for feeding in an Unconverted State upon the meer Report of what Christ hath done without them and depending thereon from our asserting that Justification taken for Remission goes not before Repentance which is an inward Work much less that Men can be compleatly justifi'd or made inwardly just but by the washing of the Word of Regeneration Sanctification of the Eternal Spirit this Man dares to infer Our Denyal yea our Vndervalue and that to the Degree of Blasphemous Contempt of the Transactions of Christ at Jerusalem Vind. p. 71 72 73 74. 8. From J. Penning asking If outward Blood would cleanse the Conscience from indwelling Sin he infers that we deny all Benefit by the Blood of Christ shed upon the Cross for the declaring of Remission of Sins Rom. 3. 25. First Book 2. Part p. 46 47. Vind. 77. 9. From our chusing to call that Body God prepared in which to do his Will the Body of Christ rather then the Christ of God And from our asserting God to be that Light which enlightens every Man and that the Soul of Man had something of the Life of God in its primitive Perfection he makes no more ado but concludes First That we deny the Christ of God 2dly That we make the Measure of Light in every Man the Eternal God thereby confining him to Man's Soul And lastly That the Soul of Man is
Coming in the Flesh and that which Christ Jesus and his Apostles taught was not in kind but in degreâ— only the Ceremonial part excepted which the same Clemens calls childish and Trifling and the Apostle Paul Beggarly Elements serving only the non-Age of the World in Religion and therefore to be laid aside upon a more improved Knowledge and full Enjoyment of it And this Christ's own Sermon upon the Mount clearly evinceth who runs the Sin of Adultery as far beyond the Act as the first lustful Desire conceived in the mind And from true Swearing to yea yea and nay nay and from loving our Friends to loving our Enemiese and from self-saving to suffering I say unless we should with the Uncertain and Irreverent J. Faldo exclude the Life Doctrine and Miracles of Christ from any share in Christianity because sayes he it s dated with more reason from Christ's Resurrection and consequently Christ Jesus before but an extraordinary kind of Jew we must needs conclude that as the tendency of Christ's Life and Miracles was to preach live and confirm his divine Doctrine so the very bent of that Doctrine was the Improvement and Perfection of that Righteousness which in former Ages was but begun and more imperfectly manifested so that to be under Grace is not to live in the Breach of God's Law Uncondemned through Christ's personal Obedience wrought wholely without us but to be led to deny all that Vngodliness and those Worldly Lusts for which the Law takes hold upon the World according to the Apostle to the Romans There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit implying that who walked after the Flesh were so long not under Grace but under Condemnation Again For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death that is not only from Death the Wages but from Sin the Work that leads to it yet further For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in vs who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit So that to be under Grace is to be under the Government Leadings of it and to enjoy that divine Power which fulfills the Law and redeems from those Corruptions which prove men rather to be alive without Law then under Grace that fulfils it Upon the whole since some in all Ages have been taught to deny Ungodliness and to live godly and that they could not so have done without the Grace that brings Salvation And since the Seed of the Serpent has been bruised in them and that it could not be without Christ the promised Seed and since such were then turned from Darkness unto Light and from Satan's Power unto God and that all this is purely Gospel and Christian something of Christianity was in the World before that visible Appearance of Christ from whose Name the true Religion was so called For though there have been Diversities of Gifts yet the same Spirit though Difference of Administration yet the same Lord. And though God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past to the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Son yet he was the same God who spoak by the Prophets that spoak by the Son though it is always confest not in so plain express and excellent a manner the Difference therefore lay in the Manifestation rather then in the Thing manifested For through all Generations there has been but one Seed Truth Grace Word Life Power or Spirit by which any of the Sons and Daughters of Men were ever saved and consequently J. Faldo has greatly wrong'd the true Christian-Religion as well as contradicted the Ancient Writers and abused us in dating Christianity from the time of Christ's Bodily Resurrection and so bitterly reflecting upon them that conform not to his narrow and false Apprehensions CHAP. II. Of Quakerism as this Independent Priest scoffingly calls our holy Religion IN my Defence of the Truth we profess shewing not only the Consistency of it with Christianity but proving it to be Christianity there are Four Passages he takes an abrupt notice of His words concerning the first run thus Rep. To purge away the Character I give of a Quaker he tells you p. 9. We never said that the Light within every Man was the only Lord and Saviour and very God let him shew us any such Passage of any one acknowledged Quaker and he will say something Now Reader observe his Reply The Man cannot see Wood for Trees I quoted him Forty Places in my Book that will prove it For instance All Power in Heaven and Earth is in it Smith's Primmer p. 14. Again I will make you know that I the Light which lighteth every man that eomes into the World am the true eternal God G. Fox junior c. These I quoted in my Book yet could Penn say I thought to be believed hand over head Rejoyn That this Adversary is base with a Witness remember Reader that there is not One Testimony much less Forty in that place I quoted and unto which my Answer was made Next observe how he suggests my smothering of those Testimonies he brings whereas I have particularly answered the latter which includes the force or tendency of the former and five more of his falsly pretended forty But to the Point That I cannot see Wood for Trees is a very mean and wooden Reply what I have said in my former Book stands unanswered and indeed is Vnanswerable I shall contract it thus No man that believes Scripture will dare to deny that God is Light That every Man is enlightened by Him and that by Him who is called Light all things are upheld And that He alone is Saviour A Doctrine J. Faldo teaches pag. 84 85 89. That we never did assert that the God that made Heaven and Earth was comprehendible within the Soul of Man yet that he gave Light to the Soul of Man To which with much more he returns us not one word of Answer but would make People believe it has been the course I have taken with him To conclude He must either deny Christ to have all Power in Heaven and Earth to be the True Eternal God or that He who has that Power and is that God is not that True Light that enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World or his Labour is but very Vanity whose Wages will be Vexation of Spirit But thus far we are well assured that J. Faldo for all his Shews of Reverence to the Scripture overturns the most evident Testimonies therein contained by withstanding and defaming this one Assertion that God who is Light shines not in the Heart of any Man on
on this Passage in Job But there is a Spirit in Man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth him Understanding There is no man saith he that doth not partake of the Spirit and from Almighty God and his Spirit Vnderstanding and Wisdom is to be sought Adds Clarius there is no Vnderstanding in men nisi ab altissimo afflentur unless they be inspired from the Most High Drusius is yet clearer Our Eternal Help is from God who illuminates our Minds without whom we are unable to understand any thing in Divine Matters and that inspires men with that Vnderstanding which neither Age nor Industry nor Doctrine of any man can possibly give Cradock a famous Independent-Preacher tells us That if men had all the Sermons that ever they heard recorded in their Memory though some may think them very knowing yet truly they might be miserable confused and blind For that it is the Spirit of God alone in the Heart clears orders assures and settles things yea that the Scripture is a dead and speechless thing without the Spirit of God This sayes he is the exceeding Greatness of the Power of the Spirit of God And it is a wonderful thing to see how quickly the Spirit of God will make a Schollar ripe In short as to him he greatly extolls the Dispensation of the Spirit and pag. 210. ventures at a kind of Prophecy That in these latter times God will exalt his Spirit and throw down every thing that exalts it self against the Spirit and stands in his Light He affirms the Spirit to be within that the Children of God are taught by it for sayes he If thou be a Saint thou hast the Spirit of God as truly dwelling in thee as in the Lord Jesus Christ now Blasphemy and that the Way to know this Spirit to be in us is from its own Evidence and that it is the Way to know it in others too from whence he draws such kind of Conclusions That the Lord Jesus is anointed and so are they we have the same Vnction with Christ we have the same Offices with Christ we have the same Love of God the same Spirit and the same Kingdom with Christ The Church is the Fulness of Jesus Christ It is said of the Oyl that was poured on Aaron It ran upon the Skirts of his Garments so Christ being anointed that Oyl runs on us Nay the least Saint is as real a Prophet Priest and King as the Lord Jesus was for he dwells in him only in all things he must have the Preheminence William Dell no small man in the Account of many who profess not themselves to be Quakers positively saith in Answer to this Objection That men now are not to receive the Spirit in that immediate way to understand the Scriptures in which it was given to them who wrote the Scriptures â—he very Point depending between J. Faldo and me Surely Mr. Simpson will not deny that the Spirit is given to that whole Church which is the Body of Christ seeing Paul saith If any man have not Christ's Spirit he is none of his he is no Member of his Now the Spirit is alwayes given to whomsoever it is given by the Father and the Son as Christ taught his Disciples promising them that the Father would send the Spirit to them in his Name And also that he himself would send it to them from the Father and was this Promise only made to them and not to all the Faithful also Doth not Paul say Rom. 12. 13. of the whole Church that by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body and are all made to drink into one Spirit because ye are Sons God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father Gal. cap. 4. And do they not receive it alike immediatetly from God Who can give the Spirit of God to Man but God himself When God promised to pour out his Spirit in the last dayes upon all Flesh did he name any Difference in the pouring of it out saying some shall receive it immediately and some mediately No But all who receive it receive it alike immediately from him And by this Spirit saith W. Dell did Holy Men speak the Scripture and by this onely do Holy Men of God understand the Scripture To this Objection that Men now are to get Knowledge to wit of the Scripture by Studies and humane Learning and not by Inspiration still the very matter betwixt us he boldly briefly and smartly answers This Doctrine carryes the visible Mark of Antichrist upon it For it is only the Inspiration of God that enables a man to know the things of God and not a man's Study or humane Learning It is not in this case in him that wills and runs but in God that sheweth Mercy Wherefore Christ hath said No man knoweth the Son but the Father and he to whomsoever the Father will reveal him Wherefore Paul prayes for the Ephesians that God would give them the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Christ without which Spirit of Revelation Christ and the Father can never be known Wherefore to deny the Inspiration of God's Spirit now is the most gross and palpable Doctrine of Antichrist and his Prophets To confirm what he writes He brings several Testimonies out of Chrisostom Wickliff Tindall 〈◊〉 Luther Latimer and Calvin I will transscribe but two of them Of the Knowledge of the Gospel Zwinglius speaks thus We must needs be taught of God not of Men for this is the Saying of the eternal Truth which knows not how to Lye John 6. Luther gives us his Mind thus The Scriptures are not to be understood but by that very Spirit by which they were writ No man sees one jot or tittle in the Scriptures but he that hath the Spirit of God For all men have a darkened Heart in such sort that if they could speak and know how to bring forth all things of the Scripture yet have they not any true Sense or right Knowledge of them For saith Luther The Spirit is required to the Vnderstanding of the whole Scripture and of every part thereof To this I am willing to add the Testimony of a Famous English Godly and Learned Martyr John Philpot in a Conference with Bishop Bonner in his eleaventh Examination before him and several other Bishops B. Bonner asking what meanest thou by writing in the beginning of thy Bible Spiritus est vicarius Christi in terris The Spirit is Christ's Vicar on Earth Philpot gave him Answer after this manner That Christ since his Ascension worketh all things in us by his Spirit and by his Spirit doth dwell in us Again in Answer to one Morgan who mockingly queried Have you alone the Spirit of God and not we he thus answered I say not that I alone had the Spirit of God But as many as abide in the true Faith of Christ have the Spirit of God as well as I.
Rule and Controversie on foot were manifestly implyed especially when I made no Advantage to my self by it But every such little thing must be called by a hard Name or John Faldo would have little to write and but a few to believe his Books But to the Point avoiding many Occasions for severe Reflection Perhaps he grants us what we can desire For upon my asserting that what was and is more general then the Scriptures is most properly the General Rule he replies Rep. I never affirmed them to be a general Rule nor is it that I charge the Quakers for denying but I charge them with denying them to be any Rule at all of Faith and Life he mistakes the Question and yields my Charge to be their Principle and pleads for it p. 54. Rejoyn If that be not the Question how have I granted the Question Do I plead for his Charge because I plead against the Scriptures being the General Rule p. 54. which he sayes is no part of the Charge and what himself undertakes not to contradict But sure I am if the Scriptures be not the General Rule as he implies and thereby cuts his own Throat and grants to the Quakers the Question as largely as needs to be They are not The Rule by way of Excellency or the Rule by which God's People in all Ages have walked for that was and is General So that the Scripture upon his own Concession is but a particular Rule and therefore must be subservient to the Spirit who is the great Evangelical Rule as are many other Instruments that have been made use of upon several Occasions He might have learn'd thus much in p. 53. of my Answer where I say that we acknowledge the Scriptures to contain many Holy Rules for Godliness I would know of him how that could be and yet deny them to be a Rule in any sense But we have good Reason to deny them to be the Rule of Faith and Judge of Controversies who can neither give nor govern Faith nor Judge of Controversies as the many different Perswasions in the World fully prove for then all that have the Scriptures would be of one Perswasion as it is most certain those are who have and walk by the One Spirit VVherefore since the Scriptures themselves testifie to the Spirit as the great Judge Rule and Leader especially under the New Covenant where the Law is not written on Tables of Stone much less Paper but of Flesh to wit the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men the Spirit and not the Scripture must be the Rule of Faith and Judge of Controversie In short The Scripture cannot try a present Motion or Prophecy Bad Spirits are wholely hid from it For Instance Paul reproved not the Spirit that cryed These are the Servants of the Most High God that shew unto us the VVay of Eternal Life from the Scriptures neither did Peter Deceitful Ananias but from the heavenly Instinct and Savour Relish or Discerning they received from the Spirit of God within them 'T was in a Case of such Difficulty that some in these late Times have writ That the Scripture gave no general standing Rule for all particular Cases in fleeing or standing in Times of Persecution but that it was the Frame of the Spirits of the People of God to retire at that season which whether it be true or false that the Spirit of God did so influence them two things are undeniable first That it was the Frame of their Spirits witness their Practice secondly That the Scripture was not sufficient for them to square themselves by on that Occasion And what else do Professors mean when they advise People to seek the Lord in this or the other Case why do they not go seek the Scriptures rather Doth not such a Practice manifestly detect the Scriptures of Insufficiency and evidently prove their Acknowledgment both of Revelation and their Recourse to a more Living Spiritual Immediate and Sufficient Rule VVhy else do they seek God's Mind say they by Prayers not formal but by the Spirit But this is become despised Heresie with J. Faldo For Faith in his Sense rises no higher then so many Articles laid down suppose truly according to the bare Letter of the Scriptures which the Devil can believe as well as he This Faith I call meerly Verbal and Historical of which the Scripture may be a Rule but not of Saving Faith for of that Faith only the Spirit can be the Rule and why because the Spirit of God alone reveals him to the Soul who is the Object of Faith and works Faith in the Soul upon that Object and as this only begets Faith so it increases enlivens rules governs and strengthens Faith unto Dominion This alone unfolds those Mysteries spoak of in the Scriptures Wherefore answered the Eunuch unto Philip when he queried Understandest thou what thou readest How should I unless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I had a guide as sayes our old English Translation which implies That the things declared of by the Scriptures are not to be understood from the Scriptures but a more Living Spiritual and Certain Guide Wherefore we affirm That Repentance Faith Sanctification Justification Redemption Regeneration c. are all a Mystery never to be disclosed but by the Revelation and Operation of the Spirit of God in Man the Scripture can only testfie to such things that they are but it is the Spirit alone that works them and illuminates guides governs and rules the Soul in and about such things 'T is true all the Spirit leads to is according to the Scriptures it overturns them not for they declare of most of these Operations yet because we believe know and witness them from the Conviction and Operation of the Spirit before we can possibly understand them in Scripture therefore the Scripture is but a Declaration and not the Rule of Faith c. And the only best way to determine any Controversie on foot about Repentance Faith Sanctification Justification c. is the Judgment of that Spirit which works them For how can the Scripture that has so many Meanings put upon it determine which of those meanings is the true Let them shew me that Scripture that plainly and uninterpretatedly tells me such a Proposition is True and such a one is False that consists only of their additional Meanings such a new Nick-named People right and such wrong and they do their Business if they cannot as it is impossible they should they must have recourse to something else to rule determine and what can that be besides that Eternal Spirit which worked the true Faith and ruled the holy Life of those Ancients who gave forth this Declaration of Faith and Life Can any Man tâ—ll another's Mind better then himself or resolve any Doubt or clear up any Mis-understanding concerning what is delivered better then he that spoak it To understand those holy Men's Mind and disprove them that mistake it
Coherence in Matter and Intelligibleness of Language to all Nations which may render them such a Rule Besides it is more then probable that much of the Writings of the New Testament are lost from Luke ' s Word 's in the beginning of his History where he tells us that he was but ONE OF THE MANY who did set forth a Declaration of those things which were most surely believed amongst them even sayes he as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning were Eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word For it must be considered when Luke writ his Narrative that John's History was not in being and some will have it that Luke wrote before Mark But whether it be so or no certain it is that Mark and Matthew could not make up those many that took that Work in hand neither can we think he should call Matthew and Mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie with the Athenians a Multitude for a certain Learned Man will have it That no better Greek was spoken then that wherein Luke wrote his History That those Narratives were not Apocriphal but at least of equal Authority with his dedicated to Theophilus his own words tell us For those that writ were such as related what they received from Eye-witnesses and the first Ministers of the VVord Besides which there were in the Apostles Age and the two following Centuries several Writings reputed genuine which either dyed out of the World through that Neglect brought upon them by the Advantage some accounted Hereticks might make of them in Defence of their Opinions or stifled by the subtilty of the Romish Church being more expresly opposite to her growing Superstition and Grandeur And for such Writings as still remain among us methinks it should not be unknown to a Man of J. Faldo's Pretences to Learning how much the Authority of several of them has been questioned by some and exploded by others though never by any of us particularly the Epistle to the Hebrews the Epistle of James second and third of John second of Peter Jude the Revelations and with some Matthew's History it self has not escaped the like Censure Of which Reader thou hast an Account at large in that Notable French-Man Dallaeus De usa Patrum and a late Discourse mainly directed against the Roman Church entituled Christoph Christophori Sandy Nucleas Historiae Ecclesiasticae I would not any from hence should repute me so Impious as to endeavour to weaken the Testimony of Scripture or beget any the least Doubt of the Doctrine thereby declared only upon our Adversary's Principles which so strongly oppugn'd the Doctrine of Revelation or Inspiration I must take leave to conclude in his Name and upon his Principles that the VVord of God is imperfect and a great part of the Rule of Faith and Life and Judge of Controversie is lost and that he has no more Reason to believe the Truth of those great things related in that part of the Scriptures yet remaining then any Legend at Rome For exclude Revelation and what Ground has he for his Faith besides Tradition and what Evidence can he give us upon his Principles of the Truth of the former and Falshood of the latter These Councils and Synods who collected and canonized them he accepts for one part and rejects for the other Again he trusts their Judgment in picking and chusing and yet rejects their Interpretation as if it were not so difficult to relish Genuine from Spurious Scriptures as when rightly discerning them to be such to understand them which is an absolute Contradiction For how should they know true from False and not understand the True That Council which made the Writings of the New Testament Canonical left out the Revelations as Apocriphal yet I hope J. Faldo accepts that as heartily and unquestionably as the rest And that Council which took in the Revelations and made it first Canonical brought in with it the Books of Tobi Judith c. which J. Faldo I suppose with all his Brethren rejects as Apocriphal Thus are meer Men and the Judgments of such Councils as he otherwise rejects his Rule for believing the Scriptures that remain to be Canonical if it be proper to say the first is the Rule of his Canon which is too short and the other which is superfluous as by his Account My next Question is What was his Rule for believing those Councils I am sure he must have been without all other then a Willingness to believe so because they said so which how like this is to his Papist unto whom he would resemble us let all sober Protestants consider I cannot see how he is able to oppugn any thing they say upon Tradition who mounts no higher for his Assurance then Tradition and such too as rests mostly within their Hands But if it shall be granted us that to know Scripture to have been given forth upon Inspiration Men must have Recourse to Inspiration then not so much Councils and Synods as the Inspiration of the Almighty which gives certain Understanding is our Rule in the Case as well saith the Assembly of Divines in their Confession of Faith chap. 1. § 4. The Authority of the holy Scripture for which it ougâ—t to be believ'd and obeyed depends not on the Testimony of any man or Church but only upon God who is Truth it self the Author thereof And since J. Faldo himself confesseth the Spirit necessary to the Vnderstanding of the Scripture which implies the Insufficiency of the Scripture to give that Understanding of it self the Spirit must be the Rule of our Vnderstanding the Scripture as it was before the Rule of our Faith concerning the Divine Authority of Scripture For the Light of the Interpreter and not the Thing interpreted is the Rule both of Faith and Practice which is undeniably evident from the reconciling of seeming Contradictions If the meer Letter of the Scripture were to be followed no Man could ever make them meet in the same Truth The many Different Perswasions at this Day about Religion prove this whose respective Authors and Abettors think it no mean Advantage to their Cause that they hold the Scriptures to be their Rule But such as come unto the Spirit of God know and believe the Truth as it is in Jesus David ' s Key that opens and none shuts is given unto them and the Secrets of their God remain with them This reconciles those seeming Contradictions and leads through the Greatest and Deepest Truths mentioned in Scripture without the least Doubt or Stumble This is the Super-excellent Benefit of the New-Covenant Administration the Promise of the Father the Instructer Leader and Comforter of all God's Children And for a further Account of which I refer the Reader to my Book entituled The Spirit of Truth Vindicated from pag. 16. to pag. 47. and Reason against Railing from pag. 24. to pag. 46. To prove his former Charge he produces this Passage out of James Naylor
Rejoyn What can there be more conceited then this He must live very lonely and far from Neighbours that proclaims so much Praise to himself and have wonderful Confidence to bid Defiance so vainly to others Reader I beseech thee for the Truth 's sake on whose side soever thou shalt find it to be to examine with all impartiallity his Charge our Answer his Reply and our Rejoynder If his Honesty Reason and Justice hold any proportion to his great Confidence we yield But if upon an impartial Consideration he shall be found to clip and pervert our Matter and to shuffle with us in his own once do a poor People Right in giving Judgment against his horrible injustice The Charge thou hast heard the Proof was this That is no Command of God to me what he Commanded to another Did any of the Saints which we read of act by that Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves c Now before I give my Answer as it was set down in my Book I shall insert his Quotation of my Answer Rep. To this saith P. I answer briefly and plainly and he is as good as his word No Commands saith he in the Scripture are any further oblieging upon any Man then as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise Men should be eâ—gaged without if not against Conviction a thing Vnreasonable in a Man Rejoyn He has a notable Way of Contracting his Adversary's Answers I will set down what I writ faithfully plainly and briefly Edward Burroughs's Expression may be taken two ways both safe enough to the Honour and Credit of the Scripture though not to the Charity or Honesty of J. Faldo Now follows that part he cited No Command in the Scripture is any further oblieging upon any Man then as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise men should be engag'd without if not against Conviction a thing Unreasonable in a Man Therefore the Apostle when he wrote to the Churches exhorted them not to do those things whereof they were ashamed to shun what was manifested to be Evil and affirms that whatever might be known of God was manifested within for God had shown it unto them So that Conviction can only obliege to Obedience and since what works that Conviction is the manifesting Light universal Grace or quickening Spirit in the Heart of Mankind it follows that the principal Ground for our Faith in the Scriptures and Reason of our Obedience to the Holy Precepts therein contained is the Manifestation Conviction and secret Drawings of the Light or Spirit of God in the Conscience And thus E. B's words are sound and scriptural Again Such Commands either relate to Ordinary or Extraordinary Cases By Ordinary Cases I mean such as chiefly concern Faith and holy Life which are general permanent and indispensible and then I deny his Consequence By Extraordinary Cases I understand Moses's going to Pharoah the Prophets several manners of Appearance to the Kings Priests and People of Israel with other Temporary Commands relating to outward Services c. And so we say that what is commanded One Man is not binding as such upon another But when the Lord shall say If thou sinnest thou shalt dye If thou keepest my Commands thou shalt live Be ye holy for I the Lord your God am holy For your selves KNOW YE NOT how ye ought to follow us c. I say these Precepts and Examples are oblieging upon all why because they more or less meet with a Conviction in the Consciences of all For I am perswaded none that has a reasonable Soul who has not out-liv'd his Day but would readily say These are true and weighty Sayings For Faith in God and a holy self-denying Life are necessary both to Temporal and Eternal Happiness It was Reader to this sober Answer he flung out his fore-going Rant and makes this following Comment and Reply Viz. sayes J. Faldo Rep. They are no Commands unless we think so 'T is no Sin to break all the Commands in the Bible if our Consciences can be so blind dead or hardened as not to tell us 't is a Sin They who thought they did God good Service in killing his Servants did not sin in the least because they were not convinced of a Command to the contrary To vindicate my whole Chapter concerning the Scriptures 'T is a Principle that hath all Iniquity in the Womb of it Who can find Names for such Impious Principles Penn hath opposed scorned the Truth vilified its Teachers and Defenders so as scarce never Man did vented the most pernicious Errors told abundance of those things that are known to himself to be false Rejoyn Reader This is all the Justice and Reason I can have from this pretended meek and suffering Non-conforming Parson What would such Men do had they as much Power as Anger But I shall leave him with his Pride and Passion Is there any thing more clear then that he extends the words of E. Burroughs to Ordinary Cases which were wholely writ about Extraordinary and that he takes no more notice of my Distinction then if there had been none made As if it had been formerly an equal Sin for any not to be Circumcised and to Murder his Father or Prince or that there was the same Conviction universally upon the Consciences of all Men not to wear Linsey-Wolsey as to do by others as they would have others do to them That what we say was E. Burroughs's Meaning his own words undeniably prove One sayes he was sent to baptize and another to preach the Gospel which were particular and extraordinary Commands He clearly shuffles evades the dint of my Answer would run us within the Borders of Rantism The Question is not Are God's Commands no Commands unless we think so and therefore no Sin to break all the Commands in the Bible which is the Comment he bestows upon us but whether this or that especial Injunction to any Particular Person or Persons to this or that parculiar End be warrantably imitable without sufficient Conviction and Commission Must J. F. Baptize because John Baptized or turn Preacher because Peter was one E. B. only denyed Imitation of Ancient Times in Temporary and Shadowy Services and all those Preachings Prayers Ordinances and Churches that have not as Peter Martyr well expresses it the holy Spirit for their Root So that instead of his holding a Principle that hath all Iniquity in the Womb of it John Faldo first perverts his words and then to confute them both implies a Denyal of the holy Spirit to be the only right Leader to the Performance of Gospel-Prayer Preaching and Ordinances and of gathering of Evangelical Churches and does as good as tell us that God's Commandments are such to him not because of any Conviction in himself of the Justness of them but from the Testimony of the Scriptures which for all his high Boasts of Christianity is a State
dangerous then reading the Scriptures Reader 't is worth our while to see if I. Penington be as bad a Man as J. Faldo represents him in order to which I ask First May a Man that reads and pretends to value the Scriptures from up an Vnderstanding of them and yet be absolutely mistaken for want of the True Interpreter the Spirit of Truth I cannot think but J. Faldo himself will say that such a thing may be I am sure I believe so for it hath often been so already and J. Faldo's present Writings are an Unanswerable Instance for the Point The next Question I would ask is this Whether such Persons so mistaken are not very apt in Defence of their own Conceivings to oppose the Truth it self Methinks the whole Jewish Church at the time of Christ's Visible Appearance in the World in disputing against him and decrying of his Religion while they magnify'd the Scriptures as the only great Doctors of them should without further Labour answer that Question in the Affirmative Next Let me ask J. Faldo If the high Conceit the Jews had of their Knowledge in the Commands Doctrines and Prophecies of Scripture however Erroneous for want of the True Interpreter did not render them more captious and obdurate then the Heathen themselves If he can read the Scriptures of the New Testament he may answer this Question to our Mind and his own Shame Lastly Was not this State more dangerous then that of the Gentiles God himself long since resolv'd this Question when he brought such heavy Judgments upon the Jews and turn'd the Stream of his Love to the Gentiles It was not for nought those words were left upon record He came to his own and his own received him not That is He came to the Nation and People of all others God had selected for his Service to whom he had been propitious beyond measure whom he redeem'd by wonderful Miracles and blessed with Holy Leaders Just Judges a Righteous Law True and Faithful Prophets whose were the Covenants and Scriptures who were the Seed of Abraham and of whom Christ came as concerning the Flesh yet they received him not as God over all blessed forever manifested in Flesh in the Fulness of Time for their Deliverance but vehemently rejected him under the Title of Beelzebub Prince of Devils By this time I hope Isaac Penington's Passage is vindicated from the Malignity of our Adversary's Comment whose Perversion must needs be open and conspicuous to all that read him First in charging him To have made this Reflection upon the Knowledge gained by the Letter of the Scriptures which are none of I. P's words Next in concluding that by I. P's Doctrine nothing can well be more Dangerous then Reading the Scriptures who alwayes was and yet is a great Respecter and Reader of them making the Stress of I. P's Saying to lie in a Dislike and Contempt of the Scriptures absolutely instead of their dark Interpretations upon and Carnal Deductions from the Scriptures which he only levell'd his Discourse against Thus have we been serv'd in every pretended Proof he has brought out of our Friends Writings to prop and enforce his feeble and incredible Charges For where we reprove Men's forming unto themselves Religion from the Letter of the Scriptures according to their own Conceptions of it and give a Check to their great Eagerness to comprehend the most weighty Mysteries therein expressed and their continual Questioning Cavilling and Contending concerning them whilst they themselves are Ignorant of the very first Principles of Religion being yet Strangers to Unfeign'd Repentance fâ—om Dead Works and Fear towards the Living God with Loud Voices and Clamorous Tongues they thus exclaim against us after this Unruly as well as Unjust Manner The Quakers Deny the Scriptures The Quakers say they are not binding upon them The Quakers say it is Dangerous to read them but I say in their Name Blessed are they who reading truly understand them and live according to them I might here break off but I intreat my Reader to peruse Two notable Testimonies given by University-Men and such as were reputed Famous Thirty Years ago The first is out of Joshua Sprigg's Book entituled A Testimony to an Approaching Glory pag. 96. Christ desires that his Disciples may be sanctified not by planting the Knowledge of the LITERAL Word in their Minds but by ingrafting the Nature of the DIVINE Word in their Hearts Again in pag. 107. Christ may offer himself long enough in the LETTER in the HISTORY of the Gospel but if he appear not in the SPIRIT and sit in our Consciences to quiet them we shall never have any true Understanding of the Word aright And in page 79 80. We may see what is to be done by looking upon the HISTORY of Christ but till we find the same things done in us in some measure in the MYSTERY we can find little Comfort The whole HISTORY of Christ will profit you nothing nor all that you know except you find EXPERIMENTALLY the same things done in you by the Spirit The second is afforded us by Christopher Goâ—d stiled Bachellor of Divinity and Fellow of King's Colledge in Cambridge in his Book entituled Refreshing Drops c. pag. 12. There is no Knowledge of Christ nor of the Scripture but by REVELATION it is that the Apostle prayes for That God would give unto us the Spirit of Revelâ—tion Again in pag 18. It is neither Moses nor the Scriptures nor Christ's Works can settle our Hearts unless the Father be in them c. Also in pag. 89. To go forth in Man's Power in the Power of a Letter of the Scripture only is not safe Yet again pag. 87 upon Acts 17. Here they hold Paul play in Reasoning and Disputing Paul holds up Christ out of the Scriptures and the Jews do dispute against Christ by the Scriptures And this is that that all the Learning of Man doth all his Knowledge in the Scripture doth but serve him to oppose the Spirit The greater Knowledge in the Scriptures and the more Learning if it be only of Man the greater Opposition unto Christ and unto the Spirit These Jews had LEARNING AND KNOWLEDG IN THE SCRIPTURES MEERLY TO OPPOSE THE TRUTH THE POWER AND LIFE OF THE SCRIPTURES And lastly that we may not be too prolix we shall content our selves in the over-looking many more with this Passage in his last Testimony pag. 71. upon Esa 25. There are that have devoted themselves to the Law and the Letter of Scripture There are others that have their Life in the Creature God will shortly draw all Life unto himself and all they that run after other Gods shall starve and famish They and their Gods These Passages Reader speak for themselves and which is more so much for us that till J. Faldo and his Fellow-Separatists have publickly renounced them and their Authors we have great Cause to say that such as themselves have hitherto reputed their Spiritual and
Reasonable or Understanding Part is a Wrong that would have drawn a whole Chapter of Railing from him had he been so serv'd by a Quaker And for Faith how can a Man have it and not know he hath it and which way may he possibly know it and not experience it As to the Scriptures they may both be instrumental to Experience and with respect to what they declare of be also experienced Two places more and we leave this Chapter in which it will appear that his Courage is as much upon the ebb as his Envy was before upon the flote In his former Book he was so unhappy in his Cause as to let fall this Expression That God above and the Scripture without have taught us better things The use I made of it in my Answer he takes a little notice of I mean to recite not confute it Now what is the Teaching of the God above said I If it be in the Scriptures it was impertinent to say any more then that the Scriptures have taught them better things But if he meant that God taught by his immediate Discoveries with and beside the Scriptures then wherein do we differ To which I will faithfully set down his Reply that if there be any Reason in it I may lose none of it in Transscription Rep. W. P. thinks now he has me upon the hip this Phrase he calls assisting to my own Confutation If joyning the Teachings of God and the Scriptures alwayes together be Self-confutation let me be ever so Confuted Rejoyn This is both Evasion and False Doctrine Evasion in putting alway together in the Reply which was not in the first Passage and very much alters the Case since to say the God above and the Scriptures without have taught us better things and to say if joyning the Teachings of God and the Scriptures alwayes together c. are vastly differing For the first Saying or Passage is general and leaves God at Liberty to speak beside with or above the Scriptures but the Reply tyes God alwayes to the Scriptures that he cannot speak otherwise then by them nor the Scriptures be without him which makes up the False Doctrine I charged upon him But if he means that God speaks nothing contrary to his Mind declared in Scripture and the Scriptures nothing contradictory to the Mind of God I acquiesce yet this Concession not only brings him upon the Hip but upon the bare Ground too for it confutes him without Controle inasmuch as he grants that the Scriptures without are not sufficient to teach without the God above the very thing in Controversie almost from the beginning betwixt us so that I return his own words upon himself pag. 40. of his Reply All this ado is to make the Scriptures nothing without immediate Inspiration implying that we hold them to be profitable as God is pleased to discover unto us and breath into our Hearts the true Meaning and Vertue of them for our Instruction and Comfort and what short of this doth John Faldo's Expression import that makes the Teachings of the God above necessary to render the Scriptures truly profitable unto any And what is this but to say with us that they are of no value not in themselves but to us unless the God above unfold them and brings our Souls into a sense of those States and Truths they declare of I leave my sober Reader to make his Judgment of this and so proceed to the next Particular which will end this Chapter I will set down his words Rep. He quarrels with my Mannagement of Ephes 6. 16 17. thus And a Shame it is that this Man should bring these places to prove that the Scriptures are Means whereby to resist Temptation The Words are Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God And among the rest is reckoned the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Why doth he not say it is a Shame I produce any Scripture at all which is like a Quaker throughly but the Matter is it a Shame to call the Scriptures the Word of God or a spiritual Sword Rejoyn No such Matter The Shame was that J. Faldo perverted and mis-apply'd Scripture and the Shame still is that he should so bungle and bogle in the Business as of Two Pages to take Two Lines that concern'd not either the Exposition or the Argument and when he has done say nothing neither to it Is this Man like to acquit himself with Advantage against the vain Attempts of W. P. as he is pleas'd to call them Reader I have often complain'd and yet shall have Cause enough of my Adversary's unfair Dealing in not reporting the fortieth part of what I urge and that he is sure to take not what is most but least material to my Cause and then bestows a Squib or two upon it instead of taking my Strength or giving a sage Reply and that I complain not without Just Cause be pleas'd to consider my former Answer with what he first writ to occasion it by which his Honesty in reciting and Reason in replying may be most impartially judged of Thus he pag. 113. Above all take the Shield of Faith which is able to quench c. and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Observe saith J. Faldo Faith in the 16th verse is preferred above the Word of God in the 17th verse therefore it is not Christ the Word but the Scriptures the Word for Faith is not above Christ Jesus Christ who had less need of Scripture then any of us all resisted Satan ' s Temptation by Scripture It is written it is written Mat. 4. To which I gave this following Answer But neither will this do his Business and a Shame it is that this Man should bring these places to prove that the Scriptures are Means whereby to resist Temptation which Rebuke was the whole he recited that concerned them not especially this in Hand unless he would have Faith to be the Scriptures or Word of God in his Sense which as it is absurd so it will by him be deny'd since he allows the Faith to be preferr'd before the Word of God therefore distinct from it and consequently not the same with it And should we grant to him that Christ is not understood by the Word of God but the Scriptures yet observe the fatal Blow his Cause receives at his own Hand Every true Christian hath Faith that Faith is above the Scriptures therefore every true Christian hath something in him above the Scriptures Again True Faith overcometh the World and quenches the fiery Darts of Satan consequently Temptations therefore not so properly the Scriptures as true Faith which is preferred above them by John Faldo himself and which resists Temptation and overcomes the VVorld is c. Once more the Just they live by Faith but Faith is above the Scripture saith J. F. Therefore the Just live by that which is above the Scriptures
and consequently the Scriptures are not the Rule of Faith for how can any thing be ruled by that which is inferior to it Thus much we get granting to him that the Scriptures are the Word of God in the Text. Now Reader tell me of this Argumentation what has he taken what has he replyed to Yet this man is deem'd worthy by the Professors of our Times to act the Tertullus against the poor Quakers For those words The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God I told him then We rejected his Gloss for the spiritual Sword as he sayes Beza renders it must be of the Narure of the rest of the Armour mention'd in that Chapter that is invisible and Spiritual which the Bible or meer VVritings we know are not To which let me add that I know no Reason why the Shield of Faith should be preferred before the Sword of the spirit unless it be because that 's in the Verse before this if we consider them in an abstract Sense or as they are in themselves For Above all is not a preferring the Shield of Faith in Dignity before the Sword of the Spirit respecting their own Nature and Quality but with regard to the Creature For if Vnbelief enters how can the Loins be girt with Truth the Breast arm'd with Righteousness the Feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace the Head covered with the Helmtt of Salvation or the Enemy encounter'd with the Sword of the Spirit So that respecting Man not respecting the Dignity of the several parts of the Armour Faith is above all or first necessary for though God Christ the Holy Spirit Eternal Salvation be all or either of them greater then Faith as in themselves yet without Faith no interest can be had in them Wherefore our Adversary's Preference vanisheth and his Consequence about the Scriptures being the VVord of God falls to the Ground Concerning Christ's Answer to the Devil It is written it is written I shall desire the Reader to observe in my Adversary's Reply what of my Answer he trans-scribes which I gave to the use he made of that Scripture and what sort of Treatment he affords me These are his words Rep. Once more and I have done with this Chapter But said Christ to the Devil It is written VVhat then sayes W. P. Therefore must the Quakers needs deny the Scriptures to be any means to resist Temptation pag. 90. You may fear the Man is craz'd or was almost asleep when he wrote this I produced the Example of Christ to prove that the Scripture is a Means for resisting Temptation he resisting so effectually with It s written it s written But Penn would make you believe I intended it to prove that the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be such a Means Can you think such a Man to be sinlest yea Infallible Rejoyn His Froth and Reflection I am no otherwise concern'd at then that it ill becomes a Pretender to Divinity It is enough for me to shew that he has willingly conceal'd my Answer and hath made a Reply as if he had taken in all that was fit to be consider'd my Answer lay thus But said Christ to the Devil It is written VVhat then Therefore must the Quakers needs deny the Scriptures to be any Means to resist Temptation Here J. F. leaves me but I go on or rather are they not such Means which I am sure no right Quaker ever deny'd Now Reader mark Besides it was reasonable that Christ should so answer set that Power aside which filled up those words and chain'd Satan because the Devil used Scripture to prevail upon him as the place proves However we deny not but confess that where-ever God is pleased to speak by any place of Scripture to a Tempted Soul it may very well be acknowledg'd to be a Means by which God scatters such Doubts and Despondences and gives Power over Temptations and that it may often so occur yet we would not have People fly to them as what of themselves may be sufficient but rather have Recourse to that Divine Faith which the Scriptures testifie is able to Quench the fiery Darts and which J. F. himself has largely confest is to be preferred above the Scriptures themselves Now I desire the Reader to consider First That he gave not the 10th part of my Answer in any respect 2ly That what of it would have prevented his reflecting upon me he wholy omitted He seems di pleased that I made such a Question upon his citing Christ's words to the Devil as this therefore must the Quakers needs deny the Scriptures to be any Means to resist Temptation telling Folks They may fear I was craz'd or a sleep when I wrote it asking If they think such a Man to be sinlest or infallible as thinking it improper to his Quotation and yet would take no notice of these words that were directed immediately to it viz. it was therefore reasonable that Christ should so answer because the Devil used Scripture to prevail upon him the very Answer in his pretended Reply was wanting VVith what Face then can our Adversary over above his other ill words charge me with designing to render him impertinent by making him endeavour to prove that the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be such a Means by the Question I ask'd as if I had wrong'd him that he never intended any such thing through the bent of the Chapter And what can be clearer then that he on purpose avoided the shock and took notice only of that part of my Answer which being torn from the rest he thought fittest for him to play upon But I see no VVrong I did him in so asking what I did for I am sure it was one End for which the Scripture was quoted by him and the Jeers he bestows upon me and it besides his wilful Neglect of the rest of my honest Return and yet complain for want of it when he had done so is a pittiful come off for a Man of his Pretence to Controversie CHAP. IX Not we but our Adversary opposeth the Teachings of the Spirit to the Doctrines of the Scriptures The Testimonies brought by him cleared and delivered from his Application Our Doctrine proved from Scripture and several Testimonies His frequent and gross Perversions of our Words and Writings discovered and justly rebuked VVE are now got to his last Chapter relating to the Scriptures in which he pretends to justifie his Charge by further evidencing a Consistency between it and William Smith's Doctrine which I utterly deny'd to have been William Smith's VVords or Meaning The Charge was That the Quakers put the Spirit of God and the Scriptures in Opposition to each other His Proof of the Charge lies in these words Traditions of Men Earthly Root Darkness and Confusion Apostacy the Whore's Cup the Mark of the Beast Bastards brought forth of Flesh and Blood c. which sayes John Faldo in his first Book would amaze a
Church and so carry the People with whom they prevail only to outward things to an outward Word to outward Worship outward Ordinances outward Church outward Government c. whereas in the true Kingdom of Christ all things are inward and spiritual and all the true Religion of Christ is written in the Soul and Spirit of Man and the Believer is the only Book in which God himself writes his new Testament pag. 19 20. The third Testimony is out of T. Collier's Works p. 249. How can they teach others who know not Truth themselves as they say but as they read it without them And so at the best speak but other Men's Light And if they mis-understand what other Men have written then they speak Falshood instead of Truth Thus much in Countenance of W. Smith's Expression from Three Men of great Note among our English Separatists But let us hear what Use J. Faldo makes of the Testimony he brought and which we have thus clear'd and confirm'd Rep. Then follows in this and pag. 23. all that rabble of villifying Expressions of both their Practices and Authority quoted by me in Quakerism No Christianity p. 119. Rejoyn If this be true W. Smith's Book shall yet be blam'd as much as J. F. will otherwise have abus'd him I will set down his words faithfully They said he hope to be sav'd after this Life is ended by Christ though they be Sinners and so are set down in a Carnal Security and rest at ease in the Formality and are Strangers to the Quickening Spirit and the Faith that they have made is not held in a pure Conscience but is conceived in the Heart that is Degenerated and Corrupted I Query of my Reader if this was meant of the Scripture upon whom J. F. makes W. S. bestow the word Corrupted Again And what was by the Saints given forth and appears in VVritings without them that their Life is in and that they contend about and all strive to set up their own Conceivings and teach for Doctrines Men's Traditions Mark that Reader He speaks not against the Scriptures nor of them but their Blindness in using them and mind not the Measure of God in themselves that is Reader God's Measure or the Grace of God which teacheth to deny those sins he told them a little before they liv'd in with Carnal Security But sayes he stretcht beyond it in the Comprehension and run into other Men's Lines and Labours That is They out-run their own Experiences and intrude themselves into those things which were beyond their own Growth which W. S. rebukes them for making it his Business to turn them to that Grace which obeyed teaches them not to vilifie Scriptures but brings them into the right Possession of them and Title to them which he make appear to be more to their Advantage then to dispute and contend about them whilst in Sinful Security Formality Estrangedness from the Quickening Spirit Humane Faith Impure Conscience and in a Degenerated and Corrupted Heart All which is in his 22th page and give Light enough to any Man that has not like J. F. put out his Eyes of Reason and Candour unto these following words which can no more relate to the Holy Scriptures then that Spirit from whom they came to wit They are all upon the Earthly Root and in Darkness and Confusion in their Practice and Worship Now Reader What does the Scripture practise and whom and how doth the Scripture worship if the word they relate to the Scriptures and not those several ranks of Professors to whom he expresly dedicated his Book Yet further That from the Crown of the Head to the Sole of the Feet the Image that is the several Sects hath no whole part in it but is full of Putrefaction and Corruption and every Branch rotten and deceitful and no good Fruit is found for the bringing forth of all is from the Heart that is deceitful and corrupted which lies faln and degenerated from God What Man Reader that ever thought to have his Proofs examin'd would have dar'd to apply in the Author's Name these terms to the Scripture that so particularly and plainly relate to Man in his fallen State But please to consider what better Authority he has for the rest viz. And are all found Wanderers in the Night of Apostacy and in the Darkness have taken the VVhore's Cup and do drink it And unto all those is the Cup of God's Indignation poured out because they are Bastards and not Sons Upon which I query with J. F. who are the VVanderers If the People then the fore-going word They of which the word Wanderers must be the Relative concern Professors and then all those Terms before-mention'd belongs not to the Scripture and consequently mis-apply'd by our Enemy But if he says VV. S. meant the Scriptures how could they be said to wander or drink the VVhore's Cup And if the Whore's Cup be the Scriptures as J. F. makes W. S. to mean either the People drank up the Scriptures in the Apostacy or the Scriptures drank up themselves Next VVho are those Bastards to whom the Cup of God's Indignation is pour'd fourth Certainly they are Disobedient Children and not as J. Faldo would have it the Scriptures and holy Doctrines deduced thence Reader Doubtless the Man is desperate and to me he seems to have laid Violent hands upon himself to the destroying of his Reputation among Men and his Soul in the Eye of God since after all this Injury to our deceased Friend he dares yet appear in so impudent a Strain as this following Passage makes him guilty of All this Penn KNEW to be true when he dared to make such Hypocritical Appeals to Delude the World Save the Quakers Credit and Abuse me as a Forger The Righteous God judge between us whether I writ otherwise then I knew or he in affirming it more then he knew My Appeals were solemn in the Grief of my Spirit to see a Man arriv'd at that pitch of Falsness as to pervert and forge about Sacred Things even while himself would pass for a Minister of them and I can scarce think any Man so prejudic'd against us as not to conclude with me that his Aim in this untrue Passage to say no more was to bear People down as to the Honesty of his Quotation by the mighty Vehemence and Confidence of his positive Charge against me to have known what in Reallity I never knew and to have appeal'd hypocritically to God concerning our Innocency who did it in the Humility and Sincerity of my Soul because the Man had no other way left him to secure himself from the deserv'd Imputation of Forgery or wilful Perversion scarce a remove from it But that by which he would clear himself from it fastens it inevitably upon him and renders him one of the daringst and most harden'd Perverters I have ever yet met with in all my Life The next Testimony he brought to prove our Opposition
any drawn up to speak of the Substance they are as men lost cold and heartless which is a plain Evidence to me that they prefer the Shadow before the Substance being meerly exercised about Childish things and are not willing to come up to the Truth to the Excellencies and Glories of what Baptism and other Ordinances signifie c. p. 560. C. Goad's Last Testimony p. 76. Ordinances are Vails Man's Ministry is a Vail if we see God in it it is but darkly C. Goad's secret and safe Chamber p. 72. The Carnal Jew looks for the fulfilling of the Letter the spiritual Jew looks for the Spirit Abraham Isaac and Jacob sought a Country not an Earthly one but an Heavenly We pitch upon Figures and Vails and enter not within the Vail These outward things are a Vail a Table made a Snare but when we are turned to the Lord the Vail shall be taken away All Man 's Teaching Wisdom c. makes the Vail the thicker Those that only feed upon the Vail upon outward Things in which God may appear their Life shall be destroyed when others are fed and feasted Joshuah Sprig pag. 142 143 144 147 148. The Design is to cupple the Lord and Ordinances together and we cannot endure to hear of the parting of them Swear by the Lord and swear by Malcham so we have but Ordinances we are well something from the fleshly Form and Appearance we do promise our selves and so like the Israelites hanker after the Flesh-Pots of Egypt though they had as good Meat in the Wilderness So though God offer himself and Christians tell you they cannot find God in such Forms but find him abundantly good in the Spirit and though he be gone out of the Temple yet they find him in their Hearts they press you to wait till God appear to you in the Spirit O say you I can never believe it that God should do it without an Ordinance This is to say that the Fleshly Form doth add something to God who being all in all is sufficient without it You are like a Man that is kept up with Cordials not to be compared with him that is in a Way of Recovery when you want the Physitian it is as much as your Life is worth and the Cordial if it be long a fetching you begin to faint you have not your Strength within you but in Cordials without you So is the Case between you that live upon Ordinances and they that live upon Christ in the Spirit Christ is never in a Journey or to fetch a great Way off T. Colliar's Works p. 46. The Christians Priviledges under the Gospel they are all spiritual and so are their Ordinances T. Colliar's Works p. 241. God was in Christ reconciling men to himself yet this Dispensation of the Father was but a fleshly Dispensation comparatively with a more spiritual this fleshly Righteousness answering a fleshly Transgression Thus likewise hath he given Ordinances answerable to this fleshly Dispensation wherein when he pleaseth he appears in and through these Ordinances yet note that God never appears in any fleshly Dispensation to keep them in the Flesh but that through these he might bring up Souls to himself in the Spirit Sprig's Testimony to the approaching Glory p. 55. Ordinances are but the Shadow as it were of the Image therefore take heed of idolizing Forms Your Interest lieth in knowing the Father not in knowing of the Form whatsoever and take heed of censuring and judging spiritual Discoveries CHAP. II Of true and false Ministry OUr Adversary endeavours to strengthen his general Charge considered in the former Chapter by proving our Denyal of each Ordinance in particular He begins in his other Book with the Ministry His Proofs as he calls them were these And their Call to the Ministry we deny which is Mediate J. Parn. Shield p. 16. Also G. Fox in his Gr. Myst p. 45. But who can witness an Immediate Call from God and speak as they are moved from the Holy Ghost and such travel from place to place having no certain Dwelling-Place This Ministry we own and witness Now without reporting one Word of my Answer he concludeth his first Paragraph concerning J. Parnels Words thus Having this Charge confessed there needs no further Debate O disingenuous Man What! Only repeat the Charge and the pretended Proof out of J. P. without inserting any Thing of my Defence or Explanation and then cry having this Charge confessed there needs no further Debate Poor Brag yet nimble and notable Way of contracting Controversie indeed what is this but saying the same thing over again But as a Man that hath forgot himself in his next Section he thus recollects Reply p. 51. To my Proof of a Call by men W. P. sayes nothing but that he may not seem to have nothing to say he tells us It is not Go ye forth into all the World and preach the Gospel that belongs unto all Men no more then because Princes send Ambassadors to Princes with their Credentials that therefore every Man ought to do the like in Imitation without considering necessary Qualifications thus far W. P. Did you ever meet with so ignorant and impertinent an Answer Did ever any of us take those Words for our only Call Or pretend we had a Call thereby to preach to all Nations Rejoynder VVhy so much Contempt I have hitherto thought that Christ's Commission to his Apostles had been pretended by you to be a Successive Commission if neither the Spirit of God within nor the Scriptures without give not that Call what doth It had much more concerned J. F to declare what he meant by his mediate Call and not to ask if ever any met with so ignorant and impertinent an Answer But let this suffice that he denies that any of them pretended a Call or Authority from Christ's Commission to his Disciples to preach c. Next That be can only mean by a mediate Call that of the People since he had excluded a Call by the Spirit within and the Scriptures without But because the Call of a People is neither that which qualifieth nor authorizeth any Man in himself without the Commission of God's Spirit in a Man's self it is the Commission immediately received from God's Spirit and proper Qualifications that make the Minister and not the Desire of the People that is an Invention hatcht in Babylon whereby as well blind Pharisees as true Disciples base Hirelings as Godly Shepherds may be made Ministers There is this further lazy End in it that being once called by any People they think themselves only obliged to reside there where they may take their Ease unless a fatter Benefice present it self at which they have been alwayes wont to catch with Greediness still with this Design that they might live with more worldly Peace and Fatness This was one of those Doors by which the Apostacy crept in for the whole VVorld God's Field or Vineyard and such as he calls
the Power of Satan unto God we own honour and love and only deny and reject that Ministry which is by the Will Study or Acquisition of Man in his unregenerated State who not being acquainted with the Effectual Operation of the Word of God in themfelves are wholy dark as to those things which relate to the true Ministry not knowing what they deny nor whereof they affirm which doth not edifie but hazard the immortal Souls of Men And as they want the Inspiration of the Almighty to instruct them so being Strangers to the Work of God in themselves and not waiting to feel an Enduement with Divine Power from on high there proceeds no spiritual Life or divine Vertue from them to make their Ministry effectual which is the Cause of that Lamentable Decay of holy Living that is in the World and great Increase of all manner of Unsavoury and Irreligious Conversation I will conclude with two or three Testimonies given by men once in request with Separatists Christopher Goad's Invalidity of Church's Censures pag. 64 65. It is the Spirit that makes Ministers and those Ministers that remain by the Spirit do minister the Spirit and that is ministring of the Gospel when we miuister the Spirit I am a Minister of the new Testament so far as the Spirit speaks in me and by me In whomsoever the Spirit stands up and speaks that Person for the Time is a Minister a true Minister The Spirit doth not regard Sexes the Spirit regards not Age Learned or unlearned 'T is not Age nor Sex nor any major Part can minister Spirit but whom the Spirit pleaseth Christopher Goad Right Spir. c. p. 21 22. The Ministry that is calling us off from Man from the Gloworm Light of this Creation from Man's Parts an Gifts into the Spirit that is the Ministry we should look after The Truth is there is no true Prophet no true Testimony given of Christ but by those that see him and the nearer to him the clearer Sight of him the more clear and powerful is the Testimony given of him That Testimony that is given to him by those that do not see him present and come is not in deed a Testimony to Christ but to Anti-christ he is such a Prophet as Balaam was that had nothing but Notion All true Prophets that prophesied of Christ saw him and he was in them Christopher Goad's Paraphrase upon Act. 17. p. 18. We know no other Guide but the Spirit There is not any Minister in the World that is our Guide or any Company of Ministers â—ut the Spirit if he speaks in them and by them VVe have but one Master that is Christ T. Collier in his Works p. 47 48. and p. 430. Upon that Scripture Mal. 27. The Priâ—st's Lips should preserve Knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Host Now this usually is applyed to the Ministers who have given themselves the Title of Priest's and that the People should seek the Knowledge at their Mouths and indeed they themselves have done what in them lies not only to bring People into this Error and Ignorance but to keep them in it whereas Christ is indeed the alone Priâ—st the Substance of the Jews Type and the People are to seek the Law at his Mouth but he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts he is called the Messenger of the Covenant Mal 3. 1. the alone Prophet and Teacher of his People The Spirit being lost Anti-christ sets the VVisdom of the Flesh human Industry Tongues and Arts in room of it it is the Anointing of Anti-christ for in all things Anti-christ seeks to imitate Christ as well in the Flesh as in the Spirit Again The Saints are made partakers of the same Spirit the Apostles were W. Dell's Sermons pag. 16 17 18. There is a Necessity of this Power of the Holy Spirit for Ministers For first If they have not this Power of the Holy Spirit they have no Power at all for Christ sent them only as his Father sent him Without this Power they are insufficient for the Ministry for no Man is sufficient for the Work of the Ministry by any natural Parts and Abilities of his own but only by this Power of the Spirit and till he be endued with this notwithstanding all his other Accomplishments he is altogether insufficient but only by the Power of the holy Spirit coming upon them He cannot speak the Word of God but by the Power of God Christ himâ—elf without this Power of God could not have spoke one VVord of God W. Dell. Stumble Stone p. 8. The Ministry of the new Testament is a common Ministry belonging equaly and the like to all the Seed of Christ W. Dell. Tryal of Spirits p. 17 18. The true Prophets speaking the Word of God by and in the Spirit as Paul sayes of himself and other Believes who had received the Spirit We have the mind of Christ But the false Prophets though they speak the Word of the Letter exactly and that to the very Original and Curiosity of Criticisms yet speaking it without the Spirit they are false Prophets before God and his True Church seeing all right Prophecy hath proceeded from the Spirit in all Ages of the World but especially it must so proceed in the Dayes of the New-Testament wherein God hath promised the largest Effusion of his Spirit Greenham Serm. 1. p. 51. Without this Spirit of God no Holy Exercise can have its full Effect for the word works not where the Spirit of God is wanting when we have not the Spirit of God to teach us speak of the Law or the Gospel c. we are little affected therewith unless God give us of his good Spirit to profit by the same CHAP. III. That we own a Gospel-Church contrary to our Adversary's Charge THe next thing our Adversary charged us with a Denyal of is a Gospel-Church one of his Proofs as he will have them called was in J. N's Love to the Lost pag. 17. And the Chruch so gathered into God is the Pillar and Ground of Truth where the Spirit alone is Teacher Upon which he argued thus The Gospel-Church is a Church which had other Teachers and not the Spirit alone Therefore the Quakers deny a Gospel-Church and they contradict themselves for they have more Teachers then all others Thus his first Book pag. 16. To which I returned That such as are not blinded with Prejudice may discern that from our speaking of the Universal Church of God which sayes the Apostle as well as the Quakers is in God he inâ—ers That we deny all Visible Religious Societies commonly called by the Ancients Asia Thessalonica Ephesus Corinth c. Now observe his Reply Reply pag. 59. Not one word of this in all my Book My Charge was That they deny a Gospel-Church not Visible Religious Societies Rejoynder Confidently said but if all the Words be not there doth it follow
the Matter they import is not there If he doth not mean That we deny a Visible Religious Society to be a Church what makes him to infer our Denyal of a Gospel-Church from our asserting it to be Invisible Two things must follow from this Reply Either a Gospel-Church is not visible and then he breaks his own Neck or not a Religious Society and so he is impious If then a Gospel-Church is a Visible Religious Society and we deny a Gospel-Church it must follow that we deny a Visible Religious Society which in John Faldo's Opinion makes up a Gospel-Church To conclude a Gospel-Church and a Visible Religious Society he makes to be quite differing things But perhaps he will come off thus I did not say ye denyed the visible religious Societies called the Churches of Asia c. but that you deny them or such as they are to be Churches But neither will this serve his turn for we both own them to have been Gospel-Churches and are taught by J. F. to believe That a Gospel-Church is not only not invisible but an other Thing then a visible religious Society too It is worth our while to hear his Reason for it Reply p. 59. Religious Societies may be as far from a Gospel-Church as half a dozen Christian Friends associated together to eat a good Dinner or carry on a Trade yet he dirts me with want of Honesty to grace his Forgery Rejoynder He might as well have said to the Ale-House or Tavern whether he invited a Friend of ours after disputing with him doubtless not out of Love to our Friend but the good Liquor a Sort of Liberty once counted Scandalous by many of his Pretensions especially when just after so serious an Exercise but it is grown familiar with Men of his Coat to fall from the Bible to the Pot and so back again But Friendly Reader what sayst thou of this Man's Evasion Who will have me to mean by visible religious Societies visible civil Societies for such I count good Men at an Ordinary or a Committee of Trade Vain and Shallow Man Did I not give Intimation enough what Religious Societies I meant when I instanced the Churches of Asia Thessalonica c. to explain what I meant thereby Whether I did play the Forger or my Adversary the Dishonest Shifter Let the Impartial Reader judge Again Reply W. P. proceeds p. 113. in the same Evil And from our asserting the Spirit to be the only Gospel-Teacher he concludes that we deny all Preaching of men though by the Spirit the four last Words though by the Spirit are added by him and meerly forged Rejoynder They may be added but not forged One would think it is only then when without the holy Ghost that we deny it by his Words and that hurts us not but I take it the other way and the Truth is it is a Mistake he commits against us where-ever the like Subjects fall in his Way for this implies as if we denyed Preaching by Inspiration and that he all along had mantained it A Doctrine he ever now and then flings in our Dish scorns and derides Thus can this Man's Conscience sail by any Wind to gain the Shore and after all these Shuffles dares to conclude That we in Terminis deny all Preachings of men because G. F. said cease from man when there is nothing more palpable then that G. F. meant man considered in his own meer Ability that is from such as the Prophet forbid not from true Prophets but our Adversary the Preachings of Men though by the Spirit of God for how can he make us to contradict our selves in saying man is the Spirits Instrument which he understands to be the Preaching of Men by the Spirit if he doth not make us deny all Preaching though by the Spirit In short I hope my Reader will think it no Forgery whatever my Adversary may who ever and anon would hide his own weakness by hard word flung upon me to amuse the credulous Reader to say that from our Asserting The Spirit to be the only Gospel-Teacher of all who believe he concludes That we deny all Preaching of Men though by the Spirit else there would be no sense in his charging us with a Contradiction because we say The Spirit is the only Teacher and yet that the Spirit teacheth by Men if he did not understand our Ceasing from Men or Denying Man's Ministry to be our Denyal of Man's Preaching by the holy Spirit But he will not give over yet These words The Spirit the only Teacher he often flings up as words indigestible by his foul and phlegmatick Stomach for upon my saying That such as preach by the Holy Spirit are rather the Instrument then the Teacher or Man is that by which the Spirit conveyeth his Teaching unto others he replyes thus Reply pag. 58. So that after W. P's own strict Account he allows their Practices viz. Preaching of Men to give the Lye every Day to their Tenets Rejoynder If Preachings of Men by the Spirit be the Preachings of Men such Preachings we shall alwayes allow and think it no Lye or Contradiction to our Tenets But if he that dictates a Letter of Intelligence be the Informer and not the Scribe the Holy Spirit must be the Teacher and Man but the Instrument True Teachings are not only Words but Matter and that accompanied with Divine Power which flow from the Eternal Spirit Men give them but the simple Covering of Expression and that by the Spirit 's appointment therefore not so properly the Teachings of Men by the Holy Spirit as the Teachings of the Holy Spirit by and through Men consequently not Man's Teachings but the Spirit 's Again Because we charge him with bringing in ot her Teachers then the Holy Spirit contrary to express Scripture the Promise of God and the very End of the Blessed Gospel he replies Reply pag. 58 59. Can you think this Man worth Disputing with who rambles and talks he cares not how If what P. said be true the Exhortations to do the Work of an Evangelist feed the Flock over which the Holy Ghost had made them Over-seers were not intended of Man's Teaching but the Spirit of God only exhorted the Spirit of God to these Actions and Man had not hath not any Agency in Teaching Rejoynder But did we ever say Man had no Share in being taught whatever we have said against the utmost of man's natural Ability considered separately from God's Spirit about his Teaching We never yet said That Man was not to be taught Is there no Difference betwixt Men's Teaching without God's Spirit and Men's being taught of God's Spirit At whose Door then should we lay this Absurdity The Spirit of God exhorted the Spirit of God What an Idle Non sequitur is this Nor do we deny all Agency in Man when mannaged by the Holy Ghost A Man might as well argue following J. Faldo's Steps against the Apostle Paul when he said It is no
more I that live but Christ in me that is The Apostle had no Life in him in any sense Would this be good Doctrine But more openly do the Words of Christ lay to the Exception of such Cavillers 'T is not I that speak but the Father in me Again It is not you that speak but the Holy Gost in you For after J. Faldo's Parapharase we must either deny that Christ or his Apostles spoak those words or confess that they contradicted themselves in saying they did not speak when they did or lastly He must acknowledge to us That such Teachings and Speakings are not the Teachings and Speakings of Men but of God by and through Men. Let him first see if he can reconcile himself to these Scripture-Passages so pertinent to our Purpose and leave off his silly Shifts as easily confuted as discovered Upon my saying That we do believe that there is One and but One Universal Church the Ground and Pillar of Truth and that is in God and that the Members of it are washed in the Blood of the Lamb and grafted into the True Vine bringing forth Fruit unto Holiness p. 113. he thus replyes and I beseech my Reader to consider it Reply p. 59. If he own no other Church but this which is the Character of the invisible Church he owns not a Gospel-Church whose Order and Frame is according to the Doctrine of the Apostles and Practice of the Saints in the New-Testament Rejoynder VVe are beholden to him for this May we ever meet with such kind Adversaries It seems then my Definition hath nothing to do with the Gospel-Church VVhat is it but to say that the Gospel-Chruch is not the Pillar of Truth The Gospel-Chruch is not washed in the Blood of the Lamb The Gospel-Chruch is not grafted into the true Vine that Men may be in the Truth washed in the Blood of the Lamb grafted into the true Vine bring forth Fruit unto Holiness and yet no wayes concered in the Gospel-Church in short the Gospel-Church is not the Vniversal Church nor the invisible Church a Gospel-Church and what is his Reason if any there can be for all this pernicious and Anti-christian Doctrine Because a Gospel-Church is one whose Order and Frame is according to the Doctrine of the Apostle and Practice of the Saints Worse and worse it seems then in J. F's Sence that the Order and Frame the Doctrine of the Apostles brought the Church of Christ to and the Practice of the Saints in the New Testament had nothing to do with the Pillar of Truth dwelling in God being washed in the Blood of the Lamb grafted in the true Vine and bringing forth Fruit unto Holiness What Sort of impious Gibberish is this For according to his Notion of the Gospel-Church the most Satanical Crew may as well be of that Church as the best of Christians since the External Order at most but the Form of Godliness was and is imitable and imitated by arrant Hypocrites By this Argument Elias and the Seven Hundred who had not bowed their Knees to Baal so invisible as Elias himself knew not of them were Schâ—s maticks or Infidels to the then Jewish Church being without all Visible Church Policy or Order and the Jews that had it though Apostatized must have been God's Legal Church It will also follow that for above 1200 Years together since Christ's time there hath been no Gospel-Church yet Gospellers as their Enemies have called them which were to grant to the Roman-Catholicks all they Desire What was that Church that fled into the Wilderness It must either be the Gospel-Church or not the Gospel-Church If not the Gospel-Church then not the Christian and consequently the Antichristian-Church But that could not be because she fled from Antichrist If the Gospel-Church then may a Church be Gospel without punctuallity in visible Order for it is notorious by all Story the Remnant of the Woman's Seed who have born a faithful Testimony against the Spirit of Antichrist in their Sack-Cloth and Wilderness Estate have been destitute of that Visible Order Indeed I hitherto thought that a Gospel-Church constituted necessary external Order and not that meer external Order constitutes the Church Gospel or Evangelical But John Faldo sayes No who seems not to scruple at the Word Church but to play upon the Word Gospel as if external Order and Gospel were synonimous or of equal force whereas the Gospel is called in Scripture The Power of God to Salvation from that Spiritual Redemption it efficatiously worketh in them that receive it from the Bondage of Corruption under which they have fruitlesly laboured which is the Reason and a good one too why it signifieth Glad-Tidings since nothing can be more Joyous to a weary and heavy-loaden Sinner then to be eased of his former Iniquities by Remission and purged from the Nature and Habits of it out of the Soul by the Operation of this Heavenly and Everlasting Gospel which worthy Christopher Goad Right Spirit of Christ pag. 17. calls the forming or bringing forth of Christ in us What is all our Adversary hath said but to make Remedies against or Condescension to the Weakness of the Church's Infancy as sayes honest W. Tindal in his Works p. 9. 436 438. the only great Constitutes of a Gospel-Church By which he denyes a Gospel-Church to have been antecedent to that External Order and consequently that the Believers were not a Gospel-Church when met together on the Day of Penticost not long after since the Gospel had been many years preached Multitudes converted and many baptized by the One Spirit into the One Body of true Gospel-Fellowship before ever those Epistles were written by the Apostle Paul either to the Church at Corinth or to Timothy in which only External Order is mentioned Nay at this rate he hath Unchurched every Party in England but one if yet one may be excepted for if External Order only constitutes a Gospel-Church every Party in England differing greatly in their External Order it must follow that none but one if any one can have any just Pretence to a Compleat Gospel-Church consequently Mungrils He still forgets what he promised that None of them were further concerned against the Quakers then Vindicated Howbeit herein they may hold him excused that he hath equally unchurched Himself and these he preacheth to in Company with all other Parties in England being out of that Order But I intreat the Reader to consider what a Monster he hath made of Christ who describeth him with two such Bodies to one Head one Invisible the other Visible one washed in the Blood of the Lamb grafted into the true Vine bringing forth Fruit unto Holiness Qualifications hid from the Eye of the World as worthy John Bradford told T. Weston as in B. Martyr p. 104 312. That the Church of Christ is Invisible to him that hath not a Spiritual Eye The other constituted of People no matter how Vnregenerated if submitted to
an Eternal Structure of Order and Discipline A Cover for all the Wolves Antichrist's and Hypocrites that have been are or shall be to the End of the World In short No Position can be more destructive to the Power of Godliness the Fellowship of the True Church that lives in God and Pernicious to the Souls of Men by securing them in their Fancied Relation to a Gospel-Church whilst in an Un-gospel Spirit estranged from the Power of the true Gospel and unacquainted with the Congregation of the Faithful who through Faith overcome the World and know a Washing in the Blood of the Lamb and a being grafted into the true Vine and made to drink into the one Spirit bringing forth Fruits unto Holiness To conclued After this sort of Doctrine Men may be Members of a Gospel-Church and not of the True Church Members of a Gospel-Church and not good Christians no nor good Men it self Indeed such a Pastor as our Adversary fuits such a Church and such a Church exactly sits such a Pastor from whom God deliver me and all People and them from themselves I mean the Power and Prevalency of that Pernicious Doctrine and Spirit that now infects them He proceeds however with what success we shall see Reply p. 59 60. To this of their Invisible Church I told W. P of their Officers very suitable to a conceited nothing Fox Myst p. 2. The Holy Ghost made the Officers of the Church Over-seers The Over-seers to be Invisible for they saw with an Invisible Eye and so were in the Spirit which is Invisible and not in the Flesh But W. Perm meddled not with this which I dare say as much as he hath of the Quakers Spirit he cannot tell the Meaning of himself Rejoynder I had no Reasâ—n to meddle with what I could not noâ— cannot yet find I intreat my Reader to consider the Unreasonableness of his Taunts In his first Book he 〈◊〉 me to pag. 8. where no such thing was to be 〈◊〉 yet did I not place it to the Account of his Trâ—â—chery the best Construction he can make of any Innocent Omission on my part In his Reply he sends me to pag. 2. and there I am as wise as I was before no such Words or Matter appearing What shall I say of such an Adversary Was I then to be blamed for not mâ—ddling with what was not to be found Or deserve I 〈◊〉 better Terms at his Hands who made no hard use of it in my Answer Or Lastly Is he not worthy of double Blame that adds to his first Mistake a second and then abuseth me as if on purpose I had avoided the Diâ—â— of an Authentick Testimony hitherto not produced But suppose G. F. hath ever written any such 〈◊〉 doubtless by Invisible Over-seers he only meanâ— Spiritual not Carnal-minded Men who by the 〈…〉 which the True God hath opened might watch over the Flock as to their inward and spiritual Conditions This the following words make good for they saw with an invisible Eye and so were in the Spirit which is invisible and not in the Flesh In short They were not meer outward Officers exercising an Outward Rule and Dominion about outward Things but Men qualified by the Holy Ghost with an inward Discerning to Over-see the Spiritual State of the Church not that their Persons were invisible or their Actions towards the Church but that Heavenly Faculty given them of the Holy Spirit which rendred them Over-seers or Men able to see or discern the State and Condition of the Church was of an Invisible Nature He fell very foul upon us in his first Book because of a Dutch-Woman's speaking in one of our Meetings in her own Tongue charging upon us That we did orderly according to the Popish Mass which was to Pray in an Vnknown Tongue To which I made a large and I hope sufficient Answer of which he reports but these two or three Parcels First That I called it a Disingeâ—â—ous Reflection Next That we do not affect such Obâ—curity Lastly The Divine Light Power or Spirit inâ—ardly manifested is the one Tongue to the Children of Light This he calls Foolish Antiscriptural Ridicuâ—us But if it be so I owe it to him alone who hath â—ade so Foolish and False a Citation of my Words â—owbeit he saith nothing to what he hath cited his 〈◊〉 Words set aside His Reflection was Disingeâ—ous because such a Practice is not common or usual â—ith us Nay that was accidental Therefore to â—arge it upon us as conformable to the Orderliness of the Popish Mass as if it were a Principle with us to teach as with Romanists to pray in an Vnknown Tongue was more then Disingenuous for it was False and Malicious being thrown out by him on purpose to infame and disgrace us That we do not affect such Obscurity I affirmed and our Practice evidenceth it being rather jeered for our too much Rusticity and Plainness and our frequent decrying of Dark School-Phrases and turning Rhetorick by which great Writers wrap up their Matter from the Vnderstanding of the Vulgar That the Divine Light Power or Spirit inwardly manifested are none of my words I will report my Answer both more largly and truly and leave it with the Conscience of my Reader thus The single Power of the Almighty may both strike Astonishment and give Refreshment where the Words utterred are not always understood since he frequently doth both without them Understanding and Inward Sense are two Things for the Devil may speak the best Words in the Bible and be an Undiscovered Devil still except by this Divine Light Power and Spirit he be inwardly manifested consequently a right Sense may be had where Words may not be understood which Sense is the one Tongue to the Children of Light yet we do not only decry all designed Obscurity by Praying and Preaching in Unknown Languages but with the Apostle say That we chuse rather by far to speak in a Known Tongue as well as have the Sense of our Spirits Nor did ever any Quaker yet pretend to be moved to pray in an Unknown Language whilst he was Master of that which was well known to the People Since then we do not affect obscurity the Case of the Papists who pray in Latin rather then in their Native or Vulgar Tongue he is very Disingenuous in that Reflection But in Reply to all this he only gives us thus much Reply pag. 60. Sure I am that the Spirit of God by whom the Apostle Paul was directed is not the Quakers Spirit nor its Doctrine the same with theirs in the same Case I shall be to him that speaketh a Barbarian and he that speaketh shall be a Barbarian to me I Cor. 14. 11. Rejoynder I would fain know by what Means J. Faldo hath that Discerning between the Spirit of the Apostle and the Spirit of the Quakers Is it because the Dutch-Woman spoak in an English Meeting Do we Hold Teach or Practice any such Thing
chosen called out of the World they are not of this World as he is not of this World W. Dell's Sermons p. 152 156 186. The Church is a Spiritual Invisible Fellowship gathered together in the Unity of the Faith Hope and Love Christ and the Spirit are the only Officers CHAP. IV. His Charge of our Denying to Hear the Word of God examined True Preaching acknowledged HE hath maintained this Charge against our Answer with the same sort of Jeers and Florish but manifest insuccess too that he hath done what went before His words are these Reply pag. 61. Concerning denying the Ordinance of hearing the Word preached to my Proof from G. F. We must not hear Man c. W. P. saith That is so far from making against us that it makes for us at an high rate Much like the Mad-man of Athens who called all the Ships that came into the Port his own while he was for all that but a poor Thred-bare Gentle-man I proved that they asserted the Light to be only preached to be the only Preacher and only â—eached to yea and the only Obeyer Rejoynder If this be done Erit hic mihi magnus Apollo If to cease from Man be not false Doctrine then not to hear Man is no false Doctrine for Man is taken in the same sense in both places For as God never intended by ceasing from Man that they should not regard his Prophets who were Men when they came to declare his VVill so neither did G. F. intend that Man ought not to be heard when he comes on God's Errant or Message in the Name of the Lord but meer Man Man in his Natural Capacity and Ability without the Holy Spirit and Power of God which is but a carnal humane and worldly Ministry To say we only preach the Light is no more then to report The Quakers preach Christ for our Doctrine directs People to the Knocks of Christ the true Light at the Door of the Soul who is the Saviour Redeemer and Preserver of them that believe in him and keep his Commandments But that we ever said That it was only preached to yea and the only Obeyer of such Preaching is as false as any Thing that can be said He tells us he proved it I will give the strongest Passage he brought J. Parn. Shield c. Epist To the Light of God in all your Consciences I speak Very well and what then Is the Light therefore preacht to taught or instructed when he only appealed to the Light in all their Consciences concerning the Truth of what he said as the Apostle did To the Light I speak that is To the Light I direct my self To that I make my Appeal if what I write be not true for what soever is reproveable is made manifest by it Ephes 5. 13. This Construction is Natural Our Adversary's forced for nothing is more common with us in General and that Author in particular then to turn People to the Light pressing their Conformity to the Reproofs and Instructions of it alwayes respecting it as given us of God to be our true certain and constant Teacher and alwayes have we been reproacht by such as J. Faldo for doing so But above all that this Passage should be brought to prove the Light is the Obeyer of such Doctrines and Instructions who is the Author of them is an Absurdity that reflects great Ignorance or something worse upon our Adversary We have already declared our Faith so freely and plainly in this Matter besides the Testimony of our dayly Practice that we need say no more then this A true Living Gospel-Ministry we own and the Service and Benefit of such a one we have enjoyed and beautiful are their Feet who come in the Power and Demonstration of the Spirit that open the blind Eye turn People from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God Act. 26. 18. that He may be their Instructer according to that Promise They shall be all taught of Me which is the chiefest End of all External Instrumental Ministry To prove our Sence of true Preaching we may add these two following Testimonies out of that renowned Independent Dr. Everad Dr. J. Everad's Sermon Militia Coelestis Truth it 〈◊〉 many toss and tumble the Letter and make you believe they expound it and give you the Sense and Vertue yet how shallow how literal how humane how low how sensual and carnal do they make the Worlâ— to be Even your Rabbies your Doctors your great Schollars which shews if God himself if the Lion of the Tribe of Juda if the Root of David do not open the Seals 't is not all the Learning or all the Universities in the World can help us to the Mystery and the Mind of Christ as the Apostle calls it Shadows vanishing c. p. 326. I dare not offer at any Method in the whole nor at any Connection in the Parts For I find that all the curious Dichotomzers do but dream and play with the Scriptures feeding themselves with Fancies and not Truth for Sure I am the only Method that holy Men of old observed was to speak as they were moved by the Holy Spirit There be many Expositions on this Place which I will not trouble you withall for Men speak according to Men but the Scriptures were written by God's Spirit dictated by his own Finger We must therefore labour to find out what is God's Mind in the Scriptures whatever Men say pag. 369. 370. CHAP. V. Of True and False Prayer HE pretends in this Chapter which containeth not a page to refute several pages in my Book relaing to Gospel-Prayer in which if I 〈◊〉 not he hath done me and the Truth I defend the greatest Service that a reasonable Man would desire at the Hands of his Adversary for the Truth of the Matter is the Man hath shrunk from his Post and deserted his Colours which we shall make appear by comparing his first Book with his Reply Reply VV. P. according to my Charge disowns man's Wilâ— and the Vse of his Conceptions to have any thing to do in Gospel-Prayer pag. 122. and disowns all Prayer that is not by and in the Light within The Quakers Christ The Reasons he gives are as Witless as his Assertion Truthless Thus Now unless Men may perform Gospel-VVorship without the Spirit and the Truth or if in the Spirit and the Truth yet not by the Motion of either a thing absurd it must needs be that Men ought only to preach and pray by the Motion of the Spirit and of the Truth How absurd is W. P' s Reasoning here as if the Vnderstanding Conceptions Will of Man in Prayer must needs exclude the Motions of the Spirit or the Motions of the Spirit exclude them Rejoynder The first Thing our Adversary charged upon us in his former Book was our Denyal of Gospel-Prayer to prove which he cited W. Smith who in his Catech. p. 107. spoak against Prayers of Man's forming
Sermons upon Job 32. 8. It is the Spirit of God who dwells in Men c. Man sayes he cannot discern any whit of God's Secret until he be enlightned we can never by our Will reach so high as to know God we must put our Reason from us and renounce it utterly what sayes J. Faldo to this Doctrine of his Father Calvin Again If we will have our Lord to fill us with his Wisdom it behoveth us to become Fools that is to say We must not bring any thing of our own for that were the shutting of the Door against God H. Bullenger's 4. Decad. Serm. 5. p. 665. The Spirit of Man praying in this World being enlightned and kindled with the Spirit of God groaneth and maketh Intercession for the Saints W. Perkins the English Calvin in the same men's Thoughts p. 336. 21. writes thus All Exercises of Christian Religion are to be in the Spirit The Inward Motions of the Spirit are of themselves the Worship of God whereas our Words and Deeds are not simply but so far forth as they are found in the renewed Motions of the Heart Gualt Cradok upon Ephes 3. p. 169. That you may see the greatness of his Power what a World of Prayers doth the Spirit of God put into thy Heart that thou art never able to utter with thy Mouth All the Wisdom of the World cannot make one spiritual Petition We may make Forms of Prayer but now the Spirit of God that knows the Mind of God THAT makes Prayers according to the Will of God and HE Spirit prayes with Sighing and Groaning unutterably I speak to them that know the working of the Spirit If the Lord should only hear the Prayers thou makest with thy Mouth thou wouldst be a Poor Man but the Lord respects the Prayer of thy Heart W. Dell. Serm. Christ Spirit c. p. 35. When God hath a Mind to give us the Spirit he puts us in Mind to ask it yea God gives us the Spirit that by it we may ask the Spirit seeing no Man can ask the Spirit but by the Spirit Acts 1. 14. Dr. J. Everad the great Spiritual Separatist in King James and Charles the firsts Time Be assured whatever Prayers whatever Sighs whatever Groans thou puttest up to him he loaths all but what his SON MAKES but all his Requests are heard and granted pag. 225 Be sure that your Prayers be such as become God's Ear to hear for all the Prayers of ALL FLESH through the whole World is displeasing to God pag. 243. Not the best Duties you can perform will please him except they be salted and seasoned by his own Son p. 9. Never think that all your Prayers your Tears your Alms c. pleases him but only that which is his Son 's own Action and Work in you p. 355. But know he God regards none of these Prayers But when his Son in whom he is well pleased when he prayes he hears him alwayes but if any other Prayes he regards not p. 438. 442. Again It must be his Son's Work in us else he loaths all even the best of the Sacrifices if it be not Jesus Christ in us that doth all viz. that loves God and fears God and obeyes God and believes in God c. his Father regards it not But what thinks J. Faldo of all these Things J. Calvin W. Perkins H. Bullenger Gu. Cradok are unquestionable W. Dell Master of Cajus Colledge in late times And for Dr. J. Everad his Works were licenced Decemb. 6. 1652 by no less Man then J. Caril and approved by Tho Brooks and Mat. Parker all three Independent Pastors the first lately deceased the other two not many dayes ago living who I hope are able to justifie their Kindness to that notable and doubtless very religious Man Perhaps the Truth may find better Quarter for these great Authors Sake therefore I bring them though indeed it is truly lamentable that the Professors of our Age will not know the Doctrines of Men they hold in great Admiration when they meet with them in the poor Quakers Writings but instead of acknowledging miseraby brow-beat them with oppobrious Language thereby bringing the greatest Truths into Suspition with the Vulgar But Oh Lord God of Truth This hath been the Portion of thy People and Lot of thy Children whom thou hast gathered out of the World in all Ages at the Hands of those who boast themselves in other Mens Labours and have a Name to live but are dead to that Life in which they should live to thee They seem to honour the Prophets and garnish the Sepulchres of thy Servants that are at rest but having erred from the Conduct of thy Spirit and resisted the holy Motions of it they are become the greatest Persecutors Resisters and Vilifiers of thy holy living pure and spiritual Way Oh Lord God arise for thy great Names Sake seaze upon their Consciences by thy Invisible Word of Power Lay Judgment to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet Dash their fine carved Images in Peices and let thy consuming Fire take hold on their Chaff and Stubble and bring them to thy righteous Ballance that they may see they and their Religion to be lighter then Vanity that they may witness thy mighty Work of Redemption and Salvation before they depart hence and are never seen more through Jesus Christ the alone Advocate and Mediator Intercessor Redeemer and Saviour of all thy dear Children who have believed in his Heavenly Appearance by whom be Everlasting Honour Glory and Dominion Amen CHAP. VI. Of Positive Ordinances as our Adversary calls them to wit Baptism and the Supper HE introduced his Discourse of Baptism and the Supper with an Account of the Nature of these Ordinances distinguishing them by Natural and Positive He excepts against my reporting of one part of his Doctrine calling it by no milder a Name then Forgery I will give both our Quotations that my Reader may the better see what Ground he hath for such severe Reflection I cited him thus The Ordinances hitherto considered are called Morral from their Natural Obligation although respecting their Substance they deserve a more Evangelical Denomination without which we cannot call them Christian Ordinances This he calls Forging Corupting his Words and that he that hath the Conscience to deal with such an Adversary may make him say what he lists Reply p. 56. I will now puncually transcribe his Words as himself hath quoted them and a plain self-Defeat will lye at the bottom of all this Displeasure Reply p. 66. My Words were these to a Letter The Ordinances I have hitherto considered are called Morral from their Natural Obligation although that Substantial and Essential Part and Qualification of them their Respect to a Mediator will require a Denomination more Evangelical and without which we cannot call them Gospel or Christian Ordinances Let VV. P. make the best Advantage for his Causes these Words will afford him and spare not Rejoynder Having
to Mis-eite Mis-render or Mis-apply our Writings To conclude He seems to write at all Adventures supplying his VVeakness with Confidence and drowning the Noise of his own Forgeries by his vehement Clamours against such imaginary ones as he hath provided for me to go under my Name which is his greatest of all I heartily pray to God that he may be stopt in this Unconscionable Course and come to find true Repentance that Eternal Anguish do not irrecoverably over-take him as the Just Recompence of such Unjust Dealing with us His third Citation was out of I. Penington Can outward Blood cleanse the Conscience Can outward Water wash the Soul clean His Comment upon it is this A plain Denyal of the Efficacy of the Blood of Christ shed on the Cross to cleanse the Soul from the Guilt of Sin by its Satisfaction to the Justice of God To which I answered Doth I. P. deny or any way meddle with the outward Blood concerning the Guilt of Sin past how far it had an Influence into Justification taking Justification in that Sense But doth not I. P. treat of the outward Blood with respect to Purgation and Sanctification of the Soul from the present Nature Acts and Habits of Sin that lodges therein Is there no Difference betwixt being pardon'd Sin past and the Ground of it and being renewed and regenerated in Mind and Spirit and the Ground of that Conversion His Reply to this though he gives not two Lines of what I now repeated out of my Answer lyes thus Reply pag. 74. And if we allow Penn's Construction that he denyed the Blood of Christ which he calls outward to have an influence into Sanctification he commits a foul Error for cleansing the Conscience by Sanctification is the Effect of the Blood of Christ as well as the other The New Testament or Convenant is by Christ said to be the Cup of the New Testament in my Blood wherein all the Promises and Mercies of the New Covenant are asserted of which I think Cleansing by Sanctification is none of the least Rejoynder If by the Promise of Sanctification to be asserted in the Blood of Christ he understands that both the Promise of Sanctification and all other Promises relating to the Dispensation of the Gospel were asserted ratified and sealed to them that believe in and by the Blood of Christ I shall heartily and cheerfully submit But if he mean that the Blood of Christ shed so many Hundred Years ago by the Hands of Ungodly Men is the inherent real Purger of the Conscience from Dead Works I must deny what he sayes for the Scripture attributes Sanctification to the Eternal Spirit It is one Article of the common Creed of the called Christians viz. the Lavour of Regeneration which is by the Spirit But what is all this to J. Faldo's defending himself from abusing I. Penington's Words to wit that by asking Can Outward Blood Cleanse Can Outward Water wash the Soul He would make him to deny Christ's sacrificing of himself upon the Cross to have any Influence towards the Remitting of the Guilt of Sin past which is quite another thing as this Argument manifests which naturally expresseth J. Faldo's wresting of I. P's words He that denyes Outward Blood can cleanse the Conscience denyes that Outward Blood may be a Sacrifice whereby to declare the Remission of the Guilt of Sin past which is so absolutely and obviously false that it may be seen of every mean Capacity Yet hitherto J. Faldo's Reasoning runs Once again before we leave him thus He that is pardoned the Guilt of Sin that is past by the Blood of Christ as a Sacrifice declaring Remission to all that believe is by the same Blood washed cleansed renewed and regenerated in his inward Man from the very Nature Power and In-dwelling of Sin which is as untrue as the other yet both these Arguments follow upon J. F ' s mis-rendering of I. Penington ' s words But his Credit in this Particular is not at all blemisht by his Comment upon I. P' s words if we will believe him for he thinks it may be justified by a Passage out of W. Smith Reply Catech. pag. 64. We believe that Christ in us doth offer up himself a Living Sacrifice to God for us by which the Wrath of God is appeased to us This Passage I cited which Penn among many others takes no notice of And if this can be the Blood of Christ shed at Jerusalem on the Cross of Wood it is a most incredible Mystery Rejoynder There is no Difficulty Friendly Reader in unfolding his pretended Mystery if the Question unto which the Answer was made be considered which was this What is your Faith concerning Christ IN YOU as a Redeemer which relates not to the Blood of Christ shed on the Cross of Wood wherefore to make the Answer deny Remission of Sins to be declared by Christ's sacrificing of his Body upon the Cross which was no part of the Question to be answered is like all the rest of his Injustice towards us If the Answer had rejected that Sacrifice we should have condemned it as much as he hath abused it But unless he denyes that Christ offers himself in his Children in the Nature of a Mediating Sacrifice W. Smith's words are so far from Denying the Blood of Christ shed upon the Cross of Wood that he must allow them to be sound in themselves for Christ is a Mediator and an Attoner in the Consciences of his People at what time they shall fall under any Miscarriage if they unfeignedly Repent according to 1 John 2. 1 2. as allowably as that he prayes in his People as their Head which A. Sadeel saith out of Augustine and D. Everad as anon So that upon the whole this is as strong and clear a Proof as others that he hath hither to brought for as they so this in Question and Answer wholely concerns what Christ is to Man in Man which was no part of the Question and not what he was to any in his Visible Appearance which was the only Question Before I leave this Particular I must again declare That we are led by the Light and Spirit of Christ with Holy Reverence to confess unto the Blood of Christ shed at Jerusalem as that by which a Propitiation was held forth to the Remission of the Sins that were past through the Forbearance of God unto all that believed And we do embrace it as such and do firmly believe that thereby God declared his great Love unto the World for by it is the Consciousness of Sin declared to be taken away or Remission sealed to all that have known true Repentance and Faith in his Appearance But because of the Condition I mean Faith and Repentance therefore do we exhort all to turn their Minds to the Light and Spirit of Christ within that by seeing their Conditions and being by the same brought both into true Contrition and holy Confidence in God's Mercy
they may come to receive the Benefit thereof for without that necessary Condition it will be impossible to obtain Remission of Sins though it be so generally promulgated thereby To conclude As in my Answer at large so here in short I say Justification may be taken in a two-fold Sense Compleatly and Incompleatly or rather thus compleat Justification hath two parts the first is not imputing past Sins or accounting a true Penitant as Righteous or clear from the Guilt of past Sin as if he had never Sinned through the Remission which God declared and sealed up to all such in the Blood of his Son and thus far Righteousness as imputed goes and is the first part or Justification begun The compleat or last part of compleat Justification is the Cleansing of the Conscience and Regenerating the Mind from the Nature Power and In-dwelling of Sin by the effectual working of the Heavenly Power of Christ and bringing into the Heart and establishing his Everlasting Righteousness in the room thereof Some Scriptures considered relating to this Doctrine To the first part belong such Scriptures as these Isa 53. 11. He shall bear their Iniquities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is He shall bear away their Iniquities as did the Scape Goat figuratively under the Law or That God would declare his remitting or passing over the Sin that was past and. that he would be in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them Also Rom. 4. 5. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justified the Vngodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness that is God acquitted upon Repentance and Faith in his Promise such as have lived in a Course of Vngodliness For no present Work how good soever can justifie any Man from the Condemnation which is due for the Guilt of Sin that is past So that justifying the Ungodly in this place is pardoning the Ungodly and being so pardoned upon Faith in the Promise of God is accounted for Righteousness or as if the Person pardoned had never sinned and this appears from the 7th and 8th verses Blessed are they whose Sins are forgiven and whose Iniquities are Covered Again Chap. 5. 6. For when we were yet wit hout Strength Christ in due time dyed for the Vngodly and verse 8. But God commended his Love towards us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ dyed for us That is Christ laid down his Life to reclaim Sinners and to declare the Righteousness of God for the Forgiveness of the Sin that is past to all Ungodly and Sinful Men that turn from the Evil of their Wayes by unfeigned Repentance it was done in and by Christ for all Ungodly Men but not to the Benefit of any without Repentance Not that people should go on in Sin but by so recommending of his Love and sealing such Glad-Tidings with his own Blood to allure and engage them from their present Course of Sin 1 John 4. 19. He first loved us men must not therefore continue in Sin that Grace that is Forgiveness may abound God forbid Rom. 6. 1. The last considerable Place is in the second Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 5. 21. For he hath made him Sin for us who knew no Sin That is He was made a Sacrifice for the remitting or passing over of the Sin that was past for such as repent and believe that they might be made the Righteousness of God or rather accounted Righteous in the Sight of God as if they had never committed Sin by not imputing or forgiving the Sin that was past This Sence the two fore-going Verses confirm to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath committed unto them the Word of of Reconciliation Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseeeh you through us We pray you in Christ's Stead that you would be reconciled to God verse 19 20. agreeing with Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitâ—ation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission or passing over of Sins that are past through the Forbearance of God which is neither a rigid Satisfaction for nor a Justification from Sins that are past present and to come as a late shallow VVriter in his Preface to the Hartford self-confuting Pamphlet idlely and falsely called the Quaker converted would have us believe but an acquitting from or remitting of past Sin upon Faith and Amendment of Life which makes up that only imputative Righteousness that the Scripture holds forth or we can allow of The Scriptures that belong to the second Part of this Doctrine which makes up compleat Justification are such as these Keep thee far from a false Matter the Innocent Righteous slay thou not for I will not justifie the wicked Exod. 23. I. Lord who shall ABIDE in thy TABERNACLE who shall DWELL in thy HOLY HILL He that WALKETH UPRIGHTLY and WORKETH RIGHTEOUSNESS and SPEAKETH THE TRUTH IN HIS HEART Psalm 15. 1 2. When a Righteous man turns away from his Righteousness for his Iniquity that he has done shall he dye Again when the wicked Man turneth away from his Wickedness and doth that which is Lawful or Right he shall save his Soul Ezek. 18. 26 27. Not every one that sayeth unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that DOTH the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Math. 7. 21. Vnless a Man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God John 3. 3 5. If ye keep my Commandment ye shall abide in my Love John 15. 10. For not the Hearers of the Law are justified but the Doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall live for as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Rom. 18. 13 14. That the Offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 16. But this is the Will of God even your Sanctification 1 Thes 43. Because God hath from the Beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth 2 Thes 2. 13. Was not Abraham our Father JUSTIFIED by WORKS when he offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar Ye see then how that by Works a Man is justified and not by Faith only Jam. 2. 22 24. In all these weighty Passages there is nothing more clear then that Sanctification both ushers in and compleats Justification First In that no Man can have right to Remission of Sins but upon Vnfeigned Repentance and True Faith begotten in the Heart which is as well the Beginnings of Sanctification as Introduction to Justification 2 dly That though we grant as before at large Remission of Sins not