Children and yet that its impossible for them to discharge that Duty or be found in that Practice 2. Man of himself or by his own Strength and Ability is not able to do any thing that is good or well-pleasing to God which every true Christian must acknowledge because Christ hath said to his Disciples without me ye can do nothing Yet those that through Faith and Obedience become Christ's Disciples and God's Children are through that Grace and Truth that came by Jesus Christ and hath appeared to all Men taught and enabled to fear God and keep his Commandments which is the whole Duty of Man and is that Allegiance which I esteem we all owe unto Jesus Christ the great King of Heaven and Earth and the mighty Ruler of Princes And I desire B. Bird his Friend and all to whom this may come seriously to consider the evil Consequence of such Doctrine viz. That 't is impossible while Men are here to keep God's Commands From whence I observe I. It 's contrary to Christ's Saying Matth. 19.26 and Mark 9.23 If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth II. It renders the End of Christ's giving himself not sufficient or possible to effect it viz. That he might redeem us from ALL iniquity see Tit. 2.14 III. It contradicts Paul's Exhortation to Titus v. 15. These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority What Things One of which was That Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from ALL iniquity IV. And it s directly contrary to what the Spirit of God hath declared John 1.7 viz. If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from ALL sin V. And it contradicts what B. B. quotes and the Apostle declares 1 John 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness VI. It renders People unfit to enter God's Kingdom or going where Christ is as appears by Christ's own Words and the holy Scripture-Testimony John 8.21 Then said Jesus again unto them I go my way and ye shall seek me and shall dye in your Sins and whither I go ye cannot come See also v. 24. And in 1 Cor. 6.9,10 it appears that the unrighteous cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and if it s not possible to be righteous while we are here it s not possible to enter God's Kingdom for it s said 1 John 3.7,8 Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous he that committeth sin is of the Devil c. And 1 John 5.17 all unrighteousness is sin and so is the Breach of God's Law and holy Commandments VII And lastly this Doctrine of its being impossible to keep God's Commands or for Christians to live here without transgressing God's Laws renders the Devil more powerful to lead and keep People in sin than Christ Jesus to whom all Power both in Heaven and Earth is given is to lead and preserve People out of sin and bespeaks all those unreasonable Men that will oblige Persons to promise and vow in the Children's Name when baptized as they call it those things which they do not believe its possible should be performed viz. That the Child will renounce the Devil and ALL his Works and constantly believe God's holy Woâ—d and obediently keep his Commandments See the Common Prayer concerning the Ministration of Baptism when the Priest saith to the Sureties unscripturally called God-fathers I demand therefore Dost thou in the Name of this Child renounce the Devil and all his Works the vain Pomps and Glory of the World with all covetous Desires of the same and the Carnal Desires of the Flesh so that thou wilt not follow nor be led by them Answer I renounce them all See also the 3d and 4th Answer in the Catechism in the Common-Prayer-Book I desire B. Bird and his Ingenious Friend may seriously consider these things and these Covenants and Promises and whether its reasonable and just that B. Bird should take Mony of People and oblige them to PROMISE AND VOW on this wise that which he declares it's VNPOSSIBLE to perform and yet in the Common Prayer and Collect on Innocent's Day prays O Almighty God mortifie and kill ALL Vices in us and so strengthen us by thy Grace that by the Innocency of our Lives and Constancy of our Faith even unto DEATH we may glorifie thy Holy Name through Jesus Christ our Lord. And in the Collect of the Circumcision of Christ its said Almighty God grant us the true Circumcision of the Spirit that ALL our Hearts and ALL OUR MEMBERS being mortified from ALL worldly and carnal Lusts we may in ALL THINGS obey thy Blessed Will through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Surely if Benj. Bird doth not believe it possible while People live here to keep God's Commands or lâ—ve without transgressing God's Law he doth not pray in Faith or believe its possible to have ALL Vices killed in him and ALL Carnal and Worldly LVSTS mortified or that in ALL THINGS its POSSIBLE for him to obey God's blessed Will through Jesus Christ If he doth let him blush and be ashamed of venting and publishing such Doctrine in Print for what greater Perfection ever did any Quaker teach or pretend unto in this Life than what 's implyed in what 's afore-quoted And what a Man of Sense this Benj. Bird is that terms Jasper Batt and me nonsensical and how concurring or contradictory he writes and what excellent sense for a conclusion of this Head take his own Words p. 2. Gods Commands are not grievous to good Men THEY KEEP THEM WITH ALL THEIR HEARTS tho' by Reason of human Infirmities THEY FAIL IN THE KEEPING OF THEM Mark they keep them with all their Hearts tho' they fail in the keeping of them Is not this egregious Nonsense And he farther saith in the said Page And we may keep our Allegiance to Christ altho' we cannot live without transgressing Gods Law Answer I deny that we can keep in Truth and Faithfulness to Christ which I account Allegiance and yet live at the same time in transgressing against God's Law And how agreeable this is to what the Minister is to read in the Commination after he hath pronounced the Unmerciful Fornicators and Adulterers Covetous Persons Idolaters Slanderers Drunkards and Extortioners cursed and the People have said Amen I desire him and the Reader to examine and consider and also how agreeable it is to what is said in misere mei Deus viz. Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin Thou shalt purge me with hysop and I shall be clean thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter than snow In Page 3. he saith Secondly John Feild calls the Author of the Sauciness of a Seducer rebuked a Scribling
A REPLY to BENJAMIN BIRD's Ignorance Folly c. By him dedicated to his Ingenious and very Loving Friend Mr. William Clap of Abbots Wootton SOlomon gives an account of one that is wiser in his own Conceit than 7 Men that can render a Reason and tells us there is more Hopes of a Fool than of him And also aptly saith A whip for a horse a bridle for an ass and a rod for the fool's back But when by many fit Comparisons he hath set him forth and shewn how unfit he is to send a Message by declares the great God that formed all things will both reward the Fool and Transgressors And therefore I doubt not but he will reward him whose Folly and Conceit Pride and Enmity hath brought him to that Pitch to account others ignorant and nonsensical and himself a great Discoverer which indeed I must grant he is of his own Folly c. And because I am not willing any should take this upon my Authority only I shall offer the following Considerations and leave it to the truly wise and judicious to determine I. Considering what Solomon saith It is an honour for a man to cease from strife but every fool will be meddling And again He that meddleth with strife belonging not to him is like one that taketh a dog by the ears and as a mad-man who casteth fire-brands arrows and death Prov. 26.18 II. Now this Man's Coat considered and whose Cause he espouseth I leave to the Judicious to determine how aptly these Scriptures are applyed to him and how it becomes him to be Advocate for the Presbyterians But if his Conceit which is generally a Companion of Folly was so great that the Quakers Book could not be effectually answered till he had term'd 2 of them Nonsensical I must confess his Conceit have exceeded his Proofs Thus much to his Folly And now as to his Pride let him consider what Solomon saith He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife and if the scorner was cast out strife would cease And as little Sense as he esteems the Quakers to have they can by his Pamphlet discern that his Pride and Contempt against the Light within shews his Enmity and bespeaks him an Evil-Doer for as Christ said it 's such as hate the Light And he writes in defence of him that said The Light within is the great Diana by whom the Jacks of all Traders have their Wealth Hence it is that these Crafts-Men speak so honourably of the Idol great is the Quakers Light within Thus like Herod and Pilate the Presbyterian Libeller and this Episcopalian Priest tho' I esteem not all of his Mind can combine together to vent their Scorn and Enmity against that he calls the Quakers Light within which they always affirmed to be no other but the Light of Jesus Christ who is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world and was before they were and will be when all they that hare him shall be confounded he shall appear to our joy and they that hate him shall be ashamed Isa 66. Now having premised this I shall proceed to his Pamphlet more for the sake of the tender and well inclined People in Exon and elswhere that may meet therewith than for this Officious Scribler's sake And that People's Understandings may be opened to see how such Teachers that hate the Light and that are found in the Spirit and Practice of the false Prophets can never profit them at all altho by using the good Men's Words that loved and walked in the Light they get gain the thing that too many of them more seek than Godliness And I hope those that peruse this will like the noble Bereans search the Scriptures and see whether these things are so or not I. Page 2. he saith Sir I have according to your Desire perused a Paper printed by John Feild and J. Batt called A Reply to an Atheistical Libeller The Author whom they so call they charge with concealing his Name and then asks this Question How then do they know him to be an Atheistical Libeller Answer By his writing atheistically as may be seen in the 10th page of his and the 2d and 8th of my Scorner rebuked But this Volenteer of the Church of England that comes to engage in the Presbyterian's Quarrel is so eager to fall on and scornful as to term us Nonsensical although he had not the Book by him But he at the Close of that Paragraph hath quoted a Scripture that may well suit him which I return Though judgments are prepared for scorners yet stripes are for the back of fools for would ever any but such an one have taken the Pains and exposed himself as he hath to answer a pitiful Pamphlet writ as he saith by two of the Nonsensical Brotherhood But what kin he is to that Brotherhood his Works bespeak him and I may herein after shew For In his 2d page He tells his Ingenious and worthy Friend Mr. William Clapp of Abbots Wootton because my Friend J. Batt wrote a few Lines by way of Posts That these Gentlemen hunt by Couples as if they had learn'd of their Friends on the other side the Water Answer I hope his ingenious Friend and others will have so much Ingenuity as to see the Silliness as well as Malice of this Insinuation for I doubt not but to give as many and substantial Proofs if need required of being remote in Spirit Doctrine and Practice from those on the other side i. e. Rome as himself and let his worthy Friend examine his Call to the Ministry he pretends unto and see if he flies not to the other Side of the Water for Proof He also saith Page 1. They charge Men with want of Allegiance to Christ that hold it impossile while they are here perfectly to keep his Commands or to live without transgressing God's Laws Answer From hence I shall take occasion to repeat what he writ that this Parson writes in defence of viz. the nameless Libeller I answered In his Preface he writ scurrilously and scornfully and brought in a Quotation out of Dr. Moor's Mystery of Godliness as he said which he grosly perverted and thereby abused both the Doctor and us in adding the Word Quakerism which is not there instead of Familism as may be seen by those that will search the Doctor 's Book p. 533. The Doctor doth not say Quakerism but Familism is a meer Flam of the Devil a smooth Tale to seduce the simple from their Allegiance to Christ. From whence I observed how they insinuated That Allegiance was due to Christ and he consequently must be a King or Ruler Yet said I how many are alledging that its impossible while we are here to keep Christ's Commands This was to shew their Inconsistency with their own Pretensions and Doctrine first that Allegiance i. e. Truth and Faithfulness ought to be the Practice as 't is the Duty of Christ's Disciples and God's
much like the High Priests and wicked Jews that when they heard the False Witnesses accuse our Lord and Master Jesus Christ cryed out He is guilty of Death But I hope the Wise and Judicious will hear and read our Answers and consider our Defence before they conclude us guilty altho this Priest Bird and some others agree to condemn us and such that are willing to be so just to us I refer to our Answers viz. Quakerism a new Nick-Name for old Christianity by W. Penn And Rusticus ad Academicos by Sam. Fisher There is one thing more this Busie Advocate is offended with me for which I shall now take notice of and answer and then conclude In page 7 he saith John Feild calls upon all to cease from Men and their Teachers that are in their Carnal State and Earthly Wisdom and Dark Conceivings and to turn their Minds inward to the Saving Light of the Lord Jesus Christ And then saith What is this but a Cheat put upon Men to call them to turn to a Light within them that is not there Answer I deny this for if there be no Light there 's no Sight and if no Sight no Knowledge if no Knowledge People will Perish and Dye But as I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live see Ezek. 33.11 And that he might not perish he hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with thy God by which it appears there is Light in Men and that gives Light and Knowledge for as the Apostle saith Eph. 5.13 All things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light And this Light is that true Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World which shews Man his DVTY and manifests all things approved discovers the thoughts of the Heart and shews the secret Intents Corruptions and Lusts that lodge in the evil Heart out of which proceeds as Christ saith Mat. 15.19 Evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witness blasphemies The two latter of which have proceeded out of B. Bird's evil heart by saying It 's a Cheat to call People to turn their Minds inward to the saving Light of the Lord Jesus Christ And it was this I Exhorted all to turn their Minds inward unto knowing that this Light is saving and believing what John saith in the Revel 21.24 That the Nations of them which are saved shall walk in the Light of it Therefore in great Love and good Will to all I did and do exhort as Christ our Lord did John 12.36 To believe in it that they may become the Children of it and by believing in it may receive the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 that we may come to have this Treasure in our earthen Vessels which by hearing and following Men in their carnal State and earthly Wisdom and dark conceivings none can ever attain unto Oh therefore I cannot but in great Love and tender good Will to the Souls of all call unto them to cease from Men and their Teachings that are in that carnal State and dark Conceivings notwithstanding pag. 8 B. Bird saith Christ hath commissioned and promised to stand by the Teachings of Men to the end of the World yet I affirm it s not Men in their carnal State earthly Wisdom and dark Conceivings altho' B. Bird that pretends to be a Minister of the Gospel doth so affirm p. 8. viz. These Teachings of Men which you cry down are in order to work Faith in them that believe and for want of these Teachings of Men i. e. in their carnal State and dark Conceivings millions of Souls perish everlastingly For where there is no Vision the people perish And now seeing the Teachings of Men are in order to the Salvation of their Hearers Are not you employed bp the Devil to take Men off from those Teachings that are so destructive to his Kingdom Answ I deny as before the Teachings of Men in their carnal State are in order to work Faith altho' he affirms it is and that in them that believe mind the inconsistency to work Faith in them that have Faith oh what a Minister is this And I charge it on him for Untruth i. e. that millions of Souls perish everlastingly for want of these Teachings or that such Teachings of Men are in order to Salvation of their Hearers and deny that we are imployed by the Devil to take Men off from those Teachings that are destructive to his Kingdom This is another Falshood For our Christian Endeavours by the Grace of God are to bring People to know the Teachings of God and Jesus Christ by his Grace and Spirit in their own Hearts and from under the Teachings of such Men that are not sent of God and to his Teachings which will be destructive to the Devil's Kingdom and be in order to establish them in Righteousness in which God's Kingdom stands and will tend to bring People off from any longer dealing with the Merchants of Babylon or buying their Merchandize any more or following those that run and God never sent them for they cannot profit the People at all that are in the spirit and practice of those that God by his Prophet cryed against That teach for hire and divine for mony See Mich. 3.11 And Jeremiah saith ch 5.30,31 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the Land the Prophets prophesie falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means and my People love to have it so and what will you do in the end thereof Oh therefore it was and is from such Men and their Teachings that I did and do call all to cease from and invite them to come to Jesus Christ and that grace and truth that is come by him and appears to all and is revealed in the hearts and inward parts it s this I would have them learn of that they may be taught as the primitive Christians were to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world that so they may escape the Wrath of God that is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousness of Men may know peace and find favour with God and through the belief of the Truth may come to experience the Sanctification of the Spirit and so be fitted for an entrance into God's Kingdom and while here may be fed with that Bread that comes down from Heaven and not spend their Mony for that which is not Bread nor their Labour for that which satisfieth not but hearken and hear the Call of God's Grace and Voice of Christ in their Hearts that their Souls may come to live and that for evermore is the sincere desire of him that desires the good and the eternal well being of all JOHN FEILD London 22d 6th Month 1695.