ditches It would be too tedious and draw out too long a Volume to answer that Author in every perticular of his blind Discourse therefore I will passe by many things the which if time would have permitted I would have answered in order but what I have said already though in briefe will satisfie the wise and for the foolish there is too much said already for beate him in a morter and his folly will not depart from him But before I conclude I cannot chuse but take notice of somewhat more he sayes concerning these People called Quakers where he telling of comming to these People in the power and evidence of Gods Word and tels them of admiring Christ holy walking with God subjection to Ordinances Baptisme Kirkefellowship c. and they will tell you or as he saith that uncleane spirit in them will cry out and witnesse against you that you be but yet in the spirit of the world and under the power of carnall reason c. It s true they will do so to some people and wise men cannot but admire to see such a spirit of discerning in many of these people for an hypocrite can hardly beguile them though he may come with never so faire pretences to try them and let an hyhocrite arme himselfe as strongly with the Scripture and his worship of God in Ordinances as possibly he can and that light or eternall word in them will finde them out and discover these to the very bottome And I know for a truth that no hypocrite is able to stand before them and I beleeve an hypocrite that once hath had discourse with them dare not appeare before them the second time and indeed they may the easilier discerne an hypocrite when they themselves are delivered from that great evill the which no doubt but many of them had in them while they were in their pretended close walking with God and in their admirings of a Christ without them and hide-bound under a faire seeming Forme and the truth is while men live in such a condition they are not able to see how the Harlot is decked in them And this Author seemeth to take it for a strange and delusive saying That the people should say that they pray alwayes and that they have the Baptisme of Fire and that they eate the Flesh and Blood of Christ continually c. Indeed I doe not marvaile at the Author for thinking so for I beleeve he little knoweth or is acquainted with the mystery of these things for I doubt he is too busie about these things without him so that he is but little acquainted with the mystery of these things within him But at one thing I marvaile in the Author that he worshipping and idolizing the Scripture so much and yet should be unacquainted with what is written in it or otherwise why is it that the Scripture that he maketh no lesse then God should not reueale the truth of these sayings to him for if he doe but remember the Scripture it commands us to Pray alwayes but no command in it for set times and set Formes of Prayer And for the Baptisme with Fire it was the Promise of Christ and was fore-told by John Baptist Mat. 3. 11. And for eating and drinking the Body and Blood of Christ continually that soule that doth not so is in the captivity of death and hath no life in it and there is no abiding or living in the word of God or Christ but by eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood after that manner for he that eateth his Flesh and drinketh his Blood in this manner abideth in Christ and Christ in him John 6. 56. It is not the outward act of Baptisme or the Bread and Wine eating and drinking that makes a Christian or bringeth the soule to live in Christ and Christ in it no no these are typpicall things under this dispensation in which we live and they hold it out in the mystery the dying with Christ and the living with Christ For as in the time of the Law there was severall Ceremonies which poynted at the appearing of Christ in the Flesh so when he was in the Flesh he left types of another nature and these pointed at Christs appearing in spirit and as the types under the Law ended when Christ appeared in the Flesh so the types under the Gospel end when Christ appeareth in the spirit But none will beleeve the great Mystery herein but such as have found the same truely fulfilled in them and yet those who have attained this Mystery and speaketh thereof to the world or to the out side religious shall be accounted no lesse then Blasphemers because this crosseth their humane wisedome by which they understand God and his way and many of those people is able to make good the truth of this Mystery in them and witnesse the same by Scripture to yea and some of them will witnesse the same by signes and wonders to if they be put to it And yet this Author doth falsly accuse these people saying That they can give no Scripture account for what they hold out and doth falsly say That they deny Scripture when no people in the world doth answer the Scripture in its requiring more then they Other false accusations I omit because time will not give way to answer them for as he saith The mary absurd ridiculous practises of these Fantastickes as he calls them would be too much to relate so I say to answer all his false accusations would be too tedious But as he goes on in his discourse he lighteth on a great hole in their Coate as he thinketh viz. That they will not put off their Hats to any no not to a Magistrate and where doth this Author finde in Scripture any command for so doing but if he minde Scripture well he shall finde something to the contrary and that was a command of our Saviours who bad his Disciples That they should salute no man by the way Luke 10. 4. and for a Magistrate or other men in Authority what are they more then other men for if they would but well consider the originall root of Authority they shall finde that they have no just cause to look for more respect then other men for if sin had not bin brought out in the world one man had not ruled over another And the Scripture saith the Devill brought sinne into the world and sinne brought out Lawes and Lawes brought out Authority but as for Magistrates and men in Authority that are good men these looke but for little honour of men though there be an honour that is due to such but that honour consisteth not in putting off Hats to them for if it had the Scripture would have commanded such honour in some place of it Likewise that Author findeth other great defects amongst these people because they will not call men Rabbies and Sirs and because they speake and write men Thou and Thee I would know of the
have both this Author and all other of his order to understand what shall be said concerning Ordinances As for that which is an Ordinance of God we have commands for the observing of the same And one of his chiefe and greatest Ordinances is his Sonne Christ one with himselfe Acts 10. 42. and in as much at he would have us obedient to that Ordinance he hath given out his Command To love the Lord our God with all our heart c. and beleeve in his Sonne Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Now the fulfilling of these commands in being obedient to that Ordinance it is out of the compasse of the power of every man and therefore God in stouping to the weakenesse of men hath given out other inferiour Ordinances as Rules for men while they are in their weakenesse and those Ordinances are within the power of the creature man to be observed as Reading Hearing Praying Baptizing Breaking of Bread c. Yet in these inferiour Ordinances I would have men to be so wise as to understand the ground and intent or the cause and effect of these Ordinances It will be found that sinne is the cause or ground of all Laws or Ordinances For the Law was added because of transgression Gal. 3. 19. And the Law is made for the ungodly 1. Tim. 1. 9. And Gods intent in giving out Laws and Ordinances is to be as a Line or Rule untill the effect be brought to passe viz. that a man be brought into that condition by walking by these Rules of the knowledge of himselfe and his owne weakenesse and the weakenesse of all those Laws and Ordinances that so the Soule may be made â—it to close with that which is the chiefe Ordinance of all and the soule once being truely brought to live under obedience of the chiefe Ordinance all those inferiour Ordinances is of little use For there is a time for every thing a time to Plant and a time to plucke up that which was Planted For the Law was added because of transgressions so is all Ordinances But the Law maketh nothing perfect Heb. 7. 29. no more doth the inferiour Ordinances But when the Promised Seed is come the Law hath no more jurisdiction over man and when that which is perfect is come then that which is imperfect is done away The Law and Ordinances are not perfect but imperfect and yet not imperfect but perfect But marke well what I say in defining my selfe for the Law or any of Gods Ordinances hath a perfection in them but their perfection tends to death by reason of the sinne that is in us and the greatest perfection that is in any Law or Ordinance is but to bring man to be perfectly made senceable of the sinne and selfenesse that is in him And when man is brought thus farre Laws and Ordinances is but of little use for further man cannot be brought by them and so their perfection is at an end and what soule soever findeth not this to be true in observing of Ordinances may take it for granted that he hath not been faithfull in walking close by the rule of the Ordinances or otherwise the Angell of darkenesse hath playd that soule a tricke of which it is little capable and so raiseth some certaine sweetnesse in the soule out of the walking in these Ordinances and the false fiend maketh the soule to beleeve that to be in comes of Christ when it is nothing else but a life raised out of that whose nature is alwayes to produce death and when the false fiend hath got power to worke this worke no marvaile if such soules cry up Ordinances so fast and cry downe any appearance of God in others who are let see and led out from such delusions but I let such passe with the saying of the Prophet Thou hast wearied thy selfe in the greatnesse of thy wayes yet saidest thou not there is no hope thou hast found the life of thine hands and therefore thou art not grieved Isay 57. 10. In every soule which is rightly carried on into that which is the chiefe good it will be truely made appeare that the perfection of Laws and Ordinances is fulfilled in bringing it into a perfect death and the imperfection of Laws and Ordinances will appeare in that they cannot restore the pure life to the soule but that proceedeth from another Fountaine viz. the chiefe Ordinance and when that which is chiefe and supreame is come that which is inferiour is out of date with that soule and so it is made to live in that which is chiefe above that which is inferiour for these inferiour Ordinances are but Childrens Tutors in their minority untill the time appointed of the Father though Children may sometimes for want of knowledge be led out to love their tutors better then their Father yea and thinke both their Fathers and all other enemies that would seeme to seperate them and their Tutors though it were to carry them to live in the bosome of theiâ— naturall Fathers but these are but the foolish thoughts of Children and the Apostle was such a one at sometime himselfe but when he grew up to be a man he put away childish things meaning whatsoever was inferiour to the living in that which was the chiefe Ordinance even the love of God in Christ or Christ made truely knowne to his soule and was the Apostle condemned for saying so or dare any judge or question his light that led him into that condition or who dare say that he was in an error when he counted all his religious walking by the rules as dung and drosse Phil. 3. or who dare say that he was guided by a false light when he counted Ordinances but as shaddowes and reproved the people for being subject to such things Col. 2. 20. But you may say That these was Ordinances Instituted in the time of the Law but now we live under Gospel-Ordinances and therfore none may live above them To which I say The Ordinances under the Law had their time and pointed out that which was the end viz. Christ appearing in the Flesh and there they ended and the Ordinances under the Gospel hath their time and their end also and that is when Christ appeareth in the spirits of men for he is the end of all Ordinances whatsoever to them who live in him and he in them But you may say That Beleevers in the Primitive time made use of Gospel-Ordinances whose Example it behooveth all men to follow To which I say it was meet they should doe so at sometime especially when they were in their minority in beleeving and so for all young Christians For as I said before there is a time for every thing but even in the Primitive time there was degrees of Christians some Children some young-men some old-men or Fathers and it was the wisedome of the Apostle to frame his discourse and behaviour to every ones condition and to feed Children with Childrens meate and to
give to the stronger such as was suteable for them And while the People was so contending about Orders and Ordinances the Apostle judged them but as carnall and was but to be fed with Childrens meate 1 Cor. 3. 1. 2. 3. and while they were to be fed with such food they were not in a capacity of living of any other thing and such were these who could not see beyond the Ordinances which was but the first Principals of Religion Heb. 5. 12. And who dare say that the Apostle was led with a false light when he seemed to slight Gospel-Ordinances and leave them as low things being but as the Alphabet of Christians and so reach out to higher even to that which is the substance of all things wherein perfection was to be attained Phil. 3. 13. 15. for though the Apostle had to doe with Children in his time yet he had to doe with men who was more excellent and was not in bondage to weake and beggarly rudyments nor lived upon shaddowes nor was fed with Childrens meate of Ordinances or busying themselves with the Principles of Religion but was men of full age who through the great mortification and selfe-denyall was brought to understand what was good and what was evill and would not take things for good because they seemed to be so Heb. 5. 13. And amongst such the Apostle could be understood when he spoke of the mystery of the Wisedome of God 1 Corinthians 2. 6. and these were of like spirit with him led out and beyond or above Ordinances Laws and inferiour Rules and aymed at nothing but the price of the high calling and the attaining to the Resurrection of the Dead and to him there was but one Rule to walke by and that was the Rule of the Crosse of Christ by which the world became Crucified to him and he to it and those that were perfect and aymed at perfection was to walke by the same Rule Phil. 3. 15. But now perfection is cryed downe and a man may almost as well speake blasphemy as speake of perfection and any rule or ordinance is highly esteemed buâ— the chiefe Ordinance and the rule and imitation of that Ordinance viz. the Crosse of Christ Nay the very appearance of this scareth all men in a Forme or out of a Forme For this rule of the Crosse is that which will try all hypocrites in the world for they are not able to abide it for it destroyeth all faire seeming holinesse and all worldly mindednesse and all pleasure prayse and reputation and therefore no marvaile if there be so few who dare take up that Crosse and walke by that Rule and that those who have closed with it should be the reproach of all men The Apostle himselfe was not a little troubled with Professors who was the very Enemies of the Crosse of Christ and with weeping Teares tould his beloved Hearers that sad story but if he were alive in these dayes he might have weeping enough for such Professors as are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose God is their belly who glory in that which should be their shame who minde earthly things Phil. 3. 17. And I make no doubt if the Apostle Paul and those to whom he spake the Mystery of the Wisedom of God unto were amongst us but that these Professors who pretend ordinances so much and yet in these ordinances the very Enemies of the Crosse would call them deluded men and carryed away by a false light But I hope the Author will know hereafter what it is to live under ordinances and what life that is that is led above ordinances But I am somewhat affraid that the Author is somewhat mistaken about the ordinances of God and that he taketh the ordinances of men for the ordinances of God but at present I will not stand upon defining every ordinance whether it be of God or Man but one onely and by that let him and all other judge the rest I doubt he takes the Priests of these times for Gods Ministers and so may call them an ordinance of God nay and amongst Fools they are accounted one of the chiefe ordinances and so they call themselves but if the Author thinks so he is mistaken and so are all other that take them so for they are none of the ordinances of God for he never sent them neither have they any Commission from him but they are an ordinance of men and by men were they sent out and of men have they learned their Ministery and of men they have their Commission and for gaine it is they seek and for prosit it is they Preach and runne as greedily after it as the hungry dog doth after his prey and if hire were but taken away from them all the world might see who ordained them and these have been the greatest enemies of the Crosse of Christ in all the world and by them hath the eyes of men been blinded from the true beholding of the Truth but let but the Free borne Sonns have patience a while and they shall see that brought to passe which all the Preaching Praying Consultations and Petitions of all the Priests in England shall not be able to turne away their feare is upon them already and their fall is not farre off for God hath born fourteen hundred yeares with them but his patience is well-nigh at a period their guilt beginneth to stir and their feare is such that they thinke every bush is a boggle this is truely apparant amongst them â—or the very name of these simple despised people called Quakers doth scare them and make them runne together as so many Wolves which is scared by the bark of a dog and all their Consultations is how to get these poore people destroyed for their heart tells them if these increase their Kingdom will be destroyed but of that no more at present The Author of that Discourse taketh it in high disdaine that these people should say they have a light in them equall to Scripture and that that light should be the holy Ghost and so need not Scripture because the same is fulfilled in them c. If this Author had but taken good notice of the Scripture he need not have slighted these sayings for in saying so they doe not vary from the truth of God declared in Scripture nor from the promise of Christ made out to those that are his followers as may plainely appeare in these sayings When the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth c. John 16. 13. and further his promise was that when he was departed He would send the Comforter even the spirit of truth which proceeded from the Father which should testifie of him John 15. 26. And moreover our Saviour saith againe When the Comforter which is the holy Ghost is come whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all truth and bring all things to your remembrance c. John 14. 26. I