Were they a Protestant Church of England And was it before Rome departed from the Faith This is that he is to prove if he can or can he prove a Succession of Bishops from the Apostle's Days without going to Rome I tro not And for a Retreat thither he begins to provide saying p. 6. Notwithstanding the Corruptions in the Church of Rome their Ordination might not be so far corrupted but that it might give Men a lawful Call to preach the Gospel and to reject their Errors So she may be corrupted yet this corrupt Romish Church may give Men a lawful Call to preach the Gospel and then those so lawfully Called may turn against her and take her Tythes Profits Glebe-lands and Church-lands from her turn her out and call her Whore into the Bargain And hold they are true Sons ordained of the corrupted Whore that 's apostatized from the Christian Faith and Doctrin to preach the Gospel to rail at her to revile sue and molest others and in scorn with design to blacken them as B. B. doth the Quakers saying Your Synagogue will in a little time be annexed to the Mother Church and to believe as the Church of Rome believes which saith he p. 2. is a Popish Foundation of Faith Then let B. B. consider Whether he is not already joined to his Mother whatever his Synagogue is And whether he hath not a Popish Foundation of Faith if he believe as the Church of Rome doth and That they have Power to make Ministers of the Gospel and ordain them to that Work Let the Sober and Judicious determin Whether this be agreeable either to Truth or the Scriptures of Truth And seeing B. Bird is so highly offended with me for saying God and Jesus Christ only have Power to make Ministers of the Gospel and ordain them to that Work I will refer him to Jus Divinum Ministerii Evangelici published by the Provincial Assembly of London his quondam Friends saying on this Subject p. 168. For we know it is the Prerogative Royal of the Lord Jesus Christ to appoint Offices and Officers in his Church It is Christ ONLY that institutes the Office and that furnisheth and fitreth Men with Graces and Abilities for the Discharge of so great an Imployment with willing and ready Minds to give up themselves to so holy Services It is Christ ONLY that sets the Laws and Rules according to which they must act And seeing B. B. is such a busie and officious Scribler that busieth himself in others Quarrels let him quarrel with this also if he please and seek to confute it Concerning Baptism P. 5. B. B. saith Christ's Ministers baptize with Water in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to their Commission Mat. 28.19 And administer the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper according to his own Institution 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25 26. Answ I deny that those that baptize with Water do it according to the Commission which Christ gave to his Disciples Matth. 28.19 20. I may repeat the foregoing Words and the Commission All Power said Jesus is given unto me in Heaven and Earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you to the end of the World Amen Now observe there is no mention of Water therefore they that baptize with Water do it not according to the express Words of Christ's Commission Again observe That Teaching goes before Baptizing and that Infants are not capable of such Teaching and the end of their Teaching was to observe all things whatsoever Christ commanded which Infants are not capable to do nor any according to B. Bird for he saith We may not live without siin and that its impossible to keep God's Commands And if this Priest Bird be not made and ordained a Minister by God and sent by Jesus Christ he is not Commissioned to either Teach or Baptize And till he proves himself a Gospel Minister truly Ordained and rightly Commissioned to Preach and Baptize with Water I need not enlarge on this Head only I do acknowledge for satisfaction of others That I do believe that Christ's Ministers are to teach all Nations baptizing them in or into the Name of the Father the Son and Holy Ghost and that all those that are so Baptized are in through and by that Name Power and Spirit made Members of that Body of which Christ is the Head and of that Church which is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Concerning the Supper I do also deny that 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25 26. proves Christ Institution of the Supper but is a Repitition of what Christ did before his Crucifixion at the close of the Feast of the Passover and none of the Evangelists that give an account thereof make any mention that Christ said As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lords death till he come Luke 21.9 doth indeed give an Account that Christ said Do this in remembrance of me but limits no time And Goodwin in his Antiquities Lib. 3. Cap. 2. p. 110. shews it was a Jewish Rite or Ceremony which Christ using altho' he varied something from their Form as being minded to spiritualize his Disciples and by that to shew forth to them that his Body was to be broke and his Blood shed for them and the Sins of the World Yet he told them as we may read John 6.53 to 57. Jesus saith Verily verily I say unto you Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you And also saith He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him Which plainly shews none can have Life in them or be true Christians but who so do and those that so do he dwelleth in and they in him And no doubt but those in whom he dwells will by his Spirit which he saith to his Disciples shall bring all things to your remembrance have these things brought to their remembrance and it will keep them as they live therein in a living and sensible remembrance of the great Love of God in sending his Son and the great Love of Christ in having his Body broke and his Blood shed for us and this Spirit will fill the Hearts and Mouths of such with a Hymn of Praises and a Song of Thanksgiving unto the Lord God and the Lamb that was dead and is alive and lives for evermore So by these the substance is enjoyed and then what necessity is there for such to retain the use of the outward and visible Sign when the inward and Spiritual Grace is receiv'd Or can any think that the Spirit will not do what Christ said it should Or that the use of the Sign is of absolute necessity to bring them to the right performance and
Wing-Clipping NO CRIME BEING AN ANSWER TO B. Bird's Reply TO THE Wandering Bird's Wings Clipp'd Prov. 10.32 The Mouth of the Wioked speaketh Frowardness Isa 5.27 As a Cage is full of Birds so are their Houses full of Deceit LONDON Printed for Thomas Northcott in George-yard in Lombard-street 1696. THere are yet many unclean Birds and Remains of the Seeds of evil Doers of whom the Lord hath said They shall never be Renowned that are exercised in their evil Works of speaking falsly and misrepresenting a despised People that the great God in his rich Love through Jesus Christ his Son hath visited with his divine Light and quickned by his eternal Spirit and unto whom it s given not only to believe but also to suffer for his Name-sake in and through whom and by what he hath done and suffer'd even Jesus of Nazareth concerning whom there was a Murmurring among the People in Days past of whom some have said he was a good Man and others said Nay but he deceived the People and so have some said of us his Followers and of his Ministers in these Days as they did of the Apostles in Days past who were counted Deceivers and yet True and went through evil Report and good Report yet in all things approved themselves the Ministers of God in much Patience as do his in this day yet doubt not but as they live and abide in him they shall not only be hated of Men separated from and reproached and all manner of Evil spoken against them falsely for his Name-sake but shall also partake of his Blessing altho ' they may have Curses from that evil Generation and Seed of evil Doers yet they firmly believe the Lord of Hosts will perform his Word Isa 12.23 And rise up against them and cut off from Babylon the Name and Remnant Son and Nephew and will also make it a Possession for the Bitterns and Pools of Water and will sweep it with the Besom of Destruction as said the Lord of Host And although Gog and Magog Runagates and Apostates may take Counsel together I firmly believe it shall come to naught and altho' they speak the Word it shall not stand For God is with us Now to B. Bird's Pamphlet Wing-Clipping no Crime c. HAving clipt a wandering Bird's Wings he 's now angry and retorts and saith There have been many Clippers hanged lately and that I should have forborn Clipping this Year for Luck's sake Howbeit I fear not that Fate for clipping his Wings neither can he prove that any have been Hanged this Year or last for that kind of Clipping But now he cannot flye as he would he flutters and makes a Noise and shews what he would do if he could viz. Confute what I said which he is so far from that he don't adventure against a part of it but fluttters and chatters and as confidently as ignorantly pretends to do that which he is not able now his Wings are clipt viz. To prove from Scripture and Experience That Christ the true Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World who said I am the Light of the World is not above the Scriptures For his asserting the contrary would render him that hath built the House less honourable than the House or that Spirit which inspired the Holy Men to write the Scriptures not above but inferior to the Scriptures And for proof that the Scriptures is above Christ and that my denying it is contrary to Scripture he quotes 2 Cor. 4.4 The God of this World hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine into them Now how this proves that its contrary to Scripture to say That Christ the Light is above the Scriptures I shall leave those that are acquainted therewith to judge And whether this doth not rather prove that he joyns with the God of this World as much as in him lieth to blind People's Minds and beget a slight in them to the Light of the glorious Gospel lest it should shine unto them and they should believe therein Again he asserts with his confident ipse dixit it 's contrary to Experience that Christ the Light is above the Scriptures And for proof saith W. Pen in his account of the Indians in Pensilvania tells us They are very ignorant in Matters of Religion pag. 2. Is not this a notable Proof because the Indians are ignorant in Matters of Religion therefore Christ that Light whom I affirmed was preferrable to or above the Scriptures is not above the Scripture but contrary to both the Scripture and Experience This puts me in mind of a Question he asks in p. 6. How long may a poor Parish Minister Preach before he make up a Purse Answ Long enough if he be no better than he by his Writing appears to be And if he hath no better than this to give People he need not complain of my saying That he and such as he cause People to spend Mony for that which is not Bread as in p. 7. But if B. B. should say that he did not say Christ was not above the Scriptures but the Light within which we profess then I charge him to show where in any of my former I preferred any Light within but Christ above the Scriptures And let him if he can prove that Christ is or can be any more divided or separated from his Light within Men than from his Spirit And being B. B. mentions our Yearly Meeting 1694. p. 1 and p. 5. falsly and wickedly saith That we would lay aside the Lord that bought us who is now in Heaven at the right Hand of God for the Imagination of our own Hearts p. 7. where he also speaketh of G. K. I will here insert what G. K. said in 1694. viz. That the Light within being God the Word and the Spirit in every Man is sufficient to reveal to every Man all that 's needful to his eternal Salvation which let B. B. confute if he can and shew whether G. K. doth not exalt the Light within above the Scriptures as much as we and then let him consider whether we deny the Lord that bought us because we own Christ to be spiritually in our Hearts Concerning the Scripture P. 2. B. B. saith You pretend you have an honourable Esteem of these Holy Writings and account them the best in all the World and yet you dishonour the Scriptures very much by crying up a Light within every Man above them And what is this but a Pagan Design to bring Men back to Paganism And then he adds The Light within is not above the Scriptures Answ We have an honourable Esteem for the Holy Scriptures and do so esteem them as above But I deny that we dishonour them by giving preference to Christ any more than himself did when he said Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal Life and they are
full discharge of that Duty and Worship that 's due to God which is in the Spirit and in the Truth and can be only and alone acceptably performed to God and Christ in the Spirit according to Christ's Words Or must that spiritual Worship be compleated by Signs and Figures which were made use of in the time of the Law and were the Shadows of the good Things but the Substance was Christ And if the Lord gives us him will he not with him give us all things And what lack then can there be to such that knows him to dwell in their Hearts by Faith in whom the Treasures of Wisdom are hid and in whom all Fulness dwells Surely it s well with these And except Jesus Christ be in us doth not Paul say me are Reprobates Oh read seriously these Things and consider and ponder them and the Lord give all by his Holy Spirit an Understanding that they may be wise to the Salvation of their Souls and yet not above what 's written For those that own the Scriptures to be the only Rule of Faith and Practice and that all Doctrins are to be plainly proved by them should bring express Scriptures for those things which they esteem Christ's Institutions and his Ordinances or otherwise never press them on those that by the Scripture nor the Spirit of God in themselves are enjoined or led thereunto Oh therefore that all might come to have their Minds turned from Darkness to Light and from Satan's Power unto God that thereby they might receive and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ come and see their States as they really are in the sight of of God and be made truly sensible of their own Weakness Blindness and Ignorance and through Obedience thereto and by walking therein and being inspired by God's holy Spirit have a clear Understanding and a right Judgment in all things and Experience a receiving Power to become the Sons of God and by walking in this Light of Jesus Christ so much opposed and hated by those that do Evil might know Fellowship with God and the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from all Unrighteousness that being God's Children he might feed them with that living Bread whereby they may be nourished up unto Eternal Life which is my hearty desire for B. B. and all People notwithstanding it is our as it ever was the Lot of the Followers of Christ to meet with many Tribulations and endure a great fight of Afflictions and to go through cruel Mockings and esteemed false when true movers of Sedition when they sought Peace and ensued it and to be evil spoken of and to have our way every where spoken against and the slanderous Tongues and Pens of Malicious Men exercised and employ'd against us and when they have cast forth their Lies and Slanders like Floods one to quote another as if our Accusers were to be our Judges for this B. B. he quotes F. Bugg T. Crisp George Keith and the Snake in the Grass and they again quote one another so that the Authority is semper ibidem the bare confident Say-so's and false Accusations of our apparent Enemies and enviovs Apostates Now if I should quote for Proofs against the Church of England what the Presbyterians say and write against them or what the Papists write against them would it be taken for good proof If so I should soon render them not only Innovators Ceremony-mongers and Apostates but Hereticks and no true Christians But alas for want of better Proofs B. B. is forc'd to bring what our refuted Adversaries say and then insinuate on his own Authority that we are no Christians Oh the confidence of this Priest For if so tho' a Presbyterian an Independant or an Anabaptist he would own me And yet how hath he and some of his Brethren persecuted both Presbyterians Independants and Anabaptists for their Non conformity to their Church Oh! the Deceit and Hypocrisie of this Man thus to collogue with them What Thanks will the Church of England give him for this Was the breaking up their Meetings Fining and Imprisoning them and thundering out Bulls of Excommunication against them by the Church of England because they were Christians Or is that the Bread that such Protestant Ministers did break to them and People as B. B. brags of p. 7. Or was this the Bread that Christ and his Apostles did break to the latter I say nay And therefore B. B. thou art rhe unnatural Father that gives Stone-walls rather than Bread that cause People to be inclosed between them for Nonconformity to your Church or for not putting into your Mouths whereby many have been prevented to get Bread for themselves and Families Surely I may retort and say No wise Man will part with his Ingenuity for such a Persecutors Christianity but B. B. hath so little of either to part with that he need not fear being deprived For in his last he complains That his worthy Friend or some other clapt a Title to his former without his Previty for what he did was in a private Letter to a Friend upon whose Request it was printed without my privity and the Title is not mine I was meerly drawn in to bring up the Rear said B. B. And now he complains I have not Answered his 1st Sheet which was a Letter to his Ingenious Mr. Clap. Oh! how he commends his Mr. Clap now and before complains he was drawn in to bring up the Rear I wish his worthy Mr. Clap and he did shew more Christianity and Ingenuity than to be so officious and busied besides their Business to encourage one another in such an evil Work of belying and falsly misrepresenting the People called Quakers and their Principles which I hope in this and my former I have shew'd B. B. hath with his Mr. Clap's Assistance as if he was minded to do something to pleasure his old Friends the Presbyterians who in their Day was as busy as bitter in persecuting the Quakers when they had Power as now to revile and falsly accuse them and like Herod and Pilate can agree in this evil Work Yet the worst I wish them is unfeigned Repentance to the acknowledgment of the Truth and that they might by true Love and Christian Conversation coupled with God's holy Fear by sound Doctrin and clear Proofs from the Holy Scriptures without their corrupt Meanings and false Glosses approve themselves true Christians and demonstrate thereby their Doctrins and Practices to be agreeable thereto And for his advising me to read The Snake in the Grass I answer I have and find that Author is one of his Brethren exercised in the same evil Work of misrepresenting the People called Quakers and their Doctrins and quoting for proof such Pooks writ against them that have been already answer'd as he may also in a short time see that Book answer'd which then I would have him read the Answer as I have the Book Lond. Octob. 12. 1696. JOHN FEILD