he shall abide with you that is all that shall suceed you in the Faith forever As in his Comment on the 28th Chapter of Matthew upon these words I am with you alwayes even unto the end of the World And though I shall now shortly part with you yet I will by sending the Spirit upon you to lead you into all Truth and by my perpetual Presence and Assistance afforded you and by that Authority that I have received of my Father and now commit unto you John 20. 21 22. continue with you and your Successors unto the End of the World Now if we read that Scripture he quotes as an Interpretation of what he understands by Christ's being with them and their Successors to the end of the World we shall find it to be this Then said Jesus to them again Peace be unto you As my Father hath sent me even so send I you And when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost What can be fuller then that in his apprehension not only the Apostles but their Successors in the Faith were to have continued unto them the perpetual Presence and Assistance of the Holy Ghost And sayes no mean Protestant upon the Place and very truly It is by the Spirit only that men who do not profit under outward means will be enabled to profit who when he cometh reveals Truths clearly and bears them in with Life and Power upon the Heart and doth renew mens spirits to embrace and submit to them And on the 14th Chapter thus The Spirit of God in Believers is not only a Comforter to apply and bear in the Consolations of God purchased by Christ upon their Hearts but is their Advocate also who pleads their Cause with God by furnishing them with Prayers and Groans that cannot be uttered I shall now produce the sense of several Persons so great in the Socinian way conformable to what has been asserted concerning the Holy Spirit that one would think our Adversary ought to be concluded by it And the first shall be Socinus himself who in his explication of the 1st verse of the 8th Chapter to the Romans speaks in short thus Neque enim jam carni sed spiritui obsequuntur spiritus namque vitalis imperium cui et ego omnes qui Christi sunt subduntur nos a jugo peccati mortis assernit For neither do they now follow or live after the Flesh but the Spirit for the Power of the living Spirit to which both I and all who are Christ's are subdued hath freed us from the Yoak of Sin and Death Slichtingius who in his Comment upon the Passage already mentioned especially that part He shall lead you into all Truth gives us his mind thus Quando autem veniet ille nempe Paracletus spiritus ille veritatis ducet vos nempe interna illuminatione in omnem veritatem nempe ad salutem aeternam pertinentem ita ut omnia sciatis intelligatis quae vera sunt ad salutem pertinent That is When the Paraclet to wit the Spirit of Truth shall come by his internal Illumination or inward Enlightening he will lead into all Truth and to the Knowledge and Vnderstanding of all those things which are true and necessary and do pertain to Eternal Life Now since all are concerned in the End namely Eternal Life methinks it is most reasonable that all should be in a share in the means to it I mean the Teachings and Guidings of that Vnerring Spirit Thus much for this place I will instance one place more and the thoughts of these men upon it I mean this last cited and one not less Famous in the same way Crellius in his Comment upon the Romans Chap. 8. vers 14 15. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are Sons of God for ye have not received the spirit of Bondage c. sayes Etenim quotquot spiritui illi divino se regendos tradunt ejusque ductum sequuntur quemadmodum sane faciunt ij qui ejus ope carnis opera in se perimunt eque non admittunt illi Dei ipsius sunt Filij qui quemadmodum jam naturae ipsius sunt quodammodo participes ejusque similes Ita etiam vicissim a 〈◊〉 â—iliorum loco habentur ab eoque sunt adoptâ—ti in Filiorum jus adsâ—iti Eos autem qui a Deo instar Filiorum diliguntur vitae sempiternae fore participes quanquam per se unicuique videtur patere mox tamen planum faciam Certainly then our Adversary if he hath any regard for Crellius will not oppose himself to the necessity of Christians being accompanied by an infallible Spirit when this Author plainly tells us That without that Spirit of God and the Operation of it to a Regeneration of Soul there is no being a true Child of God and Heir to the possession of Glory as he further speaks upon the 17th verse Slichtingius gives us the same Interpretation differing only in the Expression sayes he Probant illos victuros esse si spiritu actiones corporis mortificent Again Spiritu Dei agi ferri impelli regi spiritu actiones corporis perimere They prove themselves to be Conquerors if by the Spirit they mortifie the Deeds of the Body Again To be acted led moved perswaded governed ruled and directed and to overthrow and destroy the Works of the Flesh by the Spirit of God this is to be a true Child of God Crellius is most express upon the 12th verse of the 2d chapter of Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians Sed spiritum qui est ex Deo id est qui ex Deo proficiscitur seu derivatur in homines ideoque Dei Spiritus merito vocatur But the Spirit which is of God that is which proceedeth from God or is derived from God into men it is therefore deservedly called the Spirit of God Crellius upon that remarkable Passage of the same Apostle and in the same Chapter But the spiritual man judgeth all things c. speaks thus Opponit animali homini spiritualem Spiritualis autem homo ille est qui non soluâ— spiritu Dei praeditus est sed etiam ejus ductum sequitur a spiritu ipso totus pendet Sayes he The Apostle opposeth the Spiritual to the Natural man that is the spiritual man who is not only endued with God's Spirit but is also under the Spirit 's Conduct and wholy depends upon it What man speaks more pathetically for inspiration then Crellius doth in whom out Adversary pretends to believe Nor is Slichtingius much behind him who on the same place gives us his mind thus Spiritualis autem id est homo divino spiritu non tantum praeditus sed illi etiam totus deditus But the Spiritual man that is saith he not only the man who is adorned and over-seen as by his good Angel by the holy Spirit but who
trouble us in the Defence of any common Principles wherein we are judged to Err for we have common Adversaries enough upon our hands especially since he cannot but be conscious of Hypocrisie to himself in such a Work that not being the ground of his Displeasure against us but if he please to be so open with us as to come forth in what we have some Ground to believe is his Complexion that is to say If he will tell us that Christ is but purus homo purely a man that the holy Spirit is a Creature that Father Son and Spirit are three distinct Essences and Persons that God is in a Bodily Shape in Heaven like a man a gross conceit borrowed from the Egyptian Monks therefore called Anthropomorphites that the Soul is mortal with some other the like Articles of his Biddlean Creed then I hope we shall endeavour to maintain the Truth as it is in Jesus and to give a sufficient Reason of the Hope that is in us THE END Tit. P. 1. pag. 1. pag. 1 2. pag. 2. pag. 2. pag. 2. pag. 2. pag. 2. 1 John 16. 13. Tol. in 16. cap. Joan com Mald. in 16. cap. Joan comm Bez. in 16. cap. 9. comm D. H. H. Parap on Evang. Hutch comm on John Socin explic loc Scrip. pa. 101. Slicht in Joan Evang. comm C. 16. Crell in Epist Paul ad Rom. Slicht in Ep. ad Rom. comm c. 8. Crell in prior Epist ad comm cap. 2. v. 12. Crell Epist ad Cor. comm c. 2. v. 15. Slicht inter Epist ad Cor. comm c. 2. Crell in Epist Paul ad Gal. comm Slicht in prim Epist Joan. c. 2. v. 27. Crell of one God the Father Pag. 197. Pag. 205. Pag. 208. Pag. 218 219. 221. Pag. 222. 223. 224. 235. 223. Curcell advers Mares dissert prim Pag. 114. Erasm in John Mald. in Joan. cap. 1. Drus in Jo. â— 1. 1 Sam. 14. 22. Psal 18. 28. 29. Ep. 1. 18. Bez. in not foed Heb. 6. 4. Heb. 10. 32. Crell in Epist ad Heb. c. 10. vers 32. comm John 5. 44. Isa 3. 17. John 1. 1 2 3. Vers 3. Vers 9. 1 Jo. 1. Vers 4. Vers 7. Vers 10 Vers 12. Orig. in Joan. c. 1. v. 9. Erasm in prim cap. Joan. comm Bez. in nov faed Toll in prim cap. Joan. com pag. 39. Maldon in prim Joan. cap. comm pag. 411 412. Vat. in prim cap. Joan. com Zeg in prim cap. Joan. com Cam. in Joan. cap. 1. comm Pag. 39. pag. 40. pag. 42. 1 Sam. 3. 13 14. Rom. 1. 26. Page 42. 43. Pag. 34. See Orig. in Matt. pag. 487. Jerom on the place Chrys â—n the place Amb. on the place Theophy on the place Zeg in 1 Cor. c. 15. v. 31. Ann. Grot. in prim Epist ad Cor. c. 15. Ann. Var. Lect. Page 31. Mat. 23. Pag. 31. Pag. 33. Joh. 20. 13 14 15 16. Page 31. Acts 7. 2. pag. 30. Matth. 8. 17. Rom. 16. 1 3. Joel 2. 28. Luke 2. 36 Act. 18. 26. cap. 21. Page 9. Col. 3. 10. Col. 3. 8 9. Read John 1. 16. Pag. 11 12. John 2. 17. 5. Phil. 2. 6 7 8. John 7. 39. John 17. 4. John 16. 28. Remember the Prophet Micah chap. 15 2. But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the Thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall be come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whos 's Goingsâ— forth have bin from of Old from Everlasting Page 15. * Read Mal. 3. 1. 4. 5. observe that Christ is called Lord by way of Excellency Page 15. Page 15. Page 16. Page 17. John 15. 16. Isa 9. 6. Page 17 18. John 16. 7 13 14. Chap. 20. 21 22. Page 20. Rom. 9. 5. 2 Tim. 4. 1. 1 Pet. 4. 5. First Page 8. Joh. 17. Pag. 8 9. Page 9. 10. Luk. 24. v. 5 6. Page 10 11. Luke 22. 28 29 30. Pag. 12. Pag. 13. Page 14. Page 14. 1 Cor. 12. 6. Eph. 3. 20. Phil. 2. 13. Page 16. Page 16. 2 Pet. 2. 1. Page 19. Page 19. Ephes 5. 25 27. Page 19. John 14. 18 19. Matt. 28. Page 20. 1 Cor. 2. 10. Page 21. Page 21. 2 Cor 2. 16. Page 21. Pag. 22 23. Pag. 23 24. Pag. 24. Mat. 3. 2. Luk. 17. 20. Pag. 24. 25. Pag. 25. Page 26. Page 27. Page 27. Page 28. Page 28. Pag. 28 29. Page 33. Pag. 43 44 Page 44.
Inspiration of the Almighty And if by such Divine Inspirings it be that the Will of God comes to be understood then certainly must God's unerring Spirit be the Judge of what is God's Will from what is not and the Rule how and in what we ought to believe unto Salvation and that Guide which infallibly leads in the Way that is most acceptable with the Lord. Nothing can be more Natural then these Consequences Fourthly Psal 139. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy Presence If God's Unerring Spirit be so nigh and the sense of it so certain it must either be to reprove for Evil done or to inform uphold lead and preserve in reference to all Good Now in which of the two sences it shall be taken the Presence of God's Eternal Spirit and his being the Saints Instructor Judge Rule and Guide are evidently deduceable from the words Fifthly Psal 143. 10. Teach me to do thy Will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead me into the Land of Vprightness The Question will be Whether it was David's intent and the scope of his desire that God should teach and lead him by his good Spirit or some other thing but methinks it is resolvable in the affirmative in two respects 1. In that David is so very frequent in his desire to the Lord for the Assistance Strength Teaching and Guidance of God's unerring Spirit otherwise declaring how that the Word was hid in his Heart and largly speaking of the Force of that Internal Law Word and Spirit of God which plentifully shews how much he was an Enthusiast and Quaker in the sense this man esteems us most hetrodox 2. The very words imply the thing we urge them for and can import no other sence viz. That God would please to teach him to do his Will and lead him into the Land of Vprightness by his good Spirit else what did that Claws do there the Unerring Spirit being that by which God vouchsafes to discover his Divine Knowledge and convey his most Spiritual Succor and Consolation to his People and consequently his Saints have ever known but do more especially under the Gospel injoy an infallible Judge Rule and Guide in and about Faith and Worship Sixthly Isa 30. 1. Wo to the Rebellious Children saith the Lord that take Counsel but not of me and that cover with a Covering but not of my Spirit that they may add sin to sin From whence I plainly argue thus If they are Rebellious against God and add sin to sin who take not Counsel of him and are not covered with his Holy Unerring Spirit that leads into all Truth Innocence Patience Faith Hope Charity and every good Word and Work Then 1. God's Children have an Immediate Councellor and need not another and are covered or encompast about by the infallible Spirit of God to all Soundness of Mind and Holiness of Life And 2. They must be Heinous Offenders and obstinately Rebellious and Adders of sin to sin with a witness that not only neglect or refuse to be so counsel'd and cover'd but dispute fervently against it as a meer Whimsie and Effect of an Ignorant Erronious spirit for besides that such deprive themselves and others of the unspeakable benefit that comes thereby they are most ingrateful to God and do certainly incur his fierce Wrath in their so wicked requital of him for his Heavenly Gift Seventhly Isa 59. 21. As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my Words which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy Mouth nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed's Seed saith the Lord from henceforth and forever I think it is granted by all that own the Christian Religion that this remarkable place refers to Christ the true Seed and Heir of promise who bruiseth the Head of the Serpent in whom alone all Nations of them that believe come to obtain the Blessing But whether it will be allowed or another Interpretation allotted as that the Promise was to the Church to be sure here is enough to maintain our Position viz. That God in the dayes of the Gospel more particularly has given his good Spirit for an Instructer Judge Rule and Guide in all that concerns the Eternal Well-being of the Souls of Believers as I proceed to prove If that very same Eternal Holy and unerring Spirit which God poured out upon his only begotten Son be in a way of succession ordained to continue with and upon all the Faithful his Seed and Seed's Seed begotten unto a lively Hope by the raising of Christ Jesus from the dead and so become Members of his own Glorious Body then are not the Children of God destitute of his Vnerring Spirit not left to their own frail and fallible Judgments to determine of what is Right or Wrong what Men should believe and what not how they should walk and how not But so gratious is the Promise and so certain is the performance as we livingly witness against all the dry cavelling Letter-mâ—ngers in the World who Quarrel about the holy-mens words and are Strangers to the Convictions Judgments Tryals Tribulations Temptations and Travels they underwent in order to that knowledge they had and which frets their serpentine natures whose vulterous Eye would in its unregenerate state of Worldly Wisdom that knows not God fain without the Death of the Cross creep into the knowledge of the mystery of the Resurrection which state alone knows the things that are above at the Right-hand of God Therefore I conclude That God's Unerring Spirit under the Gospel does attend assist direct and finally establish his Children in the Way of Truth and that his so doing is but the Answer or Accomplishment of the most eminent Prophesies referring to the Transcendent Glory of the last Ages of the Church Eighthly Ezek. 36. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Behold a most pregnant Instance in the express Language of the Holy Ghost brought to the proof of our Assertion that with reverence we would say it scarcely could it have been more exactly and emphatically worded as I proceed to shew 1. That this Passage has a relation to the Times of Reformation or Coming of the Messiah and Dayes of the Gospel Covenant read the whole Chapter I know not that it was ever doubted or otherwise taken by any no not the very Rabbies themselves who from such places have observed the coming of a Messiah and Glorious times that would ensue 2. That if it be granted then the Vnerring Spirit of God was to be placed within the Hearts and Consciences of his People and consequently they could not be properly and truly under the new Covenant and be without it since the having of that Eternal Spirit for the Ends and
Purposes afore-mentioned is the very Badge Condition and Mark of the New and Last Covenant 3. It seems to be the means under the Gospel by which God causes his Children to keep his Statutes c. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them To conclude to speak strictly If in the dayes of the second Covenant which began from Christ's visible Appearance God put his Spirit within his People as saith the Apostle to the Hebrews and that it was thereby he did and doth cause them to walk in his Statutes and keep his Judgments then God's Children are not without an Infallible Teacher and Leader in the Things that appertain to their Eternal Salvation But we plainly see and read from the very Letter of the Scriptures that God gives his Spirit or Light within to Judge Lead and Guide and consequently the opposit Doctrine is both false and very pernicious I might further argue thus That if God's Unerring Spirit only enables men to walk in his Statutes and keep his Judgments to do them then since all are required to walk therein none are exempted from a sufficient measure of that Vnerring Spirit in order to it Much might be argued hereon but this shall suffice Ninthly Joel 2. 28 29. And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophesie your Old Men shall dream Dreams your Young Men shall see Visions And also upon the Servants and upon the Hand-maids in those dayes will I pour out my Spirit That this is generally believed and frequently quoted as a Proof of Gospel-Times is well known to most who are inquisitive after Matters of Religion and how hard it bears upon the Anti-spiritual Opinion of our cavelling Adversary though very evident yet we shall further proceed to shew 1. Here is God's Royal Engagement to effuse or pour forth of his blessed Spirit in the dayes of the New Covenant 2. Here is on whom it is to be poured forth exprest in two words ALL FLESH in more words Young and Old Men and Women Masters Mistresses and Servants Mark the Universality of God's Mercy and Grace Now from hence I argue If God's Unerring Spirit be to be poured out on all under the New Covenant and that this is the time thereof then has God poured out of his Vnerring Spirit as aforesaid that the Spirit is to be poured out under the Administration of the Gospel the Text proves that this is the Time he himself confesses pag. 1 12 13 45. therefore the Conclusion is undeniable viz. That God has poured forth of his Holy and Unerring Spirit Again If the Spirit of God is that without which none can obtain Prophesie and Vision and that Prophesie and Vision are Christian-Church Gifts then since the Church of Christ is not to be without Prophesies and Vision to the End of the World it follows she cannot be without an infallible Spirit to the end of the World Or thus If without having the Spirit none can have Prophesie and Vision and that Prophesie and Vision are both to be and to continue in Christ's Church universally then it will naturally follow that she cannot be without that Vnerring Spirit and that such as are cannot in that state be Members of the true Church then consequently Hereticks as concerning the true Faith Tenthly Hag. 2. 5. According to the Word that I Covenanted with you when yee came out of Egypt so my Spirit remaineth among you fear not This place doth very emphatically prove my Assertion concerning the Judgship and Guidance of God's Spirit two things seem clear 1. That it was a part of God's Old Covenant to wit That his Spirit should remain amongst them 2. That the Spirit 's so remaining was to some eminent Service for said the Lord Fear not as much as to say don't faint in your Minds concerning the Work you have to do neither be ye filled with Doubts or Scruples who shall inform us who direct us or we want a Leader in this difficult matter some one to remove our Objections and Fears and to preside or be as Judge among us how to order and regulate us to the doing of the Service expected from us for thus saith the Lord My Spirit remains among you fear not He is sufficient for you He shall teach and counsel you repair to Him advise with him and you shall be supplied with all things necessary for you Don't rebel against my Good Spirit and you are safe it shall be well with you In short If it was a Condition of the Old Covenant That God should accompany his then Children with the Assistance and Presence of his good Spirit and accordingly he testified by his Prophet That his holy Spirit remained among them then much more reasonable it is to believe that the Presence of that Eternal Spirit should continually accompany his Children under the New and Last Testament The first part the Place proves the second is made good by the plain import of the following Prophetick verses where he saith I will shake all Nations and the Desire of all Nations shall come And I will fill this House with Glory and the Glory of this latter House shall be greater then of the former saith the Lord of Hosts How then can it possibly be That God's Evangelical House and Tabernacle should be a dry empty barren erronious man alwayes enquiring but never come to the infallible Knowledge of the only True God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent whom to know by the Revelation of the Eternal Spirit is Life Everlasting Nay who so great who so pernicious Enemies to the transcendent Glory of the latter House and Temple of God as the cavelling Anti-spiritual Men of our Age who are so angry with those that own a Conviction Faith and Worship grounded upon an Infallible Inspiration that their Rage leads them because they feel it not to the utter denying of any such things but I will assure them they shall yet grope in the dark till they come into the daily obedience of the Light and there rest contented to know only as they experience and not from a ravening comprehending Brain that would in its unregenerated state grasp at the clear Mysteries of the Kingdom into which fleshly Comprehensions and Notions can never enter but all must be as unlearned from their first Birth Education and traditional read Knowledge as he is unmanned that is again become a little Child before the Secrets of God's Work come to be made known therefore said our Lord Jesus Christ I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the Prudent and revealed them unto Babes Eleaventhly John 3. 5. Jesus answered Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God This most
deniable by such as own the Divine Truths contained in those Writings Nor is the dint of this to be avoided by saying That these Promises were only to the Apostles and no body denies them to have had all this for if we are to walk as having them for our Examples we are to have the like Sufficiency and Guide Nor does Christ leave the matter there for in his most solemn Prayer to his Father he thus speaks Neither Pray I for these alone but for all them that shall believe on me through their word that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they all may be one in us which how it is possible for those who then believed and us of after Generations to be without being born of and baptized and drunk into the same one Eternal Spirit I know not to believe neither can any man that gives himself the use of his own Understanding Thirteenth Rom. 8. 1 9 14. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit but you are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God 1. If to be brought and kept out of Condemnation men must walk according to the Leadings and Guidings of the Spirit of God and that it is a state unto which Christian men should come then are they not without God's Infallible Spirit to lead and direct them in what Way they ought to walk and consequently the contrary Opinion is perniciously false since such must needs live ever under Condemnation who are so far from walking after the Leadings of God's unerring Spirit that they deny men to have any such thing Again 2. If to have the Spirit of Christ dwelling that is ruling in us be to live no more after the Flesh and not to have that infallible Spirit of Christ ruling in us be to be none of Christ's then both Christian men should not be without Christ's Spirit dwelling in them and such as are without that Spirit are none of Christ's But we plainly see that the Apostle asserts That every man that walks not after the Flesh has that Spirit dwelling in him and is guided thereby and that such as have not the holy Spirit of Christ are none of Christ's therefore it follows That Christian men are led by an Infallible Spirit But 3. If as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God as saith the Apostle then both God's Children are led by an Infallible Spirit and such as are not we utterly deny to have any part or portion in Him notwithstanding their Praying Preaching Writing Reading and Disputing but the plain unaltered words of Scripture testifie that both God has given his good Spirit to lead men into that holy Life Nature and Conversation by which they truly become his Image and Children and that such and we may say only such are his own begotten Children and Heirs of Eternal Glory Fourteenth 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12 14 15. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit teacheth all things yea the deep things of God For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him even so the Things of God know no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the spirit of this World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the Things that are freely given to us of God But the Natural man receiveth not the Things of the Spirit of God for they are Foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discâ—â—ued But he that is Spiritual judgeth or discerneth all things yet he himself is judged or discerned of no man Methinks the bare recital of these pathetical Sayings of the holy Ghost on the matter in controversie might be sufficient Proof for the affirmative of the Question did not our Adversary under all his Pretences of honouring the Scriptures either implicitly deny them their just Authority or by false Glosses disguise and pervert them to his sinister Perswasions and so I proceed as before to offer my Arguments upon them 1. If the Blessed Things which God hath prepared for them that love him are not revealable but by his Spirit and were then thereby revealed as says the Scripture quoted and contex then since there were those at that time who loved God and that there be many now who love God it will Naturally follow That both than and now the Things that God has laid up for such both then were and now are revealed by His Eternal Spirit and consequently God's People are not without a familiar Communion with the Holy Spirit of God 2. If the spirit of a man or humane intelligent spirit be that by which man comes to an understanding of those things that strictly and properly concern him in an humane capacity and that the Spirit of God is that only by which man comes to know the Things of God because the Things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God then it is utterly Impossible for our Adversary himself or any else to obtain the Knowledge of the things of God or His Kingdom but by the pure unmixt Revelation of God's Eternal Spirit from all the Comprehensions Conceivings or Imaginations of mans utmost strength or science For as saith the Apostle the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 3. If the Knowledge of those things that are fecely given of God is only to be had from the Revelation of his holy Spirit then since in every Age from the most primitive Times it has behoved every Christian man to understand those Good and Heavenly Things it follows That it has behoved them and still does all to wait for the Knowledge and Injoyment of those Blessed Advantages which only are revealed by the Eternal Spirit And is not that Science infallible which the Spirit of this World ever was and will be a Stranger too under all its disguised Shews of Religious Worship with which it has deceitfully adorned it self in a way of Scorn of and Opposition to the most Spiritual Appearances of God making good the Apostle's saying For they are but Foolishness unto them To conclude 4. If the Spiritual Man or that Man in whom dwelleth the Spirit of God and who is led by it discerneth and judgeth all things and is not judged or cannot be seen or discerned he being in the Light and the natural man in the dark then is or should God's Holy Spirit be the right Judge Leader and Guide of all because it alone gives true Discerning sound Judgment and leads in the Path of Life Eternal for it searcheth the deep
things of God which all Natural Understanding can never fathom because they are Spiritually to be discerned Fifteenth 1 Cor. 6. 19. What Know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own The Apostle treating of the great nearness that every Believer stands in to the Lord and that Blessed Union which the Dispensation of the Gospel brings to by the putting away the Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit and the Answer of a good Conscience before God in winding up this subject he thus smartly and as if his Query were enough to clear up all that he had to say to them as to their Duty and his Exhortation What know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you From whence I draw this Argument If Believers be the Temple in which the Holy Ghost dwells as evidently speaks the Scripture then are they not left without an Infalible Spirit as Judge Rule and Guide to repair to but it is apparent to sence that the holy Ghost is by the Apostle affirmed to inhabit or take up his abode in believers therefore they must needs be attended with an iufallible Spirit and for what if not the End before-mentioned Sixteenth 1 Cor. 12 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be Bond or Free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit By which Divine Sence of the Apostle we cannot but allow that if they were both baptized by one Spirit into one Body and made to drink into the same Spirit that the Saints were not without an Infallible Spirit since such Baptizing and Drinking do emphatically imply the whole Work of the Spirit in their Regeneration and their daily Union with and intimate Enjoyment of it the whole course of their lives And certainly If by that Eternal Spirit they were baptized ito that one Body Christ It was as impossible for them as Members thereof to live without the Life Vertue and Spirit of Christ Jesus their Head as for any natural Body to live without the same Life Blood Heat and Motion which belongs to its Head And how this man can be esteemed a good Christian who would render Christ Jesus the Head of a Fallible Body by divesting Christians of an Infallible Spirit I leave to Persons of better Judgment more Honesty and greater Moderation then himself to judge Seventeenth 2 Cor. 3. 18. But we all with open Face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. This whole Chapter is an admirable account of the Super-Excellency of the Gospel Administration of Life to that of the Law how far it did transcend it as to all spiritual Knowledge Priviledge and Enjoyment which I desire the Reader seriously to read as well as to consider what is offered from the Verse cited If a Christian's Change into God's Image from Glory to Glory be the Work of the Eternal Spirit in men it follows necessarily That Christians can no more be without the Discoveries Leadings and Orderings of God's Spirit then they can be his Children without his Image since whatever they think say or do in reference to Religion should bear a near Relation to that resemblance of God which above all things they ought to act correspondently with but we see how very expresly and profoundly the Apostle describes the exceeding Blessedness of the New Covenant namely A being changed into the Image of God from Glory to Glory not by our own Notions or Comprehensions from the strength of our natural Reason or any Book without us but by the Spirit of the Lord operating in us therefore God's Children are not without an infallible Spirit unless he should deny God's Spirit to be such which methinks I cannot believe him to do Gal. 3. 3. Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the Flesh If Christians are both to begin and end in the Spirit or if a Christian throughout the whole course of his Life from the first step or measure to the fulness and perfection of his stature is to be informed regulated and guided by the infallible Spirit of God as the Apostle's Reproof of the Galatians for their declining to be ordered thereby evidently proves then Christians ought to begin and end in the Strength Knowledge Wisdom and Guidance of an Infallible Spirit aud consequently that Doctrine which denies such an Unerring Spirit to be the Judge Rule and Guide of Christians is Antichristian Gal. 4. 6. Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts If God sends forth his Spirit into the Hearts of his Children then are they not without an Infallible Spirit but the express Letter of the Scripture affirms it and consequently our Adversary's Reflection upon us for making it part of our Belief is unsound and condemnable Gal. 5. 16 18. This I say then Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh They that walk by the Spirit must first have it and next be led by it but the Apostle exhorted the Church so to walk therefore the Church had and Christians have the Spirit and should walk in or by it that is according to the Motions Leadings and Rule of â—it Eph. 1. 17. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Him If the Heavenly Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of God be through the Spirit then as without Revelation there is no Knowledge of God so without the Spirit there is no divine Wisdom and Revelation And if the Church was attended with that Wisdom and Revelation then with that Spirit from whence they came and consequently Christ's Church is not without that Eternal Vnerring Spirit as saith the Apostle in the 5th Chapter Be not Drunk with Wine wherein is Excess but be filled with the Spirit which signifies the Apostles mind to be quite another thing from the Judgment of our Adversary who thinks All men ought to be empty of it esteeming such as are filled therewith as the Jews did Paul Drunk with New Wine 1 Thes 15 19. Quench not the Spirit If those could not quench the Spirit who had it not then those to whom he gave that Caution had the Spirit consequently the Primitive Churches were not without an Vnerring Spirit because they were not without the Spirit of God which is Unerring 1 John 2. 27. But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no Lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him If the Judge of Truth
he made a fit Tabernacle for the Glorious God to live in Thus is he King of Saints and will he be King of Nations who is God over all Heaven and Earth blessed forever Amen There be two Objections which I fore-see may be made by some to the way I have taken to prove That a Christians Judge Rule and Guide is the Unerring Spirit of God whom I shall endeavour to answer Obj. 1. Though you have said a great deal to prove that Christians should have an Infallible Spirit in general yet you prove nothing distinctly but confound a Judge Rule and Guide together To which I answer Answ 1. That to me there is no more difference then essentially there can be in the Wisdom Justice and Holiness of God which are but so many words that agree to express the Perfection of one and the same Beeing and so that as the one cannot be without the other but the same Eternal Godhead is all and that in all for he is truly Wise in being Just and both in being Holy and back again they are so interwoven that the one goes not without the other thus it is in being a Judge Rule and Guide for that which gives me a right Sense or Judgment of Truth from Error is as well to me a Rule what I should believe or dis-believe and a Guide what I should practice or not practice as at first it was my Judge of what was Truth from what was Error So that the same Informing Convincing Spirit is that Ruling and Guiding Spirit and not a dristinct Spirit or medium by which such as are convinced through the Illumination and Reproof of it are to be ruled and guided in all they believe and practice about Matters relating to God and his Worship Obj. 2. But at this rate you utterly contemn and seclude the Scriptures as having no Part nor Portion in being a Judge Rule or Guide to Christians Answ 2. By no means for though we acknowledge it to be our Principle That the Eternal Spirit who in several Generations hath revealed a great part of the things contained in the Scriptures to be superior to these Writings yet far be it from us forever to deny the absolute necessity of our Conformity to such weighty Christian Truths and Principles as are therein expressed and urged upon the Churches as what are indispensable to eternal Salvation So that we plead not that the Spirit of God should be a Judge Rule and Guide contrary to the Truth declared in Scripture nor yet exclusive of the Scripture but as the holy men of old time were ordered ruled and guided by that Eternal Spirit in reference to those weighty things which the Prophets and Apostles were moved to exhort those of that time to press after so that it is impossible for men now to come into a right Christian-frame and keep therein but by the Spirit 's being their Judge Rule and Guide as he was to the Ancients who trusted in God and obtained a good Report In short The Scripture is much like the shaddow of the true Rule which may give us some ground to guess what the Rule it self is as a Card or Map of a Country how it lies yet not be the very Place it self and in this respect it may be a kind of secondary Rule carrying with it a Testimonial Confirmation that what we are led by is the TRUE SPIRIT because the People of God in old time enjoyed the same as the Eternal Spirit first of all confirms the Divine Authority of the Scriptures unquestionably to us That they are a Declaration of the Will and Pleasure of Almighty God to the Sons of Men in several Ages of the World He that is so inward with a Prince as to know viva voce what his mind is heeds not so much the same when he meets it in Print because in Print as because he has received a more living Touch and sensible Impression from the Prince himself to whose Secrets he is privy And this the Scriptures teach us to believe is a right Christian's State and Priviledge for said the Apostle We have the Mind of Christ and the Secrets of God are with them that fear Him and guide me by thy Counsel and bring me to thy Glory To Conclude The Scriptures we own and the Divine Truths therein contained we reverence and esteem as the Mind and Will of God to men and we believe that they ought to be conformed to according to the true intent of the Holy Spirit therein and we know that all good People will respect them read them believe and endeavour to fulfil or obey them And those who trade neither Ministerially or Controversally with them and are out of that Cleansed Holy and Self-denying State they testifie of and believe it not attainable the Plagues therein declared of shall be their Portion forever I Know that AUTHORIâ—Iâ—â— are of no great force with him but since I writer more one of an expectation of benefit to others on whom this Libel has taken any hold perhaps it may not be unseasonable to subjoyn a few and the rather since we have not only the suffrage of some who are called Socinians whom he pretends to follow but thereby we may justly take occasion to detect him of contradiction to their Sentements whilst one of them 1. Then first Upon that remarkable Place in John where Christ promised to send his holy Spirit Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth c. Those two famous Commentators I mean so accounted by the Romanists Tolletus and Maldonatus and the last very frequently and with great Respect commemorated and quoted by Crellius one of the most redoubted of the Scoinian Party Tollet thus He shall when he is come manifest all those things which ye are not able to bear and to discover to you all that Doctrine that is fit for my Church to believe and practice He shall teach you the compleat Truth and to this end God gives it to the Faithful and to his Church that in Doctrine Life and Government she may inerrably be guided Maldonat Shall lead you into all Truth that is sayes he Discover unto them and to the Church of God all that Truth which is convenient or fit for them to know concerning Salvation Thus says Cyrill Theophil August and Beda too Beza tells us That Protestants believe God to have given his Spirit not only to his Apostles but to his Church that by her Testimony the World may be convinced of Sin that many Consciences may be compelled to confess that they have sinned in not believing on him c. Dr Hammond thus But when the Holy Ghost comes whose Title is the Spirit of Truth he shall instruct you what is to be done which he shall reveal to you And I will ask my Father and he shall send you the Holy Ghost to Interceed Exhort and Comfort and when he is come
is also rendered or yielded forever to his Government Dijudicat quidem omnia id est omnia quae dicuntur cognoscit qualia sint an divina sint an prophana de omnibus judicandi habet facultatem Judgeth all things that is sayes Slichtingius He measureth and knoweth all things that are spoken of what sort soever they may be whether they be Divine or Prophane because he has the Faculty or Gift of right Judgment concerning all things Thus far Slichtingius concerning this place I shall mention one more of this kind and then I shall conclude Crellius upon that passage to the Gallatians God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts further observes Quia in cordibus hominum vim suam exerat Again Spiritus istius operationis est ut nos ex paterno Dei in nos amore certos reddat filialem erga eum fiduciam nobis ingeneret What can we desire beyond this against our Adversary in this Point to prove that the primitive Socinians as they are called believed God to have given and still to give his good Spirit unto Believers as without which they could not neither can be Children of God It is God's displaying his Power in the Hearts of men and it is by the Operation of his Spirit that he makes us acquainted with his Fatherly Love to us who begets in us a filial or Son-like Faithfulness towards him for us Slichtingius on that notable Saying of the Apostle John in his first Epistle and second Chapter But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you commenteth Unctio pro eo quo facta est unctio id est prooleo coelesti qui spiritus est sanctus Again Hic enim erat spiritus istius sancti effectus qui eo fine dabatur ut esset internus doctor veritatis in omnem deduceret veritatem Again Unctio id est spiritus sanctus vos de omnibus docet nempe ad salutem pertinentibus In English thus Vnotion stands for Heavenly Oyl that is the Holy Ghost or Spirit And to this End was the Holy Spirit given that it might become an internal Doctor or Teacher of Truth and lead into all Truth Again The Unction is the Holy Ghost which teaches you all things to wit what pertains to Eternal Salvation Certainly either our Adversary ought to relinquish his great Opinion of these men or else conclude that Enthusiasm or spiritual Motions Revelations Teachings Rulings and Guidings are not things absurd fantastical or inconsistant with Christianity but most agreeable with and suitable to the Nature of it as that without which no man can possibly be a right Christian But neither is Crellius of this mind in his Commentaries only where the weight of Scripture tends him to these Interpretations but in his Book of One God the Father he frequently takes occasion to declare himself I think most plainly I wish he had been as sound and clear in his Understanding of all other Points The Holy Spirit is the Power or Efficacy of God namely that we may explain it which proceedeth from God and issuing unto men doth sanctifie and Consecrate them and produce various and admirable Effects in them which Power and Efficacy of God they are wont to call Divine Inspiration Again That the Holy spirit is given to men by God and that men obtain receive and have him from God by Prayers as numberless places of the holy Scripture shew out of which it is sufficient to have looked into but these few Luke 11. 13. John 7. 39. 14. 16 17. a place by me quoted to the same purpose Acts 5. 32. 15. 8. Cor. 6. 19. By the Holy Spirit in these places is understood Some Divine and Holy Inspiration or some Power flowing from God which is as it were breathed into man Again The Holy Spirit iâ— properly given unto men and not Metonymically nor Metolepsically that is the Gift of the holy Ghost is simply and plainly to be taken as exprest which signification sayes Crellius was not unknown even to the Gentiles themselves although in the mean time they did most grievously 〈◊〉 in the thing taking a false Inspiration for a true one a Davilish for a Divine It would be tedious to instance a fourth part of what he argumentatively writes on this only I will produce a few of those Scriptures which he so understands and applies 2 Cor. 1. 22. 5. 5. Ephes 1. 14. here a Pledge and Earnest are mentioned Neâ—â— sayes he all those places where the Holy Spirit is said to be poured out on men as Isae 44. 3. Joel by us cited chap. 2. 28 29. Zachariah 12. 10. Tit. 3. 6. where sayes he men are said to be baptized in or with it again agree to it that of Christ who in John inviting men to the participation of so excellent a Gift thus saith If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Understand it sayes Crellius of that Living Water which it is manifest is the Holy Spirit Let those places be added says he in which Christ himself is said to be anointed or others are signified to be anointed with the Holy Spirit John 7. 37. Isa 61. 1. Luke 4. 18. Acts 8. 38. Heb. 1. 9. Psal 51. 8. 2 Cor. 1. 1 John 2. 20 21 27. He proceeds to several Arguments upon divers other Scripture-Heads as all Scriptures touching divine Participation not quenching the Spirit the Holy Spirit being sent The Spirit searcheth all things c. But above all I shall conclude his whole Discourse with this one Expression viz. In this we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us his Spirit which we have expressed is both perfect and plainly expresseth the thing given and such indeed as may demonstrate most clearly that God dwells in us in some most singular and divine manner and we in him and that there is a most streight Bond of Love and Conjunction betwixt us and him for how could we be more streightly joyned with him or he with us then when he hath imparted to us of his Holy Spirit Curcellius shall conclude these Testimonies Nec enim desinent fideles esse Templum spiritus sancti nimirum quia Deus in ipsis per spiritum suum habitaret That is Neither do the Faithful cease to be the Temple of the Holy Ghost why because God by his Spirit dwells in them Thus much for the first part of this Discourse I shall now apply my self to the Second which concerns a Vindication of George Fox and his Citation of Scripture from the Reproach and Unworthy dealing of our Adversary A VINDICATION OF George Fox And the TRUTH by him Vindicated Particularly his Quotation of Scripture from the Calumny and Cavil of this LIBELLER WE shall say nothing here of the Disingenuity of the Man
They were Brethren as being of the same Blood and Fathers as Elders of the Tribes under that particular Constitution Besides both his own and if Married his Wifes Fathers and Grand-Fathers might be then living and either of the Council or concurring with it In short We therefore refuse the style of Master and are very cautious of being in the least lavish in Titles of Worldly Honour because We with Lamentation behold through the Illumination of God's blessed Light the Spoil Cruelty and manifold Evils that Proud Flattering Honour-seeking and Honour-giving Spirit has made amongst the Sons of men who to compass unjust Dominion hath sacrific'd the Blood Wealth and Peace of Nations to its ambitious aims and esteem'd it no small accession to the Magnificâ—nce of its exploits that almost in all Ages she hath led the Rights Properties and Persons too of Millions as Captives in Triumph after her and through the Gulf of Rapine and Blood laneâ—t into the vast Ocean of unlimited Power What Impiety is there in the World that may not in some sence be resolved into that of Pride or Covetousness after Honour as its proper Center Mens over-value of themselves and their Displeasure against such as have not the like thoughts of them beget Revenge which taking its opportunity breaks forth into Blood and Murder O! let men learn to dread the Living God and fear all their dayes before him and that will sweep the mind of these vain thoughts and bring it from such exalted conceits and its insatiable Thirst after Honour and will establish it in the Humility and Lovely Plainness of a Meek and Quiet Spirit which is of great Price in the Sight of the Almighty God which because the World is not adorned with but doth both seek and give wordly Honour and Personal Respect whilst perhaps such entertain deadly Hatred against each other and resolve one anothers Ruin for outward Ends we are constrained by the Meek and Lowly Spirit of Christ Jesus our Lord to testifie against the World's Vain Honours and to hold forth an Example to them what they must all expect to come to before they can receive that Honour which is from God And this is that Honest Reason why We of this Age do with Elihu say We know not how to give flattering Titles for in so doing our Maker would soon take us away Thus much in Answer to his Cavills whose Emptiness might have been enough to sound out their own indesert of any but for the sake of the Honest-Hearted I have said some thing enough for the place and occasion If any desire further Satisfaction they may please to peruse a Book entituled No Cross No Crown and the Serious Apology for the Principles and Practices of the People called Quakers pag. 139 140 141 142. which with several others sufficiently vindicate both our Principle and Practice in this particular as also others of the same Nature and tendency His fourth Fling at us is about Womens Sâ—aking in the Church in which point he would seem to Triumph not a little over G. F. Let your Women keep Silence in the Churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak bnt they are commanded to be under Obedience as also saith the Law And if they will learn any thing let them ask their Husbands at home for it is a shame for Women to speak in the Church 1 Cor. 14. 34 35. Here if the Apostle sayes he doth not command Silence to Women by Sex in those cases wherein he allows men by Sex to speak I understand nothing that is written But G. F. pag. 380. sayes Now the Woman here hath an Husband to ask and not usurp Authority over the Man but Christ in the Male as in the Female who redeems from under the Law and makes free from the Law that man may speak c. Now if we may take Liberty to expound the Scripture thus it will be a Nose of wax that may be turned which way we please Besides it seems to be built upon a misreading of Husband for Husbands because Christ who is but One is made the Husbands that must be asked at home So one of your Authors saith But what Husbands have Widdows to learn of but Christ And was not Christ the Husband of Philip's four Daughters and may not they that learn of their Husbands speak then But before I go any further it may be observed how very slight his return is to G. F's Sense of the place and especially that though he quotes another Friends Query on the matter he never offers to give it any Answer and I am really perswaded he was confounded by it However why is it so abusive of the Scripture to say that which the Scripture saith it self Are not the Spirits of Believers properly the Lambs Bride as being the â—â—ue Church to which he is a Bridegroom and â—f which he is the Head Methinks he must never have read or at least have forgot what he read in the Scriptures of Truth who denies this If so then why is it Improper or Abusive as he calls it to say that when Mens Spirits of themselves especially in the unlearned State speak it is that Woman which is forbidden to speak of her self since the Context saith that though they may all speak one by one yet it is if any thing be revealed to them which because that cannot be without Christ reveal it whom the Father hath ordained to be his eternal Word by which to declare to man the invisible things of his Kingdom it follows that it is Christ the Bridegroom and Husband of his People who by his Power speaks through his People to the Edification of his Body And as the Woman is the Weaker Vessel so is Man in comparison of Christ and therefore may not unfitly be accounted a Woman from his comparative imbecillity So that as Christ Presides or Governs in the Assemblies of his People it may be rather said the Man thâ—â— is the Bridegroom and Husband of his People speaks in them and by them then they themselves who without him are but as the Strength of a Woman and it being her place to yield to the Soveraignity of her Lord and Husband to whom is ordained the Rule she ought to receive the Law from his mouth who is the everlasting High-Priest and Prophet of his People But now suppose I should yield it to him that the Apostle chiefly intended the Words in a Literal Sense and not so mystically as we have already discours'd will it therefore be untrue mystically by no means it is frequent to find both a mystical and literal Sense in the same passage as when the Evangelist alludes to Isaiah's Prophecy Chap. 5. 3. proving it to be fulfilled by Christ's bodily Cures which is true in that Sense yet hath one more inward and mystical But to be short I utterly deny from the Literal Text that Women are prohibited to preach singly as Women or of that Sex
new Men after his own Image in which sense the Image of Christ is by him renewed and created in right Believers and they made new Creatures by bearing his Image His next Perversion of Scripture is that in John which he saith G. F. often useth and alwayes abuseth as he remembers I doubt his Memory much but let 's hear it And now O Father Glorifie thou me with thine own self with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was Thus the Scripture but G. F. thus Christ who was Glorified with the Father before the World began On which read his Comment You will say perhaps his words and Christ's are the same in sense but doth God give G. F. his Infallible Spirit to correct his Son Christ's words Sottish Ignorance and Enmity with a witness What Is every Variation of a Word or Syllable a Wrong done to the Meaning of Scripture And did ever Christ his Apostles or any sober Man living chide or reprove a Person if through Defect of Memory or for Brevity or in a way of Paraphrase he did leave out or put in or change a Word not in the least perverting the Sense so uncharitable a Person I know not ever to have heard of fitter to be severely reproved then answer'd and to whom Silence had been the best Confutation had it not been more for the sake of others then his To dare to conclude a Man a Lyar Imposter False-Prophet and I know not what more because he expresses the same matter with a small Variation in the Words But I shall say more of this else-where He proceeds Nay doth not G. F. take his Phrase in a Divers Sense from what Christ intended by his for sayes He it is manifest that Jesus prayed now to be glorified with the Glory wherewith He was not then glorified but God was glorious before the World was therefore Jesus intends by the Glory He had with the Father before the World was the Glory He had given him in Decree before the world was The Clinch is Foolish and his Consequence False and pernicious For what if Christ was not then glorified must it therefore follow that He was not in being much less glorified before the World was Can He be so great a Stranger to the Apostles Doctrine delivered in his Epistle to the Philippians where we find him first Equal with God as being in his very Form or Essence next making Himself of no Reputation then appearing in the Fashion or Likeness of Men and lastly that He humbled Himself and became Obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross which shews that he was in an exalted and glorified Estate before He humbled Himself else how was He humbled And it is peece of Sacriledge and Ingratitude I almost tremble to think on that because He was pleased to descend in the Likeness of men in order to the Salvation of Mankind in which Our Adversary may also have his share if He unfeignedly repent he should unworthily robb Him of all Pre-existence in the Form of God whilst He Himself thought it no Robbery to be Equal with God So that though in his humbled Estate and Fashion of a Man He could not properly be said to be glorified and therefore prayed to be so yet it is no right Consequence that therefore He never was before For that would be to say because an Earthly Prince may for a certain time debase himself and take upon him the Condition of an Inferior Person for some great Benefit that He thereby designes to do his Country if after having effected it He desires to be received again into that Glory and Splendor he enjoyed before that therefore he never had any before only in Decree If this would be both False and absurd the other is much more This is the great Mystery of the Socinians indeed the Rock on which they split they do not distinguish betwixt the Form of God and Likeness of Men that which came into the World to do the Will of God and the Body He took in which to perform it Nor does this Scripture at all make for his Opinion for Jesus was not yet Glorified since it might as well have been said He has not yet dyed the Death of the Cross neither is Risen and Ascended which was the Period of that state unto which He had from the Form of God Humbled Himself even to the being of no Reputation which he thus expresseth himself I have Glorified thee on Earth I have finished the Work thou gavest me to do And in another place thus I came forth from the Father and am come into the World Again I leave the World and go to the Father where is the same Reason that we should believe he was with the Father before he came into the World as that he did come into the World and afterwards go to the Father again else why is it again going to the Father But now let me ask him if he can be so brazen'd as to think that God allows him not only to correct his Son Christ's words but the very substance of his Prayer Was it so great a Crime in his account for G. F. to say who was Glorified before the World began instead of Glorifie thou me with thy own self with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was And is it no wayes reprovable in him instead of the last clause to turn it thus Glorifie thou me â—â—th thy own self with the Glory which I had with thee not actually but in degree only before the World began That ever any man should undertake to Correct others in that which doth not deserve it whilst the Beam is in his own Eye and is himself most guilty My Soul blesseth God that our Religion is above these slight Shifts and pittiful starting Holes I would tâ—ll the man in his own words of us though more seriously That he whom G. F. and all of us call Christ by way of Excellency was in the Sense aforementioned glorified before the World began and if what he calls Christ was not it is to us a Proof that he was not that True Christ which both appeared to the Fathers of old for the Rock followed them and that Rock was Christ and in the fashion of a Man in these latter Times humbling himself to the Death of the Cross Thus much in the clearing of this place 3dly He is very angry with G. F. that he makes Christ speak these words by the Prophet Amos Behold I am pressed under you as a Cart is pressed with Sheaves which sayes he belongs to the Lord or Jehovah Grant it Does it not therefore belong unto Christ who is God over all Blessed forever that said Before Abraham was I am But he gives us no reason to the contrary and till he does let this suffice That as Christ has been a Lamb slain through Sin and Iniquity so also has he been
pressed thereby as a Cart is with Sheaves and that since the Foundation of the World 4thly He quotes G. F. thus The Promise is to the Seed the Seed is Christ and Christ is all and in all To which he sayes The Apostle has it thus And when all things shall be subdued unto Him then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him that God not Christ may be all in all He could not have doâ—â— greater Injury to the Holy Spirit 's words then to put Christ for God It will not be hard to clear this Mistake in our Adversary and that to his great Shame For who will think him fit to mannage Controversies that is ignorant in the very letter of the Scripture It is evident that he denies Christ to be all and in all and that G. F's so asserting him to be is the Cause of his Cavil at him Now hear what the Apostle sayes in the matter Col. 3. 11. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is All and in All And if Christ be All and in All and he that is All and in All be the True and Living God then because Christ is All and in All Christ is the true and Living God Now who has done the Injury G. F. to the Holy Writ or this obstinate and peevish Adversary to Christ Jesus the only Lord of Glory 5thly His next Socinian Clash at G. F's Citation of Scripture is in the same Page with the former and it is at his saying God is the Word instead of the Word was God adding That though the Word was made Flesh or was Flesh yet no considerate man will say that Flesh is the Word A great deal of do for fear Christ should be God but from this notable Distinction of his we are not without a Relief If the Word was God and the Word be God then God must needs be the Word that is If he that is called God be the same Being with him that is called the Word then God may as well be called the Word as the Word may be called God for instance If Christ and Jesus agree equally to one and the same Being what is the difference betwixt saying Jesus was Christ or Christ was Jesus Certainly we may justly say of him what he in a way of Reflection sayes of G. F. Methinks he is more Nice then Wise And for his Instance about the Word 's being made Flesh that is sayes he was Flesh I deny his Paraphrase for it is neither properly to be read was made Flesh nor was Flesh but rather The Word took Flesh and pitcht his Tent or Tabernacle in us Thus Clarius and almost all agree It to import a more Spiritual signification so Erasmus and Grotius especially and for the Ancients they were positive Ireneus Justinus Tertullianus Origen c. but above the rest Tertullian adv Praxeam but this is not so very material to the Point However if the very Word had become very Flesh I mean visible to Carnal Eyes it would not be inconsiderate in any man to say then Flesh is or was the Word and if our Adversary understood himself he would perceive that there would be only a Transposition of words and no material Alteration For that which is now Flesh or as the Hebrews have it Man is the Word as that which is God is also the Word But enough for this only we may observe by the way that the Man is not so hearty an Enemy to Transubstantiation as he would have us believe pag. 44. who can think the Word was properly made Flesh 6thly His Objection against G. F. for joyning Christ with God saying His Father and He are greater then all is Irreverent and Frivolous For who dares deny it and what abuse is it to Scripture Sure I am his saying so and that without any Reason shews him to be a man of Unreasonable Confidence 7thly He is angry that when G. F. mentions this Passage To whom every Knee must bow and Tongue confess to the Glory of God that he adds not Father I could not have believed that any man who loves Seriousness should bestow his Time so idlely Is this the earnest and deep Study â—e talkt of by which he hopes to obtain Divine Knowledge But sayes he Why did he not add the term Father to God nor insert that Jesus Christ is Lord But the truth of this Scripture consists not with their Doctrine that the Father and Son are one I confess it is somewhat hard to understand what he would be at but let it suffice that he who is called God is called Lord above an Hundred times therefore one to which Christ Himself bears Record I and my Father are one my Father worketh hitherto and I work for whatsoever things he doth those doth the Son To us a Child is born to us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon His Shoulders and his Name shall be called Wonderful Councellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace the same Power Spirit Light Life Wisdom and Being forever 8thly His next Antichristian Cavil is at G. F's making the Holy Spirit as well to proceed from the Son as from the Father The Scripture runeth thus But when the Comforter is come the Spirit of Truth whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceeds from the Father He shall testifie of Me But sayes he according to G. F. thus Christ is in the Father and the Father in Him and He will send them the Comforter that proceeds from the Father and the Son and for this quotes an Epistle writ by G. F. and J. S. and prefixt to G. W's Book of the Divinity of Christ It is past my skill to understand the Difference unless it be this That the Spirit he makes to proceed as well from the Son as from the Father and so it doth if I understand Scripture for the place it self saith it But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father which shews that not only God but Christ also sends forth the Holy Spirit into the Faithful Also But if I depart I will send Him unto you He shall not speak of Himself but whatsoever He shall hear He shall glorifie me and shall shew it unto you And when he had said this Peace be unto you my Father hath sent me even so send I you He breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost In short If the Holy Spirit be sent by Christ and received of Christ and is breathed on His by Christ then the Spirit must needs proceed or come from Christ and consequently what G. F. said is sound and Scriptural and our Adversary's Clamours are Vain and Envious For whilst he quotes G. F's calling upon Vincent Danson and
grateful is the lowest degree of Reason to us wheresoever we find it that we can no more deny it or occasionally refuse our selves the use of it then the greatest since its being so does not unreason it or render it no Reason in it self though confessedly a less degree of Reason nor is it possible that the meanest Appearance of Reason can withstand the greatest since Reason alwayes acknowledgeth and owneth her self in what Degree soever she meets It is not Stature that makes a Man nor Magnitude a Tree or Stone but the Nature and Property of each And truly we are well contented with our weak Reason as he is pleased to call it we know it to be God's Light Grace and Spirit of Truth that since we gave our Minds intirely to be governed and exercised by it We have found that Mortification of Sin and Corruption that Renewing of Heavenly Divine Life that holy Courage and Patience and it has brought us to so good an Vnderstanding of the Mysteries of God's Eternal Kingdom and Assurance as we are faithful to the same of Everlasting Blessedness that 't is beyond the power of the ratling of these Leaves of Charge and Reproach to scare us from our Standing or beget the least Question in us concerning the certainty of this Pure Unchangeable Way of God in which we walk but is invisible to his vulterous Eye who so disdainfully writes against it I had some hopes he had done with Personal Contest at least against the Body but I find him still in his Reflections For whilst you look upon your selves as led by an infallible Spirit though it be indeed nothing but the Fancy of G. Fox or some other of your Teachers you must needs reject the clearest Light that God hath given to Men 〈◊〉 Angels when it opposes your Sentments Though he could scarce say any thing of us more disingenious and scurrilous rendring us such deluded Sots and very Iddeots as to captivate our own Understandings if he can think we had ever any to the Dreams and Fancies of a few illiterate men under an Apprehension of being led not by them but an Infalible Spirit Yet since in this one Expression lies wrapt up if not his great undervalue of an Infallible Spirit at least his Disbelief of any such thing as the Guide of men and his unworthy Reflection upon us in crediting any such Doctrine I am more then ordinarily engag'd to state and vindicate that one most necessary Doctrine viz. Whether God's holy and Infallible Spirit be the proper Rule of Faith Judge of Controversies and Guide of a Christian Life or any other thing this I reckon as the main Hing on which all turns and I now make it my Post by which in God's Strength I am resolved to stand firm in its Defence and that by Scripture and Reason hoping whatever uncharitable Thoughts he entertains of us that he is not so devoid of all sense of either as that they may not be used with advantage to him under his present Ignorance and Presumption 'T is true this deserves an intire Discourse of it self as that which above all other Subjects disputed on in the whole World deserves mans most weighty Consideration and if the Lord make way it may be by some or other more distinctly and at large hanâ—llâ—d another time in a perticular Tract however I shall state and briefly defend the Question I hope to present satisfaction The Question Stated Whether God's Holy and Unerring Spirit for I am so Charitable as to think he believes God's Spirit to be so is or should be the proper Judge of Truth Rule of Faith and Guide of Life among men especially under the Administration of the Blessed Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ or not I affirm it and proceed to prove it both by Scripture and Reason First Gen. 6. 3. And the Lord said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man for that he also is Flesh yet his dayes shall be an Hundred and Twenty Years c. If God's Unerring Spirit has been wont to strive with men either to convince them of and convert them from the Evil of their Thoughts words and Deeds or else to provoke them yet more fully to do the Will of God so as to press on from one degree of Glory to another then Men have had an Unerring Spirit to be their Teacher and Judge and Rule and Guide of that Truth concerning that Faith and in that most holy Way which leads to Eternal Life But the Scripture proves the first Proposition That God's Spirit has frequently strove with men and for the Ends before-mentioned and consequently they have not been without an Holy Vnerring Spirit to Teach Judge Regulate and Guide them Secondly Neh. 9. 19 20. Yet thou in thy manifold Mercies forsookest them not in the Wilderness the Pillar of the Cloud departed not from them by Day to lead them in the Way neither the Pillar of Fire by Night to shew them Light and the Way wherein they should go Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them c. If under the Dispensation of the Law God gave his good Spirit to instruct his People which is to say that it should teach them rule them and guide them in whatever was necessary for them to know or do otherwise God's Spirit would have been lame and defective in his holy Instruction which far be it from any sober man to affirm then will it follow that much more should the same Eternal Spirit be poured out under the glorious Dispensation of the Gospel But all that acknowledge the Divine Authority of the Scriptures must confess to God's Goodness to his People in the outward Wilderness in the free Gift of his Eternal Spirit therefore the Eternal Spirit was and is the Teacher Judge Rule and Guide of his People now besides that state was but figurative of the Mystical Travel of the true Church in the dayes of the Gospel and how is God so propitious now as then if he be not as a Pillar of Cloud by Day and of Fire by Night I mean Spiritually and Invisibly so to illuminate his People concerning the way he would have them to walk in Thirdly Job 32. 8. Prov. 2. 6. But there is a Spirit in man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Vnderstanding For the Lord giveth Wisdom out of his Mouth cometh Knowledge and Vnderstanding If the Spirit in man be not of man as the foregoing words shew and therefore is that divine Spirit by and from which comes the Inspiration of the Almighty and if the Understanding he mostly intended be of Divine and Eternal Matters as the whole Subject treated on in the preceeding and following Chapters as well as that in which the words are manifests then is it not from the strength of mans Reason Memory or utmost Creaturely Ability that his Knowledge of Religious and Heavenly Things comes but from the Revelation and Discovery of the
weighty Scripture containing the very Work of Regeneration and sine qua non or that only certain Means Condition and Requisit without which there can be no obtaining of Eternal Life and Salvation requires our best notice and consideration in order to which I shall divide the place into these two Heads and briefly raise my Argument thereon 1. Christ's most positive exclusion of all from any Portion in God's Kingdom who were not born again in answer to Nicodemus his carnal Conceit of the impossibility of an old mans entring a second time into his Mothers Womb. 2. That the Birth which all such as would inhererit God's Kingdom should be Witnesses of was and is the Birth of Water and the Spirit upon which I thus proceed to argue If none can Inherit God's Holy Kingdom but those who are regenerated of Water and the Spirit then none can inherit God's Holy Kingdom but such as are cleansed by Water and taught led and guided by God's Holy Spirit The first none can deny that own the Scripture it being but a part of the very verse quoted the second I evidently prove thus If Water and Spirit be the only operative to Regeneration and Regeneration the alone Way to the Kingdom of God then can no man inherit God's Kingdom that is not regenerated neither can any man be regenerated that is not washed by the Water of Life begotten work't formed inspired and acted by that Eternal Spirit to Newness of Life That to be begotten is to be principally guided and acted by that by which any is so begotten I prove No man can live move sensate or act but from the original Heat Life Motion and Action of that which did beget him because the Nature of that which begets being conveyed to the begotten truly renders him begotten or else there were no such thing but every regenerate man is the Begotten of the Eternal Spirit so far as concerns his Renovation or Regeneration therefore every such regenerated man was and is led motion'd and acted by that Eternal Spirit which begot him and consequently the Saints which are the regenerated are not left destitute of an infallible Teacher Judge Rule and Guide amongst them In short We look upon being born of Water and the Spirit to be Our being cleansed from all filthiness and quickened informed ruled and guided by the most pure and perfect Dictates and Operations of God's Eternal Spirit And how a Regenerated man can be made or continue such without the daily Guidance of that Infallible Spirit and the Scriptures kept clear from the Reflection of Contradiction if not gross Error is a Riddle too hard for me to explain and a Task I may without Presumption say too great for our trifling Antagonist to perform Twelfthly John 14. 16 17 18 20. 16. 13. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you forever Even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth Him not neither knoweth Him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you at that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Again Howbeit when he the Spirit of Truth is come be will guide you into all Truth Upon these Divine Passages thus particularly exprest by the Holy Ghost I offer these short Arguments 1. If the Spirit of Truth or most infallible Spirit be God's Gift to his Servants in Gospel times to abide with them forever then are they accompanied with an infallible Spirit but we see the plain Text proves that God gives his Spirit of Truth to his Servants that they might be assisted in all their Wants and therefore they are not without such an infallible Spirit And our Adversary is more to blame to reflect upon the Guidance of an infallible Spirit which is so consonant with the express Letter of a multitude of Scripture Passages then we are because we credit G. F. upon Conviction And if he tells us That unless we believe what our Eyes see of Contradictions as he pretends by him collected out of G. F's Book that he will not believe whatever we shall say or affirm we may on much better Grounds conclude never to believe what he asserts and wholy to decline writing or speaking to him to use his own words if hereafter he will dare to continue in the belief of so Anti-scriptural and Anti-gospel an Apprehension as that there is no infallible Spirit to guide men in the Way of Salvation which is as express and evident from many naked Texts of Scripture as that God is Truth else never did any Writing more delude Mankind because none could be more particular and plain in the Promise and allowance of it But let God and his written Will be true and our Vnspiritual Adversary in his confest Fallible Judgment of us a very Lyar. 2. If the not seeing and knowing of the Spirit of Truth be the Reason rendred by our Lord Jesus why the World receives it not then may we most justly infer that they never saw it neither know it but are of the World who cannot receive it but write against it in reference to its greatest Office viz. Of being the Saints Teacher Leader and Comforter And indeed because the Spirit is not some visible elementary thing that may be seen by their outward Eyes and be comprehended by their dark confused and disputative Brains which is contrary to the Decree and Way of God's manifesting of his Will from the conviction of the least sin to the enjoyment of the highest Glory therefore they dis-regard it as contemptible and dis-believe it as incredible 3. If the Ground of the Saints Knowledge of that Infallible Spirit be the Spirit 's inhabiting them for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you then were they not without that Spirit and consequently they were attended with an infallible Guide within them 4. If the Lord Jesus would not leave them comfortless but though visibly with-drawn yet in a more Spiritual and Invisible manner would come to them again and that at that day they should know that He was in his Father they in Him and He in them Then were his Servants not destitute of an infallible Judge Leader and Guide because they had Him that was the Way Truth and Life to whom all Power and Judgment were committed 5. If both the Spirit of Truth was promised to come and when come to guide into all Truth that is to say that whateve they scrupled were ignorant in or ought to know and practicer with what they were oblieged to reject and testifie against should be by that Eternal Spirit discovered unto them then undoubtedly they were not without an infallible Spirit to Judge Regulate and Guide them in all that concerned Faith Worship and Conversation but the first Proposition is purely Scriptural and therefore the consequent not
from Falshood the Rule of what ought to be received and embraced and the Guide of Life be the Anointing which none denies that I know of to be the Spirit of God then both the only way to be taught all things necessary to be believed and performed is the Anointing and that Anointing is in Believers respectively but the Scripture so asserts And consequently the right Christian is not without that Infallible Spirit to teach and lead him into all Truth 1 John 3. 24. And he that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us If the Union betwixt Christ and his Children be that they dwell in him and he in them and that they thereby know it by the Spirit that he hath given them which implies that they had the Unerring Spirit of Christ then true Believers are not without Christ and his Spirit dwelling in them to Guide Rule and Instruct them in all things necessary to Eternal Life and Salvation He that denyes the first denyes the Scripture and he that rejects the second Proposition had as good deny that Day is an Effect of Light Jude 19 20. These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost c. If such as have not the Spirit are sensual then because the true Children of God are not sensual it follows that they have the Spirit and that those who have it not are not the Children of God because such are sensual This the Apostle further manifests to be his mind because leaving the sensualists he addresses himself to the Sanctified of God exhorting them To build up one another on their most holy Faith Praying in the Holy Ghost which shews that they performed their Worship to God in the Motion of the Eternal Spirit and consequently they could not be destitute of an Unerring Spirit in what concerned them either towards God or Men. Thus have I briefly run through the Scriptures of Truth and doubt not but I have made it appear That God has afforded his People in all Ages such a measure of his Eternal Spirit as hath been sufficient to Inform Rule and Guide them infallibly in and about those things which are absolutely necessary to be known or done unto Eternal Life It remains That I evidence the Truth of my Assertion by Reason also which I shall endeavour with what convenient brevity I can That Christian Men have an Infallible Principle to Judge Rule and Guide them I prove by REASON First I Shall take it for granted That no man whom either Education or Conviction gives to believe there is a God can be so unreasonable as to tâ—ink That any man may be farther able to understand what this God is and his Divine Pleasure concerning him then the same is discovered to him by some external or internal Operation from the same infinite Beeing this then must either be by the visible Creation or that invisible Taste or Rellish the Soul has by vertue of the divine Touches Influences and Discoveries that the Almighty Invisible God is pleased to approach his Creatures by as the next clearest way to communicate unto them the knowledge of himself Secondly And as I know not any who professeth Religion that makes the least scruple of this so how is it possible that such Discoveries as God himself is pleased to make should be fallible or subject to any Defect in themselves for were that admitted as must be upon the Principles of our Adversary then must we conclude an Imperfect Knowledge nay an uncertain not to say Erronious Knowledge of and Faith in God to be from God's own defective Manifestations of himself which however truly deduced from his Positions is a most Vnworthy and False Reflection upon the Mercy and Goodness of God Thirdly There is an absolute necessity That what it is convenient for man to know should be certainly and infallibly discovered to him because of that great Corruption Idolatry and Superstition which through that misty and uncertain Prospect they say man has of the Divine Will he may be subject to fall into and like the vain Worshippers of old conceit an Ape Serpent or Crockedell to be a Deity or some other Beeings or Fancies though less gross yet too gross for a Christian man Fourthly Upon our Adversary's Principles there can be no assured Ground of Comfort for when a man shall think he hath workt out his Salvation in the Way he Conceives most acceptable with God perhaps he hath followed an Erronious Judgment and Unsubject Affection and when Repentance may be too late he is to be fob'd off with such an Award as this You had no Infallible Knowledge and having lived in an Erronious sense of your own you must inherit the Displeasure that follows thereby making well or ill believing or doing a meer Lottery or doing of things by Chance and not from any certain knowledge in themselves of what God required of them A Conceit worthy to be disdained by every sober man Fifthly And were I as our Adversary I would never beat my Brain about what is true or false since upon his Principles when Truth meets me I know her not from Error and after I should have writ Volums I am as certain of the Truth of what I oppose as of what I assert so that the Quakers may be in the right for ought he knows nor have they any certain grounds from him on which to alter or believe the contrary Sixthly Nor does this Opinion of our Adversary that there is no such thing as man's being now led by an infallible Spirit end there for it rendereth the Almighty more injust then the worst of men since first he seems to offer men the clearest Discoveries of so much of his Will as he requires them to live conformable unto yet means nothing less by leaving Mankind to labour under the perplexity of an uncertain Knowledge And secondly Concludes him notwithstanding under the greatest certainty of eternal Punishment Methinks then If these things seem unreasonable though the genuine Effects of a fallible Guide our Adversary should by this time think it fit to allow us 1. That God cannot be known but by the Discoveries he makes of himself through his Eternal Power and Spirit unto Mankind 2. That though such Discoveries may be imperfect in Degree yet not in kind 3. That such Revelation Discovery or Instruction is infallibly true and that there is nothing wanting on God's part to accommodate man with a Spiritual Certain Infallible Discovery and Knowledge of Almighty God his Creator and therefore man has to rectifie and assist his fallible Judgement an Vnerring Certain Infallible Spirit Power or Principle which as man listens unto it and follows it his Vnderstanding becomes illuminated his Reason purified and a sound Judgment restored and in all things is
hearts may be enlightned The Arabick thus enlightning the eyes of your hearts The Aethiopick thus and may enlighten the eyes of your heart all agreeing in the Word illuminating or enlightning only one sayes of the heart and the other of the mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is mens or the mind of man which indeed are but so many words to the same purpose Certainly then this word enlighten is not of so dangerous consequence nor inconsonant to Scripture Language as this idle and ignorant Person would render it The like we find in the Epistle to the Hebrews for it is impossible for those being once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illustratos or inshined But sayes Beza illuminati enlightned if they fall away to renew them again c. they change in their cases and words but not sense for to shine in the understanding or lighten the understanding or enlighten it with me are the same that love time better and my own reputation then to loose both by vain conceited distinctions that only show the emtiness of the head from whence they come The like we may read in the tenth Chapter of the same Epistle But call to remembrance the former dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in quibus illuminati in which ye were enlightned sayes Montanus quibus postquam illustrati fuissetis by which ye were shined into sayes Beza that is enlightned say I. To which agree most of the versions made use of in this Discourse whether Oriental or any other Also Zegerus Drusius Grotius and others are wont to give this Interpretation upon it both in their places before mentioned and else-where that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports as much as to enlighten the eyes of mens understandings unto the Knowledge of Christ also to indoctrinate or baptize them into the Knowledge of Evangelical Truths Crellius shall conclude the matter who in his Comment upon that place of the Hebrews saith Illuminati Luce nimirum Evangelica per quam ut Apostolus loquitur Vitam et Incorruptibilitatem Christus illuminavit per quam omnes errores omnem mentis caliginem caecitatem expulit The English Construction is Enlightned that is to say with the Gospel-Light by which as saith the Apostle Christ brought Life and Immortality to Light and by which he expelled all Error and all Darkness and Blindness of Mind Certainly he was for Illumination and such too as is infallible a stumbling block to our Erroneus Adversary and his Brawling associate T. F. By which it evidently appears that not only the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text controverted whether as Verb Adjective or Participle signifies and is used to express what We understand by Illumination or Enlightning and so rendred by Translators and Commentators but also the Holy Penmen have employed it to that very purpose in most of those places throughout the New Testament so called wherein they have treated of Divine Enlightnings Inspirings or Illuminations But after what hath been urged in defence of our use of the Word and for which he impertinently reflects upon G. F. What if I should grant him his two empty Exceptions that are like Wasps without stings viz. Coming to refer to Light and that Lighteth and Enlightneth are different Tearms First as for Coming its referring to Light it would amount to no more then this that being to give an account of the Evangelical Testament and Gospel administration he might tell us that the breaking forth Appearance or coming thereof gave Light to or illuminated all men or God was now fulfilling his Promise by his Son namely that he would pour out of his Spirit upon all flesh that is every one should be enlightned with that blessed Son of Righteousness who then rose in a more extraordinary manner then before Now this being the best use that could be made of referring Coming to Light and not to Man what great matter should We loose by it O say these followers of Biddle and mungrel Socinians but We should get by it for We should thereby be in hopes of shutting Christ out of all pretences to an eternal Divinity by restraining his beginning to Christ's being born of the Virgin By being with God We should have it that he was bodily taken up into the highest Heavens and there personally taught by God upon solemn Conference betwixt them what He should do on Earth where He received his Verbal Commssion and descended And by the Words being God that upon his doing what was commanded him here in the World for his Faithfulness he was godded that is not a God by Nature but by Office by Favour and Acquisition O strange Imagination Be these the men that are not for Meanings Allegories and strained Glosses but the Punctual Litteral Rational Scripturists whose Maxim is No◠credimus quia non legimus We don't believe because we don't read it If G. F. or any Quaker in England had undertaken to have imposed such an Interpretation upon the World in favour of his Belief how inflamed would our Adversaries have been against us and that this Fancy should be the first Corner and Foundation Stone of their Building is very unhappy And I heartily pitty some of the first Inventers of this Notion indeed a very Fiction that being so very rational in some other Principles especially against Infidels Jews Papists and Atheists they should notwithstanding draw a Cloud over the Brightness of their other Labours by the unjustifiable Scandal this one Conceit brings upon them which I verily believe to be boyed up in the Opinions of several by the Reputation that may be due to some other more scriptural and truly rational Doctrines Secondly What if it should contrary to the current of almost all Versions be allowed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Lighteth and not Enlightned For my part I see no other loss in it then that it is not so forceably exprest For man being composed of Soul and Body the Soul is the Interior the Body is the Exterior part of man So that when the Body is lighted by the Sun or any other Fire we may say the External part is lighted about its business or occasions and when the Internal part the Soul is lighted We may in reference to the whole man say He is inlightned or lightned within because the Soul may properly be said to be internal or within or the most hidden and Spiritual part of man Behold then the redoubtableness of this Adversary his Will is good I mean bad as the Apostle saith in a more serious Case To will mischief to us was present with the man but how to perform he knew not yet this pedling Controversist will be doing though as little to purpose as need be Witness one material part of his Observation against G. F. if it hath any matter at all in it viz. that he changed the Phrase and Tense or Time Alas poor man and what then Ergo saith he G. F.
his own Reproof and in less then two Pages give himself the Lye But it is just with God that such men should be strongly infatuated Is it not strange that he should mock at our desiring to be informed by the Light at the bottom of one Page and make his own Appeal unto it at the top of the very next Is it fit to direct us in and about what he writes and not concerning the Writings of other men or Is it a true and approved Light when it concurs with him and but a weak delusive and what not Light when it leads us to oppose him But out of his own mouth let him be judged I shall therefore contract the benefit I make of his own Appeal into these two Arguments 1. That unto which he makes an Appeal must be capable of giving an Infallible Judgment and so a true Judge or else he appeals foolishly But the Light within is that unto which he makes his Appeal and we would not think him to do it to a thing not fit to give a certain Judgment therefore the Light is an Infallible Judge by his own Appeal 2. If it be appealed to by him as a competent Judge nay that by which we should satisfie our own Consciences touching the things he layes to G. F's charge namely Impostor c. and since those things are of the highest nature in Religion or against it then will it follow that the Light is to be the Judge of George Fox and not only of him but concerning those weighty Points of Religion wherein he is abusively charged by the Libeller And if so I would both tell him That G. F. is pronounced not guilty by the Verdict of that Light from which there is no Appeal and Himself first guilty of charging him with what he has not proved and secondly of Abusing Degrading and Contemning the Light and then contradictorily to himself of making his solemn Reference and Appeal to the Light as the most Impartial and Vnerring Judge Tell me now what could we have said more in praise of the Light so far as meer words go and what could he have said against himself He further adds That 't is the Protestant Principle as well as ours that it is evident by their dissent from the Church of Rome who pretending to be the Infallible Guide in Religion No sayes the Protestant Everyman is Judge for Himself Further That God hâ—s for that End endued every man with such a Light of Common and Certain Principles written in every man's Heart that if a Prophet should come and give them a Sign or a Wonder to draw them away from the observance of that Light and those Principles they ought not to adhere to that Prophet see Deut. 12. 1 2 3. Moreover God they say has promised his holy Spirit to those that humbly implore it in the Obedience of that Light Further That we have entertained it under new Names that the Contention between us and our Adversaries is about words Natural Light say they quoting than in the Romans For when the Gentiles that have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law they having not the Law are a Law unto themselves Divine Light say you John 1. 9. Is not the Difference betwixt you and others about Names for whether God hath given it Men by Nature or not it is of God in respect of its proceeding from Him and tendring to Him Thus an eminent Preacher in a great Assembly of late upon the Text And so far the Quakers are in the Right That every man hath the Motions of Good and Evil within him which in plain Cases of Good and Evil Right and Wrong will tell him what he ought to do and what he ought to avoid by which he ought to be directed and that his Conscience will acquit and excuse if he do the One and accuse and condemn him if he do the Other Thus far our Adversary and his eminent Preacher To the first I shall say that taking it for granted he is as Orthodox as a Protestant whose Cause he would seem to vindicate yet he grosly contradicts himself compared with his several lessening Expressions of the Light But I hope now he has told us that both the Protestants and himself receive and assert the Light to be the right Judge and Guide that both will never more be angry with the poor Quakers for being of that mind And that our Adversary will particularly retract his Manuscript to G. W. in Defence of the Scriptures being the Judge Rule and Guide or to that Effect As for his refusing us the Reputation of having shown them the Way to such Belief saying It was alwayes theirs We are contented to sit down without the Glory of being so much as Instrumental to such Convictions In short If the Light within be a more certain Ground then very Signs and Wonders Nay that excellent Gift with which God has endu'd Man in order to the safe Conduct of his Life as our Adversary hath plentifully confest then have we obtained our Post viz. that the Light is an Infallible Guide and need no more contend about what is so expressly yielded to us and the accord confirmed by the Concessions of an Eminent Preacher too whom I wish as Eminent a Practitioner and not less sound in his Life then Pulpit But alas such is our mans's Uncertainty to himself as well as others that it seems Impossible with him to write two Pages and they not quarrel with each other and both mutiny against their Author for after his Elogies bestowed upon the Light he is once more come to unbespeak them like the Sullen Cow that spills the Milk she gives And that which is more to be wondr'd at this miserable man begins to except against the Sufficiency of the Light from those very Reasons for which he seems to have asserted it at an high rate thus And this helpes me to shew in the third place that you extend the Doctrine of the Light in every man further then you ought for it is not to be extended to all Cases whatever as if every man that attends to the Light in him did certainly know what is good what is Evil Right or Wrong in every Case I heartily pitty the man and am really afraid he has overcharged the Strength of his Brain for with me such manifest Contradiction is but a smaler degree of Distraction I would fain have a rational Answer from him if he be yet capable of one How can the Light be a Judge of good and evil and yet not be so and all within the space of ten lines If the Light as by him acknowledged be a Judge of Good from Evil and the contrary then in all Cases where Good and Evil Right and Wrong make up the Question the Light cannot be secluded as wanting in true Judgment because Good and Evil are part of the Queston in the granted Proposition Deny that the Light is
of all that is fit for them to know but the Light is sufficient to discover unto them all that which is necessary for them to know But he is wonderful Jealous that We neglect the means the Light doth dictate unto us the great need and use of namely the Scriptures and other diligent study and here he falls down right upon us Must God be bound with his Divine Light and Inspiration to supply the defects of our Idleness and Pride for when other men count it great Mercy in God that he is pleased through the vilest means that may be and through their earnest Study and Diligence to grant them the Knowledge of his Will Enlightening their Mind by his Holy Spirit You must have it like the Angels that alwayes behold his Face by immediate Revelation and without Labour and Industry Methinks he is both Angry Uncivil and Irreverent Angry that others should enjoy through their unfeigned Repentance and humble constant walking with that Holy Light which convinced them those daily Discoveries from the Lord of their duty towards him and all men with renewed Refreshment and Consolation which he by all his poring beating of his Brains and daily striving can never obtain But the Scriptures are herein fulfilled the Holy Way the 〈◊〉 Eye did never see Some would have the Kingdom of God by Violence and many strove to enter but could not And that same Ravenous Spirit after Knowledge our Adversary must come to know judged and cast out of himself as what rob'd man of Paradice at first and keeps Thousands out at this day and see himself to be Low and Empty and Poor and Naked before he be exalted as Full Rich and wanting nothing Vncivil that he should in that rough and reflecting manner upon us who neither knows us to be idle or Proud and least of all in any thing which concerns him but if our diligent waiting to receive from God Strength Knowledge and Comfort and not running in our Own Wills be Idleness in that Sense We evermore desire to be Idle It is by the same â—gure that we are Proud namely We rejoyce with Boldness in the God of our Salvation declaring to the World what God hath done for us not flinching in times of Tempest neither suffering such Creeping Spirits as his to be owned by us as men walking in the Light and ransomed from this Vngodly World by the pretious Blood of the Lamb of God that takes away the Sin thereof Irreverent in that he makes God to convey the Knowledge of himself through the Vilest Means Vile had been more then enough he might have kept Vilest to himself I have not read in all the Scriptures of Truth any such Expression 'T is true David in answer to those who counted his serving of God a Vile Thing said then He would â—e Vile still but that is no Warrant And God's Judgment pronounced upon Eli's House much less because his Sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not therefore have I sworn to the House of Eli that the Iniquity of Eli's House shaâ—â— not be purged with Sacrifice nor Oâ—â—ering soever And the Apostle Paul useth thesame word in thesame sense For this Cause God gave them up to vile Affections c. Now for any man to expect that God by vilest wayes should make himself known is an unscriptural and irreverent Saying but this may show how dark and vile the man is in the use of such unsuitable and unsavory Expressions However He once more hopes to mâ—ke amends and if his last Will and Testament may stand I mean his last Account of his wavering Belief of the Light then the Light is what we have said it to be viz. Supernatural and Saving Hear him So now my Friends I deny not that there is a Light in every man which he is oblieged under Pain of the displeasure of the Almighty diligently to eye and follow that so doing it will lead him by degrees into all necessary Truth and at length to eternal Life A large Confession to the Light and as large a Contradiction to pag. 38. 40 41. which because we have already observed and improved to the benefit of our own Belief let this suffice that at last we have obtained what we have sought for viz. That the Light is a Saving Light I shall conclude this Subject with this friendly Caution That they will ever hereafter do exceedingly well to remain constant to their own Grants and not through any disgust at the use we have made thereof in rehandling the same Controversie like Children first give and then take away again And now let none be displeased that I have been so particular in handling this Point of the Controversie which concerns the Light since I confess it to be the most eminent Article of our Faith Christ the true Light enlightening every man that comes into the World with saving Light and therefore deserves of such as so believe to be defended with all the Circumspection and Advantage they are capable of and I am not conscious to my self of any neglect in the casâ— For what concerns the remainder though I esteem it less worthy yet not wholy unworthy our notice and therefore shall briefly consider it I hope to satisfaction His second Doctrinal Cavil or that part of our Faith which he seems to single out for Combat is Not Swearing and that upon occasion of G. F's Complaint of the Translators in those words G. F. saith 1 Cor. 15. 31. I Protest by your Rejoycing c. now I Protest is added for there is nothing for it in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To which that I may pass by his Reflections upon G. F's Greek or rather the Oversight of some Transcribers to be sure no Doctrinal Error and therefore might have escaped so much insulting Reproof He thus answereth My Greek Grammar saith that 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ne are Adverbs of Swearing Scâ—pula ' s Lexicon saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Particle of Granting and Affirming and with an Oath The Grammar gives for Example 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is by Jupiter neither may any one excuse him by saying that â—e signifies by and not I protest for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a Particle that imports Swearing and by is sometimes used when there is no Swearing it seems to have been necessary for the Translators to put in I protest or some other word equivalent How very trivial this Objection is and with what Weakness and Deceit he mannageth it I hope very Evidently to make appear 'T is granted to him what his Grammar tells him that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both are Adverbs of Swearing or have been frequently used among the Greeks in their Oaths though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been enough for him to instance unless he would have us think him learned in Adverbs at least such as concern Right Swearing also Scapula intimates as
well suppose that because he doth reciprocally exhort Children and Servants that therefore he stiled them so in a way of singular Respect Either let our Adversary deny that particular Homage and Respect are intended by the vulgar Titles of Master Lord c. or else prove That the Apostle had the same Intention with these of our Times in their Titles of Respect to one another when He wrote to Fathers Children Masters and Servants But let it suffice that he was laying down a general Rule for both as in reference to such relations without having any particular Persons or Titles in his Eye and unless he had known and mentioned all the Names of those that then were and hereafter should be Fathers and Children Masters and Servants he could not otherwise have expressed his Mind But why should I farther contend with so much Weakness yet he seems to have a little Greek for his Ignorance let 's hear what it sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are all rendered Master But that which is used by Christ in this Text Mat. 23. 10. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Katheegeetees which signifies as the Learned tells us a Leader of the Way or Guide but as for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kyrios which the Apostle Paul useth to the Ephesians and Collossians and is translated sometimes Master and sometimes Sir most often Lord we find that the Apostles both singularly and plurally suffered themseles to be called by it as the Greeks called Philip Sir we would see Jesus John 12. 21. and the Jaylor came Trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and said Sirs or Masters what must I do to be saved I Answer This makes nothing for the Business though it makes Business for none questions the use of several words upon several Occasions in Scriptures as the Apostle to the Ephesians and Collossians doth Father Master c. which I have already explained and proved nothing to the matter in hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie a Lord or Master thus because it properly imports Authority or One having Power a Governour or the like But this makes for us such as are our Governours we do distinguish by Titles that plainly express their Authority though not with all those gaudy Flatteries that men in Deceitfulness invent and use to gratifie the Proud Part in any Man But what is this to calling Men Master since we deny not the use of Master Father Son Servant c. where they are significantly and not improperly and Sycophantly used And for the Greeks that desired to see Jesus and the Jaylor that tremblingly cryed out Sirs what shall I do to be saved they are no Instances of Advantage to him unless we should be so very ridiculous as to think that because any Man customarily calls me Master therefore I must call him or other Men Master and that I thought it well done in him to call me so or because any man commits an Evil and our Adversary does not immediately reprove him therefore it is no Evil in it self and he commits the like So what if Philip Paul and Silâ—â— were called Sirs not either to Tempt Jeer or Flatter them but in a customary manner in which many scarce think what they say must it follow that the Practice was not after the Proud Fashions of the Gentile Nations or that they were guilty of the same Practice because they did not just then reprove it when the poor Greeks lookt for a Saviour and God's heavy Judgments had taken hold on the Jaylor causing him to possess the Sins of his Youth which made him a Quaker indeed for he came fearing and trembling unto them No no the matter was then of greater moment the Salvation of Souls had they talked to them of the Title Master or Masters that would have been no Answer to their weighty Question nor any allay to that earnest Enquiry and deep Agony the Queriers were under Shew us the Saviour O! what must I do to be saved So that how Reprovable soever that had been in it self or at another time yet it did not seem then to the Holy Ghost to be the time the Matter in hand was how to bring them to the Light and Knowledge of that Jesus which was given for a Saviour and when they had found him and he had Discipled them to call no man Master nor to look for it because One was their Master would all naturally follow as relative to that Evangelical Religion Well but sayes he Mary Magdalene called Jesus Sir supposing he had been the Gardener and you will not say that Jesus suffered her to sin in his presence without reproving her which I abhor to think Yet this won't serve his turn for first that Sir was not of that force and Emphasis which Master was the Title mostly insisted on the next Verse tells us where Jesus said unto her Mary and she turned her self and said unto him Rabboni which is to say Master as if she had first recalled her self and then styl'd him by a more Reverent Title then that she gave him as the supposed Gardener Next we know that till the pouring out of the Holy Spirit which was to bring all things to their Remembrance that Jesus had at times said unto them and to lead them into all Truth the Disciples among whom she was not the least were in the practice of more Customs then that which after they grew up in a more mature Knowledge of Christ and his invisible Kingdom they declined and finally rejected Nor doth it follow that she therefore did well because she was not reproved of Jesus where the Stress seems to lie or did that which in the true State of Christianity was so much as allowable for Christ â—ever particularly chekâ— Peter for denying him that we read of and I suppose all grant Peter did amiss yet by our Adversary's inconsequent way of arguing he either would make Peter not to have done ill in denying his Lord or Jesus so in not reproving him for doing it which let me tell him we also abhor to think But now he doubtless pleas'd himself with the Conceit of having irrecoverably caught us in that passage of Stephen's where he saith That He a man full of Faith and Power said to the Council of the Jews Men Brothren and Fathers Theâ— were not his Fathers but they were Fathers In which his good will is seen but how to effect what he would have is as difficult as before for the Jews being a People peculiarly separated from all other Nations in comparison of others might not unfitly be called a great Family as being lineally descended of twelve Brethren so that it was frequent among them instead of Ancestors to say our Fathers did so and so And this Way of Speach Christ himself used when he said Your Fathers eat Manna in the Wilderness wherefore what Stephen said might be both allowable and true They were Men that is not disputed
and for no other Reason and consequently that some Women may preach which I prove thus If the Apostle had Companions and Fellow-Labourers in the Gospel that were Women then we ought to believe that all Women as Women only were not by him denyed to speak in the Church But the Apostles had Female Fellow-Labourers in the Gospel therefore not all Women but some Women only are excluded That he had such Companions he himself is Witness I commend unto you Romans Phâ—be our Sister which is a Servant of the Church which is at Cenchrea Great Priscilla and Aquila my Helpers in Christ Jesus Again Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa who labour in the Lord Salute the Beloved Persis which laboured much in the Lord who were all Women Aquila excepted Next If the Prophecy of Joel refer to the Times of the Gospel in which God promised To pour out of his Spirit on all Flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophecy c. as is remembred and so applyed by Peter when the holy Ghost was poured forth at Jerusalem then Women were not exempted as Women from the Gift of the Holyâ—Ghost and Prophesie thereby But it was never yet questioned by any that I know and therefore Women as Women are so far from being excluded that they are to partake of the Promise as well as Men. Again If Anna preached to the People in the Temple at Jerusalem the Glorious Day of Israel ' s Redemption as may be read in Luke and if Philip's four Daughters were Prophetesses and if Priscilla expounded to Apollo as well as her Husband the Way of God more perfectly even at that time when he was a Preacher among the People as may be read at large in the Acts then say I with good Reason Women as Women are not denyed by the Apostle to Teach and Instruct in the Wayes of God But the Scripture evidently proveth That such Women there have been and consequently Women as Women are not prohibited And methinks the Place urged by him against it clearly intimates as much For the Apostle is not treating in that Chapter who or what Sex shall Prophesie and what not but of that Order and Decency which such as Prophesie ought to observe For when he said You may all Prophesie one by 〈◊〉 if it had been asked Who Men or Women doubtless he would have answered All or every one provided any thing be revealed to you So that then this Prohibition of the Apostle extends only to their Disorder in the Church occasioned by their Ignorance which put them upon the proposing of their Doubts and Scruples unseasonably that is such of them as were Vnlearned and not an Anna a Priscilla a Tryphena a Tryphosa or a Beloved Persis who Preached Israel ' s Redemption and Expounded the Way of the Lord and were Fellow-Labourers in the Work and Gospel of Christ So then the words are to be read thus I permit not an Vnlearned or Ignorant Woman to speak in the Church and if she will learn any thing let it be at Home of her Husband for 't is a Shame that such a Person should be suffered to trouble the Church with her Vnseasonable and Vnlearned Questions And to this sense Grotius himself does more then encline as may be read in his Annotations upon this very place sayes he Intelligendum vero cum exceptione afflatus Prophetici diximus supra It is alwayes to be understood with an Exception to Prophetick Motions or Inspirations as we said before which implies a plain Contradiction to the Opinion of our Adversary who vainly supposeth That Women as Women are exempted Again he tels us That such Women are the Subjects of the Apostle's Discourse who being Ignorant and not well understanding what may have been spoken by the Teacher in the Congregation was not to interrupt the Speakers Ne interrumpant loquentes sed Mares Domus suae interrogent qui aut respondebunt exse aut consulent peritiores but ask their Husbands at Home who will either answer themselves or consult those who may be more experienced Thus much on this Particular and I believe enough to reconcile all sober minds to the serious Exhortations and Reproofs as well of Good and Holy Women as Men who are also Witnesses of his Resurrection who was Dead but is Alive and lives forever Scriptures Socinianiz'd I Shall now attend his Sophistication of several Scriptures in which his Displeasure against G. F. comes not from his ardent Love to any common Principles which he has hitherto seem'd to militate for but his great Regard to Socinianism both against G. F. and them The first is his Exception to G. F's Citation of that Scripture And have put on the New Man which is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of Him that created him where G. F. puts Them for Him making the Saints the Antecedent to Them whereas the New Man is the Antecedent to Him and shows that the New Man is created which G. F. is not willing to allow for he corrects his Adversary for saying The Light is a Creature which is to say Christ who is called the Light is here called a New Man and such a one as is created and consequently is not God but a Creature A Doctrine that well becomes our Adversary To which I Answer That the New Man who is there said to be created is put in opposition to the Old Man mention'd in the Verse before who is thus described by the Apostle But now you also put off all these Anger Wrath Malice Blasphemy Filthy Communication out of your Mouth Lye not one to another seeing that ye have put off the Old Man Which shews he meant by the Old man those Habits and Customs of Evil which were almost become Natural that they were before addicted to and consequently that the New Man was the inward Regeneration or New Creation of the Soul Mind and Spirit with the Inclinations and Affections thereof so that the Image of the New Man may be created or begotten in Believers and on that account be called the New Man but not that Christ Jesus is the created New Man For it is he by their own Principle That Creates all things New in the Heavenly World of the Gospel who having all Power begets his People into a New State renewing them in all Divine Knowledge after the Image or that they may be the Likeness of him that created him that is that Image for nothing can be renewed that was not lost but Christ was never lost to speak properly in our Adversary's sense as well as ours but the Image of Christ has been lost almost from the Foundation of the World Therefore it is not Christ but his Image that is renewed and anew created So that if G. F. did put Them for Him it is not false for to create them anew in his Image or a new Image in them is all one and the words will bear it that Christ creates
But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the Thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose Goings forth have been from of Old from Everlasting the Hebrews phrase it from the dayes of Eternity Mich. 5. 2. Observ 4. Where we have and for but Ephratah not quoted though thou be little for thou art the least among the Princes for among the Thousands out forth and shall come a Governour that shall Râ—le my People Israel we have for shall he come unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose Going forth have been from of Old from Everlasting For it is written in the Law of Moses Thou shalt not muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn 1 Cor. 9. 9. Thou shalt not muzzle the Ox when he treadeth out the Corn Deut. 25. 4. Observ 5. In this Passage we also have an addition and alteration the Mouth of the Ox for the Ox and that treadeth for when he treadeth c. which though all one in sence yet had been matter of Crime enough against G. F. had he but made the same alteration Of this man's Seed that is David the Son of Jesse hath God according to his Promise raised unto Israel a Saviour Jesus Acts 13. 22. And there shall come forth a Rod out of the Stem of Jesse and a Branch shall grow out of his Roots Isa 11. 1. Observ 6. The great Difference of which I mean as to expression one would think might sufficiently justifie G. F. and I believe will in the Judgment of all such as reverence the Scriptures of Truth for I don't see that there be four words alike yet the sence one Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in Victory Oh Death where is thy Sting Oh Gravâ— where is thy Victory 1 Cor. 15. He will swallow up Death in Victory Isa 25. 8. Oh Death I will be thy Plagues Oh Grave I will be thy Destruction Hos 13. 14. Observ 7. The alteration here is manifest also Death is swallowed up for He will swallow up Death and Oh Death where is thy sting for Oh Death I will be thy Plagues c. We shall conclude with one more out of the Epistle to the Hebrews But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is forever and ever a Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom Heb. 1. 8. Thy Throne O God is for forever and ever the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a Right Scepter thou lovest Righteousness Psal 45. 6 7. Observ 8. Here we have A Scepter of Righteousness iâ— the Scepter of thy Kingdom for The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a Right Scepter Thus beside many more places past over for brevity sake have I made it evidently appear that G. F. cannot be accused by any that would not accuse Christ Jesus and his Apostles themselves as to Mis-citation of Scriptures if their not Citing of these express words may be justly so reputed which though I utterly reject it yet since our Adversary hath made it a Crime so capital in G. F. it may not be â—â—seasonable to offer That he doth inevitably conclude Christ Jesus and his Apostles under the same Fault which how suitable soever it may be to his Religion we have more Godly Fear and Reverence upon our spirits then to so much as admit of any the least Detraction from them any where and least of all would our Understandings let us in this Occasion But what if we were unable to render those obvious Reasons already offered Would it follow that G. F. must necessarily be condemned as a Perverter of Scripture and as having censured others for that wherein he is as inexcusable himself By no means For it is granted on all hands that what most of all aggravates the Blame of any Dispuâ—â—nt is erring from or falling short of or contradicting his own avow'd Principles This was the Case of the Priests G. F. disputed against but not his They say That the Scriptures or Writings of the Holy Men of God as they are transmitted to us with every Point Iota or parcel of them are such a Sufficient Infallible Perspicuous and Constant Rule as that God hath not left or given unto men any thing more clear certain c. But G. F. and we who are called Quakers although we heartily acknowledge the Scripture so given forth to be a Declaration of the Mind of God so far as it pleased him to discover it and that men ought to believe read obey and fulfil them as the Ancients did yet that the Eternal Spirit is by way of Excellency the Rule and Guide of Christians who convinceth the World of Sin reproves for and redeems from it into the perfect Liberty of the Sons of God as received and obeyed And this only gives the Knowledge of the Truth of the Scriptures and brings into those States of which the Scriptures are but a Godly Narrative And that this Infallible Living Divine Spirit is therefore the most Certain and Unerring Rule above and beyond the meer Letter which hath been and is subject to any Miscarriages Wherefore G. F. had good Reason to put the Priests upon Scripture Proof and that so critically as that they might not foyst in any Doctrines upon Abstruse and disputable Consequences of their own drawing but grounded on express Texts of Scripture For if they defended the Scriptures in every Iota to be the very Word of God and only standing Rule of Faith Worship and Conversation under the Gospel it was but reasonable in him to tye them to their own Rule whilst on the contrary G. F. not believing them to be that alone most excellent standing Rule of Christians however he might otherwise esteem them as rightly believing That not a Law engraven on Tables of Stone much less writ on Paper but an invisible Spiritual Law of Life writ in the Hearts and Consciences of Men and Women was and is the Great Living Infallible and Perpetual Gospel-Rule he was not confined to the very express Words and Points thereof as his Rule So that there is not there cannot be the same Reason for reproving G. F. of what they are most deserving of severe censure Nay G. F. is very excusable in what they by their own Principle are condemnable And therefore he cannot be upon the same terms with them For it would be to say that because I obliege a man with strictness to his own Rule therefore I am an Impostor if I do not as precisely square my self by the same which is to beg more then becomes a Modest Man to ask or a Reasonable Man to grant for it is the very thing controverted Whether that Light Life Power and Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures at several times on several Occasions be that only Infallible Rule of Christians or the Letter so subject to variety of Corruptions Additions Diminutions c.
either in its Original or the numerous Translations that are in the World whereof so scarcely two agree We say not the Letter but the Life it self is the Evangâ—lical Rule they say not any such Divine Life oâ— Spirit by any Internal Discoveries or Operations but the bare single Letter or Scriptures containing so many express Words Points c. are that only Gospelâ—Rule Wherefore to make G. F. as condemnable as the Priâ—â—ts they must first prove him to hold the same Principle that they do which because he does not he is not liable to the same Reproof with them Indeed to none at all Where let it be further considered That they affirm the Scriptures to be their Rule wholâ— excluding the Spirit of God And we believe the Eternal Spirit to be our Rule not excluding the Serious Use of Scriptures suitable to that Saying They that are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God and I will write my Law in their Hearts and put my Fear in their Inward Parts The Scriptures testifie of me but ye will not come unto me that ye may have Life But before I conclude this Subject I must needs tell the Man that he hath not only taken as well a New as Insufficient Way to prove G. F. an Impostor c. but he has equally manifested his Ignorance and Want of Candout in what he has done For who is there that ever understood the Laws of Translation that would revile a Man for giving the same Sense in Words as forceable though not the very same Or Who would count a Man an Impostor False Prophet c. because of a meer Verbal Alteration in a Sentence where the Matter remains intire and unviolated Certain I am that the best Translators in the World have endeavoured to make their Authors speak their matter in the Phrase and propriety of that Language into which they have been rendered which had been utterly impossible if they had been turned Verbatim and after the genuine Phrase and mode of their Original Tongues Such Versions being like the wrong side of the Cloath or reading Words backward Let our Adversary inform himself after what manner all the Classick Authors Great Philosophers and Famous Historians are made French by the Criticks of that Tongue in their New Academy at Paris Nor is Our Country wholely-void of Instances as the Translation of Thusidides Polybius Justinus Caesars Comentaries Quintus Curtius Livius Seneca Tacitus Homer Virgil Ovid Lucan Council of Trent Campanella Du-Plessy Grotius Bâ—colini Malvetzy St Amour and fourty more peeces in which I dare affirm that neither Verbs Nouns Pronouns Participles Gerunds Adjectives Conjunctives Copulates Subjunctives Prepositions Adverbs Tenses Cases Numbers c. are so much as considered in their Translation but only how the Matter so exprest in its Original Tongue may be most aptly rendered into Our own If then this Scope is both practised by and allowed to all Translators I would fain know why it should be so Criminal in G. F. to have given the Scope and whole tendency of Scripture Texts in other Words then what are in our conmon Translations But certainly this shows that rank Enmity which lodgeth in the Man's Mind and is to me a plain Demonstration of his implacable Malice that like the Black Jaundies has so over-run him as I fear it will almost be impossible that he should ever recover to any tolerable moderation though We could desire he might come to a Sight and Sense of his Folly Ignorance and Bitterness against us and not longer continue to kick against the pricks in himself nor to endeavour however he miss his aim to gore the sides of an Innocent People with his False Glosses and Calumnious Accusations for certainly the Righteous God of Heaven and Earth will effectually judge for these things by whose eternal Power and Spirit and for whose Cause on Earth we are what we are at this very day And though the Contradiction of Abstinate sinfull men be truely burthensom on their account and this continual toil of Controversy very unpleasant to our selves yet for the alone sake of Gods unchangeable Truth and Heavenly Way to Life Eternal we do cheerfully overlook our own Trouble Weight and Exercise counting it our duty and therein our Satisfaction to be at all times ready for the Service of it let what will ensue And be it known to all the World that as our Religion stands not in the Doctrines Meanings Preachings or Notions of mens devising or deducting from the Scriptures themselves but in the Living Quicking Power of the Eternal God which plainly discovers Sin and wounds deeply for it and as obeyed ransoms the Soul from Death Hell and the Grave to serve the Living Lord God in his New Living and Spiritual Way So do we proclaim it to the Nations that all Religions short of this are but the Form without the Power and make up but that Whâ—re with her golden Cup which has bewitched Tongues and Kindreds and People She that has a name to Live as the Lambs Bride true Church c. whilst indeed She is but that great Harlot that has committed all manner of Abomination with whole Kingdoms under the specious shew of Religion wherefore every one of you to whom this Book comes search and examine in the Dread and Fear of Almighty God how it stands with thee Hast thou ever been prickt to the Heart and repented with that Repentance which sorrows for Sin past and turns from Sin to come which is never to be repented of And dost thou feel the Living Powerfull Workings of Gods Power and Spirit in thy Heart regenerating thee without which thou canst not be a Child of God and Heir of Glory I say O Man unless thou comest to know the work of thy Souls Redemption from the Pit and Deliverance of thy mind from the Snares and Temptations of the Devil begun in thy self by which to live to God and to have the Testimony of his Eternal Spirit in thy Conscience that thou hast turned at the Reproof of Instruction and hast felt the Blood of Cleansing and art now walking on in the strait and narrow Way of Life and Righteousness which â—rucifies the Earthly Mind thy Praying Preaching Observations and whole Religion are vain and will prove all of none effect in the Day when the Lord God Eternal shall make strict Inquisition and Search after what Fruits have been by every one brought forth Wherefore be ye all awakened to the Fear of the Lord and mind diligently that Blessed Light which shines in your Hearts and is able to give unto you the Knowledge of God in the Face of Jesus Christ which is the true Knowledge and Wisdom that come from above that make Wise to Life Eternal for the Wisdom that is from below may study carp contend about Scriptures and Religion and from thence frame and imagine how those thingâ—s are workt that are mention'd therein and I know doth but can never give