self-evidence but the evidence of the truth of them depends on the veracity of God the Original Author of them the next thing to be enquired into is what is the great and most principal motive of Credibility to move and effectually perswade the Mind that they are the Words of God surely he who believes that there is a God cannot but assent to this proposition that whatever God hath said is true that all the Words of God are Words of truth it hath as immediate evidence to him that has the least true knowledge of God as that the whole is greater than the part That then which is only requisite to move the Mind of Man to assent to any words delivered to us as the words of God is to have a sufficient motive of Credibility given us why we should believe them to be indeed the words of God That the Prophets and Apostles knew that all the words they delivered to Men as the words of God were infallibly the words of God is generally granted by all that own the Truth of Divine Revelation the manner of their Conveyance to their Understanding being with such a Divine Power Majesty and Glory and making such a Divine Impression on them as infallibly assured them and this many times without all Miracles proposed to their outward Senses Section 8. That the Faithful have as good Assurance of the Truth and Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures by the ordinary Inspirations of the Spirit in the use of the outward Means as the Prophets had by Extraordinary and Prophetical The Distinction betwixt them explained THE great Question therefore that remains now to be considered and resolved is Whither the Faithful cannot have and actually have not as good Assurance in respect of all Fundamentals and Essentials of the Christian Faith at least that the words delivered by the Holy Prophets and Apostles were the Words of God as if they had received them in the same way and manner as the Prophets and Apostles received them which was without any external Medium such as the Ministry of Men and Books whereas the way that we now receive those words is by some external Medium to wit the Ministry of Men and Books I shall not here insist upon the external Motives of Credibility taken either from so many Thousands of the best and wisest of Men in the several Ages of the World since the words were committed to writing who have received and embraced them to be what really they are even the Words of the Living and True God or such as are taken from the Words themselves as outwardly delivered such as the Simplicity Purity Majesty and Efficacy of their Doctrine the Harmony of the several Parts the fulfilling of the many Prophecies contained in them the many other incomparable Excellencies of them the wonderful Effects they have had on many Thousands and Millions of Men in being instrumental to their Conversion from Idolatry and Ungodliness to true Piety and Sanctity all which are of great weight to convince the Reason of Men but because all this doth amount to no more but a rational Conviction and doth not beget a Divine Assent or Perswasion Therefore I conclude with all Orthodox and Sound Christians that our full Perswasion and Assurance of the Infallible Truth and Divine Authority of them is from the inward Work of the Holy Spirit by his Internal and Supernatural Illumination Inspiration and Revelation and secret and most inward Teaching in our Hearts by sensible and perceptible Impressions Sealing to the Truth of them upon our Hearts and Minds And here I think fit to guard against a two-fold Extream that I find too many run into both greatly and dangerously erroneous the one is of some that grant indeed that the Spirit doth inwardly operate in the Souls of Men and more especially in the Souls of the Faithful but this Operation or Agency and Efficiency of the Spirit they will have it only to be effective and no-wise objective that is to say no-wise perceptible or sensible to the Soul in which the Spirit doth so operate Hence it is that some of them have called this Internal Operation of the Spirit even in the Faithful Medium incognitum assentiendi the which Assertion being so repugnant to the Scripture Testimonies in many places that hold forth the Spirits internal Operations and Virtues to be as sensible upon the internal and spiritual Senses of Souls in any good degree inwardly quickned and made alive to God as the Operations of outward Light Heat Cold or the most affecting Objects of Sight Taste Smelling and Feeling are upon our outward and bodily Senses and also being so contrary to the Experience of many Thousands of true experienced Christians I shall not insist here any further to refute it The other as dangerous and erroneous Extream is of such of whom is W.P. and his Party as plainly appears by what he layeth down in this Treatise and oft elsewhere in his Books who hold That the Manner and Kind of the Spirits Internal Inspirations Revelations Illuminations and inward Teachings is the same with that which the Prophets and Apostles had that is to say that whatever they think they have a Divine Knowledge and Faith of the words which are necessary to be the Rule and Medium to the obtaining this Knowledge and Faith must be given them as they were given to the Pen-men of the Holy Scriptures to wit without the external Medium of the Holy Scriptures and without any external Teaching whatsoever and that therefore their Faith and Knowledge so far as it is Divine hath no dependence on the words delivered in the Holy Scriptures but whatever they know or believe by a Divine Knowledge and Faith it is wholly from words inwardly given them from the Spirit without all outward conveyance of Men or Books Hence it is that W.P. calls his and his Brethrens Rule of Faith and Life the eternal Precepts of the Spirit in Mens Consciences but as for the Precepts and Words outwardly delivered in Scripture they are but to him what Pythagoras and other Philosophers quoted by him Page 6. judged of other Writings to wit liveless Precepts Hence many of his Party have presumed to call them a Dead Letter Death and Carnal Yet Page 25. he is so yielding and seemingly kind to the Scriptures that he grants them to be a subordinate secondary and declaratory Rule Such a subordinate secondary and declaratory Rule saith he we never said several parts of Scripture were not Here observe for all his professed kindness to the Scriptures he will not allow all the parts of Scripture but only some parts of it to be so much as a subordinate secondary and declaratory Rule though even the Ceremonial Precepts he has as great reason to believe them to be the Words of God and consequently a Rule of Faith though not of Practise as touching the external Types as truly as any other parts of Scripture But seeing every subordinate
and secondary Rule pre-supposeth a primary Rule which hath no dependence on the Secondary though the Secondary is wholly from the Primary as the Transcript is wholly from the Original but the Original is intirely compleat and perfect without the Copy or Transcript it is evident that according to him he hath all what he thinketh to be a Divine Knowledge and Faith wholly from his primary Rule and nothing from the Scriptures which he calls the Secondary for the Excellency of the primary Rule is that it teacheth all that is to be divinely known or believed without the need or help of any secondary Rule otherwise it should not be primary nor should the Scriptures in that case be a subordinate Rule but co-ordinate and of equal Dignity Necessity and Use with what he calls the Primary for whatever is a primary full adequate and perfect Rule such as he will have only the Light within or by whatever other Name he designs it it must propose to him all the Credenda and Agenda i. e. all things he ought to believe and practise without any other Rule whatsoever And yet in Contradiction to his own Doctrine he grants p. 25. That by and through the Scripture as some Instrument this great and universal Rule which he will have to be the living spiritual immediate omnipresent discovering ordering Spirit of God may convey its directions Judge Reader if this be not a Contradiction to his former Doctrine and a great Impertinency surely as he who hath the Original has no need of the Copy nor great use of it for himself so if W.P. have such a perfect compleat primary Rule that teacheth him without Scripture all what he ought to know believe or practise I cannot understand of what great use the Scripture can be unto him or at least it is of no necessity to him this primary Rule hath taught him all before-hand otherwise it is not primary If it be objected That the Prophets and Apostles had the Spirits inward Teachings to be their primary Rule in what they delivered as Prophets and Apostles and yet they made use of the Scriptures such as were penned before them I answer Because neither the Prophets nor Apostles were taught in all things that they believed and practised by the Spirits inward Teachings as the primary Rule but only in what they spoke or writ as Prophets and Apostles in other things which they had not by Prophetical Inspiration the Scripture what was then extant of it was the primary Rule to them as well as to others of the Faithful who were neither Prophets nor Apostles Section 9. That the Doctrine of the Holy Scripture is the Rule of Faith which Faith the Spirit of God being the principal Efficient begets and works in the Faithful by the Doctrine which is the Instrument of the Spirit That it brings Confusion and derogates from the Spirit to make the Spirit the Rule Arg. 6. ANother of W. P's great Arguments to prove that the Scripture is not the Rule of Faith p. 13. is How shall I be assured saith he that these Scriptures came from God If with the Spirit that gave them forth which searcheth the deep things of God a measure of which is given to me to profit withal then it is most congruous to call the Spirit by way of Excellency and not the Scriptures the Rule I answer denying his Consequence It is indeed allowed that it is congruous for that cause to call the Spirit the principal efficient and moving Cause together with Christ and God the Father but most incongruous false and pernicious to make him to be the Rule which is so far from giving the due Honour and Excellency to the Spirit so to do that it derogates from his Honour and Excellency for it confounds the efficient Cause with the Instrument and is as absurd as to say the Square or Carpenter's Rule that the Carpenter works with that is but of Wood is the Carpenter himself which is extreamly false it is no derogation from the Spirit to say that he useth the Rule or Instrument of his own preparing whereby to frame and fashion us according to his good pleasure as the Carpenter useth his Square or Rule to frame his pieces of Wood to put into a Building And for the better clearing of the matter a little further when all Orthodox Christian Writers say that we are assured that the Scriptures came from God with or by the Spirit that gave them forth they mean not that the Spirits inward Testimony or Witness to the Divine Authority of the Scriptures is any new or repeated Testimony of the Words and Doctrines of the Scripture which is not necessary but only by way of putting a Seal on a Deed or Bond together with the Hand or Subscription of him that gives the Deed or Bond which Hand and Seal confirms the Truth of the Bond yet it doth not tell what the Contents of the Deed or Bond is nor is it necessary it should the Deed or Bond it self tells the Contents of it And to use the Schools Distinction a little in the case The Doctrines and Words contained in the Holy Scriptures are the material object of Faith to wit quod Creditur i e. what is believed but the Spirits inward Testimony Seal or Impulse and Motion which carrieth in it a peculiar Evidence that none knoweth but he who hath it is the formal Object of Faith to wit propter quod Creditur that inward Motion and Influence Impression and Influence of the Spirit that sensibly and perceptibly moveth the Faithful to believe the Truth of the Scriptures as being the Words of God Nor is this Controversie about the Rule of Faith and Life a Logomachy or strife of words as some may ignorantly suppose but a most material Case and of most dangerous Consequence to exclude the Scriptures which are the great and blessed Means that God has appointed us for begetting true Faith Knowledge and Obedience in us through the mighty Operation of the Spirit of God But if what the Spirit of God hath appointed us to be the Means and Instrument of our Knowledge and Faith and Practise and the Rule whereby to discern Truth from Error Right from Wrong with the Spirits internal Illumination we prove neglectful of it to wit of the Holy Scriptures in the frequent use of them by Reading Hearing Meditation and Prayer we provoke the Holy Spirit to depart from us and to leave us to our vain imaginations and Satan's suggestions and delusions to be received by us as Divine Revelations and Inspirations as hath happened to many to their unspeakable hurt Again as the Spirit nor yet his Internal Inspiration or Illumination and Revelation is not the Rule of Faith but the principal efficient of it and his Internal Inspiration Illumination and Revelation is the Objective Medium moving the Mind to assent to the truth of the Doctrines contained in the Holy Scriptures but not the Rule of Faith nor
Instrument of the Spirit in giving him and us all the Knowledge of Christian Doctrines and Mysteries peculiar to the Christian Religion he has all this time been fighting with his own Shadow for if so he agrees with them all from whom he seeks so much to differ and writ against That the Spirit of God can reveal in every Man all necessary Truth is granted by all Christians but the Question is not what he can do but what he doth in God's ordinary way of working Section 11. His eighth Argument answered That the Scriptures cannot give Faith therefore they are not the Rule of Faith And his ninth tenth Arguments answered Page 11. Arg. 8. HIS fourth Argument as he numbers them against the Scriptures being the Rule is Because the Scripture cannot give Faith therefore is cannot be the Rule of Faith Ans The Consequence is denied and he gives no offer of proof for it his Argument is as weak as to argue a Carpenter's Rule or Square cannot build a House therefore it cannot be a Rule or Instrument for him to work by in building a House This his way of arguing destroyeth all use of service of Instruments and secondary Causes the like Failure hath his arguing against the Scriptures being the Rule of Practise Arg. 9. Because it cannot distinguish of it self in all Cases what ought to be practised and what not Well but what if it cannot of it self as the Carpenter's Rule cannot of it self as measure one piece of Wood more than another without the hand of him that useth it doth it therefore follow that the Rule cannot do it when applied by the Hand of the Man himself Page 12. This saith he was the Case of Christ's Disciples who had no particular Rule in the Old Testament for the abolishing of some part of the Old Testament Religion on the contrary they might have pleaded for the perpetuity of it For instance God gave Cirumcision as a Sign for ever Answ By his favour he is mistaken in saying they had no such particular Rule for the abolishing he should rather have said expiring of some parts of the Old Testament Religion Let him read Jer. 3.16 and 31.31 32. compared with Heb. 8.8 and he may find the contrary the word for ever in the place mentioned by him in relation to Circumcision and other Jewish Types signified not to the end of the World far less endlesly but for a certain limited time as the Jews themselves confess at times it so signifies yea and some of the most judicious of them have confessed they were to cease before the end of the World In his tenth Argument he but too much gratifies his Deist Brethren and Profane Atheists by his bringing their and other Popish Arguments against the Scriptures being the Rule Page 13. As that they are not in the Original because that is not extant nor in the Copies because there are Thirty and above in number and it is undetermined and for ought we see saith he indeterminable And the variety of Readings among those Copies amount to several Thousands And if the Copies cannot how can the Translations saith he be the Rule And so goeth on disputing against the Translations being the Rule And then argueth against their being the Rule from diverse of the Books of Scripture being rejected by some and received by others all which Pleas both of Deists and Papists have been abundantly answered by Protestant Writers see Dr. Tillâ—tson's Book called The Rule of Faith in answer to J.S. a Papist whole Arguments against the Scriptures being the Rule of Faith are so much of the same sort with these here of W.P. as if he had taken them from him And the inward Testimony of the Spirit sufficiently asserted to the Truth and Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures without taking away from them their due Honour Use and Service of their being the Rule of Faith and Life in all things necessary to Salvation which yet W.P. labours to rob them of under a pretence of exalting the Spirit but really is a degrading and dishonouring both as is above proved beside the great Mischief it causeth in casting all People who believe W.P. and his Party loose from the Scriptures that Satan may have the more advantage over them to deceive them as he hath wofully done for if the whole Scripture and every part of them be not to them the Rule of Faith they may chuse what to believe and what not to be believe and to believe no more than what the Spirit within which as it may be and often is not the Spirit of God teacheth them to believe for they may hence infer since the Spirit that is the primary Rule teacheth them not to believe any such Doctrines or Precepts it is but Spurious and Apocryphal and no part of the Secondary Rule as sometimes they are pleased to call it though the distinction of primary and secondary Rule will not be found in their first Authors for then the Spirit was the only Rule and the only Means and the Scriptures were Carnal and the dead Letter and liâ—eless Precepts as W.P. seemeth to call them else why doth he quote Philo and Phythagoras and others that called all outward Precepts such Section 12. His eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Arguments answered Arg. 11. HIS eighth Argument is That the Scriptures are not the Rule of Faith and Life because they cannot be the Rule in their Translations Page 26. Supposing the ancient Copies were exact it cannot be the Rule to far the greatest part of Mankind Indeed saith he to none but learned Men which neither answers the Promise relating to Gospel-times which is universal nor the Necessity of all Mankind for a Rule of Faith and Life Ans Why not in their Translations by the help of the Spirit as above declared It may be supposed that W. P's Learning is not so great that he needs not the Translation as well as other Men it is well known that the Translations and all the various Copies and Readings make not the least Alteration in any of the Fundamental or Essential Doctrines of Christianity yea scarcely in any much material whatsoever Arg. 12. His ninth Argument is from those voluminous Discourses of Cases of Conscience that are extant among us For saith he had the Scriptures been as Sufficient Note here his fling at their Sufficiency as the Nature of the Rule of Faith and Life requireth there had been no need of such Tracts Answ This Argument equally fighteth against the Light within being the Rule of Faith and Life for if it actually doth all that the Nature of a Rule of Faith and Life requireth then pray What need had there been of so many Tracts of the Quakers Writings about Doctrines and Principles as well as Cases of Conscience which have amounted to a prodigious Number within these Fifty Years seeing all Men have the same Light within them to be the same Rule in all Is not that sufficient without any
the Government of our Life in all Estates are not the Rule which the Holy Spirit useth as his Instrument to Guide us in all parts of our Duty But he might have told us some of those Thousand Cases in which the Scripture cannot be our plain and distinct Rule whereby to know either our Duty to perform it or what is prohibited that we may avoid it though we have the inward assistance of God's Spirit to enlighten our Minds and set before them on all necessary occasions and emergencies such Scripture Precepts and Prohibitions as suit with the present occasions But if the cases be of things in themselves simply indifferent i. e. neither commanded nor forbidden either by any Precepts of God or Just Precepts and Laws of our Superiors we are left to our choice according as our rational Faculties and Christian Prudence shall direct us a due regard over all being had to the Glory of God and that whatever we do be done in the Spirit of true Love and Charity which are general Rules plainly given us in the Holy Scriptures the particular application of which in all particular Cases whither in relation to Superiors Inferiors or Equals the Holy Spirit by his special Illuminations in our Hearts will teach us as we faithfully pray and wait for them without the need of any other general or particular Rules than what already are given us in the Holy Scriptures Therefore in opposition to this extravagant and rash Assertion of W. P that there are a Thousand Cases in which the Scripture cannot be our plain and distinct Rule I affirm that there is not one Case respecting our Duty either towards God our selves or our Neighbours but plain Instructions and Precepts are given us in the Holy Scriptures concerning the same but we still need the Grace and Guidance of God's Holy Spirit to give us the Spiritual discovery of them and to enable us rightly to practise them Surely David had a far better and greater esteem of God's Laws Precepts and Testimonies even as outwardly delivered by Moses and also by himself than W.P. hath concerning which he said Psal 119.24 Thy Testimonies also are my delight and my Counsellors Though David was a Prophet yet as King over the People of Israel he was commanded of God to write him a Copy of the Law of God in a Book which was to be with him and he was to Read therein all the days of his Life that he might learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of that Law and these Statutes to do them c Deut. 17.18 19 20. And yet David was highly illuminated and inspired far above W.P. or any of his Brethren but the written Law was to be the Rule of his Actions as well as of other Men. Nor could David have excused himself from taking the written Law to be the Rule of his Life because he had it in his Heart and if it could be no excuse to David nor can it be to any Christian now King or Subject that because they have the Law writ in their Hearts and the Spirit put in their inward parts according to God's promise in the New Covenant that therefore the Laws of God both of the Old and New Testament that are of a Moral concern even as outwardly delivered do not bind them which is in very deed to take away the Authority of the Holy Scriptures and make void the Prophetical and Kingly Office of Christ yea and the Office of the Holy Spirit also who inspired the Holy Pen-men to commit them to Writing And it is no less extravagant and rash in W.P. to assert that there is not laid down in Scripture any general Rule how to answer before Magistrates and to act in times of Sufferings for though no particular words are given us limiting and determining us what to say yet the general matter of our Duty is plainly laid down in Scripture what and how to answer before Magistrates as that of Peter and John Acts 4.19 How that it is better to obey God than Men and that of the three Children to King Nebuchadnezzer Dan. 3.17 18. And how to act in Times of Suffering we have both excellent commands and examples in Scripture as Mat. 10.28 1 Pet. 2.20 1 Pet. 4.16 Luke 23.34 Acts 7.59 60. But seeing he doth so peremptorily require a general Rule to suit all Cases as well as all Persons of Mankind otherwise it could not be general which yet he will have it to be what those dictates or Revelations of the Light in every Conscience are of Jews Mahometans and Christians that can give such plain directions to all Persons in all Cases which the Scripture cannot give I desire him to tell at least some of them If he doth not it is a sign he cannot and that consequently his Argument is vain for the Light or Spirit abstractly considered without all Revelation can be no Rule Section 13. His fourteenth Argument which he calls his eighth answered Page 120. AFter he has given Thirteen Reasons and all false ones enough as I think I have sufficiently shewed he comes to that he calls his eighth reason after his former Thirteen at least Why the Scriptures cannot be the Rule under the New Covenant which is this Christ the Spiritual Leader of a Spiritual Israel writeth his Spiritual Law in the Heart as Moses the outward Israel's Leader writ the Law upon Tables of Stone This was God's Promise and the priviledge and blessing of the New Covenant that as the outward Jew had an outward Law for a directory the inward Jew should have an inward Law for his directory and as the outward Jew had an outward Priest at whose Mouth be ought to seek the Law so the Jew inward and Circumcision in Spirit has an inward and Spiritual High-Priest whose Lips preserve knowledge at whose Mouth he is to receive the Law of Life The King Ruler Judge Law-giver High-Priest Law Rule are all Spiritual so the Scriptures inform us My Kingdom said Christ is not of this World Again the Kingdom of God is within Luk. 17.20 21. I will write my Law in their Hearts They shall be all taught of me Heb. 8.10 quoting Rev. 21.3 Joel 2.28 Tit. 2.11 12. Job 32.8 Rom. 1.19 And here again he falsly quotes the words Whatever may be known of God c. Gal. 5.16 1 John 1.7 Isa 2.5 Rev. 21. 23. Gal. 6.15 16. as also he quotes unduly 1 Cor. 12.7 putting a measure of the Spirit for a manifestation of the Spirit Answ 1. If the Light within be a general Rule to Mankind then the outward Israel had it as well as the inward Israel Where is then the distinction and difference betwixt the one and the other 2. If the Rule of the inward Israel be within and the High-Priest within then as the inward Israel has no Rule to be the Rule of their Faith and Life but the Light in the Conscience so they have no High-Priest
without them but only within them that is the Light in the Conscience and so there is no High-Priest without us nor no Heaven without us into which the Man Christ Jesus is gone nor King Christ without us but only within us for to say he is both without us and within us also will spoil W. P's Argument altogether and mar his Analogy betwixt the Law without under Moses and the Law within under Christ the High-Priest without then and the High-Priest within now If he grant there is a High-Priest without us and who is also King as well as Priest and that he is more without us than within us as all true Christians believe who have not the fulness within them but receive of his fulness and Grace for Grace and therefore that fulness is in the Man Christ without them he must also grant that the Law and Rule of Faith is as well without us as within us and so his Argument is spoiled but that he will be loth to grant for then the fundamental Principle of him and his Brethren is pluck'd up by the Roots by confessing to the Man Christ a High-Priest without us or King without us which will necessarily infer the Law and Rule of Faith delivered us by Christ without us is not within us only but without us also as Christ the Law-giver is Thus we see for Love of their supposed Rule of Faith only within them W.P. and his Brethren who approve his Book abandon and reject utterly any Christ High-Priest or King without them as also he has done in his Christian Quaker where he will have P. 97. The Lamb without in the Passover to shew forth the Lamb within to wit the Light in the Conscience but not the Lamb Christ without as he was outwardly slain And yet W.P. for all this hath said in his late answer to the Bishop of Cork That the Quakers differ little in Doctrine from the Church of England setting aside some School Terms And in his answer to the Bishop of Cork P. 97. he saith We i. e. he and his Brethren plainly and intirely believe the Truths contained in the Creed commonly called the Apostles Creed But possibly some fallacy is latent here also as if he had said they believe the Truths Contained in the Jews Talmud or Turks Alcoran for doubtless there are some Truths contained in them both but many Falshoods and so he may think there are in that Creed for all his seeming fair Confession to it and I offer to prove they have disbelieved them all But how this consists with their having only their High Priest King and Prophet within them as they have the Law and Rule of their Faith only within them as W.P. here doth Argue I leave to the intelligent to Judge and whither this palpable contradiction bewrayes not their great disingenuity considering that they will not grant that they are in any one point changed in their Faith or Doctrine from what they were ever since they were a People but as God and Truth is the same so his People to wit the Quakers are the same as they have in so many express words lately Printed in the Book called the Quakers Cleared c. 3. As concerning the several places of Scripture quoted by him that he brings to prove the inward Teachings of God Christ and the Holy Spirit and God's writing his Laws in the Hearts of the Faithful all this is granted by all Sound Christians but that is not the true State of the Controversie betwixt the People called Quakers and their Opponents But the true State of the Controversie is this whither the inward Teachings of God of Christ and of the Holy Spirit come to believers without all outward means and without all outward Ministry and Service of Men or Books and whither the Law and Rule of Faith that Believers have in them put in them yea and writ in their Hearts by the Lord himself is without all outward Instruction and Teaching or Service of Men or Books or whither the Law and Rule of Faith and Practise within in respect of all the peculiar Doctrines and Precepts of the Christian Religion be not so to speak a Transcript or Copy from the Law and Rule of Faith without us as delivered in the Holy Scriptures which therefore may be called the Original as to us though that Original Law and Rule without us came from an inward Original in the Holy Prophets and in the Man Christ and his Holy Evangelists and Apostles which yet had a higher Original to wit the Archetypal Law as it was in God before the Copy or Transcript of it came to be in the Prophets and from them committed to writing outwardly and from that outward writing transferred and transcribed into the Hearts of the Faithful where it becomes an inward Law or Rule in them And thus the Faithful have the Law and Rule of Faith both without them and within them first without them in the Holy Scriptures next within them put in them by the Lord in their Hearts by means of outward Instruction as Preaching Reading c. And if the Question be asked Whither is best to have it without them or within them I answer to have it both ways is very necessary for in God's ordinary way of working we cannot have it within us if we had it not first without us no more than we can have Food within us if we had it not first without us for as our outward and bodily Food that nourisheth our Bodies comes into our Bodies from without us by the Door so to speak of our Mouth so the wholsome Doctrine of eternal Salvation by Christ our Blessed Saviour and Redeemer by means of which our Souls and inward Man are nourished being accompanied with the Divine Influences of the Grace and Spirit of God and of Christ comes into our Souls by the Door of our outward Hearing and Reading in the Holy Scriptures Again though there be ever so good Food and ever so Plentiful without us yet if we receive it not within us it neither doth nor can nourish us And as the clean Beasts under the Law did chew the Cud of what they did eat for their Nourishment so the Faithful what they outwardly hear and read of God's Word in the Holy Scriptures must meditate upon inwardly for their Spiritual Food Thus the great necessity of having the Law and Word of God both without us and within us the Rule of our Faith and Life is evidently apparent so long as we live in these mortal Bodies And therefore God hath appointed and Christ hath given an outward Ministry together with his other Gifts and Graces to his Church to continue to the end of the World and to his last coming But again if it be asked Is there not an Internal word Voice or Teaching of Christ distinct from the outward word Voice and Teaching that outwardly soundeth in our outward Ears I answer There is but in God's
Light within which all Mankind had as well as the Jews but the outward Word of Doctrine delivered by the Prophets according to Psal 147.19 He shewed his Word unto Jacob c. The which external Word he calls Sect. 1. Aliud melius adminiculum i. e. another and better help which was necessary to direct us rightly to the Creator of the World comparing it with whatever other helps God had given to Mankind without them or within them which he calls Communia illa Documenta those common Documents the which external Word he saith is Rectior certior ad ipsum Cognoscendum nota i. e. a more right and more sure Mark whereby to know him which also he calls the Rule of the Eternal verity and cap. 9. Sect. 1. l. 1. inst He calleth them Nebulones i. e. Knaves and chargeth them with Nefarious Sacriledge that divide the Word to wit the external Word from the Spirit which God hath Joyned together by an inviolable Bond and in the Title of that Chapter he calleth them Fanaticks and saith They overthrow all the Principles of Piety who despising the Scripture to wit considered as the Rule flee over to Revelation pretending to be taught by the Spirit without the external Word Where it is evident he doth not mean that whoever are taught by the outward Word are sufficiently taught without the Spirit but that whoever are taught Savingly to know God as the Creator or Christ the Redeemer they are taught of the Spirit with and by the external Word as the instrument of the Spirit which he hath given to us for a Rule of Faith and Life not that it 's the Rule to the Spirit but the Rule to us of the Spirits giving and preparing and which he perswades us to be Truth by his secret operation in us And as unfair and fallacious as W.P. hath been in wresting misapplying and abusing Calvin's words to prove that he was not of another Mind than W.P. viz. That the Scriptures is not the Rule of Faith and Life he is as unfair absurd and fallacious in his quoting other late Protestant Authors as Bish Jewel Dr. Ames Dr. Owen all which are sufficiently known by their Books to be of a contrary Mind as much as one thing can be to another The Quotations indeed taken out of those Authors prove that they did assert the necessity of the Spirits inward Operation in the Souls of Men to perswade them to believe the Truth of the Scriptures and the necessity of his Internal Illumination to give the Saving understanding of them as particularly the quotation given out of J. Calvin instit lib. 1. c. 8. who gives the Sense of all those Authors and indeed of all true Christians viz. It is necessary the same Spirit that spake by the Mouth of the Prophets should pierce into our Hearts to perswade us that they faithfully delivered that which was committed to them of God which he illustrates by the word Obsignare elsewhere in that Book that is by Sealing to the truth of them but this does not prove that this inward Obsignation of the Spirit is the Rule of Faith even in Calvin's sense or that the Scripture was not that Rule Page 36 It 's strange that W.P. should bring a proof against the Lawfulness of Swearing from the Conviction of the Light within some Jews long before Christ came to wit the Esseni that when the Scriptures of the Old Testament made it lawful to Swear in some Cases if W.P. believes that the Spirit of God did Dictate these Scriptures that the same Spirit in the Esseni should teach them that it was unlawful even while the Mosaical dispensation was yet standing But how proves he that the Esseni did think Swearing unlawful from a Conviction of the Light within them when others of the most faithful of the Jews both then and before that time did Judge Swearing Lawful and that from the declared and revealed Will of God in the Old Testament that came from the Light within in Moses and the Prophets that was in force until Christ suffered as to all the other parts of it If he will allow that the eternal Precepts of the Spirit in the Conscience command one thing to some and the quite contradictory to another surely at this rate the Light within must be a very uncertain Rule for by this Concession one may take the liberty to say his Light within commands him to Kill to Steal to commit Adultery though the same Light in another forbids it I had thought that by the Eterprecepts in the Conscience W.P. had meant those unchangeable Precepts and Laws of Justice and Temperance c which in all Ages have been the same to all Men and will ever be the same to all so long as the World lasteth But now it seems even the Precepts of Light within are not Eternal but Temporal and may be changed and one may be commanded to Swear or permitted without Sin to Swear and another forbidden But there are two things that W.P. in his instance of the Esseni that would not Swear which he quotes out of Josephus and Philo. That they shun Oaths worse than Perjury for they esteem him Condemned for a Lyer who without it is not believed should prove neither of which he hath done First That they held it Unlawful in any Case to Swear even when called before Authority for it may rather be thought it was common Swearing they were against a thing that was too ordinary among the Jews seeing the Law did allow Swearing in a Judicial way Levit. 5. that was then in force Secondly Suppose they were against all Swearing that they had this from the Light within them it is much more probable it was an erronious Opinion in them which could not proceed from the Light within otherwise it had contradicted the standing Law of God without then in force which not only allowed Swearing but commanded it upon necessary Occasions And as idle and impertinent are his Instances of Pythagoras the Scythians in King Alexander's time and Clinias all which lived some hundreds of Years before Christ came in the Flesh Now if Swearing was lawful by the Law of God among the Jews in those Ages How can we suppose it unlawful among the Gentiles since I know not one Instance can be given that the Light in any Gentile did condemn what the Light within or Law of God without in the Jews did justifie for this were to set Light against Light It 's nothing to the purpose if some in these ancient Times were against Swearing but the Question is Whither it was the Light in them that taught them so or rather whither it was not an erronious Opinion like that of not eating Flesh said to be taught also by Pythagoras was that thinks W.P. from the Light within If so How does the Light in him allow him to eat it and to take his liberty in diverse things that the Severity of Pythagoras's Doctrine did not
observed in his Book giving his Reasons and Arguments That the Scripture is not the Rule of Faith and Life but the Light in every Conscience and having shewn the Weakness yea the Falsity of them I thought it not necessary to take notice of his Enlargements and Amplifications on his several Arguments but answer to the Argument it self wherein its strength seemed to lye I shall be brief in my Examination and answer to his second part to wit concerning the Judge of Controversie for because it hath such a necessary Connexion with the former the former being clearly discussed the latter will easily be determined Page 39. He gives us his explanation what he means by these Terms Judge and Controversie A Judge saith he is one that has not only power to determine but discerning to do it rightly Controversie is a debate between two parties about the Truth or Falshood to be determined by that Judge But as he wrongly stated the Question in the first part about the Rule so here he is very short in stating the Controversie about the Judge It is without all Question among all that own that there is one great God Almighty that he is the Great and Supreme Judge of what is Truth and what is not universally and that most perfectly and infallibly and all that believe in Christ and in the Holy Spirit do own that Christ and the Holy Spirit together with the Father are that Supreme Judge as they are one and the same Supreme God and not only so but all true Christians own that Christ as the Son of Man has all Judgment committed to him and is both Head and Judge in his Church Now that wherein W.P. is short in stating the Question here is that he doth not assign the true Rule whereby the Judge to wit God Christ and the Spirit doth give forth a definitive Judgment to be understood and received by the Members of the Church of Christ Neither God nor Christ nor the Holy Spirit need the Scripture to give a Judgment as to themselves their knowledge of what is Truth and what is not so is wholly independent from the Scripture but the Question is to be thus stated What Rule Standard or Measure God Christ and the Spirit has given to the faithful in particular and to the whole Church in general since the Doctrine of the true Faith was committed to writing whereby they may understand and know the true Judgment and determination of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit the Supreme Judge of Controversie True it is that the Law-giver is the best interpreter of any point that may concern his own Law and therefore as God is the Law-maker so he is the Supreme Judge and Interpreter of his Law But as an Earthly Law-giver suppose an Earthly King with the consent of the great Counsel of the Nation gives forth his Laws to his Subjects if any Controversie arise about the true sense of those Laws the King and his Counsel that made those Laws is to determine the Controversie by the Laws themselves one part of the Law serving as a Key to open what is hard to be understood in another part of it Thus it is in this Nation and commonly in all Nations for the Law is supposed to be such a perfect Law Intire and Compleat that the Sense of it needs not be given by giving forth any new Law to give the sense of the former nor ought any Subject to presume to give his private Interpretation of the Law by any private Gloss or Sense which he cannot demonstrate from the Law it self and as it 's thus as to the Laws of Men how much more is it so as to the Laws of God The Laws of Men indeed receive frequently new Additions and Alterations and yet this cannot be done but by Publick Authority But the Law and Rule of Faith and Life that God has given to the Faithful and to his Church now under the New Testament is so full perfect and comprehensive that is fully Sufficient without any Addition and if it can be supposed that it may please God to give forth any new Laws to his Church it must be allowed that there must be the same Evidence and ground of receiving them to be such as was given for the Old Testament by Moses and for the New Testament by Christ Now had W.P. fairly stated the question he should have stated it thus Whither the Spirit of Christ whose Judgment and Determination is all one with that of Christ and the Father doth give his Judgment to the Church and the Members of it by any other Law or Rule Measure or Standard than what is already to be-found in the Holy Scriptures whether relating to Articles of Faith or positive Precepts of revealed and instituted Religion by Christ and his Apostles in the New Testament Or whither the Spirit gives this Judgment not by the Doctrines and Precepts contained in the Scriptures but by the common discoveries and Dictates of the Light within every Man's Conscience which are commonly the same and of the same extent in all Mankind be they Jews and Mahometans and Painims abroad or Deists at home here in England or elsewhere Or lastly whither by any new particular Discoveries Revelations or Dictates and new Precepts of the Spirit not formerly given either to Mankind in general or to the Church in particular To the first all sound Christians agree The Second is the sence of W.P. and those of his Brethren of the Second Days Meeting that have approved his Book The third is the sence of some of the chief Teachers and Leaders that first arose among the Quakers that did affirm they had new Commands given from the Spirit by immediat Revelation from Heaven some of which are neither the common Dictates of the Light in every Conscience of Mankind nor to be found in the Scriptures either expresly or by any necessary consequence from them And indeed the first Teachers and Leaders amongst that People did not think it worth while to prove their Doctrine or warrant their Interpretations by consequences from Scripture but the general proof was This is the Word of the Lord unto you for G.F. see his Journal plainly told that when he first came forth he was commanded of God to say thee and thou to every Man to whom he spoke and not to put off his Hat to any Also the setting up of Womens Government in their Meetings distinct from the Men by the more devout sort who did think and still think that G.F. was a Prophet as immediately sent as Moses or any other is Judged to have been by a Divine Authority and Power in G.F. without any dependance on Scripture Rule or seeking to fish it by consequence from Scripture And pray what need is there to bring Scripture proof for any thing that Men either believe or practise either by consequence or express words seeing that is not the Rule of either Faith or practise but
the Light in every Conscience as W.P. saith here in this Book or some New Revelation or discovery that neither Jews nor Turks nor other Deists have nor all Christendom but only and alone the People called Quakers But if these new Revelations be their Rule in the Case it quite overturns W. P's Fabrick of setting up a general Rule of Faith and Life in every Man's Conscience For a new Revelation that only one part of Mankind hath cannot be a general Rule W.P. makes not the Light within which he will have to be the Spirit or God himself or Christ in every Man abstractly considered from the inward discoveries Dictates and Precepts there delivered to be the general Rule which he calls the Eternal Precepts of the Spirit in the Conscience and the Noble precepts writ in Man's Heart Phrases that he has borrowed from some Heathen writers as Pythagoras and Sophocles and which are to be owned in their place to be such and to be a general Rule of Moral Justice and Temperance as is above owned but not either the general Rule of the Christian Religion with respect to its peculiar Doctrines and Precepts nor indeed so much as any Rule at all in that state nor indeed is it at all proper to call the Spirit the Rule in his Sense but rather the Dictates and discoveries of the Spirit which W.P. calls sometimes Revelation to wit Internal and the Internal Testimony of the Spirit Eternal Precepts and noble Laws writ in all Men's Hearts for the Spirit abstractly considered from all Internal and External discovery Revelation and Testimony teacheth Men nothing at all and therefore can be no Rule to them as such And seeing W.P. hath cast away the Holy Scriptures from being the Rule of Faith and Practise even to us Christians that is all and every one of the peculiar Doctrines and Precepts of Christianity that are to be sure no part of those Eternal Precepts and Laws writ in all Mens Consciences not one of them nor all of those peculiar Doctrines and Precepts are so much as a part of the Christians Rule of Faith and Life for if it were then the Christians the Deists the Mahometans and Infidel Jews should not have one general Rule of Faith and Life which he contends for Page 41. He proposeth an Objection and pretends to solve it Obj. But is not the Scripture the Judge of Controversie He should rather have made the Objection run thus Is not the Scripture the Rule whereby the Spirit of Truth who is properly the Judge doth by his inward ordinary illumination in the Faithful determine the Controversie in all the necessary things of Salvation Yea and also in many other things though not absolutely necessary yet very profitable He Answers How can that be since the Question most times arises about the meaning of Scripture I reply yet still the Scripture is the proper Rule to determine the Controversie even when the question ariseth about the meaning of the Scripture because what seemeth obscure in some places of Scripture are opened and made plain by other plain places of Scripture treating on the same Subject that are as a Key to open them with out any other Rule than the Scripture it self only there is need of the Spirits Internal Illumination and assistance to help us to use that Key especially in reference to the saving knowledge of them He proceeds in his answer to the Objection saying Is there any place to wit in Scripture tells us without Interpretation whither the Socinian or Trinitarian be in the right in their differing Apprehensions of the Three that bear record c. Also the Homousian and Arian about Christ's Divinity or the Papists or Protestants about Transubstantiation If then things are left undefin'd and undetermined I mean literally and expresly in the Scripture and that the Question arises about the Sense of words Doth the Scripture determine which of these Interpreters hit the mark From all which he concludes that not the Scripture but the Interpretation must decide the Matter in Controversie and that Interpretation must be given from the Spirit of God to be a true and infallible Interpretation Answ Seeing that Interpretation according to W.P. cannot be given from the Spirit without an extraordinary Revelation the things in Controversie being such according to W. P's Phrase and Confession P. 31. as fall not within the ordinary Discoveries that are absolutely necessary to Man's Salvation and that W.P. also grants that he and his Brethren have no such extraordinary Revelation for it is not needful being none of the absolute Necessaries to our Salvation P. 33. It evidently follows that neither W.P. nor any of his Brethren nor indeed any other Men now living whatsoever have any certainty whither the Socinian or Trinitarian be in the right that is whither Christ is God and whither Christ had any Existence before Mary and whither Christ be in any of the Faithful yea or nay yea W.P. hath no certainty of this Fundamental Principle that Christ is in him or in any of his Brethren the great reason of their Assertion that Christ is in them being that Christ is God so that if it be not certain from Scripture that Christ is God and if the Socinian Doctrine should prove true that Christ is only a Man it will evidently follow as I think W.P. will grant that it is utterly false that Christ is in any Men whatsoever and that that Light that is in Men even the most Faithful is not Christ for how can that which is only a meer Man and a meer Creature as the Socinians say that Christ only is be in all Men. Again If it cannot be determined from Scripture without extraordinary Revelation which W.P. grants neither he nor his Brethren have as touching these Matters whither the Arians or the Homonsians be in the right it evidently followeth that neither W.P. nor his Brethren are certain whither the word mentioned John 1.1 be any other than a meer Creature and consequently they are not certain but that they themselves are Idolaters who give any Divine Worship to Christ as he is that Word Also if it be not certain from Scripture whither the Papists or Protestants be in the right about Transubstantiation without extraordinary Revelation according to W. P's way of arguing If the Papists should happen to be in the right and W.P. by his Confession knoweth nothing to the contrary but that they are he and his Brethren should be guilty of horrid Contempt and Blasphemy to call that which is the Body of Christ nothing but Bread And is not this Assertion of W.P. a fair Inlet to Popery that the Scripture doth not determine expresly without Interpretation and that Interpretation cannot be had without new Revelation whither the Papists Doctrine of Transubstantiation be true So that to him at present it is a Matter of Indifferency and if W.P. should turn Papist or suppose him to be one when he declares himself he
another Rule of Faith and Life than what is the true Rule indeed If he persist in so doing he will not only bring his own Blood upon himself but the Blood of many others that are and may be mislead by him And whether he will yet better consider it or not which I heartily wish and pray that God would be pleased to open his Eyes and give him Repentance and a better Understanding It is a plain Case That the true Knowledge of the true Rule of Faith and Life is very necessary yea so necessary that the Danger for want of it is Perishing or Destruction Yet I mean not that every Error in Circumstance about the true Rule is of that Danger or that some loose and indeliberate Expressions that some have used in Preaching or Printing while their Meaning hath been more sound than their Words even about the RULE are of that Consequence It hath happened to some well-meaning People as it had happened to my self that they and I have both spoke and writ unadvisedly As in some other Matters so in this running along or rather being carried along with the Stream of some of the ancient Friends so called of the Ministry in asserting both in Speech and Print too frequently that the Spirit within meaning the inward Evidence of the Spirit as touching the great Matters of the Christian Faith and Practise was the principal Rule of Faith and Life wherein I acknowledge my Error and great Mistake and do here particularly retract it notwithstanding the general Retractation I have lately made in my late Book called G. K ' s Explications and Retractations But tho' I was then in an Error and under a great Mistake in my way of wording the Matter and darkned too much and clouded in my Understanding in that very Point yet I crave leave of my Reader to shew that even then my Error was not Fundamental nor such as this is of W. Penn's and his Brethren whose Error in the Case has carried them to plain Deism My Mistake chiefly consisted in this in confounding the Term Rule of Faith with the Term Inward objective Medium which I ought to have distinguished for the Rule of Faith is not properly speaking that formal object of Faith called by some Objectum formale quo or objective Medium and Motive of Credibility but the material Objects of Faith to wit all the Credenda or things in Scripture that ought to be believed are the Rule of Faith And therefore instead of saying the Spirits inward Evidence and Testimony was the Rule of Faith and principal Rule I should have said it was the principal objective Medium of Credibility Which as I then did believe and assert so I do still and hope never to retract it And therefore while I continue adhering to this Perswasion I remain as to the main the same I was in my Judgment as when I wrote my former Books touching these Matters my chief Bent and Zeal being against that which I judged a very Erronious Opinion and Hurtful held by some counted Learned Men and which I judge still that so it is to wit That the inward Evidence of the Spirit in the Souls of the Faithful to the Truths of the Christian Religion is only Effective and not Objective and I pleaded warmly that the Spirits inward Evidence otherwise called Testimony Witness Inspiration Illumination or Operation in the Souls of the Faithful is not only Effective but Objective also to wit by way of formal Object or objective Medium and Motive of Credibility And this I reckoned then and do still the greatest Certainty and Assurance that the Scriptures are of Divine Authority and infallibly true wherein I knew and still know I had the best Protestant Authors both for Piety and solid Learning on my side as also my Feeling and Experience to the Praise of God's Grace I say it in the Case hath confirmed me though I know some called Learned Men who have more of that called Divinity Learning in their Heads than in their Hearts do contradict it yea to a Degree of Ridiculing it under the Name of Fanaticism and Enthusiasm not well regarding the Authority of their worthy and judicious Ancestors who in the Articles of the Church have expresly mentioned the Feeling of the Holy Ghost in his Operations and Motions But I erred in calling this either inward Feeling or the Object of it the principal Rule for properly and rightly speaking it is not the Rule of Faith but the principal Motive of Credibility That which is only strictly and properly speaking the Rule of the Christian Faith is the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures especially respecting the great Fundamentals and Essentials thereof To give a preference to the inward Operation of the Spirit and his writing his Law in the Heart to the same Law as writ on leaves of Paper and to the experimental part of Christianity above all that can be outwardly told or heard or read I think no true Christian will deny but when it is askâ—d which is the greater Rule the Inward or the Outward they compare things that are not to be compared that cannot be said to be either the greater Rule or the lesser which is properly speaking no Rule at all but the moving or impulsive Cause that moves and inclines me to take the Holy Scriptures to be my Rule being infallibly true and of Divine Authority And whoever be yet in the same Mistake and Error that I then was in God forbid that I should judge so uncharitably of them as to conclude they err Fundamentally for want of not giving right Names to things or not having so clear inward Idea's and Conceptions of them when as to the main they mean well I am bold to appeal to my Books from first to last whither according to the Strain and Intent in all that I have Printed on that Subject I have not always acknowledged that the Doctrine of Christ Crucified and Remission of Sin by his Blood and other Doctrinal Principles of Christianity were absolutely necessary to be believed by us for our Eternal Salvation And that the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures as outwardly conveighed to us by Preaching or Reading is the ordinary Means whereby God works Faith and Conversion and Regeneration in them that shall be Saved And that therefore so long as we live we are not to lay aside either that or any outward means of Grace and Salvation that God has afforded And how far I have formerly denied that the Scripture was the Rule of Faith I meant that as it was not the Letter or Writing so nor the Doctrine as simply and wholly limited and confined to the Letter As if it should happen by Divine Providence that a Person or Company of Persons should have the Holy Bible by Violence taken from them or not have it in any Language they can understand that therefore they are not in a possible State of Salvation For though in God's ordinary way the
Word and Doctrine doth not depend on the Church nor is built on the Church but the Church depends on it and is built thereupon Eph. 2.20 Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone and great Foundation of both Section 7. The Rule of the Christian Faith must be a Doctrine which sets before our Minds all the Credenda or things necessary to be believed in certain Propositions concerning which the Mind of Man can give a Judgment Affirmative or Negative AGain that the Doctrine is the most perfect Rule being compared with the new Creature or work of Sanctification is evident because so far a Man is said to be the more sanctified and redeemed the more that his Faith Love Hope Humility Patience Temperance Justice and other Virtues comes up to a Conformity to the precepts of God and Christ faithfully declared to us in the Holy Scriptures And notwithstanding the high pretentions of some among the People called Quakers to perfection yet I appeal to W. P's Conscience if he can or dare say or think that his Sanctity or Virtues come up to a full Conformity to the Holy precepts delivered in the Holy Scripture Is his Faith as great as the Doctrine given us in the Holy Scripture requires it to be Is his Love as perfect perfect and compleat Is his Meekness Patience and Humility Justice Temperance and Piety equal to the heighth breadth depth and length of all God's Commands even as outwardly delivered in the Holy Scriptures I trust he hath so much discretion as to say nay then let him not exalt his Sanctity or Work of the New Creature wrought in him above the Sanctity of the Holy Doctrine and precepts of God and Christ contained in the Holy Scripture making his Sanctity or New Creature in him superior or primary Rule to the Doctrine but let the Doctrine have its due place to be a superior and primary Rule to his Sanctity or work of the New Creature wrought in him let his Faith and Love and other Virtues if he hath them be Ruled by the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures and subjected thereunto but let not the Doctrine be subjected unto his Faith and Virtues which are far inferior to the Purity Spirituality and Holiness of the Doctrine But if he will say the New Creature in him is the greatest and highest and most perfect Rule whereby to square his Faith and Life it followeth that he is arrived at the highest pitch of Holiness for what can be beyond or above the highest and most perfect Rule of Sanctity But again the greatest Sanctity that is possible of Men or Angels simply considered could not have given the knowledge of Christ's Incarnation and of our Redemption by him without a divine Revelation therefore the Sanctity or New Creature in the Holiest of Men could not be to them a Rule of Faith as touching these Mysteries If he will say there is a higher and more perfect Rule of Sanctity than the New Creature wrought in him let him tell us what it is if not the Doctrine delivered in the Holy Scriptures the Laws Precepts and Commandments delivered there If he say the Light within or Christ and the Spirit within is that highest and most perfect Rule of Sanctity To this I answer The Spirit or Light within abstractly considered cannot be properly a Rule I say abstractly considered from the Doctrines and Precepts delivered by the Spirit whither internally without any external Medium or externally by some external Meidum Nothing properly can be a Rule of Christian Faith as in respect of the peculiar Doctrines of the Christian Religion but that Doctrine which sets before our Minds certain propositions of Truth to which the Mind can and ought to assent from sufficient Motives of Credibility which W.P. from his own definition of Faith must allow For he defines Faith Page 4. to be an assent of the Mind in such manner to the discoveries made of God thereto as to resign up to God and have dependance on him as the great Creator and Saviour of his People Where Note that he wholly passeth by Christ Considered as God-Man from being concerned in the object of Faith and so his Faith is no other but the Faith of a meer Deist Now seeing he defines Faith to be an assent of the Mind to certain discoveries made of God thereto c. These discoveries must be certain propositions set before the Mind in some form of Words mentally conceived and apprehended for the Nature of the Mind or intellect of Man is such that it cannot Judge what is true or false but as the truth is set before it in certain propositions consistng of Words at least internally conceived and apprehended for the assent of the Mind is a Judgment of the Mind formed whereby it Judgeth this or that to be true and if it be a true Judgment it must have some proposition consisting of words concerning which it is enabled either to affirm or deny what is really true as the Mind cannot assent to this great truth that God is not a Body but by a negative proposition consisting of some words which is a negative Judgment nor can it assent to this other proposition that God is a Spirit but by an affirmative proposition consisting of some words at least Internally conceived called by some Idea's which is an affirmative Judgment and therefore so far as Faith is an act of the intellect and an assent of the Mind it must needs have some Words at least internally proposed to it whereby it is capable to give an assent to the Truth of what it Judgeth and seeing in matters purely of Faith the Mind is not capable of giving an assent to the truth of them without some sufficient motives of Credibility as that they are given of God who is a God of Truth and cannot lye nor deceive From these Considerations it is evident that as there can be no assent of the Mind or intellect without words or Idea's so there can be no Faith without them and consequently that the Rule of Faith must be certain propositions consisting of words and sentences such as God delivered to the Prophets and which are recorded in Scriptures such are That the Word was made Flesh that a Virgin should Conceive and Bare a Son and that Son should be the Saviour of the World that by his Death he should reconcile us unto God That he should rise again from the Dead on the Third Day and ascend into Heaven and that he should there remain appearing in the presence of God for us our mighty Advocate and Intercessor until he come again to Judge the Quick and the Dead c. How can the Mind of Man assent to these great Truths without words at least Internally conceived if he cannot as every intelligent Person must acknowledge then those very words as they lye in a certain series and order of propositions are the Rule of his Faith But seeing these words have no
the Material object of it so nor is the Spirits Internal Illumination Inspiration and Revelation the Rule of Interpretation of Scripture but that which enlightens the understanding and opens the Spiritual Eyes of the Mind to understand the Scripture or so much of it at least as contain the fundamental Doctrines of Christianity and beget a Saving Sanctifying and Savoury knowledge of them without any other Rule than the Scripture it self for as when our Eyes are opened and receive outward Light to see an object we need no new object whereby to see the Object proposed but that our sight be strengthned and enlightned so in receiving a Spiritual Understanding of Scripture truths we need no other Rule either outward or inward but the Scripture it self only we need the Spirits inward Illumination Inspiration and Revelation to assist and help us to a Saving Understanding of them by way of an objective Medium Section 10. His seventh Argument against the Scripture being the Rule of Faith from his arguing That they are obscure and have not the Method of a Rule Answered Page 10. Arg. 7. ANother Reason he gives which he calls his Third Reason is From the obscurity of them that they are not plain but to the Spiritual Man they seem not in their own Nature and frame to have been compiled and deliver'd as the general Rule and intire Body of Faith but rather Written upon particular occasions and emergencies the Doctrines are scattered throughout the Scriptures insomuch that those Societies who have given forth verbal Confessions of their Faith have been necessitated to toss them to and fro search here and search there to lay down this or the other Principle Besides here they are Proper there Metaphorical in one place literally in another Mystically to be accepted And after diverse other words of Complaint against their being the Rule he concludes Thus Peter said of Paul's Writings that in many things they were hard to be understood therefore not such a Rule which ought to be Plain Proper and Intelligible Answ Reader What think'st thou of this sort of Language in derogation from the Holy Scriptures What if I should say of W. P's and all his Brethrens Writings what he here saith of the Scriptures That they are neither Plain Proper nor Intelligible would he not account that saying a derogation from them If this be not to prefer the Friends Writings to the Scriptures in these Mens esteem let the impartial Judge most of which have the advantage above the Scriptures by his arguing The Scriptures were Writ upon particular occasions but some of their Books at least designedly Writ in the Scriptures the Doctrines are scattered here and there but in W. P's and G. W's Books the Doctrines and Principles are in excellent Order and lye together Paul's Writings in many things are hard to be understood and beside they were originally Writ in Greek which many understand not and we have not the Autographa but Copies and of these great variety and difference as he argueth against the certainty of the Scriptures upon the foundation of all others that are not one with them in making the Spirit the Rule of Faith P. 23. But we have the Autographa or at least the first Printed Copies of G.W. and W.P. without any variation or difference in matter and which is a great advantage their Writings are the Dictates of the Holy Ghost originally in English whereas we have nothing of the Scriptures originally in English but the whole is a Translation very imperfect and differing from other Translations both of English and other Languages and which is best the unlearned know not at all and even the learned many times are not certain all which give the advantage by very far to the Writings of the Friends above the Scriptures upon the supposition that they are the immediate Dictates of the Holy Ghost as these Men do not suppose but positively affirm many of them to be especially such as they say are given forth from the Spirit of Truth But suppose divers parts of the Scripture were writ upon particular occasions and emergencies as to Men yet many other parts were writ designedly and intentionally for general instruction to all the faithful and these so writ contain all the essentials and fundamentals of Christian Faith and Practice and even these writ upon particular occasions and emergencies seemingly to Men accidental or occasional yet with respect to God were designed by him for a general good without whose wise and all-ruling provividence nothing can happen What seemed more occasional than Joseph's being sold into Egypt yet God Almighty had a glorious design in it though he was neither the Author nor Approver of their Envy who sold him But is it any prejudice against the Scriptures being the Rule that they must be searched to find out the Doctrines contained in them Or that some places are hard to be understood though all the fundamental Doctrines necessary to Salvation are sufficiently plain to all the Faithful who are Spiritually enlightned to understand them Do not the like Objections as much and rather much more lye against the Light within all Men being the Rule of Faith and Life For excepting the common Principles of Moral Justice and Temperance all other things relating either to Faith or Life with respect to the peculiar Doctrines and Precepts of the Christian Religion are not to be found at all in the Light within every Man abstractly and by it self considered Otherwise if W.P. think's they are let him tell me what one peculiar Doctrine of Christian Religion or peculiar Precept of it distinct from Deism or Gentile Religion has the Light within him taught him If he say to believe that there is one great God Almighty that Commands him to be Honest Just and Temperate I say these are not peculiar Doctrines and Precepts of Christianity but common to it with Deism And if he hath no other Principles or Precepts taught him by the Light within but what every Deist Mahometan or Jew who are Enemies to the Christian Faith have then let him speak out yet more plainly though I think he has spoke very plain already If the Light within him has taught him any other Principles or Precepts than what Deists Jews and Mahometans have let him tell us that he may convince us that the Light within every Man is the Rule of Faith and not the Scriptures without but let him not only tell us so but give us some effectual Reason to convince any ratinal Man that the Light within him only has taught him that peculiar Principle and Precept of Christian Religion without the Scriptures being so much as Instrumental in his being so taught For all Orthodox Christians by affirming the Scriptures to be the Rule they give no more to the Scriptures but to be the Instrument of the Spirit in giving all Saving knowledge and Faith of Divine Truth and if he allow them in God's ordinary way to be the
ordinary way it works in the Faithful accompanying the outward word and by means thereof the which inward word Voice and Teaching properly and strictly speaking is not any singular new or differing Form of words but rather a Divine Power Light and Life quickning enlightning and strengthning the Understanding and Heart of Man Spiritually and Savingly to understand the Divine Doctrines and Mysteries of the Christian Faith outwardly delivered in the Holy Scriptures and not only so but giving the Souls of the Faithful at times a Divine Sense Sight and Taste of God's Divine Power Love and Life called in Scripture A tasting of the heavenly Gift and of the good Word of God and of the powers of the World to come which Sight Sense and Taste and Spiritual Feeling is indeed beyond all that can be either uttered with the Mouth heard with the Ear or conceived in the Mind in or by any Form of words as the outward Sight Sense Taste and Feeling of outward delightful Objects is beyond all words and report of them as the Scripture saith Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor hath it entred into the Heart to conceive the good things that God hath prepared for them that love him But as saith the Apostle Paul God hath revealed them to us to wit to the Faithful by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Isaiah 64.4 viz. in an earnest and first Fruits the Harvest and full Fruition being reserved for the future State And here again if it be asked what is the Rule whereby to know surely the true Divine Enjoyment as above described from the false and counterfeit that may be nothing other than Satan's Transformings I answer It is improper in this Case to ask what is the Rule of Faith or Practise because this high Divine Enjoyment is properly speaking neither an Act of Faith nor Practise though it is a proper Consequent and Concomitant of sound Faith and godly and virtuous Practise for as in the exercise of the outward Sight Hearing and Taste no Form of words can be a Rule to a Man to teach him how to See Hear or Taste but the sound Disposition of the Organs of those Senses and the due Application of the Objects is all that is requisite to enable a Man to know what he certainly Sees Hears and Tasts so when the Spiritual Senses of the Soul are awakened by the quickning Power of God and the Mind fitly and duly disposed whatever Divine and Spiritual Objects are presented to that Soul and Mind it naturally and necessarily apprehends them by its Spiritual Senses which are as it were the Spiritual Organs of the Inward and Spiritual Man the best and fittest Disposition of the Soul and Mind making it capable for such Divine Enjoyment is Internal Purity of Heart as our Saviour hath taught us saying Blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see God that is always accompanied with a sound Faith grounded upon the sound and wholsome Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures And though no Form of words can be a Rule a Priori whereby to discern true Enjoyments from false and counterfeit yet a Posteriori that is by the Consequents and Effects they may soon and quickly be discerned if duly examined by the infallible Rule of Faith and Life laid down in the Scriptures even as a Posteriori or consequentially a Man may know whither what he apprehends he seeth heareth or tasteth outwardly be real or imaginary Section 14. Diverse places of Scripture explained and rescued from his Corrupt Glosses and Interpretations BUT before I finish my Answer to this his last Argument I think fit to take notice how he has perverted misconstrued and misapplied all and every one of the places of Scripture above recited out of his Page 21 to prove that the Light in every Man's Conscience is the Rule of Faith and Life to every Man and that without any necessary super-addition without or within Men be they Jews Mahometans Infidels Christians they have all but one and the same Rule of Faith and Life as they have one and the same Creator For indeed not one of these places are to be understood as with respect to that part of Mankind that lived or now live in pure Heathenism or Gentilism but such as were or are professed Members of God's Church as the Jews were when our Saviour was bodily present on Earth and as the Christians were and now are excepting that one place Rom. 1.19 which as I have above noted he falsly quotes rendring it Whatsoever may be known of God which as the English Translation doth not so word nor doth the Greek bear it and the Falseness of it I have above described as for the saying of our Saviour My Kingdom is not of this World which is the first of those Quotations above given Can it be supposed that by his Kingdom there he meant nothing but the Light in every Man's Conscience he offers not the least proof of it the Kingdom of God and of Christ in Scripture otherwise called the Kingdom of Heaven hath diverse significations sometimes it signifies his Church that is called a Kingdom of Priests sometimes his Rule and Government in and over his Church by his Laws and Precepts and Power of his Spirit and manifold Gifts and Graces and sometimes the Gospel with the Blessings thereof that is the Doctrine of the Gospel as where Christ said to the Jews The Kingdom should be taken from them Matt. 21.43 as hath been accordingly fulfilled though still they have the common Illumination of the Light within them and sometimes it signifieth his Kingdom of Glory in the future State after Death This next Quotation is out of Luke 17.20 21. The Kingdom of God is within you which also he falsly quotes leaving out the word you so making it universal to serve his Design for a Proof that the Light in every Mans Conscience is that which is meant by Christ in this place the Kingdom of God I grant God has an universal providential Kingdom in and over all his Creatures and more particularly in and over all Mankind according to Psal 103.19 and his Kingdom ruleth over all or in all and that his providential Kingdom among Men is administred in great part by means of the common Illumination in and over all Men but the Kingdom as it is here understood Luke 17.20 21. is not his providential Kingdom but a new Administration of the Gospel that many were looking for and expecting which made the Pharisees ask when the Kingdom of God should come surely as they meant not to ask when his providential Kingdom should come or when should Men begin to have something to reprove or convince them for common Sins in their Conscience nor did Christ mean it so but of some more excellent Dispensation by his Doctrine and Preaching which the Pharisees had heard as well as others and therefore it might well be said to be not only among them as some translate it but
the Spirit has given them of their Truth much or indeed most of all this is again denyed by W.P. telling us in answer to that Objection Page 32. This Light you speak of could not tell you which way Sin came into the World that there was an Adam and Eve that they fell after that manner and that Sin so entred the World that Christ was born of a Virgin suffered Death and rose again c. He roundly answereth that inasmuch as an account of those things hath been already revealed and is extant therefore any new Revelation of such things is not needed I answer How not needed and yet certain to you upon the Spirits inward Evidence and Testimony and to none but you and such as you who pretend to the same Revelations with the Prophets and Apostles However seeing he grants he and his Brethren have no Revelation from the Light within them That Christ was born of a Virgin suffered Death and rose again therefore he must needs confess all these things concerning Christs Birth Death Resurrection are uncertain to them and so no matters of their Faith And then seeing other Christians believe these things upon an inward Evidence and Testimony of the Spirit though not by the same Revelation in Kind or Specie with that of the Prophets and Apostles yet by way of Seal to the truth of them as above explained the proper consequence of which is this that all these great things recorded in Scripture concerning Christ's birth of a Virgin his having dyed for our Sins his Resurrection Ascension and Intercession for us in Heaven are altogether uncertain upon the Quakers foundation because as W.P. confesseth not inwardly revealed to them which yet are certain upon the foundation of all true Christians to wit the inward Testimony and Evidence of the Spirit by way of sealing to the Truth of them as by an objective medium as above explained But why are not these things concerning Christ's Birth Death revealed to the Quakers by W. P's confession Why because they are not necessary to be believed they are none of the Eternal Precepts of the Spirit in the Consciences of all Men Teaching some few things of owning a great God Almighty and some few moral Principles of Temperance and Justice as doing as we would be done by this is the Quakers Evangelium Eternum their everlasting Gospel whatever is more is unnecessary and Superfluous Page 32. He saith To say the Light or Spirit could not do it viz. reveal that Christ was born of a Virgin suffered Death and rose again c. is blasphemous as well as absurd Answ I know none that saith the Spirit or God and Christ considered as the Light could not do it but that 's not the Question what the Spirit could do or what the Light within taking it in the highest Sense as to signifie the divine Word could or can do but the proper state of the question is whither the Spirit or Light within hath given generally any such Revelation of these things which if he hath not given and that to all Men then to be sure even by W. P's confession such Revelation is no part of the Rule of Faith for it is not what God who is Light or the Spirit can reveal but what he hath revealed that is the Rule of Faith and doth ordinarily reveal And seeing the Quakers as W.P. hath granted have no inward Revelation of these things viz. That Christ was born of a Virgin c. It is no part of their Faith or Creed for the Rule of their Faith hath not taught it them If any have said the Light within every man cannot reveal these things they do not mean by the Light within either Christ or the Spirit but that common Illumination that is in all Men that is neither Christ nor the Spirit but yet is a gift of Christ and of the Spirit Section 17. His Proofs out of the Fathers and Primitive Protestants for the Spirits being the Rule of Faith all Fallacious An Instance of Calvin quoted by him in some Passage of his Institutions expresly to the contrary Whither the Esseni Pythagoras Clinias and the Scythians before our Saviour's Incarnation thought Swearing unlawful from the Light within AS for these many Authors some Fathers and other late Protestant Authors that he quotes in confirmation of his Assertion viz. That the Scripture is not the Rule of Faith and Life but the Light in every Conscience none of all these quotations which I have diligently read and considered say any such thing viz. That the Scriptures are not the Rule of Faith and Life or that the Light in every Conscience is that Rule Either he is very ignorant and unacquainted in Calvin and Beza's wriings and other Protestants or very unfair to quote them when he cannot but know in his Conscience if he be acquainted with them that all those Protestant Authors did Zeolously contend that the Scripture was the Rule of Faith and Life and though they did Zealously assert the necessity of the Spirits Internal Evidence and Testimony to Seal to the Truth of the Scripture and give the understanding of it yet none of them all that he has quoted say or hold that the Spirit or Light in every Conscience is the Rule of Faith and Life I rememno such Doctrine taught by them and yet I suppose I know their Doctrine as well as he and were it needful I could produce sufficient Testimonies from their Books that he has manifestly wronged them but he who takes so great liberty to wrest the Scriptures no wonder if he make bold to do the same with these Mens Writings His Quotation out of Calvin is this Inst Lib. 1. Cap. 8. It is necessary the same Spirit that spake by the mouth of the Prophets should pierce into our Hearts to perswade us that they faithfully delivered that which was committed to them of God This doth not prove that Calvin denyed the Scriptures to be the Rule of Faith having expresly taught that they were But to shew how little acquainted W.P. is with Calvin's Doctrine in this point whom he hath quoted for him to prove that the Scripture or written word is not the Rule of Faith but the Light in every Conscience or the Spirit abstractly considered from the written word or how unfair and fallacious in so doing if acquainted with his writings I shall give some passages out of his Institutions That is in English For when the mind of Man for its weakness could by no way come to God unless helped and assisted by his Holy Word it was necessary that all Men the Jews excepted did walk in vanity and error because they sought God without the Word Thus we see according to Calvin how necessary was the Word of God to wit the Doctrine outwardly delivered of God to Men by the Holy Prophets to bring them to God out of error and vanity for by the Holy Word it is manifest Calvin meant not the
allow What if any now should say that the Light within them forbids them to eat Flesh How could W.P. convince them of their Error If he bring Paul's words or any other Scripture words to his Conviction may he not answer that the Scripture is not the Rule of his Faith and W.P. hath confirmed him by his late Book that saith the same and if the Light within in the Esseni might contradict the Scripture of the Old Testament why may not the Light within in a Quaker contradict the Scripture of the New Testament both being given from the same Spirit and the Scripture of the Old Testament as binding to the Jews before Christ's Incarnation as the Scripture of the New Testament is to the Christians since And how can W.P. prove that Poligamy is against the Light within It is granted that the New Testament forbids it But what then by W. P's Doctrine the greatest things in the New Testament are not necessary absolutely to be believed but upon Conviction of the Spirit i. e. upon a new Revelation as that Christ was born of a Virgin dyed for our Sins c. And he plainly tells us Any such new Revelation is not necessary If this be not to turn People loose and to run them into great Confusion Light against Light and Spirit against Spirit while the Holy Scripture is denied to be the Rule of Faith and Life yea a Rule I leave to the Sober and Intelligent to judge Section 18. A Correction of a Saying of W.P. Scandalous and Offensive to Christian Ears That Men are not like to be informed of the Knowledge and Experience of the New Birth from our Saviour's words to Nicomedus John 3. Nor can that Scripture be my Rule saith he in that heavenly travel c. Neither can any other Writing whatever Page 29. HERE I find one passage more in this book of W. P's that I am sure greatly derogates from the Scriptures and is justly offensive to Christian Ears Having quoted our Saviour's words to Nicodemus that he saith may be credited Historically that unless a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3. But what is that saith he to the Knowledge and Experience of the new Birth that they are never like to be informed of there Nor can that Scripture be my Rule in that heavenly Travel respecting the many and wonderful Trials and Exercises that are to be met with in the way to it Neither can any other Writing whatever This Only is the Office of that Spirit and Word Immortal by which we are begotten again I answer Here he excludes not only that place above mentioned but the whole Scripture from being instrumental to our Information and plainly denies that any can be informed of it there this is indeed to make it not only not the Rule but not a Rule in this great case But his assertion is extreamly false the place quoted John 3.3 5. informs us of the necessity of Regeneration and the following words informs us of the way and manner how it is wrought to wit by the Spirit as the principal Efficient and by Faith in the Son of Man as the Instrumental cause v. 14 15 16. and this Faith is wrought instrumentally by the Words and Doctrine of the Gospel called by Paul Rom. 6.17 The Form or Pattern of Doctrine whereunto the believing Romans were delivered as the Mettal that is melted into the Mould that frames it into a Vessel And will W.P. say that his and his Brethrens Preaching and Words inform People nothing of Regeneration nor of the manner of it and the several steps in the progress of it If not their Preaching so much of the New Birth and the manner of it at least as they think is very unprofitable but if they think their Preaching profitable to inform concerning Regeneration and manner of it then their Preaching must be better than the whole Scripture Had he said the Scripture without the Spirit cannot guide or direct us in the way of Regeneration nor be instrumental towards it without the same he had not been to blame all true Christians say the same but to exclude the Scriptures that is the Word and Doctrine contained in the Scriptures from being so much as an Organ or Instrument in the hand of the Spirit as the Spirit giveth Efficacy to it is extreamly false and erronious and contradicts the Scriptures Testimony and the Experience of Thousands who can set to their Seal that the Spirit of God has made the Scriptures to wit the Word and Doctrine delivered in them Instrumental both to their Conviction and Conversion Surely James was of another mind than W.P. who said That the Faithful were begotten of the Will of God by the Word of Truth and Peter said They were made Partakers of the Divine Nature by the exceeding great and precious Promises which are to be found in the Holy Scriptures through the Operation of the Divine Power And as false it is what he saith That Experience to wit of the New Birth must go before all Doctrinal Scripture Meaning the Doctrine delivered in the Scripture which was the same before it was written This is to set the Cart before the Horse as the Proverb is or the Fruit before the Seed Are Men regenerated in Blindness and Ignorance or rather are they not renewed in Knowledge And this Knowledge doth it not presuppose some doctrinal Principles of which Men must be first convinced Has the Doctrine of the great Love of God in sending his Son into the World outwardly to dye for us and inwardly to enlighten us no Influence on our Regeneration Was Adam regenerated before God gave him the Promise of the Womans Seed after his Fall by his Assertion it must be so which is wonderful Ignorance Is he so little acquainted with the Holy Scriptures as not to have seen the Lineaments Steps and Progress of the New Birth fairly delineated and the whole manner of it as clearly as any Country can be delineated in the fairest Map with all the several Roads but as the Map can be of no use to a blind Man though to a seeing it is of great use so to a Man whom the Spirit of God has in some measure enlightned the Scriptures are as serviceable as a Map to a Traveller yea and much more they are really the Instrument of the Spirit both for convincing and converting Men and the Rule according to which the Spirit leads them in the various steps of it It is granted That the Experience of Regeneration in whom it is wrought is much more than any verbal account of it by the best of words and gives a Man in some respect a more satisfactory Knowledge of it than any Man can have by Scripture words or any words whatsoever who is not himself regenerated as the sight of a Country is more and gives a Man a more satisfactory account of it than all verbal Descriptions or Maps can do to
with any Blood outwardly shed for them Is not this the ready way to open the Flood-gate and to let in Deism and Heathenism to over-run not only England but all Christendom and not only to destroy the Protestant Christian Religion but any remains of Christian Doctrine that are in the Popish Countries But from this Cure of W.P. we have all great cause to pray Good Lord deliver us But nor would this Cure he proposeth be successful upon the Hypothesis of his general Rule if universally received for a Rule The Heathen Philosophers many of whom professed and owned the Light in every Conscience as it did enlighten their Reason yet how many great Controversies were there among them notwithstanding and oft great Heats and Animosities And if this Cure of W.P. be so effectual how comes it that it has not healed the breaches and great Controversies that have been on foot these Forty Years chiefly about G. Foxes orders his party contending that they were the Dictates of the Light both in G.F. and all his followers the other party as strongly denying it that they were any Dictates of the true Light within and let W.P. tell us when any such Controversie arises which are the true Dictates of the Light and true Spirit abstractly considered from the Scripture what shall be the Cure in that Case He seems indeed to give an answer to this in Page 42. Answ By the same Spirit as well said Gualt Cradock the way to know whither the Spirit be in us is its own Evidence and that is the way to know it in others too and the Man that hath the Spirit may know the Spirit in another There is saith he a kind of Sagacity in the Saints to this purpose To this I answer where the Spirits Doctrine which is the Doctrine both of Christ and the Father goeth along with the Spirit according to Isaiah 59 21. and many other places of Scripture there is a great Truth in it but whatever Spirit either teacheth another Doctrine or draweth Men away from the necessary belief of Christ's Death in the Flesh in being a Sacrifice for our Sins and other Fundamental Principles peculiar to Christianity is not the true Spirit of Christ whatever Unity or Sagacity W.P. and his Brethren may think they have to know it in one another while he and they make nothing to be the Rule of Faith but the Light in every Conscience John 2.9 which teacheth not this Doctrine of Faith nor proposeth this great Object of Faith to wit Christ Crucified to the Conscience they destroy all necessity of that Faith as concerned in our Salvation However with plausible shews he and they will say it is necessary where the History as he terms it has reached but how not for Salvation but historically as we believe the History of Alexander or Julius Cesar or as W.P. and his Brethren pretend to believe G. F's Journal The Difficulty that he moves P. 41. about Interpretation of Scripture is easily resolved without any new material object of Faith if the Spirit of God be acknowledged inwardly to enlighten the Understandings of the faithful and that they faithfully receive the same it will infallibly give to all the Faithful so much of the true knowledge and Faith of all Scripture Doctrine as is necessary to Salvation Page 46. As unfair and fallacious as he hath been in his Definitions and Arguments about the Rule of Faith and Life no less unfair and fallacious is he in his representing many Orthodox and sincere Protestants as if they Judged the Quakers for their asserting an unerring certain or infallible Judgment in things necessary to Salvation This is a very unfair representation of them The Question lyeth not about an unerring certain and infallible Judgment given by the Spirit of God to all the faithful in the things necessary to Salvation which they fully assert But the Question lyeth here whither they have this infallible Judgment either by the common Discoveries and Dictates of the Light in every Man's Conscience or by any new discoveries of the Spirit abstractly and seperately considered from the Scriptures so that the Doctrine as delivered in the Holy Scriptures is not the Rule or Instrument whereby the Spirit works or begets this infallible Judgment in them in all the necessary things of Salvation which â—et are more and others than those assigned by W.P. to wit Faith in Christ crucified and raised again and other fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Religion A Second part of the question is Whither all or any of the Quakers when met in their Yearly Meetings or any other Meetings or the most enlightned among them have an infallible Judgment given them in all things as their chief Teachers have asserted so that they are not only infallible in the most necessary things but in other things Yea in all that they have given forth either in Preaching or Writing as the Word of the Lord and with an Authority the same in kind with the Prophets as W.P. doth in the Concluâ—ion of this Book where he pretends that he has a Message to tell them and that from the Spirit of the Lord God of Truth and that is Page 48. That Men unregenerated for all their external imitations of the Ancients in some Temporary and figurative parts of Worship will never be accepted But this is no extraordinary Revelation it is a Doctrine that is daily taught and generally believed among all true Christians that never were under the profession of Quakers But the fallacy is here that all are unregenerate in his Sense who own that what they are taught and helped to believe know or practise is by the Doctrine contained in the Holy Scriptures as the Rule of their Faith and Life and Instrument of the Spirits preparing and giving them the Spirit himself being the principal efficient Author and Cause and primary principle of their Knowledge Faith and Practise Yet all this is Judged by W.P. here in his Conclusion to be nothing but a literal Knowledge Historical Faith and outward Religion that is but as the Old Heaven that are to be wrapt up as a scroul and the Old Wine and Bottles that belong not to the Kingdom of God For which Uncharitable and False Judgment I heartily pray God that he may forgive him and giving him a better understanding and reclaim him if it be the blessed Will of God from those most dangerous errors he is intangled in and especially from this that is the foundation of his other errors to wit his Deism and setting up the Light within or Spirit or whatever he calls iâ— abstractly and seperately from Christ's Doctrine and Words even those divine Oracles and Words which the Father gave to Christ and Christ gave them by his Holy Spirit to the Apostles John 17.8 And by the same Holy Spirit by means of the Apostles writing has given to all the faithful since thus dividing what God and Christ have Joyned together surely this cannot be the true Light nor Spirit in him or his Brethren that leads away People from hearing the true Shepherds Voice either as it is outwardly sounded in the outward Ministry of the Word outwardly Preached or as it is inwardly sounded and Eccho'd by the Holy Spirit in Teaching the faithful to believe the same Doctrine that is outwardly delivered in the Holy Scriptures My Sheep said Christ hear my Voice they that draw from Christ's Doctrine being the Rule of Faith and Life to every true Christian draw from the Spirit of Christ and from his Voice whatever seeming pretences they fallaciously make to exalt the Spirit by rejecting that Instrument to wit the Rule of the Holy Scriptures by which the Spirit doth both enlighten the faithful and beget Faith and Hope and Love in them by the precious Oracles and Testimonies therein contained and also doth refresh quicken and comfort them If the Spirit and his divine influences be the Wine that refresheth and cherisheth them the Scripture so to speak are the Flagons that convey it to them according to the words in the Song Cant. 2.5 Stay me with Flagons comfort me with Apples and many other plain Testimonies of Scripture that hold forth in God's ordinary way the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures as outwardly delivered to be the means and therefore the Rule by which the Spirit doth both Teach and also Quicken Comfort and strengthen them such as these following places which I recommend to W.P. and his Brethrens Consideration Psal 19.7 8 9 10 11. Prov. 6.23 Psal 119. 4 5 6 18 49 50 105. Psal 147.19 20. Isaiah 8.20.59.21 John 10.3 John 17.8 20. John 20.31 John 5 39. Acts 10.44 Rom. 16.17 Rom. 16.25.26 Gal. 3.2 Eph. 1.13 1 Thes 1.5 1 Tim. 4.16 2 Tim. 1.13 2 Tim. 2.20 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. 28th of the First Month 1699. G. K. FINIS Nam cum humana mens pro sua imbecillitate pervenire ad Deum nullo modo queat nisi sacro ejus verbo adjuta sublevata omnes tunc mortales exceptis Judaeis quia Deum sine verbo querebant necesse fuit in vanitate atque errore versari Calvin Instit Lib. 1. c. 6 S. 4