also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life CHAP. II. QV There is indeed but one God but hath not that God declared himself to be as one in Essence so three in subsistence the Father the Word and the Spirit Answ Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me therefore hath the Lord anointed me Gen. 1.26 And God said let us make man in our Image chap. 3.22 And the Lord God said behold the man is become as one of us chap. 11.6.7 and the Lord God said let us go down 1 Ioh. 1.1.7 for there are three which bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one Mat. 28.16 Go therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Ioh. 15.26 but when the Comforter shall come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth of the father he shall testifie of me Ioh. 14.26 But the Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things 2 Cor. 13.13 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen Titus 3.5 6. But when the bountifulness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared he saved us by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour Gal. 4.6 And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Quest The Father indeed is God and also the Son is God and the Spirit is God of which in its proper place only here repeat one Scripture already named Answ 1 John 5.7 For there are three which bear record in heaven the father the Word and the Spirit and those three are one Quest When God is said to be in a certain place in Scripture as Psal 115.3 Our God is in the heavens and such like places is he so there as to be circumscribed comprehended as included or so there as are the Creatures there and not elsewhere then there how then is God infinite or is he infinite what saith the Scripture Answ 1 Kingt 8.27 ' But will God indeed dwell on the earth Behold the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee how much less this house that I have builded Psal 139.7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or Whither shall I flee from thy presence If I ascend up into Heaven thou art there If I make my bed in hell behold thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me Isa 66.1 Thus saith the Lord The heaven is my Throne and the earth is my footstool where is the house that ye builded unto me or where is the place of my rest for all those things hath my hand made Isa 40.12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out heaven with a span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in Scales or the hills in a balance Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord Jer. 23 24. Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do not I fill heaven and earth sa th the Lord Quest When we read of the Image of God as Gen. 1 26 27. Let us make man in our Image after our likeness c. the similitude of God or the person of God in Scripture doth it prove that God is corporeal and visible as man is what is meant by the Image of God what say other Scriptures Answ Col. 3.10 Renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him Ephes 4.24 And put on the new man which after God is renewed in righteousness and true holiness Joh. 6.46 Not that any man hath seen the Father Joh. 1.18 No Man hath seen God at any time 1 John 4.12 No man hath seen God at any time Exod. 33.20 Moreover he said Thou canst not see my face 1 Tim. 6.16 Who only hath immortality and dwelleth in the light that no man can attain unto whom never man saw nor can see to whom be honour and power everlasting Amen Quest When we read in Scripture of affections and passions as love hatred repentance anger c. attributed to God in Scripture as the anger of the Lord was kindled it repented the Lord c. may we think thereby that God is subject to change as is man or else speaks the Scripture in order to our capacity and apprehensions what saith the Scripture Answ 1 Joh. 1.5 God is light and in him there is no darkness Gen. 28.19 God is not as man that he should lye neither as the Son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall he not do it hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it James 1.17 Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness nor shaddow of turning Psal 33.11 The counsel of the Lord shall stand for ever and the thoughts of his heart throughout all ages Isaiah 46.10 My counsel shall stand and I will do whatsoever I will as I have spoken so will I bring it to pass I have purposed I will do it Quest Touching expressions we meet with in Scripture of Gods tempting of Abraham and having tried him now he knew that he feared God Gen. 22.1 to the 10. that God proves his people to see whither they will walk in his way or no or repenting him of good and evil upon his peoples sins or return of trying them to know what was in their heart and such like places do they prove any such free actions of ours or that God knoweth not till they come to pass or rather speaks the Scripture after the manner of men would not such doctrine destroy the Omnisciency of God what saith the Scripture to this thing Answ Heb. 4.13 Neither is there any creature which in not manifest in his sight but all thinge are naked and open unto his eyes with whom we have to do Psal 139.2 6 7 11 13 16. Oh Lord thou understandest my thoughts afar off thy knowledge is too wonderfull for me It is so high that I cannot attain unto it If I say the darkness shall hide me even the night shall be light round about me yea the darkness hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkness and light are both alike My bones are not hid from thee though I was not made in a secret place thine eyes
hear and not understand c. In Acts its quoted well said the holy Ghost by Esaias the Prophet go unto this people and say by hearing ye shall hear and not understand Heb. 9.14 The etternal Spirit 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you 1 Cor. 6.19 Know you not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which dwelleth in you therefore glorifie God in your body and in your Spirit for they are Gods 2 Cor. 6.16 And what Agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols for ye are the Temple of the living God Acts 5.3 4. Then said Peter Ananias why hath Satan filled thy heart that thou shouldest lye unto the holy Ghost Thou hast not lyed unto man but unto God Esay 40.9 Say unto the Cities of Judah behold your God ver 10. behold the Lord God will come with power ver 13. who hath instructed the Spirit of the Lord or was his Councellour ver 15. Behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the dust of the ballance Behold he takes away the sles as a little dust vers 17. All Nations before him are as nothing less then nothing and vanity ver 18. To whom then will ye liken God Luke 1.3 And the Angel said the holy ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most high shall overshadow thee the Spirit of God hath made me 1 John 1.5 7. Three bear Record in heaven and these three are one Mat. 28.19 Go teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Gen. 1.2 And the Spirit of God moved upon the waters 1 Cor. 12.1 Now concerning gifts vers 4. There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit vers 6. And there are diversities of operations but God is the same which worketh all in all ver 8 9. To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit to another faith by the same Spirit to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit vers 11. All these things worketh the self-same Spirit distributing to every one severally as he will Mat 12.28 31.32 I cast out Devils by the Spirit of God therefore I say unto you every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy of the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men and whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost it shal not be forgiven him either in this world or the world to come Quest Are there not some workings of the Spirit in the hearts of men already regenerate that are extraordinary and miraculous such as in the Acts which is called receiving the holy Ghost the holy Ghost falling upon them c. in use for confirmation of the primitive Church some that are proper to such a state as the Spirit of Adoption Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son of Consolation so the Spirit is called the Comforter which Christ prays shall be sent of assurance and evidence after ye believed ye were fealed with the holy Spirit of promise if there be and that this is the meaning of such Scriptures do they then prove that Regeneration Conversion and the first beginnings of grace are in us without the working of the Spirit until after as our Catechist would insinuate or else do they prove only the further and gradual workings of the Spirit what say the Scriptures Answ 2 Cor. 3.8 The Gospel by which we are converted is called the Ministration of the Spirit Joh. 3.5 Except a man be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God Mat. 3.12 I baptize you with water unto amendment of life but he that cometh after me will baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Ioel 2.28 I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh 2 Cor. 6.11 18. But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are purified in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Ioh. 3.24 No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the Law of sin and death CHAP. VI. QVest That Scripture Rom. 5.10 We shall be saved by his life is it so to be understood as Saints ought not to expect salvation by the death of Christ as Biddle insinuates What say other Scriptures to this thing Answ Rom. 8.3 God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh condemned sin in the flesh Heb. 2.9 14 15. that he by the grace of God should taste death for all men that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage 2 Cor. 5.14 If one dyed for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they that live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose again 1 Tim. 2.6 who gave himself a ransom for all men Mat. 20.28 The Son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and give his life a ransom for many Mat. 26.28 For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Heb. 9.28 Christ wat once offered to bear the sins of many Esay 53.11 By knowledge shall my righteous servant Justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Eph. 5.25 Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it without blood there is no remission he dyed for us and gave himself for us Eph. 1.7 We have redemption through his blood Heb. 9.12 But by his own blood entred he once into the holy place and obtained redemption for us Heb. 13.13 Therefore even Jesus that he might sanctifie his own people by his own blood suffered without the gate 1 Pet. 1.18 19 Knowing ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ 1 Iohn 1.7 And the blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Rev. 1.5 Who hath washed us from our sins in his own blood Rom. 4.25 Isa 53.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities 1 Cor. 15.3 Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures he laid on him the iniquities of us all Quest But how is the other Question of Christ his being given raised and exalted by another to be a Saviour according to those Scriptures a name given exalted to be a Saviour raised unto Israel a Saviour to be understood Answ As are those Scriptures in the fourth Chapter of the humanity of Christ else the Scripture tels us 1 Tim. 2 6. He gave himself a ransom he gave himself for us CHAP. VIII QVest Whereas he
to the institution of Christ and Apostolical direction be had to the proper ends thereof in each particular Church and congregation of Christ under the Gospel Answ Iohn 16.19 And I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shal be loosed in heaven Iohn 20.23 Then Iesus said unto them Peace be unto you as my Father sent me even so send I you and when he said this he breathed on them and saith to them Receive ye the holy ghost Whosesoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosesoever sins ye retain they are retained Mat. 18.15 16 17 18. If thy brother trespass against thee go and tell him his fault betwixt him and thee alone if he hear thee thou hast won thy brother but if he hear thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed and if he wil not vouchsafe to hear them tell it to the Church and if he refuse to hear the Church also let him be unto thee as an Heathen-man and a Publican verily I say unto you whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven 1 Cor. 1.4 5. I verily as absent in body but present in spirit have determined already as though I were present that he that hath done this thing when ye are gathered together and my spirit in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that such one I say by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ be delivered unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Iesus ver 13. With such a one eat not put away therefore from your selves that wicked person Quest Touching Baptism this is the end of this Chapter to destroy and overthrow the Ordinance and Institution of water-Baptism agreeing in this with such as of late have appeared to that and other such good ends for its a body of heresie we have to do with no wonder therefore if he takes every brother by the hand But how is this done first by bringing before us such Scriptures as tell us That John indeed baptized with water but he that came after him with the holy Ghost do those prove that water-baptism ceased with John or that Christ did that which John could not do namely wash us with his blood and Spirit doth not the Scripture therefore call Baptism the washing of the new birth and the forgiveness of sins Answ Tit. 3.5 According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of the new birth and renewing of the holy Ghost Acts 2.2.16 Arise and be baptised and wash away thy sins Quest No wonder indeed then that John could not baptize as did Jesus whose shoe latchet he was not worthy to unloose since it is not the outward baptism of water but the blood of Christ that cleanseth us from all sin since it is true also we are baptized into Christs death and it is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God that saves us these all proving baptism indeed to be a Sacrament and no more effectual then the Spirit makes it effectual which it hath made instrumental we confess it is not otherwise the thing signified but must affirm it to be the sign what testimony therefore have you for the use of that sign namely the use of water in Scripture Answ Mat. 18.19 Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Mark 16.16 He that shall believe and be baptized shall be saved Acts 2.38.4.1 Then Peter said Amend your lives and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ then they that gladly received his word were baptized the same day were added to the Church 3000. souls Mat. 3.11 I baptize you with water to amendment of life Ioh. 1.31 33. Therefore am I come baptizing with water he that sent me to baptize with water Quest This indeed is our sufficient warrant from the significancy of the word baptizing and also from the express addition of water wherewith Iohn was sent expresly to baptize only the efficacy of that ordinance was then and is now acknowledged to be the work of Christ by his Spirit but if they should thus say This was indeed the baptism of Iohn but the Apostles did not baptize or if they did not so what testimony therefore have you that the Apostles did baptize and with the element of water according to the first institution of baptism and first give the example of Paul who though he make it a great work to which as an Apostle he was chiefly called to preach the Gospel and that he might clear himself of vain glory he rejoyceth he baptizeth not many yet he acknowledgeth that he baptized some 1 Cor. 13. to the 17. Were ye baptized into the name of Paul I thank God I baptised none of you but Crispus and Gaius lest any should say I had baptized into mine own name I baptized also the house of Stephanus furthermore I know not wither I baptized any other for Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel Mat 8.36 to the end And as they went on the way they came unto a certain water and the Eunuch said See here is water what doth let me to be baptized and they went down into the water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him and assoon as they were come up out of the water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. Quest There needs indeed no more au hority yet to put it out of all controversie have ye no president of some baptized with the element of water even after they had been baptized with the holy Ghost Answ Acts 10.44 to the end While Peter yet spake these words the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word so they of the Circumcision which believed were astonished as many as came with Peter because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the holy Ghost for they heard them speak with tongues and magnifie God then answered Peter Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the holy Ghost as well as we so he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Quest One word more and then we shall leave it to whomsoever reads to judge whither we or our Master of Arts will more need to fly from plain Scripture to consequence or comment have ye therefore no example that the Lord Jesus Christ himself who did himself baptize with the holy Ghost yet for the honour of his own Institution and to confirm us in the truth that he might fulfill all obedience submitted to this
Biddle Dispossest OR His Scripture perverting Catechism reformed by Scripture Wherein Those points of the Christian Religion blasphemed by Biddle by wresting the Scripture to answer his heresies Question-wise propounded are vindicated in several Anti-questions resolving themselves by pertinent answers taken word for word out of the Scripture without either consequents or comments And which Biddle could not say no more is concluded in the Question then what is really and plainly contained in the Answer Collected for their sakes who desire to be true Christians and not of this sect of Biddle inasmuch as that Sect not more or less but hath altogether departed from the simplicity and truth of the Scripture Quid dignum tanto tulit hic promissor 2 Pet. 3.17 Beware lest ye being led away with the Error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness London Printed for Francis Tyton at the three Daggers in Fleet street neer the Temple-Gate 1654. BIDDLES Mock-Preface I Have wondred that there was no Catechism yet extant that ever I could see or hear of in which one might find the whole system of heresie as the same is exactly contrary to the holy Scripture as in this of Biddles which is generally so stuffed which abuses wrestings and forcing the Scripture to answer his heretical spurious and lying Questions that the least part thereof is at all consonant to or derived from the Word of God For thus it is the Councels Convocations and Assemblies of Divines having been attending to lesser things not sufficiently watching this envious one now whilest they sleep endeavours to justle the sacred Scriptures out of their place in the Church framing Articles and Intruding them on our faith according to his own fancy and Interest which is to gain Disciples after him as who is there that hath not heard of Biddles Disciples And the Civil Magistrate notwithstanding his Authority conniving at the same we have at last a Catechism fitted to those Articles that Interest and design wherein the Scriptures are some of purpose omitted others wrested or brought in only for a shew not one quotation amongst all the things controverted being a whit to the purpose as will soon appear to any man of Judgement who taking into his hands the said Catechism shall examine the text alledged with other Scriptures and the ends they are alledged for for if he do this diligently and impartially he will find the Scripture and this Catechism to be at so wide a distance one from another that he will begin to question whither and proceed to believe that Biddle did not himself believe what himself wrote or if he did so will positively conclude that spiritual and Scriptural understanding he hath none notwithstanding all his pretence to rational and that he did believe proudly supposing all men blind as himself that his Readers had no more In how miserable a condition then as to spiritual things must the Disciples of Biddle needs be when thus trained up not as the Apostle adviseth in the nurture and admonition of the Lord but in the blind and crooked paths of ungodly men deceived or deceving or both and in the doctrine of Devils not having onely no assurance of the reality but the clearest Scripture-conviction of the non entity of their faith Into which sad condition many notwithstanding are fallen into being so unhappy as not to know or having known to forsake the way of Truth and quite abandon all piety and honesty having departed from the Truth the onely firm ground whereon to build the same to prevent which mischief for time to come by reducing such to their prisline faith I mean such of them as own the Divine authority of the Scripture and withal to satisfie the just and pious desire of some and of my self who delight to see the Scripture vindicate its self and maintain the Truth of our religion to the end that they and all good men especially such to whose hands this blasphemous piece hath come may consume themselves their children and families in that truth wherein they are already built up and are yet building up one another I have therefore not by the understanding I have gotten but that God hath given me not compiled but collected certain Scripâ—ures which may serve touching several wronged Truths of God for a Scripture Catechism wherein I have not nor cannot but the Spirit of God may bring the Reader to a sure and certain knowledge of the truth of our profession and the Error of Biddles touching great things both touching belief and practice whilst I myself assert nothing much less force the Scripture to answer my lyes as Biddle hath done before me but onely introduce the Scripture uttering its own assertions which all Christains confess to be of undoubted Truth Take heed therefore whosoever thou art of Biddles Sect or not that lightest on this book and there readest things quite contrary to the lyes propagated by Biddle and currantly received amongst his deluded without grace lost followers for I maintain not onely the things here displayed but the many Scriptures alledged both in the Letter and sense of them not onely to have such a tendency but a direct and flat opposition to those his abominations I say take heed whoever thou art that thou art not once or again entangled or ensnared with these his Hellish diabolical insinuations for if thou art fair with him thou canst not be so without falling foul upon the whole bulk of holy Scripture it self inasmuch as all the Questions and answers thorough Biddles Catechism are forced either to speak another Dialect then themselves know or at least then the current of other Scriptures know whereas the Scripture wars not against its self but is in sense reconcileable one place to anoother though in words perhaps may have another tendency for how can a Kindom divided against its self stand And for the Answers in this Anti-Catechism now before thee they are faithfully transcribed out of the holy book rightly applied to Question and made father no more in the Question then is really contained in the proof if thou shalt make a dilligent inspection into the several texts with all their Circumstances which besides his pretentions Biddle could not say To evince it that he could not say so Take onely one Instance for many in his Catechism In his 5. Chap. his first question is How many holy spirits of Christians are there He answers it by Eph. 4 4. One spirit Put the Question and answer together they make one entire proposition whither true or false judge Reader There is but one holy Spirit of Christians This he does to take off the power of the word which calls the holy Ghost the Spirit God But neither here nor elsewhere the Spirit of Christians which yet as an answer to this Question this Scripture is made to say ex ungue Leonem by this may you judge of many such and yet Mr. Biddle gives you express Scripture without consequent
find my observation to be true and certain that when men to express matters of religion wrest the words and phrases in Scripture contrary to the sense thereof as explained by the holy Ghost the Author of the whole Divine writ in other Scriptures they slyly under them couch false doctrines and obtrude them on us for without question the doctrines of the Scripture can be so aptly explained by no Spirit no Scripture being of private interpretation as by the spirit of the Scripture it self so that it s not always safe to stick to the Letter of every Scripture but onely as explained by other Scriptures nor is it alwayes unsafe to express matters of religion in words and phrases unfound in Scripture as to the Letter of them provided they be sufficiently warranted and allowed as to the sense of them This Liberty therefore has the Church unblameably taken to speak of the things God in the exact sense of Scripture in their own words And he that blasphemes any such sentence which in sense is the very language of Scripture though the very words are not found in Scripture blasphemes the Scripture its self and so doth he who not ignorantly but maliciously opposes the expressions of Gods being infinite and incomprehensible of his being a simple act subsisting in 3 persons a Divine Circumcession an eternal generation eternal procession incarnation hypostatical union communication of properties original sin Christs taking our nature upon him of Christ making satisfaction to God for our sins both past and present and to come of Christs fulfilling the Law for us being punished by God for us Christs merits or his meritorious obedience both active and passive of Christs purchasing the Kingdome of heaven for us of Christs enduring the wrath of God of Christs rising from the dead by his own power of apprehending and applying Christs righteousness to our selves by faith of Christs being our surety paying our debts of our sins imputed to Christ of his righteousness imputed to us of Christs dying to appease the wrath of God and reconcile him to us of infused grace of free grace of the world of the elect of Irresistible workings of the Spirit in bringing men to believe of carnal reason of spiritual desertion of spiritual incomes the out-goings of God of submitting to or taking up the ordinances c. some of which are in the same terms expressed in Scripture all of them so owned by the Scripture as that the things are expresly and fully contained in them which all men know that are any thing acquainted in that sacred book but for the terms the mother of God Transubstantiation Consubstantation and the ubiquity of Christs body we will add them to Biddles holy spirit of Christians and confess them neither to be owned by Scripture name nor thing Therefore excellent was Pauls advice to Timothy to hold fast the form of sound words which if we once let go we shall be in danger of corruption by new coined words of some and the new coined doctrines of others which is many mens sad case as woful experience teacheth us for wicked and ungodly men in succeeding ages from the Apostles have coined not onely words but doctrines to Hence it is that Arrius began wickedly to blaspheme oppose the Divinity of the second person who is coessential with the father for he is God blessed for ever Amen this opened a gap for other hereticks after him as at present Biddle like so many undershrubs taking life from the droppings of his heresie under pretence of returning to Truth to propagate that accursed heresie The like of others which though it could not vitiate the chastity and simplicity of our faith delivered in the Scriptures every point thereof yet remaining sound and entire yet did there or yet doth remain not any one point thereof uncontradicted and opposed And those heresies of whatsoever kind thus propagated from hand to hand are so far from being like Theseus his old ship new mended as that t was hard to say whither t was the old ship or new as that they are rather like the bird which was alterius ornata coloribus so that though they may perchance vary their words and new dress their arguments yet are they the same and but the same which were at first propounded by this or that Master Heretick and as often answered so that this Master-Builder himself does here Jurare in verba Magistri onely with this difference this o that Heretick at this or that time hath tacked this or that error to our Religion but this would subvert the whole Religion which Christ and his Apostles taught and put this body of heresie in the room thereof in this outstripping them that what they do scatteringly against this or that part of Religion he Rallies and applies to the ruin of Religion it self but thanks be to God through our Lord Iesus Christ who amidst the present Inundation of heresies hath preserved his written word intire for had men corrupted it they would have made it speak more favorably in behalf of their lyes and heresies then it doth wh ch word if we with prayer humility pry into resolving sincerely to imbrace the doctrine therein plainly delivered though all the world should set themselves against the Truth our minds being enlightned we shall easily discern it and be kept therein through the power of God unto salvation And thus much we shall see by experience that a weak instrument of none much less of no great abilities hath sufficiently detected his wicked errors in the Body of heresie by naturall and pertinent Questions and answers exactly transcribed out of the Word of God it having been already of much vantage to me and may I question not through the spirit be so to all whosoever shall search the Scripture alledged and make inquiry into the Oracles of God These Oracles which all men that have by the Spirit of Truth which can onely lead into all Truth studied the same be enamored with as breathing out the wisdom and Truth of God and as being the exactest rule of a holy life which the true Religion acknowledges the way unto happiness whose Divinity notwithstanding hath been is and will be Questioned by many to the worlds end who are unwilling to deny their wordly lusts and obey the pure and perfect precepts thereof which truly Biddle himself would not stick to do might it advantage him in his design against Truth as well as the Divinity of that Spirit which made them Divine But he judges it the most Politick way to stand on the foundation to batter down the house which is a stratagem so perfectly devillish as that in this life and in that to come t will without repentance make him equal to the Prince of evil Angels CHAP. I. QVest The Word of God is quick and powerful and more sharp then a two-edged sword but is to so of it self or with the spirits operation Asw 2 Cor. 3.6 Who
Mediator according to the Scriptures for such an high Priest it became us to have let us hear what testimony the Scripture gives to the Godhead of Christ and that he may see the wisdom of that God whom he hath blasphemed as a token of vengeance to him bring out one dart for the heart of him and his blasphemy out of his own quiver The two first Scriptures he quotes in this God defying Chapter what say they and other Scriptures Answ He begins with Ephes 4.5 and 1 Cor. 8.6 One Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things Col. 2.9 In him in Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Isaiah 9.6 For unto us a child is born and unto us a Son is given the Government is upon his shoulders he shall call his name wonderful Counsellour the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Jer. 23.5 Behold the days come saith the Lord I will raise unto David a righteous branch and this is the name whereby they shall call him the Lord our righteousness Mat. 16.16 Then Peter answered and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God John 1.1 In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and that word was God John 20.28 Then Thomas answered and said Thou art my Lord and my God Acts 15.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock whereof the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Rom. 9.5 Of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is God over all blessed for ever Amen 1 Tim. 3.16 And without controversie great is the Mysterie of godliness God manifested in the flesh 1 John 5.20 But we know the Son of God is come Christ and we are in him that is true Christ that is his son Jesus Christ this same is very God and eternal life Ioh. 3.13 No man ascendeth up to heaven but he that descended from heaven the Son of man which is in heaven before Abraham was I am Phil. 2 6 Who being in the form of God thought it no robberie to be equal with God took on him the form of a servant Mat. 24.44 The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool Joh. 5.17 18 My Father worketh hitherto and I work therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him not only because he had broken the Sabbath but said also that God was his Father and made himself equal with God Joh. 19.7 The Jews answered we have a Law by which he ought to dye because he made himself the Son of God Rom. 8.3 15 God sending his own son not sparing his own Son Isa 7.14 Behold the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and she shall call his name Emanuel God with us John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son Ioh. 1.14 And the word was made flesh and we saw the glory thereof as the only begotten son of the father Col. 1.13 Giving thanks unto the Father who hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son who is the Image of the invisible God the first born of every creature for by him were all things created which are in heaven and which are in earth things visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or powers all things are created for him and by him and he is before all things and in him all things consist Heb. 1.6 Let all the Angels of God worship him vers 8. Vnto the Son he saith O God thy throne is for ever and ever vers 10. And thou Lord in the beginning hast established the earth and the heavens are the works of thy hands Heb. 3.3 Christ is worthy of more honour then Moses inasmuch as he that built the house hath more honour then the house and he that built all things is God Heb. 13.8 Jesus the same yesterday to day and for ever Isa 45.21 22 23. Who hath declared this from the beginning who hath told it of old have not I the Lord there is none other God beside me a just God and a Saviour look unto me and ye shall be saved all the ends of the earth for I am a God and there is none other I have sworn by my self every knee shall bow unto me and every tongue shall swear by me compared to Rom. 14.10 11 12. We shall appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ for it is written I live saith the Lord and every knee shall bow to me and all tongues shall confess unto God so then every one shall give account of himself to God Isa 44.4.44.6 Rev. 1.18 compared who hath wrought and done it he that calleth the generation from the beginning I the Lord am the first and with the last I am the same thus saith the Lord the King of Israel and his Redeemer the Lord of hosts I am the first and the last and without me there is no God And I saw seven Candlesticks and in the midest one like the Son of man and he said I am the first and the last Pro. 8.22 The Lord hath possessed me the beginning of his wayes I was before his works of old Mar 3.1 Behold I will send my Messenger and he shall prepare my way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall speedily come to his Temple even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye desire Psal 45.6 Vnto the Son he saith O God thy Throne is for ever and ever Esa 40.3 A voice cryeth in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a path for our God CHAP. V. QVest We find the Blasphemer pretending to the Letter of the Scripture without Consequent or Comment how then does Eph. 4.4 one Spirit resolve his Question how many holy Spirit 's of Christians are there Ans No ways Quest Whereas then he would ungod God the holy Ghost he makes a phrase and gives the holy Ghost a new name The holy spirit of Christians whereas we find no such thing in Scripture but the holy Spirit of God what shall we then say to such a Blasphemer who would under pretence of express Scripture put on us that for Scripture which we never find there that to so damned an end Answ The Lord rebuke thee Satan to the Law and to the Testimony Quest The Scriptures indeed are the rule of faith and no God ought we to worship but the God in the Scriptures What Scripture have we then that expresly proves the Deity of God the holy Ghost Answ The first Scripture being unhappily quoted by our Adversary being 1 Chron. 10.11 I shall therefore first give you The Spirit searcheth all things Esay 6.9 compared to Act. 28.25 and I heard the voice of Jehovah the Lord saying whom shall I send And I said here am I send me Then he said go and fay unto this people they shall