A DEFENCE Of a PAPER Entituled GOSPEL-TRVTHS Against the EXCEPTIONS OF THE BISHOP of CORK'S Testimony By W. Penn. The Second Edition Printed in the Year 1698. THE PREFACE Reader IT was the Wise Counsel of an Ancient and Great Prelate of the Kingdom of Ireland at a late Visit I made him there to discourage Controversie and endeavour to abate Strife among Christians For said he Heaven is a Quiet Place there are no Quarrels there and Religion is a Holy and Peaceable Thing and Excites to Piety and Charity and not to Genealogies Strife and Debates But the Bishop of Cork seems to be of another Mind that could not pass by so Inoffensive a Paper as that Stiled Gospel-Truths given him by me in a Private Way at a Friendly Visit upon his own Desire without his Publick Animadversions and those Exprest not with so much Justice and Charity as might have been expected from him to his Dissenting Neighbours I am I confess very sorry my Christian Visits to the Bishop have met with no Better Returns than Controversie But because that 's his and not my fault it shall be my Satisfaction I did indeed Perceiving him Conversant in our Writings and his Character to be Moderation casually Present him with one of those Papers but as the Nature of it is Far from Provocation so my design in it was purely to Improve his Temper and not to Excite his Contradiction Nor was it Writ for an Exact and Compleat Account of our Belief but Occasionally to prevent the Prejudices that the Attempts of a Course and Scurrilous Pen at Dublin just before might provoke in some against us as to the Points touched upon in the Gospel-Truths And though we have been so Unhappy as to be therein Mistaken by the Bishop yet it 's some Comfort to Us that our Christian Declaration hath had quite another Reception with the Generality of those to whose Hands it has come And I heartily wish That hath not been the most prevailing Motive to his Undertaking However since he has been pleased to fault it both with Shortness and Error which we thought Healing at least Inoffensive I esteem my self Answerable for it and shall with God's Assistance Defend it against the Force of his Exceptions and I hope with Clearness and Temper For though I may be plain as he may expect I desire to be neither Rude nor Bitter I ask Reader but the Common Justice due to all Authors especially in Controverted Points of Religion to wit Attention and Impartiality and then judge whether our Pacifick Paper deserved so Sharp a Censure and the Manner of its being given him so Publick a Return Though I hope the Consequence will be Good To Almighty God I leave the Success and am in all Christian Obligation Thy Assured Friend W. Penn. Bristol the 23d of the 7th Month 1698. GOSPEL-TRUTHS Held and briefly Declared by the People called QUAKERS for Satisfaction of Moderate Enquirers SOBER READER IF thou hadst rather we should be in the Right than in the Wrong and if thou thinkest it but a Reasonable Thing that we should be Heard before we are Condemned and that our Belief ought to be taken from our own Mouths and not at theirs that have prejudged our Cause then we intreat thee to Read and Weigh the following Brief Account of those Things that are chiefly Received and Professed among us the People called Quakers according to the Testimony of the Scriptures of Truth and the Illumination of the Holy Ghost which are the Double and Agreeing Record of True Religion Published to Inform the Moderate Enquirer and Reclaim the Prejudic'd to a better Temper which GOD grant to his Glory and their Peace I. It is our Belief that GOD Is and that He is a Rewarder of all them that fear Him with Eternal Rewards of Happiness and that those that fear him not shall be turned into Hell Heb. 11. 6. Rev. 22. 12. Rom. 2. 5 6 7 8. Psal 9. 17. II. That there are Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these Three are really One 1. John 5. 7. III. That the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among Men and was and is the only Begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth His Beloved Son in whom he is well pleased and whom we are to hear in all things who tasted Death for every Man and Dyed for Sin that we might Die to Sin and by his Power and Spirit be raised up to Newness of Life here and to Glory hereafter John 1. 14. Matth. 3. 17. Heb. 2. 9. IV. That as we are only Justified from the Guilt of Sin by Christ the Propitiation and not by Works of Righteousness that we have done so there is an absolute Necessity that we receive and obey to unfeigned Repentance and Amendment of Life the holy Light and Spirit of Jesus Christ in order to obtain that Remission and Justification from Sin Since no Man can be Justified by Christ who walks not after the Spirit but after the Flesh for whom he Sanctifies them â—e also Justifies And if we walk in the Light as he is Light his precious Blood â—leanseth us from all Sin as well from the Pollution as Guilt of Sin Rom. 3. 22. to 26. Chap. 8. 1 2 3 4. 1 John 5. 7. V. That Christ is die Great Light of the World that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and is full of Grace and Truth and giveth to all Light for Light and Grace for Grace and by his Light and Grace he Inwardly Appears to Man and teaches such as will be taught by him That Denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts they should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World John 8. 12. Chap. 1. 9 â—14 Tit. 2. 11 12. VI. That this Principle of Light and Grace which is GOD's Gift through Christ to Man is that which shews us our Sins Reproves us for them and would Lead all all out of them that obey it to serve GOD in Fear and Love all their Days And they that turn not at the Reproofs thereof and will not Repent and Live and Walk according to it shall die in their Sins and where Christ is gone they shall never come who is Undefiled and separated from Sinners Ephes 5. 13. John 16. 7. Prov. 1. 20. to 24. John 8. 24. VII This is that Principle by which GOD prepares the Heart to worship him aright and all the Duties of Religion as Praying Praising and Preaching ought to be performed through the sanctifying Power and Assistance of It other Worship being but Formal and Will-Worship with which we cannot in Conscience joyn nor can we maintain or uphold It. Rom. 8. 26. 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. VIII Worship in this Gospel-Day is Inward and Spiritual For GOD is a Spirit as Christ teacheth and he will Now be worshiped in Spirit and Truth being most suitable to his Divine Nature wherefore we wait in our Assemblies to feel GOD's
Spirit to open and move upon our Hearts before we dare offer Sacrifice to the LORD or Preach to others the way of his Kingdom That we may Preach in Power as well as Words and as GOD Promised and Christ Ordained Without Money and without Price John 4. 23 24. 1 Thess 1. 5. Isa 55. 1. Rev. 22. 17. Matt. 10. 8. IX This also leads us to deny all the vain Customs and Fashions of the World to avoid Excess in all things that our Moderation may be seen of all Men because the LORD is at hand to see and judge us according to our Deeds Tit. 2. 12. Rom. 12. â— Philip. 4. 5. Eccl. 12. 14. Mat. 16. 27. Rom. 2. 6. Rev. 20. 12. X. We believe the Necessity of the One Baptism of Christ as well as of his One â—upper which he promiseth to Eat with those that open the Door of their Hearts to him being the Baptism and Supper signified by the Outward Signs which tho' we disuse we judge not those that conscientiously practise them Mat. 3. 11. Ephes 4. 1. 1. Pet. 3. 21 22. John 6. Rev. 3. 20. XI We Honour Government For we believe it is an Ordinance of GOD and that we ought in all things to submit by Doing or Suffering But esteem it a great Blessing where the Administration is a Terror to Evil Doers and a Praise to them that Do Well Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. This hath all a long been the General Stream and Tendency both of our Ministry and Writings as our Books will make appear notwithstanding what Ill-minded and Prejudic'd Persons may have strained to Mis-represent Us and our Christian Profession Dublin the 14th of the 3d Month 1698. William Penn. Thomas Story Anthony Sharp George Rooke THE TESTIMONY OF THE BISHOP OF CORK As to a Paper Intituled GOSPELâ—TRUTHS held c. by the PEOPLE called QUAKERS And Delivered to Him by an eminent Member of them Friends I Am such a Reader as in your Paper you desire I have read and soberly weighed the account you give of those things which you say are chiefly Received and Professed amongst you And I will exercise so much Moderation and Charity as to lay a great weight on that word chiefly hoping these are not the Only Things or All that you Believe I should have been heartily glad to have found that you had been in the Truth as I am well assured I my self am But as I professed when the Paper was given Me That if I took it you must expect I should bear my Testimony touching It or against It So I now must tell you I think my self bound in Conscience to perform what I then professed and that upon more Reasons than I will now trouble the World with You must not be offended if I say You have such a way of Writing and Speaking that it is very hard in many matters of Religion to know what you mean But as far as I understand you I will candidly acknowledge what Truths you have sufficiently or tolerably exprest I will shew you with meekness how far your Faith if this be your Faith comes short of being sufficient or Christian and I will sincerely tell you what I apprehend to be the cause of your Delusion and how dangerous a condition I really fear nay believe you to be in And first The only Articles in which you have exprest a sufficient Christian Belief are your IV. which is touching Justification and your last touching Government and your Submission thereto I wish you may always stick to this Belief and Practice And I heartily rejoyce to find you acknowledging the Necessity of Christ as a Propitiation in order to Remission of Sins and Justifying You as Sinners from Guilt 'T is the first time I have heard of it amongst you As to all the rest of your Articles I mean those which I understand I must tell you the declaration of your Faith comes so short of what is required from People to denominate them Christians that except under each Article you believe more than you have declar'd you cannot be accounted Christians For first in those Articles of Faith which you have thought fit to mention you have set down only some little Ends I had almost called them Snaps of the Article And Secondly many more whole Articles of the true Christian Faith and which are of no less import you have intirely omitted waved or suppressed You acknowledge in your I. Article there is a God and you own his Providence as to the other Life But that He made Heaven and Earth that He is the Almighty and at present by his Sovereign Power most wisely and holily Governs Orders and Sustains all by his Mercies as well as Judgments even in this World not â—â—aving Himself without witness you say not 〈◊〉 word Creation in the beginning and Providence as to this World at present are not here acknowledged by You. We hope you believe both Your II. Article is wholly true for it is express Scripture 1 John V. 7. But it is onely what the Apostle there had occasion to say and what was to his purpose touching the Father Son and Holy Spirit far from being the sum of what the Holy Scripture teaches of them and therefore iâ— not a sufficient Confession of Faith on that head In your III. Article you acknowledge indeed the Son of God to have been made Flesh but neither Conceived by the Holy Ghost nor Born of the Virgin Mary So that it does not appear by this your Confession but that He was at first an ordinary corrupt sinful Person Nay you own Him not so much as Jesus or the Christ the great Saviour who delivereth from the wrath which is to come or the Great Prophet Priest Lord and King of his Church You acknowledged him indeed to have dyed for Sin but not to mention the Articles inferible from and relating to the Circumstances of his death You have not one word of His Resurrection from the Dead or of His Ascension into Heaven which iâ— may be proved some of you have expresly denyed saying He is not ascended into Heaven He is in us Nor again of Hâ—… sitting now at the right hand of the Majesty oâ— high And so you seem not to own any thing of His Mediation Intercession or Appearing now in Heaven for us Nor further have you said a word of his coming again to Judgment or the End of the World Thus indeed You have here neither own'd the Creation nor Dissolution of the World so that it does not appear by this Account of your Faith whether you do not judge it Eternal and so otherwise Infinite Yet again Not a word of One Church which it may be feared you strike out of your Belief because you are resolved never more to return into the Unity of the Church but to make and maintain a Schism or Party for ever Nor further have you a word of the Resurrection of the Body which divers of you have been
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost of which there is not one Instance in all the Scripture But that which further shews that Water cannot be understood to be meant in the Apostolical Commission is that one of the Greatest of the Apostles He that came behind and was added to by none of them denys It 1 Cor. 1. 17. to be any Part of his Commission for says he Christ sent me not to Baptize but to preach the Gospel And thanks God for that reason in the foregoing Verses that he had Baptized so few Which to be sure he ought not to have done but on the Contrary to have been sorry he had Baptized no more had Water-Baptism been Part of the Apostolical Commission Mat. 28. 19. Again this Eminent Apostle the Great Grand Father not to say God-Father of Gentile Christians delivered to them for Doctrine Eph. 4. 5. that there was but One Lord One Faith and One Baptism And if so That must be the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost which is Christ's Baptism and Proper to the Gospel Dispensation Now could any other make a Man a True Christian or a Child of God then nor can any be so now without It. That Baptism therefore without which a Man cannot be a True Jew or Christian or of the Circumcision made without hands that Worship God in the Spirit and hath no Confidence in the Flesh must needs be the One Baptism but such is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost Therefore the Spiritual Baptism is the Apostles One Baptism Rom. 2. 28 29. Phil. 3. 3. Again the One Baptism must be Christ's Baptism but Christ is the Baptism of the Spirit therefore That and not Water Baptism must be the One Baptism that 's in force according to the Apostle As John was the Fore-runner of Christ so was Water of the Holy Ghost But that which Fore-runs in Nature Ceases and that which succeeds of course Remains Therefore the Baptism of the Spirit is the One Needful and Permanent Baptism Yet further If it be Gospel That he is not a Jew that is one Outward nor that Circumcision that is Outward in the Flesh but that he is a Jew that is one Inward and that is Circumcision that is of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose Praise is not of Men but of God as Rom. 2. 28 29. Then unanswerably He is not a Christian that is one Outward nor is that Baptism that is of the Flesh But he is a Christian that is one Inwardly and that is Baptism that is of the Heart in the Spirit whose Praise is not of Men but of God For indeed in all Ages Men cry him down as a Slighter of God's Ordinances but his Praise however is of God let Men say what they will and this is the Inward Christians Comfort in all Undervaluings and Reflexions he meets with from Outside Christians For it 's not to be thought that the Apostle meant or designed to undervalue one Observation as that of Circumcision because it is Outward and set up another Outward Observation instead of it viz. Water-Baptism Again If in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a New Creature as saith the same Apostle Gal. 6. 15. Then by the same Reason neither being baptized with Water availeth any thing not being unbaptized with Water but a New Creature I will repeat the Apostles Discourse at large upon this Subject in the same Chapter because it is very Instructing and seems Discissive in this Case As many says he as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh they constrain you to be Circumcised only least they should suffer Persecution for the Cross of Christ It seems they were Outside People that laid stress upon Outside things or something else instead of the Cross of Christ for they Temporized in this matter to shun the Shame and Persecution that then attended the Christians Cross Which stood partly in laying down of outward Observations and which they that desire to make a fair shew in the Flesh stand most for But the Apostle goes on For says he neither they themselves who are Circumcised keep the Law but desire to have you Circumcised that they may Glory in your Flesh They were not exact in the other parts of the Law it seems as strict as they seemed to be for this Sacramental Practice which is the Case of too many now Yet they prest it that they might glory and value themselves upon gaining others to be conformable to them whether to excuse their Compliance with Custom that they might avoid Persecution or out of love to Ceremonial Religion But says that clear-sighted and plain-dealing Apostle God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the World is Crucified unto me and I unto the World If he rejoyced in nothing but in the Cross of Christ then in no other Elementary Rite Service or Ordinance any more than in Circumcision But he proceeds For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a New Creature That is to say for according to Christ Jesus or in the Religion of Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision availeth but a New Creature a regenerate Soul One born again by the Spirit of God For the Apostle in these excellent Words not only strikes at Circumcision but all Outward and Elementary Observations Neither This nor That Outward thing availeth in the Christian Religion or according to Christ Jesus but a New Creature He does not say but Water Baptism as some would have it who tell us that It succeeds Circumcision by Divine Institution by no means But that which availeth with Christ and in the Relâ—gion of Christ Jesus is a New Creature a â—ew Man one Changed Regenerated or Born gain by the Word and Baptism of the Holy Ghost And says the Apostle to confirm â—hem in this Doctrine of Inward Circumciâ—ion that is of the Heart in the Spirit which â—s the same thing with the Baptism of the Spirit As many as walk according to this Rule Peace shall be upon them So that We the â—oor despised Quakers take Comfort in this Apostolical Benediction and can say to God's Glory his Peace has been upon Us in our Belief and Confession of this blessed Docâ—rine of the New Creature It is what we have Aimed at and has been the great Drift of our Testimony since we were a People and in order to it have directed all to the Gift of God's Grace in themselves that by believing in it and resigning up their Wills and Affections and whole Man to the Teaching and Conduct of it they may be leavened and sanctified by it throughout by which the State of the New Creature which is Christianity indeed will be Experienced though It was and is a Mystery to the World As for the Apostle Peter's Question Acts 10. 47 48. Can any Man forbid Water that These should not
yet he does not thereby bid them do it often if at ail 5ly And whereas the Bishop would make it a fresh Revelation to the Apostle when he says for I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you I must dissent from him I cannot apprehend that means any more than this that what account he had received of Christ's Eating the Supper with his Disciples the Night he was Betrayed the same also he had Delivered unto them For what need could there be of an Immediate Revelation for so late a Fact so well Witnessed by the Disciples But if my Reader will peruse that Part of the Chapter which relates to the Supper he will find the Stress lies upon Remembring of the Lord which is indeed our Daily Indispensible Duty and he that lives without it may be said to live without God in the World of which those Corinthians at that time seemed to Insensible and as such are severely reproved by the Apostle being Irreverent Greedy and Drunken hardly fit for the Sign and less able to discern the Thing Signified 6ly Nor does the Apostle seem to recommend this practice but rather reprehend their Abuse of it and if my Reader will look back to the foregoing Chapter from the beginning to die 18 Verse he may find a more Spiritual Supper and Mystical Bread and Cup hinted at by the Apostle as well as Mat. 26. 29. Rev. 3. 20. by our Lord Jesus Christ himself Which is indeed very copiously exprest by Luke in the Parable of the Supper chap. 14. from the 16. to die 24. Verse where One that was at Meat with Christ speaking of the Blessedness of eating of Bread in the Kingdom of God Christ takes occasion to shew forth the Gospel Supper by a Parable viz. A Certain Man made a Great Supper and bid many but they refused upon divers pretences and came not He sent out a second and third time to invite an inferiour sort of Guests and they came to the Supper that is they received the Gospel which is the Power of God to Salvation and the evidence as Well as means of It Which Christ in the 27th verse further expresses thus viz. and whosoever doth not bear my Cross and follow me cannot be my Disciple Now the Cross of Christ the same Apostle also says is the Power of God 1 Cor. 1. 18. all which referrs to an Inward and Spiritual Work and Supper and that they who receive Christ in Spirit Sup with him in Spirit being the partakers of his Spiritual Supper which Christ promises and prepares for all those that open at his knocks the Door of their Hearts unto him Rev. 3. 7ly But besides what I have said both from Scripture and the Nature of the thing in Proof of Christ's Spiritual Supper and Defense of our disuse of the visible Sign the Bishop himself does the same thing in relation to another Ordinance For our Lord Jesus Christ did as solemnly Command his Disciples to wash one anothers Feet as to eat the Supper The Passage is large and edifying and I must recommend it to my Reader to peruse in his Bible John 13. But that part of it which more strictly concerns this point between the Bishop and me I shall repeat here verse 12 13 14 15. So after he had washed their Feet and taken his Garments and was set down again He said unto them Know ye what I have done to you Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am If I then your Lord and Master have washed your Feet ye also ought to wash one anothers Feet For I have given you an Example that ye should do as I have done to you Thus Christ Commanded his Disciples not only by his Authority but Example Now does the Bishop and his Friends follow Christ's example and obey this Precept He and they know they do not What must I Infer from thence that the Bishop is no Christian I suppose he would take it very ill from me Tho' he has treated me and my Friends after that sort But I will shew him a better example and suppose he thinks that if Christian Ministers and People walk Humbly towards God and one with another they fulfil this Commandment tho' they disuse the Sign by which the Lord Jesus exprest and recommended Humility to his Followers Now that which excuses the Bishop in reference to this Ordinance of Washing of Feet will also excuse our disuse of the Supper viz. Our eating of the Spiritual Bread and Wine of the Kingdom the Thing Signified by the Outward Supper But it is an Error incident to srail Man to prefer the Practice of those things that have a Shew of Religion and have least of Uneasiness and of the Nature of the Cross of Christ in their Performance Just thus it is easier to receive the Supper than to be Humble if not easier than to wash Feet For one is but a Memorial of Christ but the other perhaps is a Reproach of present Practice and to be sure a Command to Mortification and Self-denial the hardest Lesson in Religion And who knows but for the Reason it has been dropt so long since it must be very uneasie for People to continue a Custom to which their Daily Practice is so visible a Contradiction Though I hear the Roman Bishop â—â—mocks the Text Once a Year 8ly But in Relation to the Supper we farther say the Practice is varied Then they Sat â—ow one sort Stands another Walks a third Kneels a fourth Lies down upon the Ground as in the East Countries The Romans have one Opinion the Greeks another and the Lutherans and Calvinists Divide to great Bitterness in their Sentiments about It. 9ly Again in those Days they were Disciples such as followed Christ now all are admitted that profess Christianity tho' they do not follow him or forsake any thing for his Name sake or keep any of his Holy Precepts Matth. 5 6 7 Chapters 10ly Nor is this all we have to say to Justifie our Disuse of this Practice It is too much Look'd at and Relied upon by the People And indeed is become a kind of Protestant Extream Unction for if the Generality of them can but have it administred just before they Die they are too apt to presume upon it for an acceptance in the other World And indeed it is very frequent if not natural for many Men to excuse their Disobedience by Sacrifice and where Ceremonies or Shadowy Services are continued People rest upon their observance of them and Indulge themselves in the Neglect of the Doctrine of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ I need not look far nor yet the Bishop for a proof of what I say we can hardly miss which way soever we throw out Eyes the more is the pity And as this is no small Abuse of Primitive Practice so no small Argument for our disuse of it For when the Brazen Serpent was over-valued by the Jews God
better than Light in this World should have their Fill of It in the next from which God Almighty redeem Thee Reader that thou mayst walk in his blessed Light as he is in the Light then thou wilt have fellowship with the Children of Light and the Blood of Jesus Christ the Great Atonement shall Cleanse the from All Sin 1 John 1. 5 6 7. yea from the filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and being sanctified throughout in Body and Spirit thou mayst live to serve God in the Newness of his holy Spirit Rom. 7. 6. and come to be made a New Man that is an other Man From a Proud an Humble Man from a Passionate a Patient Man from a Rough a Meek Man and of a Cruel Covetous Unjust Lascivious Intemperate Vain and Ungodly Man thou becomest a Merciful Liberal Just Chast Sober and Godly Man And where this Change this New Birth or New Creature is not known Sacrifices avail nothing Religion is but Formality and the Peace of God will never be their Recompence of Reward But they that walk after this blessed unerring Rule of the New Creature Peace be on them and Mercy and upon the Israel of God Gal. 6. 15 16. who are the Circumcision made Without Hands in putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ Col. 3. 11. even that of the Heart in the Spirit whole Praise is not of Men but of God Rom. 2. 29. And who therefore Worship God in the Spirit and have no Confidence in the Flesh Phil. 3. 3. that is in fleshly Ordinances or the observation of Figures and Signs compounded of Outward Elements which represent Heavenly Things Wherefore the Apostle Exhorted and Commanded Col. 2. 16 17. Let no Man Judge you in Meat or in Drink or in respect of an Holy Day c. which are Shadows of things to Come but the Body is of Christ that is Christ is the Substance of all outward representations and they that have Christ have the End of all those things Whom Reader we Labour and Pray may be better known received and obeyed by the Professors of his holy Name and Religion That as he is Given of God to be our Priest Prophet and King we may all Know Feel and Enjoy him such in our selves and then the Kingdom of God will be come in us and his will done in our Earth as it is in Heaven Which God Grant I most Humbly beseech him For the Conclusion of the Bishop's Paper it is either Repitition or Reflection the one needs no Answer and the other wants a Defence However I will not have it said that I either wave or suppress It and therefore without any Reflection I will consider his Which should have no weight with my Reader but against him He says in his 12 Paragraph He pities us thinking many of us Harmless and Well-meaning but under the Power of strong Delusions And in his 13 Paragraph he gives us his sence of the cause thereof viz. that we make the Light within a Rule of Faith and Practice Co-ordinate if not Superiour and Antecedent to the Holy Scripture To prove which to be our Sentiment he cites these words out of our Gospel-Truths where speaking of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures we say they are the Double and Agreeing Record of true Religion Now if the Light and Spirit agree with the Scripture there is no fear of contradicting the Scripture and so we can have nothing to answer for on account of that Expression for what agrees with the Scripture establishes it instead of Slighting or Superceeding the Authority of it And though we used no such words as Co-ordinate much less Superiour and Antecedent which is the Bishop's Gloss to render our most True and In-offensive Expression suspected and make way to fasten his supposed Strong Delusions upon us I will be very frank with him in this matter that we Believe the Scripture to be the Declaration of the Mind of the Holy Ghost and therefore not Superiour to the Holy Ghost but Credited Confirmed and Expounded by the Holy Ghost so that without the Illumination of It the Scripture cannot be understood by them that read It. The Grammatical and Critical Sense of the Words and Allusions therein may be understood but the Inside and Spiritual Signification of them is a Riddle to those that are not Spiritually instructed therein tho' they were never such Grammarians or Linguists Again Christ says He that loves the Light brings his Deeds to the Light to see if they are wrought in God John 3. 21. which was before the New Testament Scripture was in being and this makes It both Rule and Judge of the Life and Deeds of Men. What says the Bishop to this Also John 14 15 16 Chapters Christ promises the Spirit to lead them his People into all Truth and this was not the Scripture but something at least Co-ordinate if not Superiour and Antecedent to the Scripture which is more than we said before Also the Apostle Paul tells the Romans Ch. 8. that as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God Then the Spirit is to Lead Believers or they cannot be the Children of God And that which Leads Rules and that which Rules is a Rule to them that follow it And the same Apostle referr'd the Galathians Chap. 6. 15 16. to the Rule of the New Creature to walk by and that must be the Spirit which begets the New Creature viz. Christ formed in them of whom he tells them Chap. 14. 19. He travelled in Birth again And the Beloved Disciple expresly says to the Christians in his First Epistle Chap. 2. 20. that they had an Unction from the Holy One and they knew all things that is all things they had to Believe Know and Practice And Verse 27. he adds But the Anointing which ye have received abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of All things and is Truth If the Bishop will break through all these Scriptures to undervalue the Light and Spirit of Christ for no other Light or Spirit do we Assert Recommend People to or Contend for that he might render us Guilty of Strong Delusions I cannot help it but must be truly sorry for him But I beseech him to have a care that he does not like the Jews of old Undervalue and indeed Blaspheme against the Holy Light and Spirit of God and by miscalling the Fruits and Effects of its Power Strong Delusions and Transformations of Satan For God will not hold such Guiltless in his Great and Terrible Day of Judgment And after all the Best and First Reformers and Martyrs as well as Fathers Concur in our Assertion and Testimony As Zuinglius Luther Melanchton Calvin Beza Bucer Peter Martyr and Erasmus too Also our own Excellent Martyrs viz. Lambert Rogers Philpot Bradford Hooper Woodman c. that the Double and Agreeing Testimony
of the Spirit of God within and the Scripture of Truth without is the Rule and Judge of Faith Doctrine and Practice yea that the Spirit is given to Believers to be the Rule and Judge by which they are to understand the true Sense and Meaning of the Scriptures Now let the Reader judge who gives the Truest Honour to the Scripture the Bishop or the People called Quakers They say the Scriptures have a Double Record that is the Evidence of the Spirit of Truth in the Hearts of Believers as well as their Own Or the Bishop who by his way of Treating us and our Principle will allow us no other Evidence of their Truth but Themselves For to say the Evidence of the Spirit of God with that of the Scripture make a Double and agreeing Testimony is with him to undervalue the Scripture and the Ground in his Apprehension of our Strong Delusions It must be my turn now to pity the Bishop and truly I do it with all my Heart to see him strain so Sound as well as Inoffensive an Expression as that which he makes the Reason of our Delusion that he might have an occasion to lessen our Credit with the Professors of Christianity and especially Protestants Can it Dishonour the Scripture to deny the Evidence of the Principal and Author of the Scripture to back the Authority of the Scripture Or doth not he rather lessen the Authority of Scripture that will not allow us another Evidence of the Truth of Scripture than its own for fear of Co-ordinacy which was not so much as once intended to be insinuated by us nor do the words import any such thing yet it had been no strong nor any Delusion at all to give the Holy Ghost the Preference But I shall keep to the Terms of the Paper whatever the Bishop is pleased to do knowing that whoever Concludes an Argument in terms not in the Question nor plainly deduceable from the Premises is not a fair Dealer in Controversie In which the Bishop if he pleases may reasonably enough think himself more than once concerned Blessed be God we have known the Power and Efficiency of this Holy Light and Spirit of Christ in our selves and being in good measures Witnesses thereof we do not only speak by Report but by Experience We had the Scriptures in the Days of our Ignorance and Worldly-mindedness but disregarding the Reproofs and Instruction of the Light of Jesus in our Hearts we never could come to know the Power of those Truths the Scripture declares of But when it pleased God in the Riches of his Love to cause his blessed Light that had shined in Darkness and the Darkness comprehended it not to shine out of Darkness and gives us the Knowledge of himself in the Face or through the Manifestation of his Son Jesus Christ we saw and bewailed our selves and by an unfeigned Sorrow and Repentance returned as Penitent Prodigals towards our Fathers House and in this Turn we were brought to die daily to that Love and Satisfaction we once had in the Glory Pleasures Honours Friendships and Diversions of the World which now became Burdensome more than ever they were pleasing to us Hence it was and from no Sinister Ends or Self-righteous Conceits that we became an altered and a distinguished People in our Behaviour Garb and Conversation More Retired Watchful Silent and Plain than formerly equally avoiding Luxury and Avarice I say it was the Work of God's Spirit upon our Hearts who by his Light gave us to see the just difference of things and to distinguish between that which pleased Him and that which pleased Him not And this Holy Pattern he gave us in the Light of his beloved Son which we design to follow as did the Holy Ancients and is a full Answer to the Bishop's Unfriendly Queries upon our distinguishing Behaviour in his 14th and 15th Paragraph as if it were not out of Fear towards God or upon a Conscientious Bottom but to serve a worldly Turn For he asks us Is it not your main Aim End and Study by pretended Mortifications to make your selves a Party Considerable Again Are not to this Purpose your different Garb Speech Looks and Gestures and to make your selves remarkable rather than out of a Sense of Duty or Conscience of Obligation Which as it is the worst Construction that the most Irreligious and Prophane could make upon our Behaviour so I beseech God to forgive the Bishop and make him sensible how little such Treatment of strict sober Living advances the Common Cause of Religion and how much it indulges those that know no Reins or Check to their Excesses in his own Church But to go no farther than the Bishop and his Clergy pray who distinguish themselves more by their Garb from other People then they Tho' I cannot say as much of their Behaviour So indeed did the Chemerims or black Coats of old and Those that wore long Robes in our Saviours time but as I take it they went not without his Censure while I think the Bishop will find none in Scripture against our Plainness But the Bishops Pontifical Robes do in my Opinion look much more like Singularity and a Sight than ours for our Garb is like other Mens only freed of their Superfluity In short I wish him a better Understanding of the true Grounds of our stricter Conduct and Where and Who they are that make a Trade of Religion that if he has any Shot left against Mercinary Religionists he may not miss the Mark next time but may make it his main Aim End and Study to Expose Hirelings and Hypocrites in their Proper Colours And some are of Opinion he need not go far to find too many of them It is strange the Bishop should be so unsensible of the Advantage he gives me by his Queries and what a wide Door he opens to a severe Retaliation but my desire to be Modest and to be Silent upon such Advantages is I think to be abundantly so Howbeit I must take Notice of one Expression for it may too seriously affect us not to be observed to him When he asks If it be not our main End and Study by pretended Mortifications to make our selves a Party Considerable He adds and such to which for Reasons of State Peculiar Priviledges must be indulged If this were not more than Mockery I should wave my Notice but calling the meaning of the Government in Question about the Liberty of Conscience we enjoy He must forgive me if I bestow a few Remarks upon that Expression It seems then our Liberty flows not from the Inclination of the Government to Liberty less from Compassion and least of all from Justice and a Christian Principle Which Motives carry with them a Prospect of the Continuance of Liberty if not for Liberties sake But the Bishop believes no such thing and if he would not have us of his mind he did weakly to tell us so Well then we are all of