observed or the Effect shall not follow If People be commanded to be Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus that their Sins may be forgiven and that they may receive the Holy Ghost Act. 2.38 41. if they presume to neglect and cavil at the Command their Sins are more like to be increased and faster bound than forgiven and they more like to receive Satan transformed in a Spirit of Delusion than the Holy Spirit of God and to die in their Sins though with many false Comforts than to come to true Rest in the Lord in any other way than he hath prescribed God's Command if it be but the forbearing of an Apple Gen. 2.17 3.3 6 11. or the doing that which our Reason cannot understand must be observed punctually Disobedience to the Wisdom of God is no less a Sin than Disobedience to his Will And therefore I dare not excuse this People in this for their Sin may be greater and their Case more dangerous than they or I can imagin but I cannot but pity them be ready to help them to hope the best because they were led into it and did it through Ignorance Prejudice and the Scandals of others and to speak comfortably to all that will receive it and submit to the Call of God humble themselves before Him and return to their Duty But the Sin of those who shall refuse and go on obstinately will be greatly aggravated and their Case more dangerous and difficult If they fall into the Ditch the company of a blind Guide will not save them If they die in their Sins it will be but a sorry Comfort to them that their Blood must be required of another But to help them out I know no better and more effectual way than to detect the Snare and Stratagem whereby they fell and the Stone at which they stumbled And it was no other than what I have mentioned already in general the Scandal given by others and Offence taken by them but it will be necessary to consider it more particularly and the first particular that I observe in the Journal of G. Fox was an empty Formality void of the Power of Godliness that he perceived and felt in all Parties the Professors as well as the Priests as he calls them that they were Ministers not of the Spirit but of the Letter only 2 Cor. 3.6 that their Preaching was but with Wisdom of Words 1 Cor. 1.17 with the inticing Words of Man's Wisdom ibid. 2.4 or at best but a Ministration of the Letter not of the Spirit I do not write his Words but his Sense And this was an undeniable Evidence and Demonstration of the insufficiency of Vniversity Learning alone alone I say to qualifie Men to be Ministers of Christ for there were of both sorts those who wanted not that if that had been sufficient And if we inquire into the true reason of that how that comes to pass since a principal End of our Universities is to qualifie Persons for that Service we shall presently discover that which is the Root and true Cause both of that and of almost all the Unhappiness of this Nation and that is a great Defect and Neglect of Teaching and Learning the best and chief part of all Learning and Knowledge of true Heavenly Wisdom Their Learning is plainly such an ineffectual Learning which doth deceive their Souls being void of the chief solid Food like Chaff without the Corn and Husks without the Kernel it stops the Mouth satisfies the Stomach but famisheth the Soul and not only so but like unwholsome Food breeds only Wind Crudities a Knowledge that puffeth up and Diseases a superficial Notional Business without any thing of true Culture and Food of Souls a Form plainly without the Power such a Cheat and Deceit as the most virulent Expressions of any call'd Quakers could not exceed but even Indignation would extort almost as much from a sober Man duly sensible of it It deceives themselves it deceives the People whom they undertake to feed and it deceives the whole Nation The Teaching here is agreeable to the Design of those who come to learn a mixt Design of an unnatural Composure Heaven and Earth or rather Earth and Heaven not so much God and Mammon which according to our Saviour's Doctrine are inconsistent but Mammon and God for the principal in the Design in this Case ought first to be named and it is visible in their Actions which that is and even in their Common Expressions for if one propose a Place with all the Advantages of doing Good that may be presently comes this filthy fulsome Question But what Encouragement is there as if an Advantage for doing Good was not Encouragement enough to a Christian to enter into the Service of God without some humane assurance of I know not what temporal Income And Preferments are not only thought but plainly asserted to be the Encouragements of Learning and I doubt they have their Reward What unsatiable Greediness is observable generally in all to be scandalous in almost the best that can come at them And what is the Use they make of them when they have with great Study and Pains and Solicitations and Compliances and Flatteries and Costs at last obtained them but Pride and Luxury and Extravagancies of Wives and Children to which all * v. Fa. Paul Of Matters Beneficiary N. 236 237. s a Sin to â—ispend that which exceeds the moderate Necessity of a Clergy-Man That must be sacrificed which was designed for Provision for true Food of Souls of which Thousands are daily famished for want of a competent number of duly qualified Labourers in the Lord's Vineyard in the great Parishes about this City and other parts of the Nation where there is Maintenance enough if such Persons were imployed as did indeed make that their Business Care and Concern All their Learning raiseth but few above the Sensual to the Animal State but none to the truly Spiritual if any attain to that it is by such Means as may be used any where else as well as at the University as things are there ordered at present and not by University Learning which as it is ordinarily used doth more hinder than further it Nor is it likely it should have much better Effect upon others which hath no better upon themselves For in the Spiritual Generation as in the Carnal Men beget their like the strong such as are strong â—nd the weak and infirm such as themselves are But if we look farther into the Concerns of the whole Nation and their Duty to their Great Master in that respect are not they to be both severally and jointly not only Pastors but Watchmen severally over their own particular Charges and jointly over the whole Nation But what an insignificant Generation are they even the Chief of them in that respect not only far short of the Generosity and Magnanimity of genuine Christians and the more immediate Servants of the Great Jehovah
Souls If any notwithstanding will presume to go on in any false or Erroneous Ways they must answer for it and their Blood if they miscarry must be upon their own Heads For the Design and Vse of these Questions is to examin the case What Spirit they are of the Spirit of Christ or the Spirit of Antichrist the Spirit of Truth or some subtile Spirit of Delusion Whether they be Christians indeed or counterfeit Christians that is Antichristians Whether Hypocritical Professors in Words but Renagadoes in Deeds refusing the Solemnities of his Covenant and Worship and the Orders of his Church or such sincere Christians as are ready to follow the Guidance of his Spirit out of their own Wills and out of their own Wisdom and Imaginations and Errors and Mistakes into all Truth and Whether they be in the Way of Salvation or of Delusion and Perdition The Times of this Ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all Men every where to Repent QUESTIONS PROPOSED To the People call'd QUAKERS First to their Ministers at their second days Meeting and now to them All for the better Examination and rectifying some Errors and Mistakes amongst them I. WHether there be not a great Party of fallen Angels and wicked Spirits which are Enemies to Mankind and with all the Power Activity and Subtilty they can do continually endeavour to hinder their Salvation and Communion and Union with the Father Son and Holy Spirit II. Whether the Word which in the beginning was with God and was God was not made Flesh and dwelt amongst Men being born of the Virgin Mary and called Jesus which signifies a Saviour and Christ the Messiah the anointed of God and Jesus Christ of Nazareth III. Whether his Appearance in Mortal Flesh was not to destroy the Works of the Devil the Prince of that Party of fallen Angels and wicked Spirits to be a Prince and a Saviour to Mankind and the Captain of their Salvation to all who receive him and subject themselves intirely to his Teachings by his Example and by his Doctrine and Precepts and Orders recorded in the Holy Scriptures and by the Motions of his Holy Spirit upon and in their Hearts and Minds IV. Whether he be not the Only Mediatour between God and Man so that Man can have no Communion with the Holy God or Participation of the Spirit of Holiness but by and through Him V. Whether that Party of fallen Angels and wicked Spirits knowing this do not above all things endeavour by all means to with-hold people from closing and uniting with that Holy Mediatour and to withdraw as many as they can as much as they can from Him VI. Whether their most dangerous and subtile Actings in this Opposition be not principally by Way of Deceit under the Appearance and Pretence of Good to Man and of Good Spirits VII Whether it hath not been fore-told that in the latter times especially there should be many false Teachers who with such specious Pretences and secret Energy should endeavour to draw away People from the Faith as to deceive if it was possible the very Elect and Warnings given to beware of them by Christ and by his Apostles VIII Whether the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ be not the same and a Holy and Pure Spirit a Spirit of Truth and Righteousness leading into all necessary Truth and from all Fraud Deceit and Falacy Cavils and shuffling Evasions IX Whether it be not reasonable that Christ Jesus who had done so much for Man should prescribe what Manner he pleased for his Peoples engaging with Him and for their recognizing Him and making their Solemn Address to the Father by Him and what Orders he pleased and would have observed and continued in his Church X. Whether to oppose such Appointments Prescriptions or Orders or to cavil at them seek Evasions or Pretences to neglect them and yet pretend to be Christians be not a great Evidence of Insincerity and of a subtile Antichristian Spirit of Satan transformed into an Angel of Light XI Whether Jesus Christ besides his General Command to his Apostles after his Resurrection to go to the Gentiles and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost c. did not for forty days shew himself to them speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God until the day in which he was taken up after that he through the Holy Ghost had given Commandments unto them and in or with those Commandments give them sufficient Instructions and Directions for the Constituting his Church which he purchased with his Blood XII Whether the Apostles did not in all things faithfully pursue his Commands and Directions XIII Whether besides his express Commands and Directions they did not also receive the Holy Spirit according to his Promise in an extraordinary manner and had the same residing in them and manifesting his Presence with them by extraordinary Operations to guide and assist them in their Work XIV Whether they having received the Command to make Disciples in all Nations whether Jews or Gentiles baptizing them as aforesaid and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever he commanded them did not in all places preach the Gospel exhort the People to believe and be baptized and baptized with Water those who did believe though baptized before with John's Baptism and though they had received the Holy Spirit whether Jews or Gentiles XV. Whether the Apostles and the People converted by them after they had received the Holy Ghost did not when they came together in one or assembled for the Solemn Worship of God break Bread and eat the Lord's Supper and do as their Lord did and commanded them to do and that so constantly that there is not known any Assembly of Christians in the time of the Apostles nor in many Ages after to have been held for the Solemn Worship of God without it XVI Whether the Apostles did not ordain Elders and appoint others by special Appointment to do the same in every City by such Authority that none did presume to take the Office of Elder unto himself but who was so ordained or the Office of Ordaining Elders but who was so appointed either in the times of the Apostles or afterward but who have been infamous ever since XVII Whether seeing that our Saviour himself though he needed not would notwithstanding be baptized with Water to fulfill all Righteousness and thereupon had sensible Approbation from Heaven did also by his Apostles baptize with Water and that it is plain by their Practice that his Apostles and the whole Church of Christ did understand his Command to baptize all Nations of Baptism by Water and as necessary for Forgiveness of Sins and that Baptism with the Holy Ghost was peculiar to himself whether I say this being so it be not a forced and strained Interpretation without any sound ground and contrary to the most authentick Means of explaining Words to restrain that Command to Baptism by the Holy Ghost only XVIII Whether if such Construction be by any Spirit more
most Sublime most Holy and most August Sacrament as it is deservedly call'd by Dr. Morton be taken in effect for a needless Ceremony or of no great Importance by others besides the Quakers and used or rather neglected accordingly even to this day These are the great things in it which I have now mentioned but rare to be found in our Books now a days or heard of from our Pulpits Nor can it conveniently here be explained as it deserves But as to both these what is said before pag. 13 14. ought to be consider'd These things I say well consider'd cannot choose but make great Impression upon the Minds of those who are sincere and have a due sense of their own Spiritual and Eternal concerns But when they shall also understand That the great Principle of the Guidance of the Spirit of God is not so peculiar to themselves as they imagin but the constant Doctrine of the Church of Christ in all Ages and of the Church of England in particular as I have shew'd in a Discourse of Mystical Divinity and some others under the Title of Asceticks or the Heroick Piety and Vertue of the Ancients and notwithstanding the Extravagancies of some inconsiderate Opposers of Fanaticism asserted by most eminent Men of this Church as the profound Dr. Cradock lately deceased who himself told me he had Preached twenty or thirty Sermons upon that Subject and others now living and that there are and have been before George Fox appeared in the World Persons in the Communion of the Church of England as well acquainted with Spiritual things as themselves and by consequence how little necessity there is of venturing upon the Sin of Schism for that cause And moreover consider that Christ appointed an Order of Men for his Ministerial Office to succeed in his Church by an external Call and Commission and notwithstanding the Corruptions of those who sate then in Moses's Seat would not suffer his Disciples to break Communion with them or disregard their Authority and by consequence how dangerous it may prove in the end for Men to presume to set up Parties and draw People after them contrary to his Orders and to continue so to do after fair Warnings and unanswerable Admonitions to the contrary To conclude When they shall farther consider how horrid a Sin it must needs be to presume to attribute to the Holy Spirit of God the Workings of their own Imaginations or perhaps the Subtile Suggestions of some wicked Spirit of Delusion and to expose and scandalize the Holy Doctrine of the Guidance of the Holy Spirit by denying of certain and manifest Truths and using such little Shifts and Evasions to oppose plain Evidence as an honest and ingenious Lawyer would scorn and be ashamed to â—se for his Client When all these things and â—ore that might be observed are well understood and considered why may I not with reaâ—on hope that all who are really such as they â—ave appeared in the several Conferences I have had with them to be should answer the End of my Letters and Questions with more than civil and kind Words in real and solemn Actions Why should I not hope that no priâ—ate Interest nor any Temporal Concern should â—inder them Why should I not hope that â—nce God hath apparently again concluded all â—nder Sin which all Parties confess of all â—thers but their own and is true of all without â—xception that all should humble themselves â—efore Him return to mutual Charity one with â—nother and subject themselves and all their â—maginations to his Wisdom as well as their â—ctions to his Will to the intent that he may have Mercy upon all Why should I not hope I say since God hath done this and for thiâ— End that they if they be indeed partakeâ—â— of his Holy Spirit should be the first in giving Glory to God by such a just and reasonable Humiliation before his Divine Majesty and Acknowledgment of our Humane Infirmity if never so little left to our selves or but steping aside out of the Order of his Holy Conduct 〈◊〉 and subject themselves intirely and readily to aâ—â— the Orders he hath appointed in his Church No sober wise Man will expose himself and leaâ— others into Danger or Hazard when he maâ— without any Difficulty or Incumbrance put himself and them into Safety and Security Noâ— will any ingenious Man if he have committeâ— a Mistake stand it out and maintain it againsâ— a Grave and Judicious Man Much less will any considerate Man who hath any sense of God and regard to his tremendous Majesty dare tâ— persist in Opposing or Disputing his Institution or Orders and therefore I shall here concludâ— this But because I have received certain Question concerning these Matters but without anâ— Name of any who sent them or to whom 〈◊〉 should return Answer though I shall forbear tâ— expose them by making them publick yet bâ— cause I am debtor both to the wise and to thâ— unwise for their Satisfaction who are eitheâ— moved with such Scruples or rely upon such infirm Grounds I shall return a brief comprehensive Answer to the Eight Questions in these following Assertions The Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testament is the only Rule of Faith and Practice rightly understood and used But it is in many Cases only a General Rule leaving the special Application in some to all Persons in others to certain determinate Persons And therefore to require Express and Plain Scripture for Faith and Practice in all things doth proceed from Ignorance and Weakness in some but too often from a disingenuous Spirit of Contention a dishonest Design or Satanical Delusion The Practices of the Primitive Christians were some Permanent to continue in the Church others Temporary and Alterable according as there might be occasion for Order Decency and Edification and did vary from the beginning in several Churches and parts of the World whereas the others were truly Catholick according to Vincentius Lirinensis his Rule that is universally observed without any known beginning since the Apostles The Spirit of God was poured forth upon all Flesh when the Gospel was Preached to all Flesh or to every Creature that is not only to the Jews but to the Gentiles also But as to individual Persons it was never so poured out upon all Flesh but there were some things pre-acquired as Faith in Christ Jesus and ordinarily Baptism with Water Obedience and Prayer c. Nor was the Manifestation thereof ever given to every one but to every one to whom it was given it was given to profit withall As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God and If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.14 9. But it is to be known and remembred that a great and principal and the most certain Leading of the Spirit of God is not sensible or easily perceivable how it comes but it is generally a Secret