as this man putteth beyond all debate in his writings and others clearly demonstrate by their books containing such positions as overturn and destroy the Gospel Mr Norton teacher of the Church at Boston in New England being appointed to write against the Quakers by order of the General Court tels us in his Tractat printed A. 1660. Pag. 6.7 c. that the Quakers deny that the Father Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct Persons that Christ is God and Man in one Person that Christ is a distinct person from the person of the Father that Christ is a distinct person from any of His Members And so their Christ doth unchrist Christ. He tels us moreover that they deny the Scriptures or written word to be the Rule of life and that they make the light within them and the Spirit without the Scriptures to be their guide that they owne none as lawful magistrats who are not of their way that they assert an infallible light within them above the trial of the Scriptures that they will not acknowledge that they sinne but professe perfection of degrees in his life Mr Stalham in his Epistle to the Reader prefixed to his Reviler rebuiked sheweth us that they make nothing of the historical letter of Christ's Death Resurrection c. but turne all into allegories And that they are with H. N. in his joyful message of the Kingdom Pag. 170. ready to call these things meer lies which the Scripture-learned through the knowledge which they get out of the Scriptures bring-in institute preach teach As also how they joine with Iacob Behme who slighted the imputed righteousness from without and magnified the little spark within whereby the Father draweth them all to Christ and teacheth all within them and say further that in Adam stood the Covenant of grace that there is no certaine Ordination from eternity upon any soul particularly which is yet to be borne but only a common universal foreseeing of grace He sheweth us also how Will. Erbury in his Call to the Churches Pag. 4. said what Gospel or glade tideings is it to tell the world that none shall be saved but the elect and believers and that the Gospel which Christ taught was but in part that which was proper only to the Iewish Church not that to be preached to the world And moreover Pag. 6. he telleth us that he said the Gospel which the Apostles preached to the world was not that which they wrote to the Churches nor yet what they read in the Scriptures of the Prophets but the Gospel was a mystery which in the light of God they could manifest to men and make all men see themselves in God that 's in Christ. And Pag. 9. that God is in our flesh as in Christ's for the mystery of faith was more than men imagine and it may be more than Paul wrote to the Romans and Churches of Galatia And Pag. 37. that Christ's coming againe promised Act. 1 11. was nothing but his coming in Spirit and power in the Saints and in their flesh when they are most confused and dark Further the same Mr Stalham in the book cited sheweth how they contradict Scriptures in several points as concerning Scriptures Trinity the Light within the Law Sin Iustification Regeneration Sanctification and its Perfection Christian warfare Repentance Meanes of grace Baptisme Lord's Supper Prayer Singing Elders and Ordination Ministers maintainance Immediat calling Immediat teaching Civil honour Swearing unto which might be added several things brought out of their writings by Mr Hicks beside what we shall have occasion to remark in this Author with whom we now deal By all which we may conjecture what a Gospel this is which they teach even another than we have in the Scriptures and than that which the Apostle taught And what welcome such as come with another Gospel were their credentials angelical unto which these men are strangers should have Paul hath taught us Gal. 1 8 9. as was mentioned above which is a sufficient warning for all that fear God to beware of these men 20. This man hath an high and mighty conceit of his Theses calling them though short yet ponderous and saying that they comprehend many things and denote the true original of knowledge of that knowledge which leadeth to life eternal And I do indeed conceive that they containe much though I dar not say the whole of the marrow of that Gospel whereof he is a dispensator we may look upon ourselves therefore as called more narrowly to consider and examine them If the matter contained in them were good I should not quarrel at their brevity but I see what they want in length the Apology hath Ponderous he calleth them but we know wet sand though of smal value is more ponderous than what is more worth and indeed so ponderous are they that they will sinke the poor soul that embraceth them without any other super added weight into the bottomless pit His saying that they pointe forth the true original of saving knowledg will never perswade me that they do so How defective they are as to this we may shew in the next Chapter Nay rather I dar say that they discover the true original of that science falsly so called which leadeth to the bottomless pit and this I hope to make appeare ere all be done 21. He tels us that he beareth witness to this truth in this his work But he must hold us excused to seek for a more sure ground to our faith and perswasion than his bare testimony especially when he speaketh not only not consonant to Scripture but so manifestly contrary thereto Indeed if we were called to rest upon his and his co-partners bare testimony all further dispute were at an end and we might cast our bibles at our heels and learn all our divinity at their mouth or at the light with in us rest thereupon notwithstanding it contradict sound reason and experience let be Scripture But through grace we have not yeâ— drunk-in that principle and therefore must stand upon our old bottome and go to the Law and to the Testimony 22. In fine he tels us that he leaveth this his testimony unto the light of Christ illuminating every one of our consciences which words may have a double sense as expressed in his latine and either import that he leaveth this his testimony as a confirmation of that light of Christ which illuminateth every man and if this be his meaning the preaching up of this light must be the whole of his Gospel worâ— and the whole Intent and designe of his writting and publishing these Theses yea if so these Propositions of his must serve for no other end but to confirme the truth and reality of this light of Christ But then I think They or He by them should have given us some clear discovery and explication of the nature of that light of Christ which is as he saith within every man which I finde
will so have it In the 3. place he comes to criticize tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in the potential mood and so it signifieth who may not or cannot sin as Ps. 119 11. Ans. And why not also ought not seing this Mood is used to expresse that This is but vanity for the Hebrew hath not properly potential moods And though interpreters do usually render it so as more congruous latin yet the sense abideth the same and the Dutch translate it as we have it And what will this say to other places Nay the very scope of Solomon evidenceth our translation to be right his gloss to be but vanity as is obvious to every Reader 30. To that argument from Rom. 7 14. c. he answereth the same that Socinians and Arminians answered of old to wit That the Apostle is not there speaking of himself but of an unregenerate person While as all the circumstances of the text evince the contrary to wit that he is speaking of himself and that in the present time for he useth alwayes from vers 14. and forward verbs in the present tense and he distinguisheth betwixt the Old and New man in himself ascribeing to each their proper work and speaketh many things of himself which cannot be spoken of the Unregenerat as 1. To will and approve what is good and to nill and disapprove what is evil and that alwayes and to approve all good and disapprove all evil discovered to be such 2. To consent unto the Law that it is good and to delight therein and that according to the inner man which is the Regenerat part opposite to the Old man 3. Not to do evil not I it is no more I and that was according to the Renewed part 4. To have an inner man which is proper to the Regenerate Ephes. 3 19. 5. To feel a strife and warre betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit which also agreeth to the Regenerate Gal. 5 17. 6 To hate evil which no Unregenerate person can do 7. To approve of the Law as Spiritual 8. To have will present unto good even when he findeth not how to performe what is good 9. To be brought into captivity to the Law of sin while as the wicked are willing slaves 10. To be groaning under this body of death and accounting himself wreatched because of it 11. To have a Law in the minde against which the Law in the members maketh warre 12. To be expecting full delivery in Jesus Christ. 13. To be thankfull to God upon that account 14. To be serving the Law of God when the flesh is serving the Law of sin 15 And Chap. 8 1. being an inference from whaâ— is said Chap. 7. he inferreth that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ which supposeth that he was speaking of one that was in Christ otherwise his Inference had not been pertinent 31. These things are clear and might be further explained and confirmed if it were necessary Let us see what he saith against this 1. He saith The Apostle declared the contrary Chap. 6 2. Answ. No such matter for what he said there and what he saith here can well agree for he that is thus resisting sin striveing and protesting against it when he can do no more is abundanâ—ly evidencing that he is dead unto it as to its dominion and that he is not living therein 2. He saith Paul could not call himself a carnal man as vers 14. Answ. So said Schlightingius the Socinian So Arminius But we say Paul doth not call himself simply and every way carnal but only in a certain respect distinguishing betwixt his better part which he owneth as himself and this Flesh vers 18. And we finde also that Paul called the Corinthians who were babes in Christ carnal in some respect 1 Cor. 3 1 2. He saith 3. The Apostle Chap. 8. saith he was made free from the Law of sin and death and so he could not be then carnal Answ. Neither say we that he was carnal in so far but spiritual 4. He saith That Paul Chap. 8 35. saith who shall separat us from the love of Christ vers 37. that in all these things we are more then conquerours And vers last nothing can separat us But where sin is and is continued in there there is a separation for all sin is contrary to God 1 Ioh. 3 4. Answ. That sin where it is striven and wrestled against as Rom. 7 15. c. will make a separation from God I deny 2. That sin is contrary to God I no where read that it is a breach and transgression of his Law is true 32. To the instances of the failings of Noah and David He saith They are nothing to the purpose Why so The question is not saith he whether good men cannot sin num non possint peccare but whether they be able not to sin num possint non peccare And this may be true though they have sinned Answ. But our Argument lyeth thus If these men whom the Spirit of God stileth Perfect and men according to God's heart have had their failings and these failings are registrated for our use then we have no Scripture warrant for such a Perfection here as is not attended with sin But the former is true Let him of now apply his answere to this argument and see what it will say Or thus we may frame the Argument If we finde no instances in Scripture such persons as were so perfect as that they did not sin then to imagine such a perfection is but a groundless fancy a dream But the former is true Or If we finde sin consisting with a state of Regeneration than it is false that all Regenerat persons are in a sinless state Hereby also is that which he addeth in the second place obviated And further we say that from these instances we do not prove that the godly sin in all they do because of a body of death and corruption cleaving to them other Arguments evince that But from these instances we shew that his sinless state is but a Quakeristick dream 33. To that argument That this doctrine taketh away the study of Mortification and Usemaking of the blood of Christ and Praying for remission He very civilly tels us Tâ—at because of its absurdity he had almost forgoten it As if he had answered all the arguments we use against this errour But wherein consists its absurdity Is sayes he mortification of sin useless when its end is attained But he mistaketh after his usual manner our argument which in forme runneth thus If mortification be a duty pressed on persons regenerated then persons regenerated have sin and corruption in them to be mortified and so are not sinless But the former is true Therefore c. May it please him to shew the absurdity of this argument When all sin is mortified there is no more need of this duty of studying mortification and if all sin
to the excluding of Christ and that in the New Test. there is a clearer Manifestation of Christ as the End of the Law and as Life than was under the Law and we know that Christ by his Spirit writteth his Law in the hearts of his children by giving them a Spiritual Principle of Obedience and this he did also to his owne under the Law and all this without annulling the Letter of the Law as a Rule as we have showne elsewhere abundantly against the Antinomians 6. will he say that all the Scripture is written in tables of stone and yet of that doth the Apostle speak 2 Cor. 3. v. 7. the place he hath in his eye But saith he Gracâ— and not the external law is Christians Rule Rom. 6 14. And yet the External Law taught him this otherwise he citeth this passage with an evil conscience but Grace there is not taken for a Rule but for that Spiritual Assistence whereby we are enabled to withstand Corruption and so to be more conformed Outwardly and Inwardly unto the Law and for the Gospel dispensation wherein grace is promised and secured in and through the Mediator to help in time of need to more Conformity unto the revealed will of God But by what authority can he take Grace here and Act. 20 32. for Immediat Revelations The grace of Christ and the power of his Spirit in regard of that Efficacy it hath to Restraine from sin and to Constraine sweetly unto duty is assimulated unto a Law the native End and Designe whereof is this Rom 8 2. for thereby his children are Effectually and Efficiently delivered from the Tyranny and Power of Sin and Death So that this man knoweth not what he saith when he would reason thus against the Scriptures as our Rule for the Apostle in that same Epistle Chap. 13.9 urgeth the very decalogue as a binding Law and in several other places of the same Epistle citeth passages out of the old Test. not only to Confirme his Doctrine but to Enforce Duty yea he expresly tels us that the very Scriptures of the Old Test. are of this use unto us Chap. 15 4. 25. Before we proceed and examine what he saith against the Perfection of the Scriptures in the following Pages we would first vindicate some Grounds of our owneing of it as our Rule which he mentioneth afterward and also in the first place clear it to be so from other Grounds which he taketh no notice of And in all this we have this Advantage that he hath already granted the Scriptures to be of divine Inspiration and of Immediat Revelation and to be the Scriptures of Truth and so without manifest Retracting of what he hath said and Contradicting of what he hath granted he cannot but assent to all which these Scriptures of truth say as truth and as unquestionable truth wherefore if they shall give testimony to their being our Rule above any thing that men may fancie as a Rule the testimony must be true and we must without further debate Acquiesce therein and while he doth dispute to the contrary he calleth in question their Truth and in effect controleth their Truth and Authority Let us see then what they say of themselves as to this That parable which Christ adduceth Luk. 16. speaketh faire for what we say for who would not think that one riseing from the dead should be hearkened to and beleeved above all who would doubt of the divine authority of his Message especially when calling for Repentance who could think that such an One so comeing and that with such a message were not to be received as cloathed with divine authority And yet we see by Abraham's answere in the parable that Moses and the Prophets are to be preferred so that if the testimony of Moses and the Prophets that is of the writings of Moses and the Prophets could not to bâ— Beleeved such a testimony with a miracle would be Ineffectual Shall we then think that this word preferable to such a testimony as every one would think were unquestionable should not be rested upon as our Supream Rule will any think it reasonable that we leave this and betake ourselves to private Inspirations and Revelations as a Superiour more Sure and Full Rule and Declaration of the Minde of God concerning Faith and Manners when all men must see that they come far short in point of Light and Certainty unto the testimony of One risen from the dead beside that we know not by any infallible toaken out of what airth they come Sure this should be Madness and Folly 26. Further when the Apostle is pressing Timothy 2 Tim. 3 16 c. to stedfastness in the truth and to a progress and continuance in the work of the Gospel he assureth him that the Scriptuâ—es which he had been acquanted with from his child hood and was the sure ground and rule of his doctrine would beare him thorow without mentioning any superiour yea or collateral Rule as requisite in this case saying they were able to make wise unto Salvation and to make the man of God perfect and further as a confirmation hereof he tels him that the whole Scripture was of divine Inspiration superiour to which as a Rule nothing is imaginable unless we blasphemously imagine some thing above God or some manner of Revelation of God's minde superiour and preferable unto that which is by his Immediat Speaking and Inspiration As also he tels him that the Scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect throughly fournished unto all good works and so he denyeth the Use and Necessity of the auxiliary supply of any other whether collateral or superiour Rule Sure had the Spirit been in his judgment a Superiour and more adequate Rule he had never attributed all this unto the Scriptures and that without all exeption of one thing or other So that place of Peter 2 Pet. 1 18 19 20 21. evinceth the matter beyond a contradiction for what can be more ceâ—taine as to its divine Authority than a voice from heaven and that from the excellent glory Dar this man his fellow-confidents Averre that their private Revelations whether Dreames Visions or Inspirations are to be preferred to such a Voice from heaven from the Excellent glory saying This is my beloved Son which Peter Iames and Iohn did hear If modesty will not suffer them to be so bold let them then forbeare to preferre their Fancies in point of Rule unto the Scriptures When Peter saith we have a more sure word of Prophecie a light that shineth in a dark place and what was this word of Prophecy even that which holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost shall we not then look upon that as our supreame Rule which God hâ—th given out with more evidence as to us than a very Voice from heaven and a Voice which had full Certainty in its selfe And shall we be so sottish as to preferre to
himself By this accusing of conscience Paul proveth here that the Gentiles had the Law in their heart 10. He would know that there is a twofold writing of the Law in the heart One is whereby the knowledge of the Law is so fixed in their mindes as that it cannot be utterly delet howbeit their wils cannot and will not comply therewith and of this the Apostle is here speaking for the Heathens have this Law of nature so imprinted and fixed in their Mindes as to several things concerning God and their carriage and walk in the world that they cannot but see a difference betwixt Righteousness and Iniquity Honesty and Dishonesty in several particulars and in their judgment preferre the one to the other though their hearts and wills be not reconciled thereunto and made to comply therewith even according to thâ— measure of their Knowledge and Judgment The Other is whereby the whole will of God revealed in Law and Gospel is by the Spirit of God deeply imprinted in the soul of Beleevers so that as their Mindes know it and their Judgments approve it so their Wills imbrace it with love and desire and their native Endeavour is after Full Pure Sincere and Spiritual conformity thereto in the strength of the same Spirit and it is their griefe and matter of unfaigned sorrow when through the workings of a remanent body of death they come short of what is commanded whether as to Matter or Manner or End intended c. If he shall evince that Paul speaketh of this here he shal do more than all the Socinians no persons else ever dreamed of this ever have been able to do to this day But the truth is I apprehend all this is a riddle to this man who understandeth no other writing of the Law in hearts than the first for as he is an enemy so is he a stranger unto the Gospel of the Grace of God as will evidently enough appear ere we have done 25. He addeth a second reason for his Interpretation Pag. 57 saying that if nature here be understood of the proper nature of Man then the Apostle should contradict himself who elsewhere saith that the natural man cannot perceive the things of God but among these things of God the Law is comprehend seing Paul Rom. 7 12 14. itâ—oly â—oly just and good and Spiritual and calleth himself carnal which must be understood as he was unregenerat I answere 1. Paul no way contradicteth himself except in this mans dreaming fancy for these spiritual things whereof the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 2 14 are not the things of Nature or of the Law or Light of Nature But the things of the Spirit of God which must be spiritually understood vers 14. which none can know without they have the minde of Christ vers 16. which concerne Christ and Him Crucified vers 2. the same which Paul preached in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power vers 4. which was Wisdom among such only as were perfect vers 6. and which only the Spirit which is of God did reveal and not the Spirit of the world vers 11 12. and which eye had not seen nor eare heard c. vers 9. It was the preaching of the Crosse of Christ which even the Wise and Understanding and such as had not only Natures Light but the Light of the Law could not know It was that which even to the Jewes was a stumbling block and to the wise Grecians was foolishness Chap. 1 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. Hence we see the Law which was written in the hearts of the Gentiles is not among those things whereof Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 2. 2. It is truâ— the Law both that which is written in the heart of the Gentiles and that which was more clearly and amply declared and explained by God to the Jewes was Good Holy Just and Spiritual yet was it not the same with the things of God whereof the Apostle spoke 1 Cor. 2. 3 This man must have a strange antipathy at â—ruth and against the Orthodox for he will joyne with any before he take part with them we heard but just now how he joyned with Smalcius the Socinian and here in interpreting Rom. 7 14. c. he deserteth the orâ—hodox and joyneth himself with Pelagians Arminians and Socinians who will have the Apostle there speaking not of himself but as assumeing the person of one in nature not yet regenerated as if such were not wholly â—in and whâ—lâ—y flesh or had an Inward man delighting in the Law of God or â—ad a Law in their minde contrary to the Law in their members or were capable of this captivity when they are willing slaves or could groan under a boâ—y of death and account themselves miserable upon that account or thank God through Jesus Christ because of the begun delivery and certane expectation of the full victory or as if they with their minde could serve the Law of God 4. His sole reason viz. because the Apostle said he was carnal proveth nothing for what the Apostle speaketh in a certane respect must not be understood in an absolute sense He was it is true carnal as all â—egenerat persons are not absolutly nor wholly but in part in so far as the old man remained in which respect the best have a Law in their members warring against the Law of their minde and have the flesh lusting against the Spirit as they have the Spirit lusting against the flesh Gal. 6.17 And the Apostle calleth even such babes in Christ carnal in a certane reâ—pect 1 Cor. 3 1. 26. Thereafter he tels us That when we are urged with this testimony by Pelagians anâ— Socinians and by them so â—hat we see with whom he and his party are birds of one feather we use to answere that there were some remnants of the spiritual image left in Adam But sayes he this is affirmed without probation In which he either speaketâ— aâ—ainst his Light or he â—aâ—â— neâ—er read what hath been said upon this by the orthodox against Socinians and Arminians and such as would defend that there were some speculative Atheisâ—s unto whom this Mans assertion doth no small service as we may shew hereafter But next he saith that hereby we contradict ourselves and destroy our own cause Why so For saith he If by these relicques they could fulfil the law then either Christ's coming was not necessary or men could be saved without him or that these thâ—ugh they keeped the Law were damned because ignorant â—f Christ to come which the Lord had made impossible for them to know Answere 1. We never said that they could fulfil the Law by these relicques nor doth the Apostle say so It is true they did and could do by nature somethings contained in the Law and this was sufficient for the Apostles designe not all Even Paul though many stages above many heathens while in the state of nature did not know till the written Law told him that
it the Spirit supposing that Paul 1 Cor 3 16. maineth every man breathing when he saith know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you and not remembering that the Apostle Rom. 8 9. maketh this the peculiar privilege of the Saints saying But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his But this is a maine business it doth not a little concerne him and his cause to shew a clear difference if there be any betwixt his opinion and that of Pelagians and Socinians and yet instead of doing this he runneth out in extravagancies to bewilder his Reader telling us Pag. 87. 88. that when the principle or rational propriety exalts it self to reigne and rule in spiritual things above the seed then the seed is wounded We know that corruption and carnal reason can and doth fight and strive against the grace of God in God's people and that in others it will rise up against the Truth and authority of God in the Scriptures But to imagine such a thing as either of these in persons living in heathenisme without God and without Christ without the very report of the Gospel is to dream wakeing And to call it Antichrist riseing-up against Christ as he doth call it is but a Notional juggle to hide their blasphemies 21. He goeth on to tell us his dreams for he saith as God created the sun to give light by day and the moon by night so he hath given to men the spiritual and divine light of his Son to rule them in Spiritual things and the light of reason to rule them in Natural things c. These are but impertinent fancies for he should cleare to us here how that which he calleth the Spiritual and divine Light of Christ which is in every man differeth from Nature or the Natural Enduements which accompany the Rational soul that it may appear that he is no Pelagian nor Socinian for we grant that there is a spiritual and divine light of Christ which only can savingly make the spiritual things of God manifest to the soul but this is not common to all but peculiar to God's peculiar ones if we may believe the Scripture and in this sense it is true which he saith That reason must be illuminated with this divine light before it can rightly take up Spiritual things but that divine light is some other thing then the Light within 22. Againe He would make us beleeve that this Light in every man he talketh of is distinguished from the Natural Conscience upon this ground that the Natural Conscience can be defiled Tit. 1 15. but the light cannot for it maketh manifest all things that are to be reproved Ephes. 5 13. But how cleareth he that the light that is in every man by nature cannot be defiled The Apostle in that cited place Tit. 1 15. sayes that the Mindes and Conscience and what light is in men is there of unbeleevers are defiled And as for that light mentioned Ephes. 5 13. He will never prove that is a light common to all men especially when the next verse restricketh it to them that awake out of sleep and are arisen from the dead which cannot I suppose be said of all men get this light from Christ. Sure such as are yet asleep yea dead can have no Spiritual light And they that are yet darkness are not light in the Lord vers 8. nor can they prove what is acceptable unto the Lord vers 10. not having yet received the Spirit which is in all goodness and righteousness and truth vers 9. So that the whole scope of the place manifesteth this mans detorsion thereof The Apostle is exhorting them who sometimes were darkness but now were light in the Lord to walk as Children of light and to reprove the unfruitful works of darkness vers 8 11. shewing what is the true nature of that light whereof they are now made partakers being light in the Lord and brought out of the state of darkness viz. to discover and make manifest such unworthy actions to the end they may be shuned and thought shame of What he addeth of conscience challenging and vexing for what is not wrong according to its misinformation is nothing to the purpose now in hand unless to give a convincing argument against himself and to shew that the Light in Turks who are challenged by their misinformed and deceived consciences for drinking of wine prohibited by Mahomet is nothing different from the darkness of their blinded consciences for how will he prove that there is any spiritual light in them witnessing the contrary of what their blinded and misguided conscience saith Of the same nature and import is that which he addeth Pag. 89. of the blinded conscience of Papists challenging for eating flesh in Lent But he addeth that the light of Christ will never consent to such abominations but taketh away blindness openeth the Intellect and directeth judgment and conscience All which is very true of the true light of Christ bestowed upon beleevers and revealed in his word but is most false of his Light which is in all men naturally and common to all the Sons of Adam Heathens Turks and Cannibals as well as Christians in name and thing And while the Quakers preach up this as a sure guide to life eternal they are abominable Pelagian and Socinian deceivers who should be fled from as the most impudent and sworne enemies of the Grace of God and of His Gospel that ever appeared out of the bottomless Pit a company of pure Pagan-preachers whose doctrine is Paganisme and driveth thereunto 23. In the last place as a plaister to cover all the deformities of his opinion hithertil held forth he tels us that this light and seed is not the power and faculty of the mans soul whereof a man is master and can exercise when he will if no natural defect hinder for a man cannot stirre up when he pleaseth this Light and seed but it moveth and breatheth and contendeth with men as the Lord seeth good so that a man even though he hath some sense of his misery cannot when he will by his stirring up of this light attaine tenderness of heart but he must attend to that which at certain times cometh upon all in which it wonderfully mollifieth and warmeth the heart and worketh in the man at which time if the man resist not but joyn with it he obtaineth salvation thereby And he compareth it with the Spirits moving the waters of Bethesda not Bethsaida as he saith and addeth that God in love to all mankinde worketh so in the heart by this seed at certain singular times setting their sins in order before their eyes inviting to repentance and offering remission of sinnes and salvation which if man refuse not he may be saved
is in Christ which is able to overcome and eradicat the evil seed Ans. 1. The Redemption made by Christ on the crosse and by his obedience and sufferings we cheerfully acknowledge But that it was a Redemption made for allâ— we abundantly disproved above Chap. VIII 2. That there was any such Power Grace or Vertue of the Spirit of life purchased hereby and granted to all is false and abundantly above disproved likewise See Chap. X. 3. To imagine that every son of Adam hath power granted to him to subdue and root out natural corruption is but pure Pelagianisme Arminianisme Iesuitisme but not the truth revealed to us in the word of God is to wedge warr against thâ— pure grace of God and the free operations thereof to set the crown of salvation upon the head of the creature all which we made manifest above at several occasions 12. What is the Second Redemption that is inseparable from the other It is that sayes he which Christ worketh in us And what is that It is that sayes he further whereby we possesse and know that that pure and perfect redemption is in us purifieing us delivering us from the power of corruption and bringing into favour union and familiarity with God Answ. 1. That the Lord Jesus Redeemeth by Power through his Spirit from sin and corruption all such as he hath Redeemed by Price from Law and justice we willingly grant But how can he say that these two are inseparable seing then they must be of equal extent and so as the first Redemption was in his judgment for all and every man the second must extend to all and every man and so all and every man must be delivered from the power of corruption and consequently must be saved Againe how can he say this who pleadeth afterward for the Apostasie of the Saints But 2. This purifying and delivering from corruption as would appear by his words is not wrought by the second Redemption but only a knowing that that pure and perfect Redemption is in us purifying us c. And so all that is had by this second Redemption is but a sight of what the fruite of the first Redemption is doing So that by the first Redemption not only man hath power to subdue corruption but he actually doth subdue it without any new grace or divine help and by the second Redemption he is only delivered from darkness which hindered his actual perceiving of the operation of the gift and grace bestowed upon the first Redemption 3. whether is this second Redemption necessary unto salvation or not I suppose he will say yes Then what shall become of the childe of God that walketh in darkness hath no light what shall become of them that have true grace and grace uniteing them to Christ to God through Christ yet through darkness the Lord dispensing so partly as a punishment partly for tryal exercise can see and acknowledge no such thing 13. He tels us over againe that by the first Redemption all mankinde was so far reconciled unto God that they were made capable of salvation and had the offer of Gospel peace citeing for this Ephes. 2 15. 1 Ioh. 4 10. Ezech. 16 6. 1 Pet. 2 22 24. 3 18. Tit. 2 14. Phil. 3 10. Ans. 1. we have seen before at several occasions that the Redemption of Christ is a far other thing and hath far other effects even remission of sinnes 2 Cor. 5 19. actual reconciliation grace and glory Dan. 9 24 26. Col. 1 19 20. Ephes. 1 11 14. Ioh. 17 2. Heb. 9 12 13. 2 Cor. 1 20. 2. The very texts cited by himself make against him for Ephes. 2 15. he died to make in himself of twaine one new man so making peace and this was not a mere capacity See vers 13. but now in Christ Iesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Was this only a capacity of coming near or a meer offer of it deluded souls may think so but the words are plaine let him see also Ephes. 1 7. 2 5 6. The next place he citeth is 1 Ioh. 4 10. Where God is said to have sent his son to be a propitiation for our sinnes and sure a Propitiation doth work more then a meer possibility of friendshipe and he was so a Propitiation as that for the same persons he is an Advocat with the Father 1 Ioh. 2 1 2. His next passage is Ezech. 16 6. And doth he think that when God saith to any lying in their bloud live that that creating word giveth nothing but a meer capacity to live See vers 8 9 10 11 12. But this properly is to be understood of Gods dispensation of love to that visible Church as such and so is not very pertinent to the purpose in hand His next passage is 1 Pet. 2 22. he would say 21. 24. And what can be more clear against him seing the Apostle saith vers 24. that he bear our sins for this end that we being dead to sinnes should live unto righteousness and then addeth by whose stripes ye were healed See also Chap. 1 vers 18. Where he saith that we are redeemed from our vaine conversation See also Chap. 1 2 4. He citeth next 1 Pet. 3 18. Where it is expresly said that Christ hath once suffered that he might bring us to God and not put us in a bare capacity Was this mans minde present when he wrote these citations Why did he not cite also Col. 1 vers 14. Gal. 1 vers 4. 3 vers 13 14. 4. vers 5. If he would cite passages against himself As also Revel 5 vers 9 10. 14.3 4. Tit. 2 vers 14 14. He explaineth over againe his Second Redemption and addeth that hereby we are really Iustified That is when we are sanctified we are Justified or Justified by sanctification as say the Tridentine Papists Then he tels us That both the Redemptions are the cause of Iustification the first the procureing cause and the last the formal cause And just so say they as we saw above out of the Councel of Trent and may be seen in Bellarmine who de justifie lib. 1. Cap. 2. proveth that Jesus Christ is the meritorious cause of Justification and is sounder here than I suppose this Quakers is who complyeth more with Samosatenians Socinians against whom Bellarmin there disputeth And the Councel of Trent said that Christ did merite justification to us by his most holy passion on the tree of the crosse Wherein doth this man now differ from Papists the worst of them I mean such as follow the Councel of Trent There are some Others that may shame this Quaker in this point As Contarenus a cardinal who in his Treatis of Iustification cleareth and determineth the question thus Because by faith we attaine to a twofold â—â—ghteousness one inherent whereby we are made partakers of the divine nature thâ— other
while we are thinking of appearing before God And what an antievangelick Justification and Salvation it is which Quakers maintaine O what a dreadful Disappointment will such wretches that live and die according to these Principles meet with in end when it will be too late to helâ—e the matter by changing their thoughts Let all that fear God and would not destroy their owne souls beware of these men for their doctrine is damnable and devilish CHAP. XIV Of Perfection and a Possibility of not sinning 1. WE heard toward the end of the preceeding Chapter how he pleaded for the Perfection of the Saints and of the work of grace in them Here in his S. Thesis and its explication he giveth us his minde more fully In his Thesis he saith That this holy and immaculate birth when it is fully produced in any the body of sin and death is crucified and takâ—n away and their hearts become subject unto and united with the truth so that they obey no suggestions or temptations of Satan and are freed from actual sin and transgressing of the Law and in that respect they are perfect But yet this perfection admitteth of an increase and there remaineth alwayes in some respect a possibility of sinning if the minde doth not diligently and vigilantly attend unto God And so high and confident is he in this mater that he accounts the answere given to the 149. Question in our Larger Cathechisme Impious and spoken against the power of divine grace because it is there said No man is able either of himself Iam. 3 2. Ioh. 15 5. Rom. 8 3. or by any grace received in this life perfectly to keep the commandements of God Eccles. 7 20. 1 Ioh. 1 8 10. Gal. 5 17. Rom. 7 18 19. but doth dayly break them in thought Gen. 6 5 8 11. word and deed Rom. 3 9. to 21. Iam. 3 3 to 13. But whatever he thinketh we are not ashamed of this Answere nor of what is said Conf. of Faith Ch. 16. § 5. towards the end That our best works as they are wrought by us are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment Esa. 64 6. Gal. 5 17. Rom. 7 15 18. Psal. 130 3. 143 2. And ibid. § 4. They who in their obedience attaine to the greatest hight which is possible in this life are so far from being able to supererogate and to do more than God requires as that they fall short in much which in duty they are bound to do Luk. 17 10. Neh. 13 22. Iob 9 2 3. Gal. 5 17. Nor yet of what is said Chap. 13. § 2. This Sanctification is throughout in the whole man yet imperfect in this life there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part 1 Ioh. 1 vers 10. Rom. 7 vers 18 23. Phil. 3 vers 12. whence ariseth a continual and irreconcileable war the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh Gal. 5 17. 1 Pet. 2 11. 2. This Perfection is commonly maintained by them all Mr Hicks in his 1. Dial. Pag. 50. tels us that they hold a perfect freedome from all sin in this life saying too Alas for thee where wouldest thou be perfâ—ctly free from sin if not in this lift Mr Stalham also in his book against them Pag. 138 c. manifesteth it by their owne words and arguments And though it may be matter of amazement to some to hear men speak so who of all others one would think have least cause to preach this doctrine without a publick declaration withal that they are not the men who are thus Perfect and consequently according to their owne doctrine are not Christians upon the account that he shall not ordinarily meet with in any hereticks writings so much Ignorance Boldness Foolish Confidence Abusing of Scripture Untruth Heresie Blasphemy Reproaching Revileing Calumnies Scolding c. As is every where to be found in theirs Yet when we consider what blasphemous grounds they lay downe we shall see that it is a native consequence of their doctrine For Mr Hicks in his 2. Dialog showeth us that Edw. Burroughs calleth Sanctification Christ himself and hence concludeth that to say Sanctification is imperfect is as much as to say Christ is imperfect But Christ is perfect therefore Sanctification is perfect And againe The Law in the minde is the Spirit of God To say the Law in the minde is imperfect is errour in the highest degree this is an abominable corrupt principle of errour the new man is perfect Peace and perfect Sanctification And Mr Clapham in his book against them Sect. 4. affirmeth out of a book called Saul's errand to Damascus that they maintaine themselves to be equal with God And that Hubberthorn in his book against Sherlock Pag. 30. doth alleige that place Phil. 2 5 6. to confirme it 3. It might also seem strange to hear men asserting their own Perfection who pretend so much to spiritual inward experiences and to so much acquantance with their owne hearts for who that will not wilfully put out their own eyes may not see and be assured of the deceitfulness of their heart above all things finde corruption riseing up on all occasions and setting forward to sin or hindering from good But when persons are given up of God to strong delusions as a punishment of their Pride and Vanity what high thoughts may they not have of themselvespunc seing such a doolful state is attended with more pride puffing them up and that blinding their eyes that they cannot see their spots nor see what the Law of God requireth and all this attended with ignorance of God and of his holy and Spiritual Law and worshipe And it may be this man supposeth with some Papists that venial faults as they call them are not against the Law of God or that command which they violat is not properly a command of the Law 4. What the truth is in this matter is declared above out of our Confession Catechisme and the passages of Scripture which are there cited to confirme the truth may be there seen and considered But before I speak any thing more for clearing of the Truth in this particular I would have the Reader take notice of one thing To wit That it cannot but be a stupenduous and astonishing thing and a manifest demonstration of the dreadful power of delusion when the Lord giveth up any unto that Spirit to hear men who pretend to Reason and to Religion and have not yet openly renunced all Faith of a God and all natural and humane Reason talke at this rate upon such grounds and assert with such boldness and confidence a Perfection of Degrees or a possibility of not sinning attaineable upon the principles and grounds which they lay downe what these are we have on several occasions hinted now shall do it yet once more The first rise and beginning of all their Religion
and to shake off Diligence Watchfulness holy Fear Humility contrare to Iam. 4 10. 1 Pet. 5 6 7 8. Mat. 18 4. 23 12. Micah 6 8. Col. 3 12. 1 Cor. 16 13. 1 Thes. 5 vers 6. 1 Pet. 4 7. Mat. 24 42. 25 13 26 41. Mark 13 33 35 37. 14 38. Luk. 21 36. Act. 20 31. Col. 4 2. 2 Pet. 3 14. 1 5. Heb. 6 11. 12 15. Tit. 3 8. 7. This taketh away the usefulness of the Ordinances of Christ such as Reading the Scriptures Preaching and Sacraments which are instituted for the edification and building up of the Church as also the Ministerie Hence we â—nde these Quakers proud and vaine boasters crying downe all these Ordinances as now useless as we shall hear more afterward 8. This makes all the commands to endeavour after perfection useless as to Christians contrare to Heb. 13 21. 2 Cor. 13 11. Mat. 5 48. 2 Cor. 7 1. Heb. 6 1. All Prayers for it useless contrare to 1 Pet. 5 10. And so cutteth off all Endeavours after it For what a man hath already he doth not earnestly seek 9. See Psal. 130 3. 143 2. Iob 9 2. Psal. 19 13. Iam. 3 ver 2. 1 Ioh. 1 8. as also Prov. 20 9. who can say I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sin But this Quaker will contradict this Eccles. 7 20 For there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not The Quakers will contradict this too and that also which this same wise King saith 1 King 8 46. 2 Chron. 6 36. For there is no man that sinneth not 8. Enough by way of proof of the vanity and falshood of this fonde conceite of these proud Phanaticks which the experience of saints in all ages hath confuted and all tender Christians will abhore and was never owned but by Phanatick hereticks such as of old were the Cathari followers of Novatus who was excommunicated for his errours by a Synod at Rome See Eusebii histor lib. 6. c. 42. Pelagians as we shall shew and Donatists some Anabaptists Antinomians Familists and the like of late with Socinians of whom afterward Arminians and the Papists who owne it to set off the better their other corrupt doctrines lay their ground for works of supererogation though some of them as Stapleton and others must yeeld to the truth which the Orthodox own and maintaine Let us now come and see what this man saith for explication and defence of this untruâ—h He layes downe five Positions for clearing of the Controversie Pag. 153. The first is this we place not saith he this possibility to wit of not sinning in mans owne will and capacity as he is a son of Adam or as in a natural state Ans. But what if his Perfectionist be never translated out of the state of nature And sure according to his doctrine we cannot see how such can be said to be translated from darkness to light For the Scripture tels us that that cannot be without the infusion of new habites and faith in Jesus Christ and also that this cannot be without the powerful operation of God's Spirit on Minde Will and Affections discovering to them their Sin and Misery and the Necessity of Christ and Christ's Fulness Sutableness and Readiness to help As also Perswading Bowing Inclineing and Determineing the Will unto an Acceptance of and Closeing with Christ for union and communion And therefore if such be capable of this Perfection who are strangers to this work it riseth only from the Will of corrupt man is founded on meer Nature But what sayes he next We ascribe it wholly unto man sayes he as he is renewed by Christ whom he knoweth to be reigning in him and leading by his Spirit and revealing within the Law of the Spirit of life whereby power is obtained to be rid of sin Ans. 1. But we have not yet heard that Renovation and Regeneration by Christ explained to us according to the Gospel but rather according to Pelagius as was manifested several times above 2 What is ascribed wholly unto man even as renewed is not ascribed immediatly to God and to his grace 3. If it be ascribed to man as renewed it must be ascribed to all renewed persons and so is not a privilege of some but is common to all Beleevers and consequently none are beleevers but such as are thus perfect and so no man that sinneth or yeeldeth to temptations is a regenerat man and therefore David was not regenerated when he fell with Bathsheba Nor any man that yeeldeth but to a sinful thought or word What shall then be said of Quakers whose books are so full of Railings Lies Slanders Errours and Blasphemies beside their other practices 4. It is not true that every renewed person knoweth alwayes that Christ is reigning in him and ruling him by his Spirit c. 5 Though power be had from Christ living and reigning in the soul whereby sin is resisted and striven against Yet not in such a measure and degree as the sou shall be fully freed from its lustings and oppositions Gal. 5 17. 9. What is his third Position By this perfection saith he we understand not that which cannot receive dayly increase neither that which is as just and perfect as God is but a proportionable perfection answering the measure of every one whereby they are keeped from sinning and strengthened for fulfilling the Law Answ. 1 If he understand not such an absolute perfection he contradicteth other Quakers as we heard above 2. Howbeit every renewed man hath not the same proportionable perfection or perfection of degrees yet every one hath that measure of degrees that maketh him love God with all his Heart Minde Soul and Strength and fulfil the whole Law and do no sin in Thought Word or Deed in this Quakers judgment and this belongeth even to Babes in Christ as an Infant hath all the proportioned members of a man and then it is clear that no regenerated person can sin and no man that sinneth is regenerate And so freedom from sin must be essential or proprium quarto modo unto the Regenerate Give us an instance in all the Scriptures of such a Regenerate person 3. The Arminians speak of a perfection consistent with some small sinnes but this Quaker excepteth not the least sin The Arminians also speak of a perfection that admitteth degrees Apol. Fol. 128. b. 10. What is his fourth Position Albeit saith he some may attaine unto this freedome from sin and all should endeavour after it yet he who once getteth it may afterward loss it through the temptations of Satan unless he diligently attend to the Light within Answ. 1. These some who may attaine to this and should endeavour after it are not among the renewed ones for they all have it already As we heard 2. If he afterward come to loss it he loseth also his state of Regeneration for to sin were
irreprehensible and sinless It is said of them indeed that they were blameless as all Pastors should be 1 Tim. 3 2. anâ— all Christians Phil. 2 15. but not that they were sinless And August lib. cont Caelest distinguisheth betwixt esse sine peccato esse sine querela and he sayes this may be said of some but that of none but of Christ. What he saith from Ephes. 2 5 6. is true viz. that such as sit with Christ to wit Actually sin no more but now they sit not actually there but only in Christ Jesus their head As for Heb. 12 22 23. whatever beginnings there may be thereof here Yet its fulness is above Revel 14 5. speaketh not of Perfection here but of their blamelesness that is their Sincerity and Uprightness And this is all that he adduceth to prove his Opinion by and how slender his grounds are let any judge 28. He comes at length to answere some of our arguments § 9. Pag. 161. c. And to that brought from 1 Ioh. 1.8 if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves the truth is not in us He wondereth that we are so blinde partial as to alleige this place against which so much might be said Let us hear what can be said He saith That we doth not include the Apostle as we see Iam. 3 9 10. Ans. That place of Iames taketh in all even the Apostles though not for the present time and that was sufficient to prove what a member the tongue was And he might say as well that the Apostle is not included 1 Ioh. 1 7 9 10. Nor Chap. 2 1 2 3. But nâ—xt be it so that the Apostle is not here expresly included it is sufficient for us that it is spoken of beleevers to whom Iohn wrote that their joy might be full vers 4. and who have interest in the bloud of Christ vers 7. and are children Chap. 2 vers 1. and have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous ibid. and are brethren vers 7. who had their sinnes forgiven them vers 12. and knew the Father vers 13. and among these come in also the young men and the Fathers mentioned vers 13 14. What saith he next Here it is not said that we daily sin in word and deed far less that all our best works are sinful for the following verse showeth the contrary where it is said that such as confess their sins get pardon and are washen and this cleansing cannot be meaned of remitting the guilt for that was expressed by forgiving otherwise there should be a tautology here Ans. 1. It is sufficient that this place proveth that beleevers are not so perfect as to be sinless here 2. It is true beleevers confessing their sins and fleeing to Christ by faith obtaine remission of their sins and it is also true that Christs bloud cleanseth them from guilt and staine but that cleansing from the staine and filth is not perfect here for then there were no need of remission and beleevers might say they had no sin contrare to what is here said verse 8. and Chap. 2 1. In the 3. place he distinguisheth betwixt sinning and having sin as Volkelius the Socinian lib. 5. c. 19. did to elude this place betwixt having of sin and being accustomed to sin and then tels us that because all have sinned it may be said of them that they have sin Just as Smalcius the Socinian said disp 6. de Bonis Oper. Pag. 178. But we Ans. That the Apostle expresly saith both that we have sin vers 8. and that we have had sin vers 10. And he that sinneth in the present time he hath sin in the present time And beside this having of sin he supponeth that they may sin saying Chap. 2 1 My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not that is not that ye have not had sin And if any man sin that is in the present and future time We have an advocate with the Father c. And it is observable that the Apostle cleareth vers 9. what he meaned by having of sin vers 8. by saying if we confess our sinnes he is faithful and just to forgive us our sinnes For here he can mean no other than such sinnes as need foregiveness and not such as were formerly was hen away by the bloud of Jesus vers 7. Moreoveâ— he tels us that sin may be taken for the seed of sin that for some time remaineth even in such as are redeemed from actual sin and when the children of God resist the temptations that come from this seed it is not their sin but the Devils that tempteth Ans. 1. This seed of sin is sinful and as lonâ— as this seed of sin is in them they cannot be perfect 2. The Apostle is speaking of actual sins not excluding this seed and body of death which must be confessed before they be actually pardoned and they cleansed from the guilt of them vers 9. 3. In so far as the godly resist these temptations they do well but even these sinful motions of corruption within them are transgressions of the Law and should be mourned for and are evidences that the flesh lusteth against the Spirit so that they do not what they should do every way as they ought to do What he saith in the last place to wit That this place should not be so wrested as to speak against what the same Apostle saith frequently in the same Epistle Is founded upon his presumption and false supposition that he hath proven this Perfection from this Epistle the conâ—rary whereof is shown 29. To 1 King 8 46. and Eccles. 7 20. he answereth That there is nothing here said of sinning daily Yea Salâ—mon in that place two verses thereafter speaketh of them that turne from their sinnes with all their heart which insinuateth a possibility of relinquishing sin Ans. It is expresse in Ecclesiastes that there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not clearly importing that even in their doing good they sinne and so that they sinne daily What followeth 1 King 8 48. speaketh only of their Repentance which we deny not to be possible but nothing of this possibility of not sinning He answereth 2. Though it were granted that at that time there was no man that sinned not yet it will not follow that there are none such now or that it is Impossible there should be any such Ans. 1. Then he must say either that at that time there were none Regenerate no not Solomon himself or that his position is false which maketh this common to all Regenerate persons 2. We have proven it not only under the Old Test. but also under the New what needs more 3. We do not speak of a simple impossibility as if it surpassed the power of God to cause such a thing but of an ordinary impossibility matters standing as they are in the wise ordination of God who
any thing in the matters of God 7. If he had spoken here as he speaketh a little afterward of the Lords powring forth a Spirit of Prayer and exciteing his people to it he had been better understood for we acknowledge with thankfulness the Lord hath made such a promise and doth performe it unto his owne by his Spirit moveth and exciteth their drouzie and sleeping souls to a serious calling upon him Cant. 5 4 6. But that this is common to all as well without as within the Church as well such as never heard of Christ as those who are truely unite unto him by faith or to all who can make this Introversion is a quakeristick antiscriptural dream And beside what will this contribute unto the maine business to wit to prove that there ought to be no prayer in publick or in private till this sensible Impulsion Excitation and Influence with liberty come anâ— set the soul and all its wheels agoing And what will this say against calling upon God at times and seasons by him appointed His saying Pag 254. that praying to God without the feeling of the Influences of the Spirit were a coming unto God without due preparation and so a tempting of him Is but a groundless imagination and is ill helped by his Introversion for the Lord no where requireth such a preparation in us before we pray He no where saith that we must not praâ— but when we feel his influences yea the sense of the want of them is ground and warrand for his children to go and seek to him for them Hence we finde David so oft Psal. 119. crying for quickening vers 25 40 88 107 154 159. See also the Church crying for this preparation Psal. 80 vers 18. quicken us and we will call upon thy name as also Psal. 143 vers 11. But this mans preparation is a meer Pelagian preparation wrought by the strength of nature and which a Pagan may attaine unto by his owne industry and paines Nay if this were true all the commands to pray which are innumerable in Scripture were useless and might be eluded by this we dar not pray till we feel the influences of the Spirit and when they come to excite us and drive us to the duty then we shall goe but then where would obeâ—ience appear for to goe when the Spirit driveth is not filial obedience for then nothing is done out of conscience to a command This way is the loose way of Libertines making the law of God of none effect taking away all conscience of sin in this matter looseing the wicked from obedience to the Law putting the blame of all not-praying on the Spirit who breatheth not and breatheth not so as we may feel it This excuse of the Quaker to wit fear of tempting God is like Ahaz's colouring his disobedience to the command of God with this I will not ask neither will I tempt the Lord Iesa 7 12. The ground of all this is the Pelagian maxime which this man hath laid downe as a principal ground of all his Religion to wit That God requireth no duty of us but what we have full and compleat strength to do if we will use it Yet he tels us afterward that they sin who neglect to pray But wherein lyeth their sin In this sayes he that they turne not into that place where they may feel that whereby they may be led to pray Ans. Though I plead not for rash and inconsideraâ— rushing into the presence of God knowing that this is another extremity to be shunned yet there is a midst betwixt this and a waiting till extraordinary Impulses come or till we feel the Influences of the Spirit And as for that Introversion or turning-in to that place which he speaketh of he must cleare it and prove it better to me than he hath done before I can say that it is any mans duty to do so and that in order to prayer or any other commanded duty And then seing he told us before that they may be long Introverted and yet the Spirit not suffer them to pray the duty is not done and they want not the preparation and so are guiltles How then can all the non-performance of this duty be charged on this He saith afterward God may ofttimes call and invite to prayer anâ— thâ—y through negligence do not heare Which is very true whether we speak of the call and invitation of his word or by passages of his providence clearing up the present exigent but will he say that this was all which he meaned by the inspiration superadded motion and influence powerfully inflowing strength and liberty to pray given by the Spirit to the soul sisted in this Introversion And is this the exciteing with the poureing out the Spirit of prayer which he talketh of Is this the drawing of the Spirit which he spoke of in this same Pag What inconsâ—stancies are theâ—e 8. After this confused and inconsistent yea self-destroying stating of the question he cometh Pag. 225. § 22. to prove their method in praying And first he citeth these passages where watching is joyned with prayer such as Mat. 2 42. Mark 13 33. 14 38. Luk. 21 36 Ans. Put Mat 24 42. maketh no mention of prayer We willingly grant that Watching and Prayer should go together and that we shâ—uld watch in prayer Col. 4 vers 2. and unto prayer 1 Pet. 4 7. But this waching is not Introversion but quite opposite thereunto This watching is an exerciseing of all the sanctified powers and faculties of the soul to keep the heart in a right frame to guard against all temptations tending to slacken diligence in this duty or to marre the right discharge of it and a watching unto all opportunities of setting about this duty and so a plaine careful circumspection and eyeing of adversaries both within and without And so hath no affinity with their abstracting from all Exercises Thoughts and Motions of soul aâ—d minde and going in to consult we know not well what No sayes he this watching can be nothing but the souls attending on the Spirit that it may feel him leading unto prayers and so watch that opportunity Ans. This is the thing which he should prove and not poorly beg Though we willingly grant there are kindly motions of the Spirit fixing the heart and oyling it for this duty and stirring up the leazie sleeping soul through preventing grace and such sweet opportunities should not be carelesly looked to but the thing which he should prove is that the soul should never set about this duty of Prayer till it feel all this and be sure of it and that this may be attained and felt the soul is to go in by his Introversion to natures light or to common â—ifts within which Pagans have as well as Christians or to some Demon. And when he shall bring some Scripture evidence to prove this we shall consider it 9. He citeth next Rom. 8 26 27. by which
bestowed upon beleevers is called circumcision as where mention is made of circumcision of the heart Deut. 30 6. And because the Apostle saith Rom. 2 28 29. neither is that circumcision which is outward in tâ—e flesh but circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God And Col. 2 11. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumsicion made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh But who would not smile at this The Apostle saith here also there is one faith And upon the same ground our Quaker might argue that the doctrine of the Gospel which is the object of faith is not faith though the same Apostle calleth it so Gal. 1 23. and elsewhere and that the outward Profession of the truth is not faith though it be so called Act 8 13. 1 Tim. 1 ver 19. 3 9. 4 1. hence the historical and temporary faith and the faith of miracles should be no faith because not the faith here meaned As also because the Apostle saith here there is one body he might thus reason Either the mystical body of beleevers is not the body or the universal company of Professours is not the body But as the body here comprehendeth both and the Faith taketh in both the outward profession and the inward grace so the Baptisme comprehendeth both that which is inward and outward not the one with the exclusion of the other as making up that one Ordinance of Baptisme the consideration of which is a strong motive to union among Church-members made partakers thereof But he thinks that he is confirmed in his opinion if we say that the water is one part of Baptisme as being the signe and the Spirit is the other as being the thing signified But we take the thing signified to be Christ and his benefites for it sealeth to the believer an interest in him and all the promises of the new Covenant whereof the promise of the Spirit is a grand and comprehensive one Let us hear his reason For saith he if water be the signe it is not the mater of the one Baptisme and the one Baptisme is to be taken for the mater and not for the figure type or signe Answ. Whether he call it mater or signe as a figure or type we owne it not this is certain that the outward element administred according to appointment is the outward visible part of that Baptisme which comprehendeth both the outward and inward part But he supposeth we say it is a part of the inward grace which is his dream and he speaketh of the inward grace as separated and considered wholly as distinct from the outward part and will have it only called Christ's Baptisme which may be true in some sense because it is it which he doth and worketh by his Spirit but it is not that baptisme whereof the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 4. that so abstractly and separatly considered having no force of an argument or motive in it to press Visible Professours to an endeavouring of unity but as conjoined with this outward administration wherein all were solemnely dedicate to God and whereby they were solemnely admitted as members of one visible body and visibly separated and differenced from all the rest of the world and so engadged to be wholly and only the Lords and to lay out themselves for the good one of another and to seek by all lawful meanes possible the welfare and felicity of the whole body and to demeane themselves as members one of another for the glory of their one Head Christ. This is plaine and obvious to every one that will but open his eyes See 1 Cor. 12 12 13 14 25 26 27. 6. Having laid this sandy foundation in his mistake of that one baptism mentioned by Paul Ephes. 4 vers 5. he proceeâ—eth to his second Proposition Pag. 267. which is this That this one baptisme which is Christ's Baptisme is not the washing of water Mat. 3 vers 11. Hence he argueth Pag. 268. If they who were baptized by the baptisme of water were not therefore baptized by the baptisme of Christ then the baptisme of water is not the baptisme of Christ. But the first is true Therefore c. Againe If they who did truely and really administrate the baptisme of water did nevertheless declare that they neither did nor could baptize with the baptisme of Christ then the baptisme of water is not the baptisme of Christ But c. Ans. This man's trumph though he stand upon the shoulders of his friend Socinus who spoke thus before him is a meer glorying in a thing of nought and both his arguments may be blowne away with one distinction thus if those who were baptized with the baptisme of water were not therefore baptized with that baptisme which Christ himself by his Spirit and not by the ministrie of men was to administrate than the baptisme of water is not this baptisme which Christ was to performe by his Spirit without the ministrie of men true then the baptisme of water is not the baptisme which Christ hath instituted this is false The Assumption is only true in the first sense and not in the last And so his Conclusion proveth nothing The baptisme of water and this baptisme of the Spirit are different we confesse and the baptisme by water is not the external part of this baptisme of the Holy Ghost nor a signe far lesse a type or figure nor is this baptisme of the holy Ghost the baptisme whereof the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 4 5. Nor is this baptisme that which Christ did institute and whereof we speak He citeth further Act. 1 4 5. but to no purpose for we confess this baptisme where with Christ was to baptize the Apostles was far different from that which Iohn did administrate and from what Christs owne disciples did and were after his resurrection according to his injunction to administer and which is it we speak of To the same purpose he citeth Pag. 269. Act. 11 16 whereby every one may see what that baptisme was which is mentioned as differing from Iohns But what is there here to prove that only this baptisme with the holy Ghost is to be called Christ's baptisme and none else or that there is no other baptisme now to be administred And who I pray shall be the administrators thereof But saith he if there be now but one Baptisme as is proved this baptisme must be the baptisme of the Spirit But where readeth he of but one baptisme And as to the consequent how doth it follow Rather the contrary seing that baptisme of the holy Ghost and with fire is ceased on whom I pray doth the holy Ghost now fall as it did on the Apostles Act. 2 vers 4. and on those Act. 11 who are thereby enabled to speak now with strange tongues Are the Quakers thus baptized why do they not evidence it by their
take notice of it 6 In his § 4. He would have us beleeving that he doth not hereby condemne all other second wayes or meanes as he purposeth to cleare in the next Thesis that is all other Wayes and Modes of attaining to the knowledge of God for he granteth these to be profitable and that they may conduce to facilitate the work but he is here pleading as he saith for that which is absolutely necessary But all the question is concerning the true meaning and import of that which he accounteth so Necessary if it be such Revelations of Truths as the Prophets and such as were Immediatly inspired had and as Enthusiasts plead for I deny the necessity hereof and as to this what way I pray can other meanes and modes as the Scriptures conduce to facilitate these Revelations have they any influence upon the person who is to receive these Revelations disposeing him thereunto Let him explaine this and then he may hear what shall be further replied If the thing so necessary unto the saving knowledge of God be only that operation of the Spirit which we mentioned above we assent and only say That he should speak more intelligibly than call this an Inward and Immediat Revelation But it is usual with this sort of men to speak as did the Libertines against whom Calvin wrote Cap. 2. after an high and loftie manner as if they were alwayes ravished in an ecstasy for as they alwayes have the Spirit in their mouth so they use a strange idiome that such as hear them are at the first amazed and this they affect of purpose to deceive their hearers and raise in them an admiration of them and their Opinions 7. Having thus premised what he thought fit to say to cleare the Question and to make way for vindicating of his Thesis he cometh next to the explication and confirmation of his Assertion in his Thesis where he tels us of five particulars 1. That there is no knowledge of the Father but by the Son 2. That there is no knowledge of the Son but by the Spirit 3. That God did alwayes reveal himself by the Spirit 4. That these Revelations were the formal object of the faith of the Saints 5. That the same object of faith remaineth He nameth here we see the Father the Son and the Spirit and we might readily think that he would here hold forth the order of working of the glorious Persons of the Trinity in things without ad extra and particularly in the Revelation of the mind of God concerning mans duty But whether we may rest perswaded that his judgment herein is Orthodox and that verily he beleeveth that there are Three Persons in the God head equal in Power and Glory of one Substance and Duration may be a doubt partly because the Light within which to him is the supream and only adequate Rule of Faith cannot teach this mysterie and hence it is that the Socinians not only will not admit this as an article of their creed but do also with much industry and rage oppose it and mainly upon this ground that their Natural Reason or the light within them which upon the matter so far as I can judge differeth not from the Light of the Quakers cannot comprehend it and partly because I finde other Quakers such as those of New England and those against whom Mr Stalham wrote as I hinted above denying it It is true this man hath several expressions further in the words following which would seem to evince that he is orthodox herein and there are some also that may seem to look another way But not purposeing to make more debate with him than I must needs do I shall not fix any thing upon him for which I see not clear ground only I wish that the next time he cometh forth in publick he would be more plain and positive as to this 8. As to the first of the forementioned Propositions It is true that no man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Matth. 11 27. Luk. 10 22. for no man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Ioh. 1 18. and God who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last daies spoken unto us by his Son c. Hebr. 1 1 2. and so the Son of God the Second Person of the Trinity being the true Eternal God of the same substance and equal in power and glory with the Father when the fulness of time was come took upon Him mans nature so that the Word was made flesh and tabernacled among us Ioh 1 14 to the end that He might execute his Offices and among the rest declare the whole Counsel of God concerning mans Salvation as the great Prophet and Teacher of Israel But shall we suppose that this Man looketh upon Iesus of Nazareth of whom the Father said Mat 17 5. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare yee him to be this Son that revealeth the Father and to be that grand mystery God manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles belâ—eved on in the World received up into glory 1 Tim. 3 16 The reason of my doubt is this because I finde some Quakers give a very indistinct and unsatisfying answere to such a question as this and give ground to suppose that they understood nothing by the Words being made flesh but the Light within them But his proof and explication of this Proposition is observable Pag. 9. He proveth it thus Because God who is the root and fountaine of all operation made all things by his eternal word Son and citeth Ioh. 1 1 2 3. Ephes. 3 9. If hereby he understand the first Creation with the orthodox how shall he evince this Consequence That because God created all things in the beginning by his Son Jesus Christ Therefore there is no knowledge of the Father but by his Son and is this a point so difficult to be proved that he was constrained to run back to the first Creation for an argument This would justly give ground of suspicion that the man meaneth by the Creation in the places cited not the First but the Second Creation with which Christs Revelation of the Father hath a more clear and natural connection and so joyneth with Socinus and his followers Enjedinus Smalcius and Schlightingius in denying upon this account Christ to be God creating all They say that when the Scripture saith God made all things by the Word c. the meaning is God made all things by his owne word and vertue the same expression which this Man useth here and thus interpret and apply the same Scriptures which he here citeth even that Ioh. 14 6. But admitting that he taketh the Creation in the orthodox sense we may observe
perceiving the truth of the most clear Mathematick demonstrations can he do the like as to his sensations 35. The parting argument which he seteth down in the last paragraph is sufficient so he thinketh to end the whole debate Thus he frameth it That unto which all Professors of Christianity of whatsoever kinde do at last recurre and because of which all other grounds are commended and accounted worthy to be beleeved must of necessity be the only most certane and immovable ground of all Christian faith But the Inward Immediat objective revelation of the Spirit is that Therefore c. Now not to carpe at the eccentrickness of this conclusion for many such things must be passed over This confirmation of the Minor as to Protestants with whom he very charitablie joyneth Socinians whom I cannot account Christians notwihstanding of all the agreement betwixt him and them destroyeth the whole Argument and rendereth it Useless as to his purpose and so concludeth only his folly and ignorance If we enquire say he at them why they take the Scripture for a Rule they answere Because in them is declared the will of God which was revealed Immediatly and objectively by the Spirit unto holy men Can any man of common sense inferre hence that Protestants are for the Uncertanty of all Objective and Immediat Revelation even of that which holy men of God had when acted by the Infallible Spirit to penne Scripture as he insinuateth in the following words or can any man of common judgment see what this concession and necessary foundation of Protestants can make for the falsly pretended Immediat and Objective Revelations which Quakers boast off Nay doth not Protestants their owneing of this solide and immovable foundation sufficiently warrand their rejecting of his Delusions yea and necessitate them thereunto if they would be true to their principles 36. As for his monitory conclusion in the end of his vindication of this his Second Thesis wherein he giveth us a full foretaste of his Pelagianisme because we will have occasion sufficient to speak to this matter afterward we need only tell the Reader what he saith here His discourse in short is this If any man will assent to what he hath said of Divine Revelations though at present he be a stranger to them himself yet he must know that this is the common Privilege of all Christians and at length shall come to know this secret light enlighting his heart c. and when by relinquishing of sin this divine Voice in the heart shall become more known then shall he feel that as the Old Naturall Man is put off the New Man and spiritual birth shall arise and this new birth having Spiritual senses can discerne the things of the Spirit and understand the Mysteries of the kingdom of God And therefore let every man attend to this Spirit in the Little Revelation of that pure light which at first revealeth things more notoure and afterward as he is fitted he shall receive more and more and be in case at length by quick Experience to refute them who shall enquire what way he knoweth that he is led by the Spirit That is in short If one will firmly beleeve that Natures dimme Light is the Spirit of God and the Holy Ghost in him and in the faith of this give up himself to the Teachings thereof and thereby shun outward acts of sin and put on a forme of Godliness and more and more give up himself to this Delusion he shall at length arive at this Perfection that he may burne the Bible and with confidence assert that he is acted by the Holy Ghost let Scriptures and Common Sense say to the contrary what they will What an extract of Pelagianisme Enthusiasme and dreadful Delusion is here every knowing person may see CHAP. IV. Of the Scriptures 1. HIs third Thesis which I finde in some things altered and more clearly expressed in the second edition set down in the Apology than was in the single sheet containing his judgment of the Scriptures cometh now to be examined The Scriptures being owned by us as a sure Rule whereby we should try the Spirits and they giving such clear and manifest Testimony against the Delusions and bold Assertions of the Quakers and affording us full and sufficient Ground whereupon to reject their Doctrine and to look upon them as Impostors it is little wonder that we heare them speak so basely of these Scriptures of Truth as we do Mr Stalham in his Reviler rebuked Pag. 1. tels us that a Quaker denied to his face the Scriptures to be the word of truth or at least not to all not to wicked men and unbelievers no not condemningly He tels us also Pag. 4. that some said to him That the Scripture is not the word of truth but the witness of Gods power as if that could be the true witness of Gods Power which were not true nor the word of truth He tels us also Pag. 18. sect 2. that Francis Howgil said The Scripture is other mens words that spoke them freely and Pag. 20. that Richard Farnworth called them in a way of disparagment a printed bible So Pag. 23. sect 3. that Iohn Lawson said we had nothing to try men by but the letter the Bible or written word which is natural and carnal So Pag. 244. he tels us that some of them in a book called a paper sent into the world Pag 2. have these words They are such teachers as tell people that Matthew Mark Luk and John is the Gospel which are but the letter we therefore do dâ—ny them And Pag. 250. he citeth these words out of Tho. Lawsons book called an untaught teacher Pag. 2. To say that the word of truth is called the Scripture or that the Scripture is called the word of truth that is a lie If this man do not approve of these and the like Expressions of those called Quakers he is concerned to give testimony against them and that directly that the world may bear witness of his honesty But we know what account the Old N. England Libertines David George and the Familists with whom this man and the rest agree too well made of the Scripturs 2. It is commonly affirmed by the Quakers that the Scriptures are not the word of God or ought not to be so called So Fox and Hubberthorn cited by Mr Hicks in his first dialogue Pag. 17. where he tels us also that Nailor in his Answere to the jewes P. 22. said That it is the devil that contends for the Scriptures to be the word of God And that this is their common Assertion and that mainly upon this ground that Christ is called the word of God D. Owen also witnesseth this in his Exercit Apol. Pro. S. Scriptâ—r Adv Fanaticos Exerc. 1. Sect. 3. which is no new thing for Phanaticks to alledge for I finde that it was one of Swenckfeldius's heterodoxies de Sacris Libris P. 27 28. and that upon the same
and Presumption His doctrine is tryed and found light and Contradictory to Christ his Prophets and Apostles yea and Eversive of all Christianity and Religion We grant saith he that the Scriptures give ample testimony to the chiefe doctrines of christianity And what a reproach of the Scriptures this concession containeth we have showne above We are saith he for no new Gospel but for new revelations of the old Gospel The Gospel which Christ and his Apostles brought was but a new Revelation of the old Gospel and no new Gospel essentially different from the old dispensation Thus their Revelation may be as new and as far different from that of Christ and his Apostles as theirs was from what was under the Old dispensation and yet it must be received with the same Faith Obedience that we receive the Revelation of Christ and his Apostles is this tolerable Thinks this man that we are as mad as he and his brethren are Be it known to him we will hold by the old foundation Christ and the sole Revelation which He hath given us for sad experience hath taught the world what devilish doctrine hath been vented under the notion of New Revelations such as these by the Enthusiasts at Munster and by Paracelsus Weigelius and others That a man might have moe wives at once That the Eternal God hath flesh That God made to himself out of himself a Wife on whom he begot a Son That God careth not for outward sins That the literal sense of the Scripture is antichristian That our Christ is the Antichrist and the Man of sin That Christ was not born of Mary our baptisme is a profane thing adamitick flesh is not capable of remission Hearing of sermons and coming to the sacraments are impediments of Regeneration There should be no preaching in Templos Hell is Heaven and Heaven is Hell and both are one What thinketh he of these and of the blasphemies of David Georg who said That the doctrine of Moses of the Apostles yea and of Christ himself was Imperfect and unable to bring any to salvation only his doctrine was perfect and efficacious for that end That he was the true Christ and the Messias born not of flesh but of the holy ghost and of the Spirit of Iesus which Spirit of Christ his flesh being annihilated was wholly given to him That he can save and condemne that he shall judge the whole world at the last day That he is greater than Christ who in the flesh was borne of a woman but he himself was the Spiritual Christ borne of Holy Ghost These had as much to say for their Revelations as he hath to say for his and if we open the door once unto such Pretenders we way see what will be the issue it may be called at first but a New more Glorious more Excellent Revelation and may come at length to be a quite Overturning of the Old Gospel too Therefore we judge it the best course to keep the door closse which Christ hath shut and not to receive his abominations 45. He will not grant that the Scriptures are a compleet Canon and if they be not a Compleet Canon they are no Canon at all for a Rule and that which is to be Regulated thereby are Relatives and must correspond yet he thinks we must confesse what he saith to be true and why so Because in all the Scripture we read not this necessary article of faith That these books are only canonick Scripture But this is no new Revelation for it was revealed long since to Bellarmine de Verbo Dei Lib. 4. Cap. 4. and to other Papists and so this man is but playing their game and yet neither he nor they can gaine any thing for this necessary article of faith is declared by the whole Scripture and so needeth not be set down in so many words The characters of Divine Light and Power which are peculiar to the Scriptures do discriminate them from all Others and so declare themselves and themselves only to be the Word and Law of God and more is needless for it is not a Rule to it self but to other things no discipline or Science prove their own principles Actâ— of parliament need not say that such a book containing so many acts or lawes of this or that nature are the true acts of parliament when a Husband writteth Ten letters to his Wife he needs not say in plaine termes that Ten letters are his for she knoweth That Ten are his by his owne hand write and other indicia which agree to no other letters and so discriminate them from all others and the numerus numerans is sufficiently expressed by the numerus nuâ—eratus This man possibly will not beleeve that he hath five fingers in one of his hands because he no where seeth it written on his hand that he hath five fingers in one hand And by this he may understand how we can prove this or that book in Scripture to be Scripture without fleeing to his senseless and imaginary Shifts as we have showne above when speaking of the whole Scriptures CHAP. V. Of Mans Natural State 1. WE come now to Examine the doctrine held forth in the 4 Thesis which though I finde a little more clearly expressed as to the latine in the second edition than it was in the first yet I finde it not helped as to the matter so that still I finde several mysteries wrapped up in his words which will not without some difficulty be unridled for after the usual manner of that Seck of the Quakers who speak ordinarily in a dialect peculiar to themselves the beginning of this Thesis is very enigmatical and in all his discourse upon this Thesis in his Apology he speaketh nothing that can contribute any thing to the clearing of his Meaning to us who are not much acquanted with his Mysteries only he enlargeth himself on two maine Heads of which we shall speak hereafter And though he could not be offended if we should only examine his doctrine as to these two Heads leaving the rest which he shortly touched in his Thesis yet â—or the Readers satisfaction we must take some notice of what he saith 2. Passing that insufficient division of Mankinde or the Posterity of Adam which he maketh when he saith both Iewes and Gentiles whereby he excludeth from this race of Adam all that lived before this distinction began to take place that is all that lived before Abraham Isaac Iacob the posterity of whom complexly considered only did beare the name of Iewes and that not so early for the first mention we have of the word in Scripture is Esther 2 5. 2 King 16 6. And all those who lived before this issue appeared or were known as such can not be called Heathens seing some of them at least worshiped the true God I take notice that he acknowledgeth and asserteth that all Mankinde is Fallen Degenerated and Dead but how or upon what occasion
otherwayes than unclean To whâ—ch words of Iob we may adde the words of Eliphaz Iob 15 14. what is man that he should be clean and he which is borne of a woman that he should be righteous Origens words Hom. 11. super Levit. are considerable Omnis qui ingreditur hunc mundum in quadam contaminatione effici dicitur Propter quod Scriptura dicit Nemo mundus a sorde nec si unius diei suerit vitaejus he meaneth this place of Iob as it is rendered by the 70. Hoc ipso ergo qui in vulva matris est positus qui materiam corporis ab â—rigine paterni seminis sumit in patre in matre contaminatus dici potest Aut nescis quia cum quadragint a dierum factus fuerit puer masculus offertur ad altare ut ibi purificetur tanquam qui pollutus fuerit in ipsa conceptione vel patâ—rni seminis vel uters materni Omnis ergo homo in patre in matre pollutus est 27. An argument for our purpose may be taken also from these words Gen. 5 3. And Adam begat a son in his own likeness after his image compared with vers 1. In the day that God created man in the likeness of God made he him As that Image of God in which Adam was first created did denote that Original Righteousness and Integrity which Adam had so this likeness and image of Adam in which Seth was begotten must denote Adams corrupted state whereof Seth in his very generation was a partaker and this was Original sin which was thus traduced and propagated from Adam to his posterity It is true Cain and Abel both were so also generated but it is thus expresly said of Seth because Abel had no posterity and Cains posterity was excluded from the Covenant Seths was to continue within it and therfore it is said of him that even his posâ—erity might know their true Original and be humble notwithstanding of this privilege As also to shew that no length of time betwixt the fall and this generation of Seth had worne this corruption away 28. The ancient Fathers made use of to this end these words of Christ to Nicodemus Ioh. 3 5.6 Except a man be born of watter and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit And indeed the proof hence deduced is irrefragable for Christ the Amen and faithful witnesse asserts with a double asseveration verily verily that a man and every man no exception made of Infants must be regenerated before he can enter into the Kingdom of God so that his first generation if there be no change will advantage him nothing And the Reason is added for by the first generation he hath a fleshly birth which is corrupt and not meet for the Kingdom of God what is borne of the flesh is flesh and nothing else and this probation annexed sheweth that Christ meanâ—th here even original natural and habitual corruption and this must principally be put from its dominion by Regeneration Beside that the words flesh and Spirit opposed thus to other in Scripture denote Natural Corruption and Grace reforming Rom. 7 14. 8 1 3. c. Gal. 6 vers 16 17. 1 Pet. 2 vers 2. 29. The ancients to this purpose made use of Gen. 17 14. and said the Covenant which these infants did violate who were not circumcised by their Fathers neglect or carelesness was the Covenant made with Adam See Vossii Hist. Pelag. Pag. 143. I shall not urge this place upon that account only seing the Text saith expresly that the uncircumcised man childe was to be cut off because he had broken God's Covenant we see that they were under a Covenant Law in some sense capable of breaking it therefore obnoxious to off cuting Now we heard above this Quaker say that Infants were under no Law therefore obnoxious to no punishment Let him chew his cood upon this place contradict Moses as he did lately contradict Paul They cited also Esai 48 8. Yea thou heardest not Yea thou knewest not yea from that time that thine eare was not opened for I know that thou wouldest deal very treacherously and was called a transgressour from the womb So did they make use of Rom. 7 23. I see another Law in my members and vers 18. for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing As also 1 Cor. 15 22. of which we have already spoken a little And indeed this last place clearly pointeth forth that we are made alive by Christ through his merites conveyed to us by spiritual Regeneration as we died in Adam through his Sin and Corruption made ours by Natural Generation 30. Augustine as the forecited Author sheweth us Pag. 151.152 made much use of the Paines Torments Death which Infants were subject to as an irrefragable argument for Original sin and we have spoken something of it already The Fathers also made use of the initial Sacraments as a confirmation of this But I know this Quaker will regaird little any thing we can say of Baptisme for among the rest of his Errours he must not want this of Antibaptisme of which in due place Pelagius was much puzzled with this perplexing Argument was forced to grant that Baptisme to them was not for remission of sins so made it useless And as for Infants that died before baptisme he knew not what became of them quo non eant scio quo eant nescio and he devised a mid place betwixt hell heaven for them And so made two kinds of felicities one with in the Kingdom of God one without the Kingdom of God And he said that by baptisme they were brought out of the middle state into the highest See for this the forecited Author Pag. 192.193 Thus that man his followers were miserably Entangled But this Quaker I confess taketh a more consequential course but whether more consonant to Truth Piety I doubt when he denyeth all Baptisme But not to speak of Baptisme now for which there is a proper place reserved what will he say of Circumcision He cannot deny but that was an ordinance appointed of God And that it had reference to the body of sin Paul tels us Col. 21 11. And therefore it could not but presuppose sin in the Infants It is called by Paul Rom 4 11. a seal of the righteousness of faith and did point out the circumciseing of the heart Deut. 30 6. 31. The Fathers made much of this Argument That by this opinion of the Pelagians Infants were wholly excluded from any Interest in the Death and Merites of Christ. And how this man will evite this I know not nor know I how he will accord with himself in asserting Universal Redemption as we shall hear But to put a close to this I would only ask this
of them He cannot deny but God did permit sin nor will he say that God could not have prevented sins coming into the world if He had pleased will he say that God did not foresee sinnes coming into the world If he did foresee it and might have hindered it if he had pleased and did not hinder it shall we say that sin came into the world whether he would or not And if he willed or decreed that sin should exist through his permission shall we call him the author of sin Then he must be the author of sin because he did not hinder sin effectually by his Omnipotency and then whatever we say of Reprobation whether we affirme it to be Absolute or upon sin Foreseen there is no remedie as to this for God must alwayes be the Author of sin But hallowed be his Name 6. The Decree of Reprobation putteth no man into a state of sin It is true the Execution theâ—eof presupposeth sin but hence it will no more follow that the decree of Reprobation placeth a man in sin than that the decree of Election doth so for the execution here presupposeth also mans being in sin 7. Where readeth he that expression among our divines that by vertue of the decree of Reprobation the Reprobat are secondarily led or to be led to destruction as the end The Lord leadeth no man to destruction but every reprobat runeth head long thither of his own accord and because the Lord hath designed and decreed to let them run-on and not restraine them by saving grace shall he therefore be the Author of their sinnes Then all the sins that are committed must be charged upon the Holy one of Israel because He did not prevent them by his grace And thus the devils may come in play and learne of this man to plead Excuse for themselves and lay the blame of all their wickedness upon God Sure this must be Develish doctrine 8. But what is it that God is the Author and Cause of His hujus doth not distinctly inform us That he is the Author and Cause of his own Act and Decree is most true But that he is the Cause and Author of sin as this man would inferre we see not the Antecedent from whence this Consequence can follow Beside that the Author of a thing is he by whose authority or judgment it is done or upon whose testimony it is beleeved for Cicero opposeth Authorem and dissuasorem and joineth these together as of the same import Hortator atque Author Consiliarius Author Suasor Author Plautus said Impero autorque sum Now dar this Man say that God Exhorteth Counseleth and perswadeth to sin Dar this Man say that we hold or tâ—at it followeth from our juâ—gment that by God's Authority Sentence and Swasion sin is committed Let him prove this and then carry the cause 9. In a word we referre this Man to the Apostle Paul Rom. 9 11 12 13. to receive his answere and let him dispute no more against us till he once take the boldness to confute that his inferring from our doctrine that God is the Author of sin is but the same which the Apostle saw would be deduced from his doctrine by men of corrupt mindes when he addeth by way of Objection vers â—4 Is there unrighteousness with God And if our answere will not satisfie him let him confute the Apostles answere for we but say the same viz. That God hath mercy on whom he will hardeneth whom he will And if for this cause our doctrine be blamed we cannot help it but must be content to be contradicted and if he make use of the reply used vers 19. we must give the returne which the Apostle giveth vers 20 21. And if all this will not satisfie we must leave him to the judgment of the great day when that God against whom these proud carpers thus reply shall answer them by himself put them to eternal silence and everlasting shame 17. Thereafter he citeth some sayings of Calvin Beza Zanchius Pareus Martyr Zuinglius Piscator out of which he would inferre that they allaiged God was the Author of sin All which and moe he might finde collected to his hand by Bellarmin and answered by the learned D. Twisse in his Vindiciae And therefore as also because this belongeth to a distinct question we need neither spend time in searcâ—ing out what truth is in all this not yet in vindicating of them One thing I shall say That among them all he shall not finde one that saith directly that God is the Author and Culpable Cause of sin and if he suppose that this may be drawn from their expressions I shall only reply That if there be any of them that giveth more real ground for such an Inference than the very Expressions used in Scripture I shall not owne them and if they say no more and yet are condemned by him as making God the Author of sin though they expresly deny it let him see how he shall vindicate the Spirit of Goâ— from the same charge or rather how in his blind boldnesse he charges the Spirit of God As for these passages of Scripture which our Divines aâ—duce against the Pelagians and Iesuites who ascribe unto God in the matâ—er of sin an Idle Provideâ—câ— aâ—d Permâ—ssion Bellarmine ranketh them up in five classes First Such as speak of God's Willing and Decreeing from eternity that sin shall exist such are Act. 2 23. 4 27. Esai 53 10. Second Such as import God's creating evil men for this end that his righteousness might shine forth in their punishment such are Prov. 16 4. 1 Sam. 2 25. Exod. 9 16. Rom. 9 17 21. Third Such as import God's setting of Satan and men to evil and useing of them as instruments to do that which could not be done without sin such are 1 King 22 20 23. Iob. 1 12. 2 6. 2 Sam. 16.10 24 1. Esai 5 26. 10 5 15. â—3 17. 19 2 4. Ier. 50 24 25. 51 11. Ezech. 12 13. Psal. 105 25. c. Fourth Such as speak of God's blinding hardening c. as Exod. 4.21 7 3 13. 9.12 10 1 20 27. 1â— 10. 14 4 8. Deut. 2 30. Iosu. 1â— 20. 1 Sam. 2 25. Iob. 12 16 20 24. Esai 19 14. 63 17. Ier. 20 7. Ioh. 12 3â— 40. Rom. 1 24 26 28. 9 18. 2 Thes. 2 11. c. Fift Such as import God's doing of those things which are evil as 2 Sam. 12 11. Luk. 2 34. Rom. 9 33. Esai 8 14. 28 16. Gen. 45 8. 1 King 11 31 37. 12 15 24. 2 King 9 3. 10 30. c. Now if he can adduce any testimony of our Divines whence he can with more probability inferre that God is the Author of sin I shall not as I said owne it And if such as are but consonant to the Scriptures do not please him
therefore I shall say againe O man who art thou that repliest against God c. Art thou also offended that God hath given thee an immortal soul and made thee a man out of the same lump of clay out of which he made the beast Why art thou then angry that God out of the same lump maketh one a vessel of honour and another a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction But next will he say that all men naturally can Beleeve and Repent and fulfill the conditions upon which salvation is offered Yes this he must say or he saith nothing against us here and then he must be as much a Pelagian as ever Pelagius was himself Then Faith is not the gift of God but of ourselves contrare to Ephes. 2. v. 9. and other Scriptures above cited Then Faith is not the faith of God's elect contrare to Tit. 1 1. Then a natural man and he that is in the flesh can please God contrare to Rom. 8 8. Then the natural man can receive the things of the Spirit of God contrare to 1 Cor. 2 14 Then he contradicteth all his owne doctrine formerly examined Chap. v. Then we need not pray for faith and Repentance or a Circumcised heart or Regeneration or a New heart or an heart of flesh nor give God thanks for any of these things because they are all in our owne power and then the Beleever maketh himself to differ contrare to 1 Cor. 4 7. What a contradiction this is to the whole Gospel and to the whole tenor thereof no man that hath once read it can be ignorant We thank him this once for this plaine and ingenuous insinuation This may help us to understand him better in what is following But if he say that they can do what is required by the help of the grace of God He knoweth that we say so but his Aggravations here have a far other tendency for his instance of the beasts of Pharaohs carriage were else utterly impertinent Nay what meaneth the man to compare the matter unto Pharaoh's withdrawing of straw yea and make it worse Say we that God taketh away that Grace to beleeve and Repent that wicked men would as faine have as the Israelites would have had straw or that Reprobation maketh men unbeleevers against their will and taketh away the Power and Grace to beleeve which they had It is little wonder that this man who dar thus open his mouth against heaven spew out lies and calumnies against us We must beare it knowing that he will come to Judgment and that our Doctrine is consonant to that Rev. 22 17. and whosoever will let him take of the waters of life freely and to that Ioh. 6 37. and him that cometh to me I will in no wayes cast out 25. He proceedeth in his calumnies and saith P. 69. That by our doctrine we place Mankinde in the same state that the Poets feigned Tantalus to be in who being thirsty was placed in water to his chinne so that he could not drink And why because we say that the works of creation and providence among heathens are not to bring them to salvation but only to convince them of sin so serve for their condemnation Answ. 1. But what hath this to do with Reprobation The man in his rage runneth himself blinde that he knoweth not what he saith 2 Do Heathens make up all mankinde 3. Are the Heathen as desirous of Salvation and of the Crown of Glory of which they never once heard and of the Grace of Faith in Christ of whom they never heard a report as Tantalus was of drinking the water that did run by his lip as the verse might have minded him Tantalusà labris sitiens fugientia captat pocula If not is the man so transported with passion that he seeth not his palpable impertinency 4. we see then that according to his Opinion the works of Creation and Providence are as effectual meanes to save the Heathen as the Gospel is to save such as hear it and by these may Heathens come as soon to glory as such as live under the Gospel by it why then came Christ into the world Was it that the works of Creation and Providence might become preachers of the Gospel and of Salvation but we will possibly hear more of this afterward He addeth that we say the preaching of the Gospel the use of sacraments prayers c. suffice to condemne Reprobats that live within the visible church and that they are all ineffectual unto them by reason of a secret impotency which they had from their infancy c. Ans. 1. Here still more Pelagianisme for he would say that all within the visible Church are borne able to beleeve the Gospel and do duties required therein 2. That the peaching of the Gospel is to many the favoure of death we are told by Paul 2. Cor. 2 16. and that it tendeth to the aggravation of their guilt and condemnation we heard lately out of Christ's owne mouth 3. Is he angry with us because we will not say that every mothers son that heareth the Gospel can beleeve and obey the same without the grace of God or because we will not say that Christ hath given sufficient grace to all that heare the Gospel to Believe and Obey Let him be angry with the Scriptures if he dar for we speak according to them that â—els us all men have not faith 2 Thes. 3 2. and â—hat faith is of God's elect Tit. 1 1. and that no man can come unto the Son but whom the Father draweth Ioh 6 44. That many beleev not because they are not of Christ's sheep Ioh. 10 26. That there is a necessity of regeneration Ioh. 3 3 5 6. and that the carnal minde is enmity against God fâ—r it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8 7. And many moe such things see Ioh. 12 39. Act. 13 48. 28 24 25 26 27. Mat. 13 11 12 13 14 15 16. Rom. 11 7 8 9. 4. As for his making the case of the wicked that hear the Gospel the same with Tantalus's we shall only tell him that if he can prove that any Reprobat hath as great and vehement a desire unto salvation by Christ as it is offered in the Gospel as Tantalus had to drink and yet it is denyed unto them meerly upon the account of their being Reprobate then his comparison is apposite But if that be an untruth as it is his argueing from Tantalus's case is a mere forged calumny We openly declare according to the tenor of the Gospel that he who is a thirst may come and drink of the water of life freely Revel 22 vers 17. Esai 55 vers 1 2 3. Mat. 11. vers 28. Ioh. 7 vers 37. 26. Thus we have examined all which this Man hath thought fit to cull out of the writings of Pelagians and Arminians and present his Reader with for no other end but to
gate it was that he might sanctifie the people with his own bloud 〈◊〉 this is more than a may be Rom. 3 25 26. Why did God set forth Christ to be a propitiation It was to declare his righteousness for the remission of sinnes that are past that he might be just and the justifiâ—r of him that â—eleeveth in Iesus a Certaine Real thing Many moe passages might be added to this purpose but these may suffice to discover the absurd falshood of this Quakers doctrine 17. Adde 6. such passages as mention the Actual Accomplishment and Effect of Christ's death where it will yet more appear that this was no meere May be or Possible thing but that which was to have a certaine Bâ—ing and Reality as to the persons for whom it was designed Such as Heb. 1 3. when he had by himself purged our sinnes Can their sinnes be said to be purged who pine away in hell for ever because of their sinnes could this be true if no man had been saved and yet if it had been a mere possible and may be Redemption it might have come to passe that not one person should have been actually saved So Heb. 9 12. by his owne blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption Is a meer possible Redemption to be called an Eternal Redemption and was that all that Christ obtained Then Christ's blood was more ineffectual in the truth than the type was in its typicalness for the blood of buls and goats and the ashes of an hiefer sprinkling the unclean did not obtaine a possible and may be-sanctification and purifying of the flesh but did actually and really sanctify to the purifying of the flesh vers 13. Againe vers 14. which also confirmeth what is now said how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God So that all such for whom he offeâ—ed himself and shed his blood and none else have their consciences purged from dead works to serve the living God and who dar say that this is common to all or is a meer may be which the Apostle both restricteth and asserteth as a most certaine real thing Againe vers 26. but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself So that he did Actually and Really and not Possibly and Potentially only put away sin the sin viz. of those for whom he was a sacrifice even of them that look for him and to whom he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation vers 28. and sure no man in his wits will say that this is the whole world Gal. 3 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us 24 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Here are three Ends and Effects of Christ's Redemption mentioned which no Man will say are common to all viz. Redemption from the curse of the Law this was Really not potentially only done by Christ's being made a curse for us the Communication of the blessing of Abraham and the Promise of the Spirit which are ensured to such as are Redeemed from the curse of the lâ—w and to none else So Ephes. 2 13 14 15 16. But now in Christ Iesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us having abolished in his flesh the enmity the Law of commandements in ordinances for to make to himself of twain one nâ—w man so making peace and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slaine the enmity thereby To which adde the parallel place Col. 1 21 22. 2 14 15. was all this delivery from Wrath Enmity Law of commandements whatever was against us but a meer Potential thing and a May be common to all in whose power it was to cause it take effect or not as they pleased Esai 53 5. He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed with 1 Cor. 15.3 Christ died for our sinnes 1 Pet. 2 24. who his owne self bear our sinnes in his own body on the tree by whose stripes we are healed How can we then imagine that all this was a meer May be seing he was so bruised for our iniquities so died for our sins so bear our sinnes in his own body as that thereby all in whose room he stood are healed by his stripes The Apostle doth moreover fully clear this matter Rom. 5 6. Christ died for the ungodly was this for all Or was it to have an uncertane End and effect No vers 9. much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him The ungodly and the sinners for whom he died are such as become justified by his blood and shall at length be fully saved from wrath And againe vers 10. for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Upon his death followeth Reconciliation with God and then Salvation and his death is for no more than his life is for By him also they receive an atonement vers 11. As the consequences and effects of Adam's sin did Certainly and not by a May be redownd to all that he represented and engadged for so the fruites and effects of Christ's death do as certainly come unto such as are his as the Apostle cleareth in the following verses laying the advantage on the side of Christ and his vers 15. much more the grace of God and the gift by grace by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded unto many vers 16. but the free gift is of many offences unto justification vers 17. much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reigne in life by one Iesus Christ vers 18. even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life ver 19. so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous vers 21 so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. Is all this a Common thing and a meer May be or Possibility Ioh. 10 11. he giveth his life for his sheep vers 15. But may they for all that perish No in no wise vers 28. and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish He came that they might have life and might have it more abundantly vers 10. To the same purpose he saith Ioh. 6.33 that he
Heathens and all before they come to eat Christ by faith have Christ dwelling in them have a divine and glorious life are partakers of the body and blood of Christ and of that bread that came down from heaven What more contradictory to Christ's express sayings 14. He tels us that all the Saints are nourished by this unto life eternal Is not this doctrine of the Quakers a rare Gospel wherein that whereby the choisest of Mankinde the people of God the Saints and Renewed ones live and are nourished unto life eternal is nothing but what is common to Turks and pagans 15. It is true they give this common thing which is nothing but Nature many goodly names and titles wherein they outvye that cheating enemie of the grace of God Pelagius and are greater and more blasphâ—mous cheaters and deceivers than he was for he gave the goodly name of Grace unto corrupt Nature which he pleaded for but they adde That it is a Spiritual Celestial and Inâ—isible Principle and Organ the dwelling place of God as Father as Son and as holy Ghost the Vehicle of God the Spiritual bâ—dy of Christ the Body and bloud of Christ the Food of the Saints and their Nourishment to life eternal And when all is done it is nothing but Nature if we believe the Scriptures What manifest absurd and impudent deceivers must they then be who thus think to deceive the world with new coined brainesick and non-sensicall titles and notions with which they guilde the poisonous pile of Pelagianisme yea the very dregs thereof which they would have us swallow over and thereby make us good Heathens but no Christians Is their Religion any thing but meer paganisme under Christian abused expressions 7. We must have patience and heare more for he addeth And as this Light and seed beareth witness against all evil deeds so is it crucified extinguished killed by them and it fleeth from evil abhâ—rreth it as mans flesh fleeth from and abhorreth that which is noxious and contrary to it Answ. 1. doth this Light and Seed bear witness against all evil deeds How or what way doth it bear witnese in the Heathens against their not believing in Iesus Christ the Son of God that was Crucified at Ierusalem or is that no evil deed against their not Mortifying the deads of the body through the Spirit Rom. 8 1â— But not to mention the duties which are revealed to us only by the Gâ—spel How came it that this Light and Seed did not bear witness against the Cilicians who lived upon thifâ— and against the Messagetians Who used their wives in common and against the Persians who of old maryed their own daughters Nay it is observeâ— that there is hardly any one point of the law of nature which some Nations have not violated not only by their Customâ—s and constant Carriage but by their very Lawes Did this Seed then and Light bear witness in them against these evil deeds what thinks he â—f the Achaeans and Heniochians of whom Aristotle reporteth that they used to kill men and eat them and we hear of such to day in New England commonly called Men eaters What saith their Light and Seed to this What thinks he of Zenon Chrysippus and the magi of Persia who allowed the Son to lye with his owne Mother and Brethren and Sisters to lye together and of those who approve Sodomy and of Theodorus Phylosophus who thought Theft Sacrilege Adultery lawful How came it that this Seed did not bear witness against the people of Derbe and Lystra when they went about to sacrifice unto Paul and Barnabas and had followed vanities so long and did not turne unto the living God Act. 14 13 15 why did it not bear witness against the people of Athens for thinking that God could be worshiped with mens hands and that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver or stone graven by art and mans device Act. 17 25 29 As also for their mocking at the Resurrection vers 32 But enough of this notorious falshood 2. He saith this Seed is killed c. but tels us not by whom and the last persons mentioned were the Saints 3. He saith it fleeth from evil c. It cannot then be the Grace of God which opposeth resisteth anâ— fighteth against evil The Spirit lusteth against the flesh Gal 5 17. The work of the Grace of God in souls is to work out sin to root it out kill it and mortifie it and crucifie it But this great Nothing of theirs hath no affinity with Grace 8. He addeth And seing it is never separated from God and Christ but where it is there is God and there is Christ involved therefore in that respect when it is resisted God is said to be resisted and Christ is said to be crucified and killed Ans. 1. We know there is in every man a Natural Conscience which as God's deputy and vicegerent in the soul pleadeth and testifieth for Him and his Law according to its light and information which in some is more and in some less more in such as live under the Gospel than in such as live without that light and in those that have but the light of nature it testifieth for the God of Nature according to the relicques of the Law of Nature in some more and in some less but in all these because of the darkness of their Mindes and the corruption of their Hearts whereby they are subject unto sin and to the Prince of the Powers of the aire the Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience it giveth not full testimony for God and his Law but partial and in some more grosse abominations 2. We deny that where this Natural conscience is there Christ as mediator betwixt God and man can be said to be that is It is not true that this Light in Heathens without the Church declarâ—th any thing of Christ and of the Gospel of Salvation in and through Him or that Christ as Mediator can be said to be crucified and killed when this is resisted or disobeyed by them for the great things of the grace of God revealed in and brought to light by the Gospel are not to be read upon the works of Nature but are of pure Revelation and have had their different measures of Revelation and now the greatest under the Gospel dispensation whence it is called a mystery which from the beginning of the world hath bin hid in God Ephes. 3 â— and hid from ages and from generations but now is made manifest to his saints Col. 1 26. And all the various and gradual manifestations thereof have been in all ages the peculiar privilege of the Church and not common to all so that others without the Church remained without Christ being aliens from the Common wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world Ephes. 2 vers 12. Never read we that the Heathens without the Church
and consequently it is no part of the image of God in man 3. How can the man not be denominated from this seed and accounted an holy man upon the account thereof seing he called it before a Spiritual Principle and Organ and the Vehicle of God and that wherein God dwelleth and from which God and Christ cannot be separated And a divine and glorious life Shall a man have a Spiritual Principle of holiness in him and a divine Life and yet not be accounted a spiritual and holy man Nay shall a man have Christ in him dwelling and abideing in him yet not be called an holy man Shall a man have God dwelling in him as Christ had though not in that measure and yet not be accounted a spiritual holy man 4. The Scripture acquanteth us with no Seed or Principle of a spiritual life communicated to every man by his Birth or Conception nor to any but in Regeneration when they are borne againe not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1 13. And these are they who receive Christ offered in the Gospel and by beleeving on his name receive power to become the Sons of God vers 12. for that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Ioh. 3 6. This being so we passe his comparison and that which he addeth as being founded thereupon all being grounded upon a fundamental errour his reasons for which are afterward to be examined 14. In the fourth place § 15. he saith That hereby they do not derogate from the Sacrifice and propitiation of Christ. But how is this imaginable seing this Seed which is born with every man will sufficiently save them if they will but suffer it to work in them so that there is no necessity for a man once to hear the name of Christ named in reference to Salvation And what improvement doth or can this Seed or Light in Heathens that never heard of Christ make of the Sacrifice of Christ We are told that Christ the true Messias by his knowledge that is by the knowledge of him as making his soul an offering for sin and as bearing their iniquities should justifie many Esai 53 10 11. And further we heard before how this Man joyneth with Socinians in denying the Deity and Incarnation of the Son of God and how having done this he can plead for or maintaine Christ's Sacrifice and Propitiation is intelligible only to Quakers who can as they pretend understand unintelligible things But let us heare how he vindicateth himself and the rest from this imputation He saith They beleeve all that is written of Christ's Conception Birth Life Miracles Death Resurrection and Ascension to be true And what then Socinians will say the same and yet are no friends to Christ's Sacrifice and Propitiation Do you beleeve that that body which was crucified at Jerusalem rose again and is now in glory Speak your minde here if you dar that that Body was personally united to the Godhead we think saith he further all to whom these things are revealed are bound to beleeve them But what will the beliefe of them signifie seing the devil believeth them to be true Yea saith he we think incredulity here damnable And why so Because that divine seed would incline all to believe for it assenteth to all truth that is declared But all this being but an historical faith can effectuate no salvation Hath the devil who is no stranger to this historical faith this divine Seed in him also inclineing him to beleeve this truth If not then this divine seed is not requisite unto this Faith if yea then God and Christ dwelleth in the devil and he is partaker of a glorious and divine life for this and more was said above of this seed as we heard 15. We hear nothing yet said for the Sacrifice and Propitiation of Christ Therefore he addeth that they firmly beleeve that Christs coming was necessary that by his death and passion he might offer himself a sacrifice to God for our sinnes and who ever obtaine remission of sins it is by vertue of his Satisfactory sacrifice These are faire words but containe nothing that can satisfie any understanding person for the Socinians themselves will say as much as may be seen in Hoornb Socinianismi Confut. lib. 3. Cap. 1. Pag. 490.491 Doth he say that the Quakers grant that Christs sufferings were a proper punishment suffered by Him as a cautioner in the room and stead of any sinner and that thereby He did truely and properly make satisfaction to the justice of Goâ— for the sinnes of his people and so purchase unto them Grace and Glory Remission of sins having pacified God and reconciled him unto them by a true and proper sacrifice and so properly and truely did redeem his people As the Socinians make Christ only a Metaphorical God in respect of his Office so they ascribe to him a Metaphorical Redemption and Satisfaction And if this patron of the Quakers can say no more on their behalfe it is too too manifest how small account they have of the Sacrifice and Propitiation of Christ. And what if all this be meant of the Christ within them 16. Yet he would make us beleeve that they magnifie and exalt Christ's propitiation above what we do we beleeve saith he that as all men were made partakers of the evil fâ—uits of Adam's fall though thousands never heard of him so many may feel the vertue of this divine seed and by it be turned from evil to good albeit thâ—y be utterly ignorant of Christ by whose obedience and suffering they obtaine this benefite Ans. 1. All men are actually made partakers of the evil fruits of Adam's fall so soon as they have a being because this is propagat by nature all mankinde being in Adam as their head and root But grace is not propagat by nature Had Adam this seed in him after he fell and before the promise of the seed of the woman was made to him Then he lost it not by the fall but by the fall sure he lost all inclination to spiritual good If he represented all Mankinde in the New Covenant of grace as he did in the Old Covenant of works then as his fall did redound in the one to the actual condemnation of his posterity so should his faith for we charitably suppose he was a beleever redound in the other to the actual salvation of all of what necessity then should the sacrifice of Christ be 2. All were partakers of the evil fruits of Adam's fall actually and not potentially only for there is none that escapeth but the feeling of the vertue of this divine seed is but a possibility so that notwithstanding this divine seed be said to be in all yet it might so fall out that not one should be saved for to have a power only to feel this seed importeth no actual
Iustification is an act of Gods free grace unto sinners Rom. 3 23 24 25 and â— 5. in which he pardoneth all their sins accepteth and accounteth their persons righteous in his sight 2 Cor. 5 19 21. Rom. 3 22 24 25 27 28. not for any thing wrought in them or done by them Tit. 3.5 Ephes. 1 7. but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ by God imputed to them Rom. 5 17 18 19. 4 vers 6 7.8 and received by faith alone Act. 10 53. Gal. 2 16. Phil. â— 7. Adde to this Q. 72. What is justifying faith A. justifying faith is a saving grace Heb. 10 39. wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit 2 Cor. 4 13 Ephes. 1 17 18 19. and the word of God Rom. 10 â—4 17 whereby he being convinced of his sin and misery and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition Act. 2 â—7 and 16 30. Ioh. 16 8 9. Rom. 5 6 Ephes. 2 1. Act. 4 12. not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the Gospel Ephes. 1 13. but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his righteousness therein held forth for pardon of sin Iâ—h 1 12. Act. 16 31. 10 53. and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for Salvation Phil. 3 9. Act. 15 11 And Q. 73. How doth faith Iustifie a sinner in the sight of God Answ. Faith justifieth a sinner in the sight of God not because of these other graces which do alwayes accompany it or of good works that are the fruits of it Gal. 3 11. Rom. 3 28. Nor as if the grace of faith or any act thereof were imputed to him for his justification Rom. 4 5. with Rom. â—0 10. but only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applyeth Christ his righteousness Ioh. 1 1â— Phil. 3 19. Gal 2 16. With all we will be hâ—lped to understand the orthodox truth in this matter by considering two other questions to wit Q 75. What is Sanctification A. Sanctification is a work of Gods grace whereby they whom God hath before the foundation of the world chosen to be holy are in time through the powerful operation of his Spirit Heb. 1 4. 1 Cor. 6.11 2 Thes. 1 13. applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them Rom. 6 4 5.6 renewed in their whole man after the image of God Ephes. 4 23 24. having the seeds of repentance unto life and of all other saving graces put into their hearts Act. 11 18. 1 Ioh. 3 9 and those graces so stirred up increased and strengthened Iud. vers 20. Heb. 6 11 12. Ephes. 3 16 17 18 19. Col. 1 10 11. as that they more and more die unto sin and rise unto newness of life Rom 6 to 14. Gal. 5 24 with Q. 77. Wherein do Iustification and Sanctification differ Answere Although Sanctification be inseparably joyned with Iustification 1 Cor. 6 11. and 1 30. Yet they differ in that God in Iustification imputeth the righteousness of Christ Rom. 4 6 8. in Sanctification his Spirit infuseth grace and inableth to the exercise thereof Ezech. 36 27. In the former sin is pardoned Rom. 3 23 25. in the other it is subdued Rom. 6 6 14. the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God and that perfectly in this life that they never fall into condemnation Rom. 8 33 34. the other is neither equal in all 1 Ioh. 2 v. 12 13 14. Heb. 5 12 13 14. Nor in this life perfect in any 1 Ioh. 1 8 10. but groweth up to perfection 2 Cor. 7 1. Phil. 3 12 13 14. â—hus we have the orthodox doctrine in this point fully cleared and confirmed 3. Let us next see whâ—t is the opinion of the Qâ—akers in this matter And before we examine particularly what this Man with whom we deal saith we shall shortly see what other Quakers have maintained before Mr Clapham in his book against the Quakers Sect. 5. tels us that I. Nayler in his Love to the lost P. 3. joyneth with the Papists and pleads for our being made righteous by Gods putting in righteousness in us and by righteousness wrought in the creature And P. 50. with Papists he confounds Justification Sanctification and Mortification and argueth for it as they do So Mr Stalham in his book against them Part. 1 Sect. 22. sheweth out of their owne words what friends they are unto the man of sin by laying the bottome of a believers justification not upon Christs obedience but upon sanctification And Sect. 25. he tels us that I. Nailer said that the man of sin is discovered in them who say beleevers are pure and spoteless too by reason of imputation and in his Love to the lost p. 51. that men are so justified as they are sanctified and mortified and no further And that F. Howgil in The inheritance of Iacob Pag. 29. hath these words Christ fulfilled the Law and he fulfils it in them who know him and his work and herein man becomes to be justified in Gods sight by Christ who works all our works in us and for us Mr Hicks in his 2 Dialogue Pag. 4. tels us that Isaak Pennington asks this question Can outward blood cleanse And saith Therefore we must enquire whether it was the blood of the vail that is of the humane nature or the blood within the vail viz. of that spiritual man consisting of flesh bloud and bones which took on him the vail or humane nature It is not the bloud of the vail that is but outward and can outward blood cleanse And that Edward Billing most wickedly said that the mystery of iniquity lyes in the bloud of Christ. And that these words frequently drop from their mouthes dost thou look at Christs death afar off What will that bloud avail Didst ever see any of it That carnal bloud cleanse If thou hadst a great deal of it would it do thee any good If such as speak thus of the precious bloud of Christ can have right thoughts of Justification the sober may easily judge And what intimation Edward Burroughs giveth about this may be seen there P. 18 22 c. I love not to transcribe the words only that which he hath Pag. 26. seemeth to be plaine Thou beast who would have another righteousness than that which Christ works in the saints and by them He tels us likewise ib. Pag. 31. that Will Pen Sandy foundation Pag. 29.30 hath these words Obedience to justification ought to be as personally extensive as was mans disobedience to condemnation In which real not imputative sense those various termes of Sanctification Righteousness Resurrection Life Redemption Iustification c. are most infallibly understood for impute or imputing signifies no more in Scriptures but to express men really and personally to be that which is imputed to them whether as guilty or remitted For any to
glory though we must alwayes lament our shortcoming and run to the bloud of Iesus that the defilement cleaving to our best works may be purged away Nor do we think that this hyperbolick expression of the penitent church will warrant any to caâ—l all the work of the Spirit of God in his people sordide and filthy rags What is of God should be acknowledged good acceptable though the defilements that adhere to the best of God's works in us here because of our continueing corruption and because of the lustings of the flesh in us should be mourned over and keep us humble One thing I would further note here That if our Gospel-works be such why are we not Justified because of them as well as in them He further answereth pag. 149. § 12 That though it were granted that the best of men are imperfect Yet God can produce perfect works in them by his Spirit Ans. the qustion is not what God can do but what he doth God can make all his perfect Yet the supposition made saith he doth not so He hath thought it fit for his owne glory so to work in his Saints as they may have so long as they are here a body of death to wrestle with and occasion to pray dayly forgive us our sinnes and to run to the fountaine opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sin and for uncleanness that they may be washen He proceedeth The Spirit of God is not capable of a blot and therefore all Christ's works wrought in his children are pure and perfect Ans. The Spirit it is true is not capable of pollution yet his works as received by us and as we are the formal actors of them are obnoxious to pollution And doth not the Scripture tell us that God first beginneth a good work in us and afterward perfecteth it Phil. 1 6. How can then all the works of Christ in us be perfect And if it were so his children here should be as holy as they will be in heaven for what is higher than perfection Thus we see this man will outstripe Bellarm. who confessed that our actual righteousness was imperfect because of the admixtion of venial faults and stood in need of dayly remission And will run the length of bold Vasques who thinketh that such have no need of remission in 1. 2. Disp. 204. c. 2. 3. He further argueth It would then follow that the miracles and works of the Apostles themselves as the conversion of the Gentiles gathering of Churches writting of Scripture and giving of themselves to the death for Christ were defiled with sin Ans. we must distinguish betwixt these works which were extraordinary I meane as to the manner of their performance and so peculiar to such extraordinary persons in which they were not in a manner formal actors but passive organs such as working of miracles and writting of Scripture in these the Apostles moved as they were immediatly Acted Inspired and Led of the Spirit so that these were not properly their formal acts And these which are of a more ordinary nature wherein they were more formal actors through the assistance of the Spirit whether in works belonging to their office as preaching and gathering of Churches or in works of Christianity as giving themselvs to the death and the like As to the first sort we may grant that they were undefiled as being pure acts of the Spirit wherein the Apostles were but organs used by the Spirit as he saw meet But as to others I see no absurdity to say that they needed to use that petition forgive us our sinnes The Apostle Paul had his infirmities and weakneses a body of death that made him cry out wo is me miserableman and was thereby made to do what he would not and hindered from doing what he would Rom. 7 The Apostle Iames saith in many things we offend all Iam. 3 2. and the Apostle Iohn saith 1 Ioh. 1 8. that if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us 43. Thereafter he giveth unto works an instrumental part in Iustification which is true of faith laying hold on the righteousness of Christ the only Objective Formal cause of Justification but cannot agree to works But he citeth some Protestants assenting to this as Polanus Symphon c. 27. whose words if understood of after pardon that is of sinnes committed after Justification as they may containe nothing but truth and that truth which we question not acknowledging that even iustified persons before remission of after sins must repent confesse and mourne for their sinnes and act faith on Christ. Zanchius in the words he citeth is expresly speaking of salvation not of Justification and to this end he might cite all the Protestants that I know of Amesius is speaking of the same As for Mr Baxter I have told already that his notions about Justification are not acceptable to all As for what he addeth about the word merite I shall not contend only I would say that seing it sounds so ill because of the common and known abuse thereof by Papists the less we use it the better seing Verba valent usu 44. Nor shall I say much against his conclusion of this mater Only while he tels us that such may confidently appear before God who sensible of their owne unworthiness and of the unprofitableness of all their works and endeavours c. did apply themselves unto the light within and suffered that grace to work in them and thereby are renewed quickened and have Christ risen in them and working in them to will to do having thus put on Christ and being clothed with him and made partakers of his righteousness When I say he speaketh thus he but cheateth his Reader giving him faire words and no more for as we have formerly seen in the examination of his Principles This light is but a Pelagian Grace if not worse common to all men Scythian and Barbarian And by vertue of this light without the least help of the grace of God for of grace assisting far lesse regenerating such as are in nature and so beginning every good work there is not in his writings the least mention if the man will but yeeld and of power and full ability to do this he maketh no question he becometh regenerated begotten of God partaker of the divine nature and what not And this is this Mans Sanctification and foundation of Justification whereof Pagans and Barbarians who never did nor never shall hear of Câ—rist are as capable as such who live within the visible Church and that without any new grace communicated by that which is borne with them Let the Reader now Judge what a Regeneration and Sanctification can flow from this which is in every man and what Justification that can be which is founded hereupon And whether or not this be a sure bottom to stand upon and with confidence to rest upon
know not whether our Quakers will homologate with them as to this or not as the same Author sheweth ibid. Thes. 3. He sheweth also Thes. 4. how that at length the Pelagians in disput were brought to speak only of a posse and not of an esse that is that man might perfectly keep the Law though they would not say thaâ— thâ—y did keep it perfectly and that he might easily keep the Law And in the Antithesis Pag. 485. He tels us that the orthodox answered That if man could so easily keep the Law some would be found who had done so And if none could be found beside Jesus Christ God-man who had done so there was no ground for ascribeing so much power to man At length as the same person showeth Thesi 5. Pelagius was driven to retract what he said of the facility of fulfilling the Law And was content to say simply â—hat we could keep the Law And because his making no mention of grace gave offence therefore he helped the matter by saying that by the Grace of God we could be without sin But as is clear in the Antithesis this did not satisfie the Orthodox because the word grace was but a cheat for Pelagius put another meaning on it than they did and they maintained that no saint did ever attaine to that measure of grace as to live without sin for that should take away the necessity of Christs death and say that Salvation might be by the Law and further to say so were to make themselves equal to Christ. 13. Thus we have seen how this Man agreeth with these wicked Pelagians The same Author Vossius Pag. 510 511. tels us of some called Begardi and Beguinae in Aleman or Germany who maintained such a degree of Perfection as we could advance no higher and were condemned by a Councel of moe than 300 Bishops conveened at Vienna some of their opinions condemned were these 1. That man in this life can acquire such a degree of perfection that he shall become wholly impeccable and cannot advance further in grace 2. That a man attaining to this degree of perfection needeth no more to fast and pray because then Sensuality is so perfectly subject to the Spirit and to Reason that he may let his body do what he will 3. That such as have attained to this degree of Perfection are no more obnoxious to mans Law for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 4. That man may be as happy in this life as in heaven 6. That it is the part of an imperfect man to exercise himself in acts of vertue The 5 7. 8. article condemned in them we mention not as being concerning other heads Hence we see what affinity our Quakers have with these Beguards Beguines Let us next see how they agree with the Socinians 14. As to the judgmâ—nt of the Socinians in this point of Perfection the learned D. Hoornbeek Socinianismi confut Tom. 3. lib. 1. Cap. 3. Pag. 61. giveth us a short summe of it which he fully thereafter cleareth out of their owne writtings They distinguish betwixt an Absolute perfection and Comparative by That they understand immunity from all sin and full conformity to the whole Law by which a man never committeth the least sin this they say was peculiar to Christ. By this comparative perfection they understand a perfection either as to the habite or as to the act as to the habite they say it is that whereby some never all their life time contracted the habite of any sin and so needed not to repent thereof and which all the regenerate partake of as for perfection as to the Act of sin they think all the regenerate do not attaine it but only such as attaine to the highest degree which some may attaine unto yea and it iâ— possible for all to attaine unto Smalcius contra Frantzium disput 6. Pag. 176. not only admitteth degrees in that perfection which is called Comparative but in that also which is Absolute The highest degree of which is peculiar to Christ who never sinned but an inferiour degree he yeeldeth to others whereby they sinne no more after they have attained unto it As to the other perfection which they call Comparative they give us three degrees thereof One of those who having shoken off the habite of sin set about Obedience but with much inward strugling of minde The Other of those who do this with less strugling The third of those who obey without any strugling at all yea with great delight joy and complacency and so sinne no more And Socinus himself praelect Cap. 26. Pag. 169. condemneth them who say that perfection which the Cathari held necessary is not attainable here that is who deny that it can be that any man can advance so far in this life as to sinne no more 15. The same D. Hoornbeek ubi supra Pag. 64. sheweth us that the Arminians in their Apology Cap. 11. say there are some who do their duty without any inward battel and with the highest of joy and chearfulness and Cap. 17. We by the grace of God can do and fulfill all the commands of God And that Episcopius Ad quaest 19. said Man could perfectly do the commands They will not grant that all the regenerat especially such as are in the second and third order they give us three orders or degrees of Regenerat persons have any baâ—tel in them betwixt the Spirit and the flesh See Apol. fol. 128. c. It is true theâ— say that they speak so in respect of Evangelical Perfection not of Legal by this understanding a most absolute and full immunity from all sin and that dureing a mans whole life or all impeccability and that for ever which excludeth all imperfection infirmity and inadvertancy and this they think morally impossible But as to the Other which they say hath its degrees they grant the highest degree thereof may be attained consisting in a doing of the commanded duty in a most perfect manner so far as is required by the Gospel and covenant of grace But as D. Hoornbeek well observeth all perfection is in respect of works and can no other way be judged than by the Law which commandeth them And if that be called Evangelical Perfection which admitteth of defects and imperfections it is no perfection to all but only catachrestically so called What agreement our Quakers have with these Men the sequel will evince 16. We are commanded even in the Gospel which doth not destroy the Law nor weaken its obligation for Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it to love God with all our heart with all our soul strength and minde and this sure taketh in the highest degree and intension of love and what is short of this is in so far defective and therefore imperfect I cannot assent to that which D. Baron saith in his Disp. de peccato Mortali Veniali part 1. sect 4. § 6. to wit That
is no agreement betwixt light and darkness 2 Cor. 6 14. Now God is Light and all sin is darkness Answ. 1. All this would plead for a sinlesness from the very first instant of Regeneration Yea and for the highest degree of Perfection 2. Though corruption abideth in the Regenerated man as a vanquished enemy strugling in the dead thrawes yet is not the Regenerated man joyned thereto but separated therefrom in Minde Will and Affections in so far as regenerated and is fighting and lusting against it as his greatest enemy 3 It is sin delighted in and unrepented of loved and intertained in the soul that separateth betwixt God and the soul and that text Esai 59 2. speaketh of soul-wasting and land-destroying sinnes to which that people had given up themselves and would not turne from as we see vers 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15. And yet we see there vers 16 17. What soveraignity of free grace can do to and for such a people for the glory of his name 4. What is impure as impure cannot be one Spirit with Christ But beleevers are reckoned according to what hath now the throne and the heart and the dominion in the soul with their free and sanctified consent for now they are maried to a new Husband and are engadged in warfare under a new Captaine They are dead unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord therefore they are under an obligation to strive against all that would labour to set sin againe upon the throne wrong the interest of their new Lord Soveraigne Rom. 6 11 12 13. And though they be risen with Christ and are dead have their life hid with Christ in God Yet they have members to mortifie uppon earth Fornication Uncleanness c. Col. 3 2 3 5. 5. God hath no fâ—llowshipe with corruption more then light can have fellowshipe with darkness yet he can have fellowshipe with his owne work of grace in the soul and with the soul as sanctified and renewed 19. But sayes he further Is it not against the wisdom of God to say He could finde no other methode whereby he should be served than by such actions by which the devil is no lesse yea more served for he that sinneth is the servant of sin Rom. 6 16. Ans. It is not fit for man to stand up and disput wickedly for God and under a shew of zeal for and patronage of his Wisdome condemne the same His folly is wiser than our wisdome What methods God could have found out whereby He might have been served by men what proud man will take upon him to determine The methode he hath chosen should satisfie us But to the matter when God's people are serving Him with some measure of sincerity and uprightness of heart howbeit the devil opposeth and by his temptations and the co-working of corruption prevaileth much to hold back or to cause the soul move slowly Yet the heart and the renewed part of the man being for God and for God only and directly against Satan and all his wayes doings and designes there is no formal service performed unto Saâ—an for the Lord regardeth the heart And though oft times there be more corruption in the work than grace Yet the heart being upright in the main the denomination is from the better part And albeit how more sin be in the action that is gone about by the honest Beleever in weakness Satan be the glader Yet in that the beleever cannot be called his servant For the Apostle in the place cited saith not he that sinneth but he that yeeldeth himself up as a servanâ— to obey sin is the servant of sin No doubt if the Lord had seen it for his glory he could have so ordered it that his children from the day of their new birth should never have sinned more but He hath thought it good that they should be exercised with a spiritual warfare all their dayes against Satan and a wicked world without and a body of death and its members within that his power might be made perfect in their weakness that they might live by Faith and get continual proofs of God's Power Love Care Faithfulness Grace Mercy and Tenderness that they might daily have use of the blood of Christ to wash in and so exercise Humility Godly sorrow Repentance Faith Patience Submission Watchfulness Diligence and might groan under the body of death that they might see through daily experience the riches and worth of their Redemption and read their great Obligations to their Lord Ransomer and Soveraigne King And if we were sober we might here mark wonderful wisdome and see a piece of the manifold wisdome of God But when we be come distracted as doubtless we are when we will be wise above what is written no wonder we become blinde and speak as fools as this man doth here and in the following words which I shall not so much as honour with a transcribing 20. He sayes our doctrine is repugnant to the justice of God requireing them to abstaine from all sin and not enabling them hereunto and requireing more then he giveth ability to do Ans. 1. The man runneth so hard that he runneth himself blinde Seeth he not that if this argument prove any thing it will prove that all the wicked world are perfect for God requireth of them obedience to his Law and it may be a question if hence it may not likewise be proven that the damned and the Devils are all perfect and without sin seing it may be a doubt if they be loosed from the Law of their Creation But 2. Though it were granted they had power I mean moral power for no other can be here understood yet this will not prove their perfection or freedom from sin many may have power and yet not use it Adam had power to resist Satans suggestion yet did it not His perfect ones may grow slack in their watch and so sin though he will grant they have power to do otherwise 3 This is old Pelagius's argument as Vâ—ssius cleareth to us Hist. Pelag. lib. 5. part 1. Thes. 6. where among other evidences he citeth Hieron adv Pelag. bringing-in Critobolus as a Pelagian reasoning thus Either God gave commandements that were possible or that were impossible if possible it is in our power to do them if we will if impossible we are not guilty if we do them not seing we cannot And thus whether the Lords command be possible or Impossible man may be without sin if he will Our Quaker is yet worse for the Pelagian would hence prove but a possibility of Perfection but he will hence evince the real being of Perfection and that common to all believers â— God made man upright and able to fulfil all his Law and when he hath dilapidated his stock of strength must God be unjust if he require due debt Or doth mans inability dissolve his obligation Seing God is pleased of his grace
to help his owne to performance of duty in part upon a new score let them mourne for shortcomings and flee to the bloud of Christ conforme to the Gospel that there they may get extracts of pardon and be thankful that the Lord hath so secured the matter that they shall never come into condemnation 21. As to the saints he reasoneth further thus Their imperfection is either from themselves or from God If from themselves then it is because they use not the power they have for that effect and if they have a power it is not impossible if from God as not giving them that measure of grace whereby they may be enabled to do all his will then He should be unrighteous Ans. Thus reasoned the Pelagian Caelestius of old and Crellius the Socinian of late See Hoornb ubisupra Pag. 103. And we say 1. This will at most conclude only for a possibility of Perfection or immunity from sin and so will not serve his point 2. If he mean a culpable cause I say it is from themselves and that not because they have any moral power now for keeping the whole Law perfectly though I grant withall that they have more than they make good use of but because that power which was once given was sinfully cast away 3. It is false that God should be unrighteous if he gave not that measure of grace whereby they should become perfect Nay sayes he God shall be more unjust than are the vilest of men who will not give to their children asking bread a stone nor a serpent to them when asking for fish Ans. The Lord rebuke this blasphemous tongue what ground is there for this They confess sayes he that they must ask of God deliverance from sin Very true And yet such a thing is never to be expected The Lord forbid We expect and hope for growing deliverance and final and full deliverance in end when the saints shall say and sing O grave where is thy victory and O death where is thy sting And they shall come unto the upper mount Zion the city of the living God to the Spirits of just men made perfect when all teares shall be wiped away from off their faces But it seemeth our Quakers expect all their heaven here Where is now the stones that God giveth instead of bread the serpents he giveth instead of fish His following calumnious insinuation hath been spoken to already elsewhere 22. His third argument followeth Pag. 156. § 5. He sayes our opinion is injurious to Christ and his sacrifice Christ was manifested chiefly for this end to take away sin and gather a people to himself zealous of good works Tit. 2 14. and to bring in everlasting righteousness that is Evangelical perfection Answ So hote is this man in his pursuite that to reach us he careth not though he pierce his owne bowels for by this one argument he destroyeth all that he said of Vniversal Redemption as we cleared above Chap. VIII But as to us it reacheth us not for we grant that Christ came to take away sin both as to guilt and this he did by the sacrifice of himself and as to the staine and being of it and this he doth by his Spirit piece and piece till in end he give full victory and so he hath a people redeemed from the guilt and power of iniquity though not fully from its presence and stirrings and a people zealous of good works which is not inconsistent with the stirrings of a crucified body of death That that everlasting righteounsess mentioned by Daniel Chap. 9. is to be understood of Evangelical perfection is said but not proved Againe he sayes It is said 1 Ioh. 3 5 8. that the Son of God appeared for this end to take away our sinnes and to destroy the works of the devil Answ. True and so he hath done by taking away the guilt and by destroying daily the works of the devil in his people mortifying lust and corruption and carrying on the work of grace till at length it be perfected Ay but he sayes it is added he that is borne of God doth not commit sin that is doth not break the Law in thought word or deed Answ. What that is to commit sin we shewed above and also that by this passage thus interpreted he shall prove what is against himself to wit that that highest degree of Perfection which whosoever hath attained cannot sin any more is not peculiar to some but common to all that are borne of God Is not Christ sent saith he further to turne a people from sin unto righteousness and from the Kingdom of Satan unto the Kingdom of his dear Son Answ. Yes Are not these thus converted his servants children brethren friends Ans. They are Are they not as he in the world holy pure and immaculate Answ. The text saith not this Read againe 1 Ioh. 4 27 Doth not Christ watch over them care and pray for them save them by his Spirit walking in them and among them Ans. This is all true and â—hence we inferre that they shall certainly be perfected in end and shall persevere unto the end contrare to what he saith as we shall see in the next Chap. But all this will not prove a sinless Perfection common to all the saints But will not Christ have them perfect or is he not able to make them perfect Ans. Yes But he will do it in his owne time and way He himself will not deny but Christ is able to make them all perfect in the highest degree so as not to be able to sin any more yet for all that he will not say that it is so He citeth also Ephes 5 25 26 27. But nothing to his purpose for we grant that the Lord will present his Bride to himself one day faire and cleane without spot or wrinkle or any such thing and that he is about this work bringing all his forward unto this state of perfection washing them cleansing them in his blond and by his Spirit sanctifying them more and more But saith he if they do sin in thought word and deed dayly there is no difference betwixt the holy and profane the cleane and unclean c. Answ. Notwithstanding of this the difference is great for what the profane doth is nothing but sin and in nothing accepted of God through Christ and is done with full purpose of heart without any contrary lusting of the Spirit all they do as it floweth from an evil principle so it is done for an evil end and in a corrupt sinful manner and so is wholly defiled But it is not so with the child of God He mourneth over and repenteth of his shortcomings and striveth against sin The other not So there are many moe differences too many here to be insisted upon 23. His fourth Argument Pag. 157 § 6. is That our doctrine maketh the work of the ministry preaching prayers c. useless while as Paul sayes Ephes.
he is hungry Prov. 6 30. would not this Quaker pity a Minister if he were driven to this straite to take something to satisfie his hunger though it were not formally given him and will he allow no more then that he take what is given for the supply of his necessities which may be very pinching before some ill-willers like our Quakers will let them passe for necessities He tels us therefore that he will not oppugne a necessary aliment Wherein he is wise for it may be the Quakers themselves both get and take more What will he then oppugne an aliment that is limited and compelled and then what is superfluous and sumptuous But what if that which some shall account superfluous and sumptuous be in it self all things considered nothing else then necessary who shall be judge in this case must the Quakers only sit on the bench as judges here If so some might possibly suspect them of partiality and accuse them of cruelty If the Supreme Magistrates of the land be judges herein who can reasonably refuse their umpirage and determination Will it not satisfie him if Ministers rest satisfied with their decision No it will not satisfie him for against this he rageth as thinking it superfluous and sumptuous and I shall not deny but as to soâ—e it may be so and therefore shall plead rather for others who have but whereupon to live honestly as becometh Men of such a function and it may be scarce that But be it what it will be he will not have it limited And yet some way or other it must be limited that it may answere the case of necessity by a geometrical proportion for an arithmetical proportion will not so well answere the necessity which cannot be supposed to be alike in all Who then shall make this limitation Shall the givers only do it But what if their allowance be too scanty must the honest minister perish for want Shall the Magistrates He will not yeeld to this for then that would bring in a compelled maintainance which he will also oppugne But if there be not some legal compulsion I owne no illegal unjust and iniquous compulsion what shall some Ministers do who have to do with such hard hearted persons as would rather suffer the Minister and all his houshold perish with hunger before they would give what is just yea or what is necessary if they were not compelled by law How shall they get their necessities supplied These things we see can not well hang together 3. He tels us that only this that is a necessary aliment and no more is included in these passages of Scripture Gal. 6 6 1 Cor. 9 11 12 13 14. 1 Tim. 5 16. We must then alittle consider these passages that we may come to some clearness herein The first is Gal. 6 6. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things But let us read the following verses too where this matter is pressed Be not deceived God is not mâ—cked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith Gal. 6 7 8 9 10. It is like there were some of our Quakers principles even in these dayes who dealt unworthily with the Ministers of the Gospel And it hath been Satans way in all ages to have men superfluously large in their allowance to superstitious courses and to Idolatry but niggardly spareing in the maintainance of truth But Paul considering what an open door this was to let-in ignorance if the labourers in the word were thus dealt with sets himself against this evil and will have every one whom the Minister catechizeth and instructeth to communicate unto the Minister in all good things this is not to contribute with others to a bare supply of his necessities but it is questionless a larger allowance and that not in this or that particular good thing but in all good things And because many might and possibly did pretend that there was no great necessity the Minister had enough and more and they had little enough for themselves and their owne families as worlds wretches who love the mammon of this world better than durable riches in heaven can devise many such things therefore the Apostle addeth Be not deceived God will not be mocked It was with Him and not with man only they had to do and he knew the truth of all as he knoweth what really prompteth the Quakers to this opposition whatever plausible pretexts they may alledge And further he saith whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap To tell us that this communication should not be with a niggardly and spareing hand as we say men must not hunger tâ—e ground they must sow liberally that their harvest may be the richer and they would sow as expâ—cting an harvest upon their sowing and not suppose that all that is given away to Ministers is cast in the winde seing it will have an harvest following it Moreover he tels us that the communicating of their good things after this manner is a sowing to the Spirit which shall be followed with a reaping of life everlasting not that this did exhaust the whole import of the expression which the Apostle doth here thus accommodate nor as if all such as are thus liberal unto Ministers shall have ground to expect life but that the honest and conscientious liberal dealing of such as are thus beneficial upon a good account for maintaining of truth and of the preaching of the Gospel the meanes of propagating the Kingdome of Christ and of the great designe of the Spirit is in it self a sowing to the Spirit and if their hearts be upright in the maine and if they thus sow to the Spirit they shall certainly of the Spirit reap life everlasting But on the other hand what is keeped-up to the defrauding of labourers of what they should have is in God's account a sowing to the flesh and the harvest thereof shall be corruption and thus their very niggardliness shall destroy their substance And lest some might think that too oft giving might tend to poverty He addeth vers 9. and let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not To shew that there should be no sitting up here and that folks fainting and drawing back their hand prejudgeth themselves of the harvest that would follow in due season Upon which consideration he presseth a more universal beneficence not only to dispensers of the word but to all persons especially to the houshold of faith and that when ever opportunity is offered What liberality
unnatural and anticque motions at their set times and solemnities which are here spoken of But I wonder whence this power of darkness cometh unto them to cause this inward battel and occasion this quaking we heard before that he said they were freed from the body of death and it was taken away so that they were made free from the Suggestions and Temptations of Satan and from actual sinning See his Eight Thesis and our Chap. XIV of Perfection or he must say that the immaculate birth he spoke of is not yet produced in them and consequently that they are not yet Justified nor Sanctified and so not yet Church-members according to his former doctrine But seing he will not acknowledge this But rather that they are the purest and only Church of Christ and are Justified and Sanctified yea and Perfected whence I say can this power of darkness come to oppose the workings of life and that when they are most devote turning-in unto themselves to waite upon God and upon the light and never but then when they are about this their solemne worshipe for we hear not much of their quakings at other times or is there alwayes a battel but they feel it not till they be about this Introversion And cometh this trembling alwayes upon their retireing inward or if not whence is it that it cometh more at one time that another Is it from the greatness of the opposition made by the power of darkness or from the greater sense thereof or both And whence doth the one or the other come more at one time than at another These things I would have cleared if he thought fit Againe is there no striveing betwixt light and darkness grace and corruption flesh and the Spirit in any beside them If not then all others must eitheir be all flesh or all Spirit and if this last these must be more perfect then they are If yea how cometh it that that combate in others causeth not such trembling and quaking as in them Is it because corruption in them is more violent then in others then their perfection is less Or is it because they are more sensible and their life is more quick their mindes more agitated and their spirits more stirred Yet I am sure there might be trembling and quaking of limbes and joynts more or less proportionably to the opposition or to the sense of it in others But the truth is whatever he feigne this trembling and quaking hath another cause and may confirme all rational men that their way is more of the Devil than of God let themselves think what they please 11. We have now heard of all the parts of their solemne Worshipe 1. Silence which is alwayes necessary and beginneth the action 2. speaking praying or singing as is immediatly suggested but this is not necessary for it may be wanting yet the whole solemne Worshipe be performed to edification neither is their speaking praying or singing such as is used in the Churches as we will hear afterward 3. Their Trembling Quaking though this it may be is not alwayes necessary yet it is peculiar unto them Let us hear how he explaineth or confirmeth these for it may be no other confutation will be necessary He saith § 9. p. 23. That their worshipe doth not consist in silence as silence Wherein then but in an holy and humble dependance of soul on God from which necessarily floweth silence in the first place Ans. Dependance on God is good and necessary and is a part of inward worshipe but we are here speaking of Outward and solemne worshipe and this silence must make a necessary part thereof for he sayes afterward we judge in the first place that there is a necessity of silence for some time both for speaker and hearer And he told us before that this silence may be continued all the time and not one word spoken and yet the worshipe be solemne and edifying and he saith the same immediatly thereafter Must not this be a fruitless and unedifying silence to others at least present But when he calleth it thus necessary there must be some thing more in it then we can at the first see or he will think fit to acquant us with as yet What more life saith he Pag. 232. might flow in every one and be increased so as words may also well be spoken by the influence of life and yet because it was imposed upon none necessarily they might all for the time rather choose to possesse God in quietness Ans. What this life is and what the flowings and increasings of it are we have seen But as to this Silence we say how cometh it that such in whom this life floweth do not speak Is not this a call sufficient how then dar they sit and disobey this call how dar they follow their owne choise Or is it no call that because a necessity was not imposed why then saith he that words might well be spoken by the influence of life Might words be spoken without an inward impulse and call no certainly according to his principles Where are we then 12. He goeth about to prove this their silence § 10. And for this end he tels us that to attend and waite upon God is a duty incumbent upon all and is a part of Worshipe And who denieth it Yet he citeth a number of Scriptures whereof none speak of such a waiting as he hath before pointed forth unto us accompanied with silence in the publick Worshipe of God for Ps. 27 14. speaketh of a waiting opposite to fainting through unbeleef or doubting to see the goodness and deliverance of God in the land of the living Psal. 37 7 34. speaketh of a waiting opposite to freting because of the prosperity of the wicked and a freting to do evil and so is a waiting for Gods pleading the oppressed mans cause is accompanied with a keeping of Gods way v. 34. not his waiting that layeth aside Gods way and Ordinances Prov. 20 22. speaketh of a waiting opposite to recompensing of evil Esai 30 18. is meant of a waiting for Godâ—s coming with redemption to Zion Hos. 12 6. speaketh of a waiting accompanied with keeping mercy judgment which is more than doing nothing Zach. 3 8. speaketh nothing of waiting These are out of the Old T. whereby I see that O. T. Scriptures will prove N. T. worshipe Now follow passages out of the New Test. Mat 24 42. 25 13. 26 41. Mark 13 33 35 37. Luk. 21 36. 1 Cor. 16 13. 1 Thes. 5 6. 2 Tim. 4 5. 1 Pet. 4 7. which speak of Watching of and such a Watching as is accompanyed with Prayer and all Christian Duties Col. 4 2. speaketh of a watching in Prayer and not of a waiâ—ing that puteth away Prayer Act. 1 4. is a waiting at Ierusalem till the promise of the Father came Act. 20 31. is a watching over the flock that it miâ—ht be keept from wolves The same line
heart and which Christ procured for man that is the measure of grace and life getteth place to arise and becometh an holy birth in man And that divine aireis it with which mans Spirit is fermented and in which waiting he is accepted in the presence of God and is fitted this word I must supply or his words have no sense to stand in his presence to hear his voice and to observe the motions of his holy Spirit Answ. But 1. We have evinced above that there is no seed planted by God in all men or purchased by Christ that is a measure of saving grace and life Nature and its light and power we grant to be in all but this will never become a new birth 2. Then this work being the same with Regeneration and Sanctification as we saw above every man must fall into an ecstasie and become no man as to any operation before he be converted 3. Then and this is the maine thing here considerable Every Quaker at every time he cometh to worshipe God solemnely it is of this he knoweth that we are now speaking must have this change wrought in him for it is to this end that he must retire within him self and be abstracted from all his Operations that he may be in case to worshipe But then observe what will follow Quakers before they come to worshipe are unregenerated without the holy birth and as oft as they come to worshipe they must be regenerated and get this divine aire to ferment their spirits But how agreeth this with the state of Perfection he talked of one degree whereof was they were able not to sin and the other wherein they could not sin I suppose man even a Quaker is in case to sin cannot but sin till he be regenerated Where is this man now I see though persons dreaming see not the inconsistency and repugnancy of their dreames persons awake will see and smile at fancies hanging together like ropes of sand 15. He denieth Pag. 237. § 11. That we can waite upon God in prayer preaching For saith he waiting rather denoteth a passive dependance than any action Answ. I confess his waiting is a very passive thing and inconsistent with any action of Soul or Body but we are waiting for proof of such a waiting as he talks of We know Prayer and Preaching is one thing and waiting on God by Faith Patience and Hope in these duties is another thing And if he think these inconsistent he knoweth neither Religion nor Scripture To pray and preach saith he by the Spirit presupposeth this silent waiting that the motions leading unto these might be felt Answ. This is the thing that is under debate How can the godly pray for the motions leadings of the Spirit if they must first feel them and have them before they pray for them Or must they not pray that prayer at all But the moâ—ions of the Spirit they pray for are not these they have but others fitting them for other duties he will say I answ The saints even pray for the Spirit to teach them to pray But he will say They must have the motion of the Spirit for the first prayer or it will not be accepted Answ. They may have it and yet not feel it and so these motions are not their Rule The Law of God is the Rule and what is not done in obedience to a Command is no Obedience for obedience respecteth a command And thus the Quakers destroy all Obedience If they cannot Pray nor Preach without a previous impulse of the Spirit how can they waite without such a previous motion Waiting sure is a commanded duty as well as Prayer and cannot be performed without the Spirit aright and acceptably more then Prayer And if they cannot waite without the previous motion of the Spirit how shall they waite for that previous motion to wait I see not how this man can loose this knot 16. But he proveth that this silence is a special and principal part of divine worshipe and that necessarly though he told us before Pag. 23â— that worship did not consist in silence as silence because in many places where prayer is commanded as Mat 26 41. Mark 13 33. Luk. 21 26. 1 Pet. 4 7. watching is prescribed as previous and preparatory Answ. But how proveth he that that Watching is the silence and waiting he speaketh of That Watching is not a turning inward but a looking outward also and a looking to all hands from whence temptations can come It is a Watching joyned with Prayer and a Christian Vigilancy and Circumspection taking in the lively exercise of all graces and is accompanied with all Christian duties as was cleared above so far is it from having any affinity with his mute Mumry 17. The more to enforce this Silence he tels us Pag. 238 § 12. that it hath this excellency that nothing else hath to wit It is impossible for the devil to simulate it and therefore no soul in this exercise can be deceived by him This is wonderful if true but how proveth he it I would be afrayed that when a Man hath laid aside not only his Senses outward and inward but his very Rational Judgment Intellect all that he hath as a man or as a Christian the Devil should then most play master and I am not sure but it is so with them Let us therefore heare his reason The devil can only work in and by a natural man I had thought that he could also work in a Spiritual man as in Peter when the Lord said to him get thee behinde me Satan or else he must say that Peter was then but a carnal man And what was the messenger of Satan that buffeted Paul 2 Cor. 12. what more Therefore saith he where the natural man is silent he that is the Devil must stand But why must he stand off when the natural man is silent and how proveth he that there is nothing of a natural man acting in this silence When the soul saith he is come to this silence and as to its owne operations brought as it were to nothing then the devil is excluded How is this confirmed for he cannot endure the pure presence of God then ariseing and the clearness of his light saith he But we doubt if the pure presence of God then arise or such a light as shall quite banish the Devil away This is the maine thing to be confirmed nay the sequel proveth to us that all this presence and light is but of the Devils owne making how that shall banish him away I know not But moreover though it were granted that this were the pure presence of God and a light that the Devil could not stand before but behoved to flee from seven wayes yet he might stay until that light appeared and according to this mans owne doctrine this cannot be until the seed get room to arise and become an holy birth and this is not alwayes at the
peopleâ— of God from the wicked that do not call upon him Ier. 10 25. Psal. 10 4. 14 4. and the neglect thereof hath been charged by the Lord upon his owne people Esa. 43 22 Hos. 7 7. and acknowledged by them as their sin Esai 64 7. Dan. 9.13 4. Yet he granteth that prayer is Profitable and necessary a duty commanded of God frequently to be gone about by Christians What would he then be at But sayes he as without Christ we can do nothing so neither can we pray without the help of the Spirit And this is very true But will this say any thing against what we hold Or make any thing for his way Knoweth he no difference betwixt the ordinary and usual Assistance of the Spirit without which we can do nothing aright and that extraordinary Impulse of the Spirit which he would be at and supposeth to be the only lawful call unto this duty and really taketh away all conscience of duty or obligation to it Nay doth he think that that more ordinary assistance of the Spirit Prepareing Disposeing and Frameing the heart for the work by blowing away the ashes from the coal of grace within stirring up the graces of his Spirit enlarging the heart giving a deep sense of unworthiness and necessities setting faith love zeal and fervency a work and so putting the soul in case to sail faire before the winde doth he think I say that this work of the Spirit is the only ground and call to the performance of this duty and that till this be once there is no warrand to set about it or attempt it When we heare his proofs for this we shall consider them At present I shall only say That as there is nothing in all the word giving ground for this conjecture so the frequently reiterated command of God which himself acknowledgeth and which we finde not qualified and restricted as some commands are laying on an obligation taketh all coloure for such a pretence quite away the word of command being our rule the obligation to duty flowing therefrom is not enfringed by the Lords free not-blowings or restrainings of the Influences of his Spirit wherein he acteth according to the good pleasure of his will sometimes out of meer soveraignity because so it seemeth good in his eyes sometimes in way of holy Justice punishing for misimproving his former breathings for not watching over the heart nor guarding against such sinnes as grieve the Spirit These motions of the Spirit are no rule to us being the free and arbitrary actings of the Lord who giveth an account of his matters to none The Law is our fixed rule and by this opinion the Law and Command of God is made of none effect for to all injunctions this shifting returne might be given Let the command be never so peremptour and pressing Yet till the Spirit breath first and act upon me I can do nothing and therefore am under no obligation And thus all conscience of and mourning for sin all godly sorrow for our indisposition for neglect of the duty and all serious and earnest prayer and wrestling with God for his breathing and gracious quickenings are taken away and a plaine path made for Neligence Security Indifferency and Deadness And if this hold as to prayer it will hold also as to all other Christian duties Yea and to all duties enjoyned by the law and light of nature for neither can we performe these acceptably and in a gracious manner without the special Breathings and Communications of divine Influence and Assistance and so until such quickning upstirring breathings gales of the Spirit come we are not to love God nor our neighbour to eate drink and sleep nor may the labouring man plow or sowe nay nor must we abstaine from murther adultery incest and other wickednesses that the very light of a natural conscience condemneth as if all those commands were not given to us as rational creatures under subjection or as Christians under the law and command of the Gospel but only as creatures and Christians so and so spiritually qualified and disposed and as if the Lord 's gracious communications which are acts of soveraigne grace let out freely according to his owne will and pleasure without the least of our deservings were to restrick and limite the obligation of his lawes and as if his free restrainings and withdrawings of these qualifying and disposeing influences did put a check unto and controle his Authority as King Lawgiver Whatever this man may think of this I can put no other construction upon it than that it is a turning of the grace of God unto lasciviousness This same was the opinion of Swenckfeldus H. Nicholas the Father of the Family of love Iohn Waldesse the Antinomians of N. England of Del Saltmarsh 5. He tels us next in order to the clearing of the question Pag. 253. That there is an inward and an outward Prayer Answ. We know there is a speaking to God in the heart when the voice is not heard 1 Sam 1 13. Neh. 2 4. there are ejaculatory Prayers swift postes sent to heaven in thoughts sighes and groanes Rom. 8 26. Psal. 6 6. 12 5. 79 11. And there is a speaking to God with words a glorifying of him with our glory and tongue Psal. 57 8. 108 1. which we are here mainly to consider being speaking of solemne worshipe but this though outwardly as to the expressions differenced from the other yet not rightly separated for in all Prayer the heart must speak to God for Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God Psal 62 8. and in publick and solemne Prayer the heart must so speak as the tongue must speak also and the gift of Prayer be imployed for the solemne and professed glorifying of God and for the edifying of others who must hear and concurre 1 Cor. 14 14 15 16 17. Let us hear how he explaineth these Inward Prayer sayes he is that secret introversion of soul which being secretly done and the Light of Christ being wakened in the conscience and so being humbled in the sense of sin and unworthiness breaths to God and sendeth up constantly secret desires unto Him and to this he applyeth Luk. 18 v. 1. 1 Thes. 5 v. 17. Ephes. 6 18. Luk. 21 v. 36. Answ. That there are secrete groanings and breathings unto God I have showne That to these sense of sin and unworthiness as also sense of want and dependence on God is requisite with Faith Love Zeal Submission and other graces I teadily grant and hence inferre that if the places by him cited command this as I think they do and also a constant habitual frame and disposition for Prayer with a readiness to go about it on all occasions offered without disputing or delay and that with constancy and perseverance we cannot shift this inward Prayer upon pretence of the want either of a gracious frame through the breathing of the
that if this man will speak consequentially he must come to this at length for he will never be able to loose the connexion 17. Another Objection is That thus a man may neglect prayer all his dayes alleiging the Spirit hath not moved him to it And indeed the Quakers doctrine hath a direct tendency to the utter neglect and laying aside of all the worshipe of God what answereth he He should come to that place or state where he may feel the Spirit leading him That is he should Introverte but when he hath Introverted he can pretend the Spirit doth not yet breath as themselves do sometimes They sin sayes he in not praying but the cause hereof is they watch not Nay for themselves Watch and Introverte and yet pray not Our adversaries say sayes he that no unworthy person should come to the sacrament of the Supper such as know themselves unprepared should absteane and so though it be a duty to come to this sacrament yet it is necessary that they first examine themselves Ans. 1. The use of this Sacrament is a part of instituted worshipe and so may have its owne limitations conditions restrictions according to the will of the Instituter it is not so with prayer which is a piece of moral natural worshipe incumbent to all by the very law of Nature The Scripture saith indeed let a man examine himself and so let him eat but the Scripture saith not let a man Introverte and so let him pray Under the law no stranger was to eate of the Paschal lamb till he and his males were first circumcised can he shew us any such condition put upon strangers in reference to praying unto God 2. In the matter of the sacrament there is a previous condition required of comers and when that condition is performed they must come or else sinne but the condâ—tion which he requireth in the matter of prayer may he performed and yet the person may not must not pray For though a man introvert and do all that is required of him in order to prayer yet he must not pray until the Spirit draw and inspire him So that his simile halteth miserably 18. To the Objection taken from Peters enjoyning prayer to Simon magus Act. 8 22. He saith That Peter bids him first repent and the least measure of this cannot be without some introversion Ans. Peter bids him not repent in order to prayer but repent and pray in order to pardon and so though he was in the gall of bitterness yet it was as well his duty to pray as to repent But I see with our Quaker a graceless person can repent but he cannot pray nature can help him sufficiently to repent but he must have some more before he be in case to pray or under an obligation to pray with him 2. Though the least measure of repentance could not be without this Introversion Yet what would that avail Simon Magus though he had Repented Introverted too might not pray until the Spirit Inspired him and Acted and Drew him if our Quaker speak truth And so Peter was mistaken to enjoyne him to pray and shoulâ— have said Repent and when thou art introverted waite for the Spirit to draw and inspire thee to prayer and then pray and not till then 19. The last Objection is Many prayers begun without the Spirit become afterward affectual yea the prayers of some wicked persons as of Ahab have been heard and accepted Ans. Of Ahabs humbling himself and fasting c. I read but I hear not of his prayers but as to the first part of the Objection I think it strong and considerable For who of the saints have not found it true that though they have gone about this duty without these previous impulses yet have gote a satâ—sfying answere Yet he answereth Acts of divine indulgence are no rule of our actions The wicked are oft sensible of the motions and influences of the Spirit befâ—re their day of visitation expire and by those motions they may some time pray acceptably not remaining wholly impious but thus entering into the beginnings of piety from which afterward they fall away Ans. 1. Acts of divine indulgence so frequently manifested are stronâ— inducements and encouragments and when they are conforme to a gracious promise they confirme the rule which we walk by and sufficiently evince that there is no rule to the contrary 2. The motions and influences that wicked persons living without the Church are sensible of are nothing but the stirrings of a natural conscience and such as some within the Church meet with who remaine ungodly are but common and not special and saving 3. If they be such as will warrant acceptable prayer they must be indeed special and saving strong and mighty Influences and Inspirations giving great power and liberty and that after a serious Introversion according to his doctrine 4. Now at length we see that all the great business of preparation for prayer by Introversion by the Inspirations Impulses Motions Influences and Drawings of the Spirit is just nothing but what a wicked wretch or a Pagan is capable of 5. As for his day of visitation and falling away from grace which here he minceth by calling it only beginnings of piety we have said enough above of both CHAP. XXV Of singing Psalmes 1. AS to singing of Psalmes he speaks but little Pag. 262. § 26. granting it a part of divine worshipe and sweet and pleasant when coming from the sense of God's love in the heart and when it ariseth from the divine influence of the Spirit whether it be in words of Davids Psalmes or of the songs of others such as Zachary Simeon and Mary And I need to say the less seing I have said enough of this elsewhere This man if he plaseth may take some notice thereof in my last book on the Sabbath where I am speaking of the right sanctification of that day in publick I grant we are to sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord Col. 3 16. and we are to make melody in our heart to the Lord Ephes. 5 19. But I dar not say that no man must sing but he who hath the sense of Gods love in the heart seing I finde so many Psalmes sung that were of a far other straine as for example David's Penitential Psalmes as they are called such as Psal. 6. 32. 38. 51. c. as also that of Heman Psal. 88 and others As for the influence of the Spirit I acknowledge that without that neither this nor any other piece of worshipe can be rightly performed but that neither this nor any other part of religious worshipe should be gone about till there come an Impulse of the Spirit or till the soul finde it self in a fit frame is that which I deny for reasons given in the foregoing Chapter 2. What are then his exceptions against our singing of Psalmes There is no footstep saith he in the Scriptures
Socinus his followers policy or prudence who afterwards perceiving what an odium this would be to all Christendome how detestable it would render them condescended at length that the outward forme should be observed but peremptorily adhered to this that it was no Ordinance of Jesus Christ constantly to be observed by the Churches by vertue of a command but only a meer indifferent thing These men with gigantine audacity dar appear and downe right plead against any use of it at all upon any account whence it is evident that they would have this Ordinance quite taken away that so there might not be so much as an outward signe of Christianity left or any thing remaining that might give the least import or signification of a relation that people have unto Jesus Christ as being once baptized in his name and solemnely by profession given away to Him and publickly received in his Kingdom and visible Church and so distinguished from such as are without What a paganish designe this is to take away all outward and visible discriminating difference betwixt Christians and Turks or Pagans every one may see Thus would they bring-in Pagans as equally sharers of all external privileges of the Church with Christians that so Christ might have no distinct house or Kingdom This was several times hinted to us before but now the vaile is taken off their faces and their designe is open and manifest Hereby also we see how near a kin this Spirit that acteth them is unto the Spirit that covenanteth with and acteth in the witches for as these miserable creatures must in the entry of their covenanting with the Devil renunce their bapâ—isme so the Quakers as being more active and masculine servants will not only renunce it for themselves but will have all others whom they can seduce to their party do the like and so far as they can by their penne make it null every where that so the very profession of Christianity might be banished out of the world O! what desperat Runagadoes must these men be 2. We need not here spend time in the confirmation of this Institution which was never in all the ages of the Christian world called in question till Antichristian Socinus and Swenkfeldus arose except what the Manichees of old said and a Seck called Whippers It cannot be denyed that Iohn baptist had a commission from heaven to baptize Ioh. 1 25 26 28 33. Luk. 3 2 3. Mat. 11 25. Luk 7 29 30. It is also certaine that Christ who came to fulfil all righteousness did submit unto it Mat. 3 13 c. Mark 1 9. It is likewise unquestionable that the disciples of Christ baptized which would not have been without his warrand for it is said of him that he baptized though not in his owne person Ioh. 3 22. 4 1 2. And a commission is amply in full forme given to the disciples by him after the resurrection to baptize in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Mat. 28 19. Mark 16 15 16. And it is no less evident that in obedience to this command his Apostles did baptize wherever they came and made converts Act. 2 41. 8 12 13 38. 9 18. 10 48. 16 15 33. 18 8. 22 16. 1 Cor. 1 13. What unparalleled boldness must it then be to call this ordinance into question which hath such a divine original such a manifest divine warrand and was so religiously observed by the Apostles and by all the Churches of Christ since their dayes unto this very day And who can sufficiently admire the madness of these men who would have us lay aside and cast away such an ordinance so appointed and so observed and which withall is so usefull and necessary being not only ordained to be for a solemne admission of the party baptized into the visible Church 1 Cor. 12 13. but also to be a signe and a seal of the covenant of grace whereof these Quakers know nothing Rom. 4 11. Col. 2 11 12. And to be unto the beleever a signe seal of his ingrafting into Christ. Gal. 3 27. Rom. 6 5. of his Regeneration Tit. 3 5. of Remission of sinnes Mark 1 4. of his Adoption Gal. 3 26 27. and Resurrection unto life 1 Cor. 15 13. And of his giving up unto God through Jesus Christ to walk in newness of life Rom. 6 4 And by which when rightly used the grace promised is not only offered but really exhibited and conferred by the holy Ghost to such whether of age or Infants as that grace belongeth unto according to the counsel of God's own will in his appointed time Gal. 3 27. Tit. 3 5. Ephes. 4 25 26. Act. 2 38 41. Would we but seriously ponder What is briefly set down in answere to the 167. Question in our Larger Catechisme we might see what desperate enemies unto true Christianity these Quakers are who would despoile us of this profitable and advantagious Ordinance which might and should be improved to rich advantage How is our baptisme to be improved by us Answ. The needful but much neglected duty of our improving our Baptisme is to be performed by us all our life long especially in the time of temptation and when we are present at the administration of it to others Col. 2 11 12. Rom. 6 4 6 11. by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it and of the ends for which Christ instituted it the privileges and benefites conferred and sealed thereby and our solemne Vow made therein Rom. 6 3 4 5. by being humbled by our sinful defilements our falling short of and walking contrary to the grace of baptisme and our engagments 1 Cor. 1 11 12 13. Rom. 6 2 3 by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament Rom. 4 11 12. 1 Pet. 3 21. by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ into whom we are baptized for the mortifying of sin and quickning of grace Rom. 6 3 4 5. and by endeavouring to live by faith Gal. 3 26 27 to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness Rom. 6 22. As those that have therein given up their names to Christ Act 2 28. and to walk in brotherly love as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body 1 Cor. 12 13 25 26 27. 3. These things considered and thereby it being manifestly discovered what a relation this Ordinance hath unto the cardinal duties and privileges of Christians to wit Faith Repentance Remission of sinnes Regeneration Adoption Justification Sanctification and Salvation Luk. 3 3. Mark 16 16. Act. 2 38 41. 8 36 37. 16 14. 18 8. 12 6. Rom. 3 4 5 6. 1 Cor. 12 13. Gal. 3 27. Ephes. 4 5. Col. 2 2. 1 Pet. 3 21. And withall considering how dangerous it is to neglect it and contemne it Luk 7 39. And how by Christ's owne appointment it
up and to the Creator againe that is infinite in it self which the hand goes against him that does evil in which hand the soul which is immortal and infinite which hand is infinite which brings it up to God is infinite Though little good sense can be made of this yet blasphemy enough is legible therein And G. Fox saith Is not the soul without beginning come from God It is not horride blasphemy to say the soul is a part of God for it came out of him and that which came out of him is of him Fisher in his Velata quaedam revelata Pag. 13 calleth that whereby man became a living soul and a soul that did partake something of Gods owne life a living principle of the divine nature And P. 17. He calleth the Spirit of man the immortal and incorruptible seed of God even something of the living word which is said to be made flesh Pennington Q. 27. calleth that which is in the saints that which the Lord from heaven begetteth of his owne image and likeness of his own NB. substance of his own Spirit and pure life Declaâ— against Popery queree 2. Whether do you waite and believe to have the same minde which was also in Christ Iesus who thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet he was no Pharisee though of the Pharisees judged a blasphemer and as be is so are we Is not this plaine enough 4. Hence also is it sayes he further that because we say that the inward light and Law and not the outward letter is that which can truely discover to them their state and bring them out of all evil they say that we vilify the Scriptures and honour our own imaginations more then them Answ. We would rather say upon this account that they vilifie the Spirit of God then the Scriptures for hereby these expressions it is manifest that they ascribe that unto the light within which only the Spirit of God and of Christ can do viz. truely and effectually which may be imported by his revera discover the state of a sinner to him and bring him out of all evil This last we do not ascribe unto the Scriptures But as to their vilifying of the Scriptures we have heard enough above from this mans own mouth and some others whose words we cited Mr Faldo in his book against the Quakers part 1. Ch. 3-12 helpeth me to much more Let us cull out of a great heap a few instances 1. Do not all the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be the word of God Do they not say that it is blasphemy to say the letter is the word of God and it is the Devil that contends for the Scriptures to be the word of God And what can more be spoken to the disparagment of the Scriptures than to deny them to be his word or the signification of his minde who spoke them and did indite them by his Spirit immediatly inspiring the Prophets and Apostles and other holy men of God in the writing of them Is not this directly to devest them of all that Authority which they have from God as his Law Is not this to render them contemptible when they are denied to be that which only maketh them have weight with consciences 2. Do not the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be the rule of faith and manners and the judge of Controversies in the maters of Religion We remember what himself aid above Hear Parnel in his shield of the truth p. 10. And he also that saith the letter is the rule and guide of the people of God is without feeding upon the husk and is ignorant of the true light which was before the letter was Hear Smith Prim. p. 10 And if thou lookest upon the Scripture to be for a rule and for trying thou givest that unto them which belongs unto Christ. And is not this enough to disparage the Scriptures to deny that chiefe use and end of them for which they were given If any should say of the Lawes of any Land and of the acts of Parliament that they are not a rule to the Subjects would not that be accounted a disparagment done to the Lawes Were not the Scripturâ—s given as a revelation of the minde of God concerning our faith and concerning our walk How can any thâ—n dâ—ny these ends and not disparage and vilifie the Scriptures 3 Do not the Quakers speak more highly of their owne writings than they do of the Scriptures The Scripâ—ures with them are but the letter which killeth Paper ink and writing the old and dead letter Part of it words of the Devil and of wicked men Precepts and traditions of men they have no light in them they sheir not our faces an earthly root a shadow and dangerous to feed on c. But their oâ—n writings are the voice of the Son of God by which the dead are raised a shield of the truth spoken in the freshness and quick sense of life written from the Lord a Spiritual glass opened light rise out of darkness and by revelation of Iesus Christ and by the Spirit of the living God See for this Mr Faldo ubi supra paâ— 40. c. Can men devise a way more effectual to effronte the Scriptures 4 Do they not preferre the light within them unâ—o the Scriptures See Smithâ—s Catech p. 2. Q. doth God manifest himself within Man Answ. Yes and man cannot know him by any other way but by the manifestation of himself in his light within him See the Scorned Quakers account p. 20. Christ by his light within shewes you in a gâ—ass your owne faces which the Scriptures cannot do Parnel p. 10. And by the same light do we discerne and testify against him to be in darkness and blindness and is a deceiver who putteth the letter for the light and so draweth peoples mindes from the light within them to the light without them seeking the living among the dead Iohn Story in his short discovery p. 2. saith and although the holy Scripture without and the Saints practices are lights in the world Yet far be it from all true Christian men so to idolize them as to set them in esteem above the light which is sufficient to guide or to esteem them equal with the light and Spirit of Christ within And Smith Prim. p. 12. tels us that Christ the light within alone searches the heart not the Scriptures Martin Mason in his loving invitation p. 4. 'T is not your flying to the Scriptures that can save you from the fire of his wrath nor overcome the least corruption for you no verily nothing then but a Christ within you come thou then O come with boldness to God's faithful witness within you Fisher where above p. 7. saith such were the Scribes who were ever scraping in the Scriptures to finde God and his life Yet never knew him at any time nor saw his shape because they heard not his voice nor heeded not his word within
sowing these tares Thirdly We would labour each of us to have our souls deeply impressed with the preciousnesse of Christ and the absolut necessitie of making use of him for salvation for the Devils great and manifest designe is by these his Trustees and Traffickers to dispute men and debauch their spirits into a contempt of the precious Saviour and that great salvation which is purchased by his death and never since he began hath he made use of a mean which hath so cleare and close a connexion with that end Now Christ can be precious to none he can be prized by none who is not vile in his own eyes he who lives not within sight of his own loathsome leprosie and who is a stranger to the plague of his own heart will reject the counsel of God against himself and despise the great salvation And it is cleare beyond debate that the Devil do his best can never proselyt any man into this delusion and damnable haeresie of Naylorisme aliâ—s Quakerisme till as the God of this world he have first perfectly blinded their minds that he may harden their hearts into a final rejection of the true Christ the Saviour as the alone and onely way to be clothed with a sufficâ—ent righteousnesse and cleansed from all that filthinesse of the flesh and Spirit whereby they are defiled and from which they can onely be cleansed by that blood which these blasphemers tred under foot Let every one therefore who would keep himself in the love of God and of Christ keep his finger upon his sore that his eye may be keept â—â—xed upon the remedie for if the Devil get not his finger into a mans eye and blind fold him as to the uptakings of his own miserie and the precious remedie he will never turne him into a Naylorist that he may turne and tumble him into hell with his own câ—nsent Study thy self till what thou seest force thee to say I am the cheife of all sinners and then all that the Devil can say to the contrare will never put thee from thinking it is a saying faithful and worthy of all acceptation that Christ came in the world to save sinners Growing in this grace of the right knowledge of a mans self and of our Lord Jesus Christ is the onely expedient to defeat the designe he drives by these drivers and to be preserved from being led away with the errour of these wicked Fourthly Study to know the great principles of the Oracles of God and to have these impressed upon thy soul that so when assaulted by Satan thou mayest hold fast that truth which can onely make thee free And let the fallings away of others make thee the more closely cleave to that blessed Guid who leadeth in all truth In a word Let each one be busie in studying the word of God and his own heart and be much in holding up his heart to him who writs the Law in it that so his heart may become the Epistle of Christ and then he is guarded against taking on blasphemous and cursed Naylors blake marke Let the sad sight of that swarme of Apostats put thee to studie to know the truth in its power and sweetnesse And then when by the fallings away of others Christ is saying unto thee wilt thou also leave me thou will answer with that man whither shall I go from thee for thou hast the words of eternal life This will blessedly arrest the soul to an aboad with him when others will be carried away and never be seen any more to walk in Christs company Now to make thee give thy self in some seriousnesse to studie the precious Truths of God and to know him whom to know is life eternal thou mayest observe and be provoked to that exercise by thy observation what the Devil who is still going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour is a doing and what he is thereby designing When he had for a long time bawled and blasphemed in not our non-sense lest his trade should decay and the market of these traffickers for the souls of men for the precious souls of men are the commoditie they deal in should misse their marke to the end that he may make merchandise still of such with feigned and fair words he prompts some to polish as well as they can with their parts and pen these blasphemies and give them some colour for which service his Apostle the Author of the Theses and Apologie is shaped and set apart as the sharpest and neatest pen. I shall not here as I intended digresse into observations upon the addresse of this book wherein he Chartals all the learned men in the world since it can escape no mans observation who reads his book with judgement and compares it with the addresse that this novice being lifted up with pride is fallen into the condemnation of the Devil Neither shall I take upon me to hint any thing as to the bulk of the abominations wrapt up in his voluminous fardell of blasphemie that being so excellently handled by what thou hast read in this exquisitly cleare Examen Onely as it seems that as the Devil thought to serve himself by a Barclaij Argenis the scope whereof was to teach how effectually to destroy Protestant Religion and swallow up the Truth in the See and sinck of Romes abominations so we have a second Barclaij Argenis the scope of which is under sceptick and introverted notions and new coined names to destroy Christianity and introduce pure Paganisme and thus with a confidence peculiar to that partie and like him who prompted him to the undertaking he would rant and Romance us into heathenisme But since he hath taken upon him to give us a Confession of a kinde of faith after he and his complices have made shipwracke of precious faith and flout without fear at the faith of Gods elect which is a systeme of Paganisme And since he hath published to the world the Naylorists Alcoran whereby he intends as Mahomet's Mufti to Mustelman the Christian world and Mancipat us to the Turks gallies or worse The Good Lord to prevent the Devil and this desperado's designe hath found out and fitted for the undertaking amongst the men whom of all others he most despiseth and abhorreth the singularly acute solidly learned and truely gracious Author who hath in his Masters cause and strength undertaken the work and taken this Turke to taske and in his convincingly cleare examen so discussed and dissected that carcase and carrion of all abominations as by the light of that Spirit of truth which hath led him in the Examen he hath manifestly discovered Barclay's pretended Revelations to be the horrid illusions and hellish suggestions of a Spirit of a blaker colour then Mahomets pigeon and himself to be the Devil in Samuels mantle perswadeing us by the assistance of his Mephystophilus instead of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ that we may be found clothed upon with that rob
the Gospel doth not strickly and precisely oblige to perfection in degrees but only to an Endeavour after this perfection for then we were under no obligation to repent of and ask pardon of our short-comings in the name of Christ nor to run for cleansing by faith unto the fountaine of Christ's blood and this neither can tender Christians assent to nor will their practice comply therewith 17. I think a serious pondering of these Rules for the right understanding of the commands set downe in our greater Chatechisme quaest 99. might make all who knew themselves sober in this matter Who dar plead for this Perfection who beleeveth That the Law of God is perfect and bindeth every one to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof and unto entire Obedience for ever so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty and to forbid the least degree of every sin Psal. 19 7. Iam. 2 10 Mat. 5 21. to the end That it is Spiritual and so reacheth the Understanding Will Affections and all other Powers of the soul as well as Words Works and Gestures Rom. 7 14. Deut. 6 5. with Mat. 22 37 38 39. Mat. 5 21 22 27 28 36. That where a duty is commanded the contrary sin is forbidden Esai 58 13. Deut. 6 13. with Mat. 4 9 10. Mat. 15 4 5 6. And where a sin is forbidden the contrary duty is commanded Mat. 1 21 22 23 24 25. Ephes. 4 28. That what God forbids is at no time to be done Iob 13 7 8. Rom. 3 8. Iob 36 21. Heb. 11 29. That under one sin or duty all of the same kinde are forbidden or commanded together with all the Causes Meanes Occasions and Appearances thereof and Provocations thereunto Mat. 5 21 22 27 28. 15 4 5 6. Heb. 10 24 25. 1 Thes. 5 12. Iud. vers 23. Gal. 5 26. Col. 3 24. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves we are bound according to our places to endeavour that it may be avoided or performed by others according to the duty of their places Exod. 20 10. Levit. 19 11. Gen. 18 19. Iosh. 24 15. Deut. 6 6 7. That in what is commanded to others we are bound according to our places and callings to be helpfull to them And to take heed of partaking with others in what is forbidden them 2 Cor. 1 24. 1 Tim. 5 19. Ephes. 5 11. Who I say that rightly considereth these particulars and how the Law requireth That obedience should be performed thereunto in the most high and intense degree without the least remissness of zeal and fervour That the manner of our obedience be spiritual from a right principle to a right end in an heavenly spiritual manner that it may done in the Spirit Gal 5 16. 1 Cor. 14 14 15 16. And that there be no corrupt Motion Affection or Inclination to evil no tickling of delight in the thing nor any discontent at our restraint from the evil even though our formal assent be not given thereto So that the very involuntary motions of the minde to evil though not assented to are prohibited as being against the holy Law and as flowing from a corrupt fountaine Yea and the very in-being of that body of death which is the spring of evil motions He I say will in sobriety speak of a perfection attainable here But the only remedy here is to curtail the Law that seing they cannot conforme to it it may conforme to them as did the Pharisees of old whence it is usual for such perfectionists to call the motions of Lust and Concupiscence within no sin to plead for venial sinnes and to give us a grosse exposition of the Law and of the duties therein enjoyned One might wonder that these forementioned should be for perfection who of all persons would seem to have least ground But the cause is They are all devoted to the exaltation of Free will and enemies to the grace of God and know no other holiness but what Free Will hath a chiefe hand in whereof they are whole masters 18. Now we come to examine what he saith against our judgment which is That in the best of our actions which we here do there is some admixture of sin corruption and none of them so perfect as to abide the strick examination of divine justice For his representation of our opinion That the saints neither can be nor ever shall be delivered from sin in this life And that the Saints are under a perpetual necessity of sinning is ambiguous and very indistinct as might be showne if it were worth the paines His first Reason is That it is contrary to the wisdome glorious vertue and majesty of God who is of purer eyes then he can behold iniquity Ans. Is it against these attributes of God that sin should be in the world Then we must say by this argument that all wicked men are Pâ—rfect and sinless Yea that the devils are perfect for the pure eyes of God can not behold iniquity in wicked men of whom these words are spoken by Habbakuk no nor in devils or is it only against these attributes that any remnant of corruption or sin should be in the Godly then this will prove the last Perfection to wit an impossibility to sin to be common to all the godly which yet he dust not say and not only the first perfection viz. a possibility of not sinning Let us see if what he addeth can make him any reliefe Sâ—ing saith he God would gather a people to himself to worship him be his witneses on earth without all doubt he sanctifieth purifyeth them Ans. True he sanctifieth purifieth them by degrees till He bring them to the full perfection he hath appointed for them in glory but himself will not say that he sanctifieth them alwayes in the hiâ—hest degree and that as soon as they are Regenerated Is there no sanctification but that which is perfect or is there no sanctification where there is the least sin Then he must say that all the saints are as holy and as free of sin here as they will be in heaven then he must goe higher then ever Pelagians Socinians Papists or Arminians went and must joyn himself to the old Beguards and Beguines We grant with him That God delighteth not in iniquity but abhorreth all sin and that he delighteth not in man as he joyneth to sin Yet he delighteth in man as joyned unto Christ and as turning from sin by Repentance and as fighting the battels of the Lord against the body of death within and as delighting in the Law of the Lord after the inner man And sayes he if man were alwayes to be joyned unto sin he should be alwayes disjoyned from God according to Esai 59 2. But on the contrary they are partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1 4. and are one Spirit with him 1 Cor. 6 17. But what is impure cannot be so for there