God and which Things we Preach or Speak not in the words which man 's or Humane Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual 1 Cor. 2. But this R.B. comparing Spiritual things with Carnal is not wise who because old men and long Students in Arts and worldly Sciences are most Wise or likely to be so therefore they that labour and study most in Books of Divinity so call'd get most of the Spirit 's teaching O sad That ever the minds of the Children of Men should be so cover'd with darkness and yet read the Scripture of Truth which witnesses to no one thing more then to the Free Teachings of the Spirit of God without humane Helps For all the Help that is humane or that man who is ab humo that is from the Earth can afford is but natural and of this World which comes to nought therefore is it said That none of the Princes that is the chief men of this World knew the Mystery of Christ and his Kingdom then which made them so band against him see the 2d Psalm And the Natural Man with all his natural means discerns not the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discern'd So every one that would know the Mind of the Spirit of God must come to feel through the Most Holy Faith a measure of it in themselves For after ye believ'd ye were seal'd with the Spirit of Promise saith Paul And the Word is nigh thee even in thy Heart and Mouth O thou that hast an Ear to hear hear what the Spirit speaks even the Word of Faith which we Preach Therefore go not forth from the Anointing of God in thy Heart to hear the frothy and false Doctrine of such as R.B. who have run and set up themselves by their humane Helps in the place of Teachers and God never sent them and therefore they cannot profit the People at all but lead them about like silly Women laden with divers Sins and Lusts yea in their Prayers and best Performances as is manifest and so not being sent and enabled by God's Spirit they can never lead you to it but from it as is manifest Also R. B. in pag. 6. before mention'd saith The Objection hath much Confusion in it and how proves he that but by saying 1. It confoundeth the Spirit 's teaching us by inditing the Scripture with the Spirit 's teaching us the meaning of the Scriptures 2. And it confoundeth the common Knowledge of Divinity with the saving Knowledge of it No man cometh to a common Knowledge fit for a Teacher of others without the Spirit 's teaching by the Scriptures for that was the first part of the Spirits teaching us to inspire the Prophets and Apostles to deliver a Teaching Word to the Churches by which we might all be taught of God through all Generations But many men have excellent common Knowledge by this Word and by the common help of the Spirit without that special Help which begetteth saving Knowledg And all Knowledge requireth Time and Labour to obtain it though the Spirit giveth it and though it may be sanctified to us in a little time but that may be a means of saving others which saveth not the man that hath it And in pag. 114. farther saith Take them not for no Ministers that want Grace totally and marvel not that Gifts are more necessary to the validity of Ministration then Grace is he may perform the Office of a Minister to the benefit of the Church that hath no Saving Grace at all Thus for Rich Baxter O! What Sorcery and Egyptian-Darkness is here to make void the New Covenant and Free Gratious Teachings of the Spirit of God in these dayes and to establish the Letter in the room and stead thereof which only witnesses to it and is a Declaration concerning what the Spirit of God did in them and in the World before Christ's coming in the Flesh and what was done during his being in it and what the Spirit would do in the Believing Souls and in the World after that time But this the Hirelings do that they by their trading with and giving their false meanings upon the Scriptures they may keep the people in Blindness and so from the Anointing and Teaching and Enjoyment of that Spirit that was in them that gave forth Scriptures that they may not see their deceitful Doctrines and Merchandizes lest they should buy no more of them For no man that knows the Badness of Babylon will buy them any more and then will the Merchants of Souls Mourn For they that know the Lord and his Spirit 's Teaching in them which is the Good Old Way yea and the ever New Fresh Profitable and Living WAY will follow no more such men as would bring in and establish a Graceless Ministry as this Baxter doth here to his everlasting Shame But such Graceless Priests the Lord will have none of nor his People neither For my Sheep hear my Voice saith Christ and a Stranger they will not hear Surely a Graceless Man is this Stranger They to wit graceless men saith John 1 Epist. 4. are of the World and the World hear them we are of God Stewards of the manifold Grace of God 1 Pet 4 10 And they that are of God hear us And so ever Bless'd and Prais'd be the Great and Glorious Name of the Lord Jesus who hath restor'd to them that obey him the Glorious Doctrine of the Spirit 's Teaching as was in the Apostles dayes according to his true Promise where all in the Truth of which we the People of God in scorn call'd Quakers are Members where all I say is done in and by the Holy Spirit prais'd be God and nothing own'd among'st us but what is so done Here is Praying in and by the Spirit and Preaching in and by the Spirit and Singing in and by the Spirit of our Holy Lord God and so the Head being Spiritual and the Members of the Body every one Spiritual for we are all Baptiz'd by one Holy Spirit into the one Heavenly Body our Food is also Spiritual Heavenly Bread and Heavenly Wine and the Water Spiritual that Sanctifies us and makes us clean to God in all our Sacrifices and Services for Christ gave himself for his Church which is his Body that he might wash it and present it spotless to himself and without all Deformity by the washing of Water even the Water of Life in the Word of Life the creating Word of the everlasting Father which is Spirit and Life the Resurrection and the Life in every believing Soul for we are redeemed from Death thereby that we might forever hereafter serve God in the newness of his own Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter as all such do as know no other teaching Word but the Letter as this Baxter doth and so they having gotten a little Brain-knowledge by their humane helps and not by the Spirit of Truth
never taught by man Oh happy therefore are they who are come to the Everlasting Covenant of God and to know the inward Teachings and Leadings of his Holy Spirit in their Heart to Lead them into all Truth according to Promise Joh. 16. without being beholding to Vain Man's Help for whereof is he to be accounted as is manifest even as a Thing of naught is the best of them out of the Truth For O! How Ignorant of the Ministry of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit 's Inspiration sufficient Teaching is this Baxter who is not content to sit among the Parish Teachers as a Fellow but even takes upon him to be a Teacher of the Teachers Yea so Ignorant and Unbelieving is he concerning the Spirit 's Power and Sufficiency in these dayes that without an outward Miracle he will not believe any such Thing Nay he would not have People believe for themselves that God teacheth their own Hearts unless it come in man's Way and by Humane study Labour and natural Means Therefore the Lord saw good for his own Glory and for the Vindication of his own Honourable and Everlasting Truth which the Hirelings had made void by their Traditions and for the absolute necessity of his own beloved Seed to restore unto us the Ancient Doctrine of the Holy Spirit 's Sufficiency in all the Work of bringing man out of the Fall to God that the Lord the Spirit might be the first and the last yea all in all in their Salvation without man's Help for he is worthy who as he created all things by his own alone Power and according to his Good Will so he restores all things according to the Counsel of his own Will and not of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the Will of Man as the Apostle also speaks Joh. 1.13 but Oh How unlike is this Doctrine of the Apostle's to Baxter's for when the Apostle had said To them that received Christ to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God left any should think as this Baxter doth that it was either by man's Labour or Study or Humane endeavour or Art or Parts or any natural Abilities or Helps whatsoever he saith It was not of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the Will of Man but of God And of his own Will begat he us by the Word of Truth saith that other Apostle Jam. 1.17 18. and he bids not err as this Baxter doth to set up another Fountain or Root and that this Word of Truth is not any outward Writing Voice or any Creature John in his first Chapter tells us That in the beginning was this Word and the Word was with God and is God and his Name is called the Word of God Revel 19.13 so this Word though it works according to the witness of the Scripture which it gave forth freely and as it self pleaseth in the Children of men yet it is not the Scripture For search the Scriptures or ye do search the Scriptures saith Christ That witness of me but you will not come to me that you may have Life and these were they that Paul said He bore them record that they had a Zeal for God and Scripture but not according to knowledge for they being Ignorant of God's Righteousness went about to Establish their own Righteousness and submitted not to God's And so even so this Baxter and many such like have a blind Zeal and a great Talk of the Scriptures without and of the Spirit 's Teaching by the Letter and Humane Helps and the like but will not come to Christ to know him in them that they may have Life and Wisdom and Righteousness But would Establish their own which is meer Emptiness and Vanity in the sight of God and all truly Spiritual men 2 Cor. 13.5 Rom. 10.3 And how far this Baxter's Language in those other words where he saith That if any will pretend to a good Understanding of the Scriptures without learning the Languages which they are written in and the Customs of those Times Countries or without much reading and long study of the scriptures themselves and the Writings of them that 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 them had need of some Miracle or sounding 〈…〉 to perswade themselves or others that they are not deceived How far I say is this Doctrine and language in this 〈◊〉 from the Language of the holy men of God that writ Scripture let the Spiritual Man who best understands all things judge for the holy Apostles Magnified the free Grace and the free Teachings of the Spirit of Grace and debased man and all Humane Helps as is said before and as the Scripture every where witnesseth But this Baxter tyeth the Wait and main stress of all upon Humane Learning natural Parts knowledge of Customs and Countries much reading long study and the like insomuch that without them man must not look that any should believe him Nay nor he must not own God's Teaching in his own Heart without these unlest seconded by some Miracle or the like But Oh the Misery therefore of such poor Souls as follow such wretched Teachers and their damnable Doctrine as I may well And Oh forever Blessed are they who are brought from off such Barren Mountains into the good Fold where all the Lambs of Christ lie down in the good Pasture of the Spirit 's fulness and walk up and down in the Light of the Lord under the hand of the good Shepherd Christ Jesus where none can come to make afraid nor deceive for in the Light of our God we see all these false Teachers and their devouring Doctrines and by the holy Power of God are delivered from them and made able in the overcoming Spirit of Truth to declare against them Glory to God forever Amen Again Let us revew and consider in particular a little of those words of his before set down where he saith as an Argument to perswade his young Ones and Dissenters to his falsly called Humility Especially saith he If you know your advantages for knowledge have been less then other mens that you are younger or that it is but a few Years since you entred upon the Study of the Scripture or that you have not any stronger natural Parts then other men or that you have not had that Measure of learning which might further your knowledge of the holy Scripture But that others that differ from you have had much more of all these Helps and Means then you and have Prayed more and Meditated more c. To which I Answer That by these words it is easily seen what manner of knowledge it is that this Baxter trades in and would have all Slaves unto and what are his Means for obtaining it to wit a meer natural Knowledge which by meer Worldly Helps and Advantages may be attained for a meer Heathen accompanied with many Years and much Humane Learning and strong Natural Parts that can but talk much of the Scripture especially having on him a Form of Prayer and the
Baxter's Book Entitul'd The Cure of Church-Divisions ANSWER'D CONFUTED And he prov'd to be a Physitian of NO VALUE Who hath manifested his Folly and Weakness in undertaking a Work which he hath so little Understanding in By Thomas Taylor For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to Covetousness c. They have Heal'd also the Hurt of the Daughter of my People with sweet words saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace Jer. 6.13 14. But ye are Forgers of Lyes ye are all Physitians of no Value Job 13.4 Printed in the Year 1671. Baxter's Book Entitul'd The Cure of Church-Divisions ANSWER'D CONFUTED RICHARD BAXTER a man who through a shew of Learning and Religion had gotten in Oliver Crumwel's dayes a great esteem in the minds of the ignorantly Zealous Professors of Religion in this Nation and especially in the parts of Worcester-shire about Kidderminster where he then resided hath since the change of the Times and coming in of the Old Common-prayer-Book again much manifested his Nakedness Confusion and Unsoundness to every Eye that in any measure is open to see the difference of Truth and Error in the ground of it as by his works appear and that it is so amongst other things that Book of his falsly call'd The Cure of Church-Divisions which I have now under-hand to answer doth plainly manifest For instead of curing Divisions he hath shew'd himself to be a Physitian of no value so instead of curing hath struck at under a Judas Kiss of Unity Concord the very Life and Foundation of all true Christian Unity and Amity to wit The Free and Perfect Teachings and Gifts and Work of the Spirit of Truth the Spirit of the Father and Son in his believing Members whereby they cry in a spotless Mind Abba Father and freely and powerfully declare the Glory of his Kingdom to the Children of Men and instead thereof would bring in and establish that Soul-deceiving and Church-dividing doctrine of Humane Learning and Humane Helps as absolutely necessary to the procuring and engaging as it were the Holy unlimited God to give unto the Creature his holy Spirit and the Knowledge of the Mysteries of his Eternal Will and Kingdom for the same as in Answer to an Objection in the 6th page of his Book in his first Direction so call'd is to be seen The Objection against his carnal Reasonings for Old Men's knowledge is in pag. 5. where he saith I know those that I have to do with will say That Divinity is not learn't by Labour and Men's-teaching as other Sciences and Arts are but by Teaching I add yea and most free Gift of the Spirit of God and therefore the Youngest may have as much of it as the Eldest And to this R. B. there thus answers Answ. There is some Truth saith he and some Falshood and much Confusion in this Objection Reply But O the Darkness ye◠rather Enmity that is in Baxter's heart against the free Teaching of God's Spirit that he would find any thing against so plain and manifest Truth as is in this Objection But what will not Flesh do that is lifted up with Conceits of his own wisdom to keep up its Honour before the people rather then the Pure Undoubted Truth of the Gospel and Self-abasing Spirit of Truth should Raign and have the Preheminence But let us hear how this R.B. proves that that there is either 〈◊〉 or Confusion in the Objection It is true saith he that the saving Knowledge of Divinity must be taught by the Spirit of God but it is false that Labour and Humane Teaching are not the Means which must be us'd by them who will have the Teaching of the Spirit But to this I say That a Child of Light in the least Measure doth easily see the Falshood of that spirit by which this R.B. is acted in this his answer For the wind of the Spirit bloweth where it listeth and thou hear'st the sound thereof thou natural Man but neither knows whence it comes nor whither it goes so is every one that 's born of God And without this Birth all thy knowledge is damning not saving John 3.7 8. c. And Job 32.7 8. I said dayes should Speak and multitude of years should Teach Wisdom but there is a Spirit in man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Understanding And saith God It shall come to pass in the last dayes that I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and they shall all know me from the least to the greatest yea and Young-men shall see Visions and Servants and Hand-maids shall Prophesie and ye have receiv'd an Unction from the Holy One and ye know all things saith the Apostle John and ye need not that any man teach you This is the Day of the Lord wherein these things are fulfill'd prais'd be God And the new Covenant aboundantly witness'd in the Children of Light whom this wicked Book of Baxter's strikes at but his Wickedness turns upon his own Pate and his own Inquities shall slay him For he by his carnal Wisdom would darken Knowledge and shut the Kingdom of Heaven against men as his Predecessors of old the Pharisees mention'd Mat. 23. did But the Lord hath open'd a Door to the Believing Souls this Day which all the powers of Darkness shall never be able to shut Glory to his Name forever But what is that Labour and Humane Means that People must use for getting the Spirit of God or saving Knowledge of Divinity as he calls it Is it tumbling over a Ruck of Books stuffed with art and Humane Wisdom or Learning from below as this R.B. hath long done to the darkning of his Heart from the Knowledge of God and Way of his Spirit so that he knows nothing of it after all his long lost labour but what he knows naturally as a bruit Beast and that 's plain for it sanctifies him not as by his confessing That his best Duties even his Prayers are not without sin and affirming that no man prayes without sin as in his Book is to be seen page 195 and in his Preface And so the Prayer of Faith and Preaching by the Spirit he is ignorant of yea Preaching by the Spirit is become a Mock and a Derision to him and his Brethren at this day but Paul and all the Ministers of Christ Magnifie the Free Grace and Infinite Gift of the Spirit of God according to that 2 Cor. 3. Saying Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think a good Thought but our Ability is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter kills but the Spirit gives Life And that which the Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor hath entred into the Heart of man or Humane Heart to conceive hath God reveal'd to us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the Deep Things of
freely given for the edifying and building up of the Body of Christ till we all come to a perfect man to the measure and feature of the fulness of Christ no more then the Apostle did Ephes. 4.11 c. but that which we cry down is that Antichristian spirit in R. B. and all such men as by seting up self and flesh would draw from Christ and his Teachings in Spirit to look at them and their painted words and love killing Doctrines who are this day Goliah like come forth to defie the Armies of the Living God but the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands shall dash them and their Images all to peices Glory to the Lord for Ever And though they with their Humane or Earthly spirit and Sorceries withstand the Truth and Spirit thereof as Jamnes and Jambres withstood Moses when he was about to call Israel out of Egypt yet as their Folly was soon seen so are these and they shall not proceed far but Israel out of Egypt shall go and those Faithful ones that are escaped shall they not with all their Inchantment bring back again into Egypt Glory to the Lord for Ever Amen But wouldst thou indeed know Oh vain man R.B. for what the Apostles who had Ability to preach without mans help were sent forth then thou mayst know it was to reprove such as thee that would limit God to vain man's Help and to call his People from amongst you who lay heavy Burdens on mens Shoulders but will not touch them with one of your Fingers it is even so But whereas thou addest and say'st Those are taught of God who are taught by those who are sent of God to be their Teachers It plainly shews the numerous Company thou boasts of who believe thee are not taught of God for thy Doctrine already mentioned shews most plainly that thou wast never sent of God for never did any whom God sent set themselves against the free and Gratious Teaching and Gifts of God's Spirit to Establish Humane Helps as thou doest But as if that which thou hast said were nothing thou addest Pag. 8. Advise with the experience of all the World Who was the man that ever you knew able to Expound one Chapter in the Bible by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone without any Labour of his own or Help from others by Voice or Writting Where dwelleth the man who by meer Inspiration can turn one Chapter out of the Hebrew or Greek into the vulgar Tongue and where is the man that can solidly unfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never read or heard of or can Teach that Truth and deny that Religion which he was never taught by man And afterwards in his Second Direction and Pag. 16. having led his wretched Disciples into a Laborinth or Mist of words about their uncertainties in their Matters of Knowledge and having advised them to humility as he calls it or not to think too highly of their own knowledge he there adds and sayes in that 16th Page especially If you know your advantages for knowledge have been less then other mens that you are young or that it is but a few Years since you entred upon the study of the Scriptures or that you have not any stronger natural Parts then other men that you have not had that Measure of Learning which might further your knowledge of the Holy Scriptures but that others that differ from you have had much more of all these Helps and Means then you and have Prayed more and Meditated more c. And in Pag. 17. in his Answer to an Objection which is That the Learnedst men are not always the wisest in the matters of Religion he saith many men are learned in the Languages and Sciences who are not learned in the Scripture because they applyed not their Studies that way and many men are learned in the Scriptures and Sacred Languages who yet live in sin though they are able to Teach the Truth for others here by the way all may take notice what a False Teacher this Baxter is who is not ashamed to say That man that lives in sin may Teach the Truth for others for such as live in sin neither know the Truth which is Christ nor have seen him as John's first Epist. Chap. 3. expresly saith but this Baxter goeth on and saith But those that well understand the Scriptures without learning the Languages which they are written in and the Customs of those Times and Countries or without much reading and long study of the Scriptures themselves and the Writings of them that better understand them are so few if any at all that if you will pretend to be one of them you had need of some Miracle or somthing like a Miracle to make your selves or others believe that you are not deceived I Might here add his other false Doctrines immediately following these in that his Book as his Answer to an Objection there set down against singularity or so the Objection is this The greater Number are not alwayes in the Right therefore why should my singulary discourage me But because his Answer hath pretty many words in it I refer it to another place and to what he hath already said do answer and say in brief thus First That as by his other words so also by these it is most manifest from what Fountain this Baxter's knowledge hath proceeded to wit not from the Inspiration of the Eternal Spirit which gave forth Scripture but from his own Earthly or Natural spirit and Humane Industery and Studies and trading in Books and Letters without him from which Earthly or Humane Spirit and Wisdom hath not come nor possible ever can come to any the right meaning and understanding of Holy Scripture as such as he would have it for the natural man as the Apostle saith Perceiveth not the things that be of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 But all false Visions and lying Divinations have ever come from that Earthly spirit and all the cruel wrestings of the Holy Scriptures from the beginning to this day have proceeded from it to the miserable and wofull undoing of the Generallity of that People called Christendom as also the Blood-sheds and all the cruel usage of Spiritual Minded Men for their pure Conscience sake have issued from that Fountain of the Earthly spirit and the false Births thereof from the beginning and that great Whore found Guilty of all for in her was found the Blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth Râ—â—â— 18.24 for what Spiritual man did ever ask such a Question or rather affirm for in him his question is an affirmation to wit That no man is able by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone to Expound one Chapter in the Bible And that there is none can solidly Unfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never read or heard of or can teach the Truth or defend that Religion which he was
warned from following such any more for who would have thought that ever him called Doctor Bryan of Coventry and Richard called Mr. Baxter of Kidderminster who were so promoted in Oliver's time for conformity to Oliver's Laws and Religion in opposition to the Prelates and their Common-Prayers should now with a little blast of mens Breath be silenced as Baxter's Epistle to his Book saith for a time and so shattered and confounded with the fall that when they awaked and got a litle Breath that they should for fear of men be so transformed into other shapes as not to be ashamed to get into their Mouthes blasphemous words of making People Members of Christ Children of God and Heirs of his Kingdom by having a little Water sprinkled on their Faces by a manmade-Priest when they were Infants and understood nothing then which passage there is not any passage in the Liturgy or Common-Service-Book nay nor in any Book in the World whatsoever more contrary to the Scriptures of Truth as all sober Minded People well understand yea and this Bryan himself knows in his own Conscience that they are not sound words though he most notoriously and falsely say to please the present Evil World with all that the holy Scriptures warrant them in a sacramental Sence But I desire that all People who fear the Lord would take heed of such dangerous Heresies for the Scriptures of Truth do not allow of Falshood in any Sence at all for its absolutely false in the sight of God and to all good Men that Infants by any such outward sprinkling or doing as they call Baptism are made the Children of God Members of Christ Heirs of his Kingdom seeing the Scripture no where commands any such thing but saith That except People be born from above they cannot see the Kingdom of God But the Day is dawned that makes all things manifest praises to God And therefore People consider what a wretchedness those are under who follow such blind Guides as turn and change with every Time and can be any thing or nothing in appearance so that they can but keep up their Name amongst men What was the Common-Prayers and such things so odious and damnable a thing in the Eyes of these Priests in Oliver's Time And is it now yea the worst part of it became such an Idol in their Eyes as that those that dwell in God must be condemned of deep prejudice for not conformity to it What will not that spirit that climbs over the Door and never was sent of God to preach the Gospel say or unsay so as it can but please the present Times But Oh thou blasphemous Bryan the Accuser of the Brethren can those that dwell with God deny to conform to that Worship or Service which is of God And therefore it is safely and truely concluded that the Parish-Service thou pleads for is not of God because for conscience to God with whom they dwell they cannot conform to it but Oh how the Serpent creeps upon his Belly to do mischief by seeking to perswade the consciencious People That by their not joyning with the Parish Worships and Assemblies they open their Mouthes wide to cast a Scandal upon their Persons as prophane and upon the strict Profession of walking precisely according to the written Word which they think sayes this Bryan in that pag. 292. of his Book gives you no warrant for your Separation c. And then down upon his Belly he goes saying My humble and earnest request to you is to lay aside your prejudice and examine by the good Word whether your separation be not sinful Answ. To which I answer in the Word of the Lord Blessed for ever that we who for the Work and Word of the Lord in our Hearts and Mouthes are by the sinful Parishes of England and elsewhere disdained and scornfully called Quakers are not separated from them because of any prejudice or the like against them but God who by his Everlasting Light of Truth hath shewed us the Evil of their Doings and of our own when we worshipped we knew not what amongst them he I say hath separated us from them and joyned us to himself in Christ Jesus where with him our Dwelling is indeed though Bryan think not so praised be the Name of our most holy Lord God for evermore And so we are not yet to examine whether our separation be sinful or nay for that is done and we do know it to be good according to the good Word from the beginning most certainly And so the offence which the Parish-worshippers take is offence without all cause on our parts given and so it is no other then the Unbelievers took in all Generations against them that feared God as the Jews were offended at Christ and his Apostles yea and all Christians in those dayes because they could not worship with their Neigbours in their Superstitions as this Bryan would have us and not onely so but they killed Christ and his Apostles and grievously persecuted the Christians for their separation then as they do us at this day and so the reproach of Christ is to us great Riches and the Persecutors God will examine and judge And as Moses did chuse rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God then to enjoy Egypt's Glory for a Season so blessed are all that with us are perswaded in their Hearts to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes not heeding what the Wicked say or judge of them but as the Apostle exhorts looking at Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the Shame and so through all the Tryals and Persecutions of this World enter into God's Glory where none can come to make afraid But if there be any who through prejudice as this Bryan speaks and not by the Spirit of the Lord are separated from the Parish-Worship it is necessary for such to see to themselves and consider lest their return be as shameful as their separation was sinful like this Bryan and Baxter who it seems all this while have been no real and true Separatists to God but have been onely in the self-separation according to the will and force of Times For though the poor deceived Followers of such men be at present more averse from joyning with the Superstitions of the Times then your Hearers are as Baxter sayes yet if you grow not out of their rotten Root into the Root Christ Jesus you will be weary and faint in your Way before the end but let all know that these self-separatists who have not their Birth of God are no real Dwellers with God though this Bryan its like had an Eye especially to such in his words and to whom its like in a special manner he applies his fawning flattering words and desires But what 's the Reason may we say again that these non-conforming Ministers by Baxter's report are not so much against the
they wrest Scripture to their own and others destruction desiring and boasting themselves to be Masters and Teachers of others whilst themselves need teaching what the very Principles or beginning Doctrines of the true Christian Religion is as is plainly manifested by his seeking to bring in a graceless Minister or Woolf into Christ's Fold surely the Woolf comes not but to rob and destroy All that ever came before me saith Christ are Thieves and Robbers and never came in by the Door as its plain the graceless man doth not but hath clim'd up another way by his humane helps as Baxter speaks and to this purpose see John the 10th and Mat. 23. where Christ at large sets forth such woolfish Teachers who can perk themselves up in Places of Teachers by the World's help outwardly but will neither enter into the Kingdom of God themselves nor suffer others but shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men by such deceitful Doctrine and Antichristian Inventions as this Baxter hath by saying That Gifts are more necessary to the validity of Ministration then Grace is and that he may perform the Office of a Minister to the benefit of the Church that hath no Saving Grace at all And all knowledge requireth Time and Labour to obtain it though the Spirit giveth it which last saying doth directly thwort and contradict the Scripture which saith I was found of them that sought me not Iâ—a 65.1 And Paul sets believing and working in this great matter of the knowledge of God and Christ to Salvation one against the other as the way of the Law and Gospel for 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 saith he is the reward reckoâ—'d of Debt not gift of Grace but to 〈…〉 it is of Grace to the Glory of Gods great Love to man for saith Scripture God so loved the World that he gave his Son that whosoever on him believe should not perish but have Life Eternal And none can truely say but those are the best 〈◊〉 and wisest People that have Eternal Life in them though they never laboured for it nor sought for it and so such as this Baxter who looks at all as obtain'd by Time and Labour they are those spiritual proud ones who are swelled so big with spiritual Pride that self Idolizing sin which as himself saith in his second Direction so called is the great Rebel against God the chief part of the Devil's Image that one sin which breaketh every Commandment the heart of the old Man the Root and Parent and Summery of all other sin the Antichristian Vice which is most directly contrary to the Life of Christ c. and these Letter-wise-men that have patched together a Garment of Fig-leaves to cover their sinful nakedness are proud of meer supposed spiritual excellencies for the way of the Blessed Spirit and its free Gifts and free workings in the Children of Men they are strangers unto and then through their Humane Learning and lost Labour having gotten a little or a great deal of talk from the Letter of the Scripture concerning Religion in their Earthly Spirits which sees nothing of the Kingdom of God they condemn the Generation of the Just whom God Teacheth and Blesseth with all Spiritual knowledge in Heavenly things and call them Spiritually proud because they cannot but speak very highly and yet in the truest humility of Heart concerning the great things that God hath done for their Souls and because they cannot joyn with the Wicked whom God abhoreth neither in their Worship nor other sinfull Customs And so out of that old Bottel come all those unsavory expressions of R. B. before mentioned against the free Teachings of God's Spirit yea so great an Enemy he is to the wholsom Doctrine of free Grace that Pag. 7. he saith Is it not Blaspheming of God's Spirit to make it the Patron of mens sloth and idleness under pretence of Magnifiying Grace To which I answer That pretending we deny and truely say with the Apostle That God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give us yea most freely without our own Labour or any humane Help The knowledge of the Glory of his Kingdom and those that call this Doctrine either in the Apostle or us a Patronizing of Sloth and Idleness are those that do really blaspheme God's Spirit which teacheth it But many Texts saith R. B. commands us diligence and sloth is a great Sin To which I say the Scripture indeed commands a diligent improvement and Holy exercise of the free Gifts which the Spirit hath giveth the Faithful But the Scripture never said that Humane Labour and Helps are the Means to be used for getting the Spirit 's Teachings and without which no knowledge in Spiritual Matters is now received Stir up the Gift of God in thee saith Paul to Timothy so say I But he no where puts the Humane or Carnal man to Work or Labour to get the Spirit for that is quite contrary to this Scripture Gal. 3.2 as also Rom. 9.16 Obj. But this Baxter asks this Question Why hath God settled a Teaching Office in his Church and commanded all to attend and hear and learn if we are taught by the Spirit without man's help Why were the Apostles sent forth into all the World c Answer Here is the great stumbling of these Unbelievers the Worldly wise ones indeed what because God in his free unlimitted Spirit did begift men and in his own Spiritual Power sent them forth to preach and publish all abroad the Glory of his Kingdom and Good Will to men cannot People therefore be taught by the Spirit without man's Help What reasonings this when the Scripture expresly saith That all the Gifts and Alities Helps and Means of bringing People to God and the Knowledge and Enjoyment of all the Good Things of his Kingdom are meerly solely wholly from God his blessed Spirit 's free Gift in Christ and not from man at all And therefore when the Corinthians began to look at man whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas he calls it Carnal and said Christ was not divided signifying plainly it was Christ and the Spirit of his Power that alone did all in all as Christ said John 15. Without me you can do nothing for in the True Church Christ ever was and ever will be all in all man nothing as Paul said of himself Paul is nothing But in the False Church where R. B. is pleading for man yea Graceless Ministers man is all and Christ suffered to have no Rule But those mine Enemies saith Christ That would not that I should Rule bring them and stay them before my face But what sottishness is this in R. B. to ask such a Question as this when himself confessed in the very last words before it That none are so forward to preach as these same men that cry down mens Teaching Whereby it plainly appears that we do not deny God's Teachings and the Spirit 's Good and Gratious Gifts
like must needs go for a better knowing Christian with him then the dearest Child of God especially if he be young in Years and want those natural Helps and outward appearances Oh what havock hath such Doctrine as this of Baxter's made amongst his deluded Hearers and Admirers in this Nation so that now let the Man of God come to one of them in the purest Evidence and most powerful demonstration of the Spirit of Truth if he appear not to them cloathed and accompanied with these Natural and Worldly Abilities and Indowments they are fenced against the Lord's Messenger with such Arguments as these You are but young you have but studied a while you are of slender and mean Natural Parts and little or no Schollar-ship and have Prayed but little c. in comparison of our Grave and Learned Divines and the like So that as Christ said so we find now true That Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdom of God before such and now what a Curer of Church-divisions this Baxter is like to prove is easily seen and therefore that charge which his self-condemned Heart fear'd would come upon him may justly be brought upon him here which in his Preface to his Book he sets down thus They will affirm saith he That I have clawed with one party and have girded at the other and have sought to make them odious by bringing them under the Reproach of separation of censuring and avoiding the Ungodly and that being luke-warm my self and a Complier with sin I would have others to do so too And that these Reconcilers are neither Flesh nor Fish and attempt impossibilities even to reconcile Light and Darkness Christ and Belial and that for the sake of peace we would sell the Truth and would let in Church Corruptions out of an over eager desire of agreement and when they have all done neither Parties will regard them These are this Baxter's words in that Preface of his to that Book which is justly come upon him And indeed He may as well go about to reconcile Light and Darkness as bring the Children of Light whom God hath delivered our of the Darkness of and filthiness of Egypt and Sodom spiritual into Unity with them again for there is Enmity put between the two Seeds and those words of Christ in John 17.21 22. c. which he deceitfully puts in the Title Page of his Book are only proper to the living Members of the Spiritual Body of Christ which he calls mystical and not to any of the Worlds Churches or visible mixt Congregations of People whatsoever the words of the Apostle in John 17.21 c. are weightier then any Hypocrite can bear and they are these That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that thou also may be one in us that the World may believe that thou hast sent me and the Glory which thou hast given me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me God is arisen to drive Hypocrites from under all such shelter of words as they would hide themselves under for now is the City and Kingdom truly manifested and witnessed into which no Uncircumcised or Unclean shall enter but only the Redeemed born Babes and living Members of Christ. And now to the knowledge and experience not of the Evil World but of all that know God do I appeal to judge whether this R. Baxter or any of like spirit with him can be said to know any thing of the Oneness betwixt the Father and Son the Members of his holy Heavenly Body much less can be any of them who are not afraid to affirm That such are not to be disallowed from being Ministers of the Gospel though they want Grace totally And that Gifts are more necessary to the validity of Ministration then Grace is and that he may perform the Office of a Minister to the benefit of the Church that hath no saving Grace at all as Pag. 114. of his Book aforementioned and that there is no man alive that Worshippeth God without some sin and adds Do you ever pray your selves in secret or in your Families with out sin as in Pag. 19.5 And in Pag. 30. of his Preface to that Book That there is no Person Church on Worship on Earth faultless and with out Corruption and saith there further I justifie not the faults of my own daily Prayers and yet I never pray without them And in Pag. 34. c. That Cain was the first born Member in the Church of Adam's Family and cursed Cham was of the Church of Noah and reckons Lot's two Sons in law and Esau yea and the ten Tribes in their Apostacy to be of the Church And so having reckoned up and raked together all the Faults of the Blessed Seed of Abraham before Christ's coming in the Flesh and of all those called Christians after that mentioned in Scripture he most wickedly and imprudently sayes Pag. 44. That no one Member is in all these Scriptures or any other commanded to come out and separate from any one of all these Churches as if their Communion in Worship were Unlawful Directly contrary to 2 Cor. 5.11 Revel 18.4 5 6. c. Come out of Mystery Babylon the false Church saith God to his People Oh the Blasphemy of such mens Hearts that dare Intitle wicked men for a bear Profession sake of Religion to the Glory of the benefit of this Prayer of Christ's who prayes and his Prayers were alwayes heard That his might be one as he and the Father were and are one the Father in Christ and Christ in them and so made fellow Heirs and Pertakers of the Glory of Christ by free Gift But neither R. Baxter nor any graceless Minister nor sinful praying People whom he pleads for can ever be one as the Father and Son are one Therefore I may safely say to you all Who desires the good of your Souls and the Glory of God Come out from amongst them and joyn not with them No not in their Worship Actions as he calls them nor be ye Partakers in any of their sins or sinful Worship lese ye partake of their Plagues for the Temple of God is Holy and the Worship of God is Holy And so R. Baxter with all his own Corruptions and all his heaps of Lyes and false Accusations of the Brethren of Christ are for the Lake It is so And so I return to set down Baxter's Unchristian Answer to that former Objection against the singularity of separation the Objection is as before The greater Number are not alwayes in the right therefore why should my singularity discourage me Now to this Baxter answers Pag. 17.18 The greater Number saith he through the World are not in the right about Christianity for they
are not Christians and the greater number of vulgar Christians be not in the right perhaps in many Points of Learning and Scholastick Controversies because they are not learned in such Controversies but all Godly men and Christians are in the right in all Points Essential to Godliness and Christianity And therefore they are in the certain way of Life And if in any integral or accedental Point you think you are wiser then the greater part of men as Learned and as Godly as your selves you must give very good Proofs of it to your selves and others before it is to be believed I know that in all Ages God giveth some few men more excellent natural Parts then others and he engageth some in deeper and more laborious Studies then others and he Blesseth some mens Studies more then others and therefore there are still some few who know more then the rest of the Country or Mankind and it were well for the rest if they knew these and would learn of them But these are such as come to their Knowledge by hard and laborious Studies and Meditation though also by the Spirit 's Blessing their endeavours and they are such as give proof of the Knowledge they pretend to and they are such as imploy their Knowledge to preserve the Peace and Concord of Believers and do not proudly make a stir with it to set up their own Names though hereby they set the World on fire To which by way of reply I answer and say That there is not the least Child of Light But doth truely and easily see the nature of the Spirit by which this R. B. is still acted and the end he drives at for as for the Spirit by which he is acted it still appears plainly to be the spirit of this World that never knew God nor the Mysteries of his holy and Heavenly Kingdom by which Earthly spirit by much poring on Books without him he hath attained to a deal of Unsanctified graceless Knowledge as himself speaks Pag. 114. to deceive the simple People by who are Ignorant of Satans Devises and as for his end it is also as manifest to be this to wit to bring People who were in some measure pressing out of Babylon back into Egypt and Babylon again and yet to cover his deceit lest the Simple should see him without an Interpreter he brings in the Spirit as to help his Humane Labour and Carnal Endeavours But the Spirit of God which he strikes at in all his writing will be no Drudge or Slave to any such Vain Self-ended Proud Mind in any But of these words where he saith That all Godly men and Christians are in the right in all Points Essential to Godlyness and Christianity and therefore in the certain Way of Life as he saith Let us consider for in his sence they are most notoriously false and wicked for as for Godly men who ever imagined otherwise much less denied in words or so that they were in the right but as for that he saith That all Christians viz. all that were sprinkled when they were Children and that so being grown up make an outward Profession of Christ for such in Spiritual manner he means by Christians as is most manifest are in the right in all Points Essential to Christianity and so in the certain Way of Life It is such a notorious peice of falshood and so impudent an assertion that no one saying can more gratifie the Devil and so help to build up his Kingdom then it doth Nay it certainly gives the Lye to the certain experience and Testimony of all the holy men of God both formerly and now for Paul said in his day That many professed and nominal Christians do so walk as that they were Enemies to the Cross of Christ whose god was their their Belly and who gloried in their shame and whose end was destruction Phil. 3. and were these in the right Points Essentiall to Christianity and in the certain Way of Life what Contradiction and Blasphemy is this And the same Apostle tells some among the Corinthians That they had not the knowledge of God Cor. 15. and what were these right also in all Essentials what is not the knowledge of God an Essential Point of Christianity Nay without the knowledge of God no Eternal Life and yet this Baxter is not ashamed to affirm That such as know not God are in the certain Way of Life And further to the experience of all that know God do I appeal whether this R. B. doth not here in his blindness justifie the very Papist Yea and all other sorts of People who any way in the outward profess Christ especially if they be outwardly sprinkled with Water young or old for saith he in his Preface Pag. 33. Christ hath solemnly and purposely made the baptismal Covenanting with him to wit by outward washing to be the Tearm and Title to Church-Member-ship and Communion and the owning of this same Covenant is the sufficient Title of the Adult or those of ripe years and the Imposers that come after and require another kind of Evedence of Conversion or Sanctification then this do confound the Church and enslave the People and leave no certain way of Tryal Thus far R. B. by which it appears whether this Baxter by endeavouring to keep his credit with the world is wandred beyond all the Bounds of Reason and Modesty Nay Mystery Babylon her self though she be become a Cage of every unclean and barefull Bird and a very Habitation of Devils must not pass unjustified by him but be reckoned to be right in all the Essentials of Christianity and in the certain Way of Life For without all Controversie this Mystery Babylon is of that Number who in words profess God and Christ and have a Name to live though they be dead as this Baxter is or it were not a Mystery if it were not covered from the Worlds Eye with a shew of what it is not Revel 17 18 19. Chapters Yet so far is this Baxter sunk into the Dark Pit of Antichristian Abomination that he acounts it an abuse and false Interpreting of Scripture to perswade any from that Command Come out of Babylon to separate from professed or nominal Christians though full of Iniquity Page 32. then which nothing more can gratifie his Father the Wicked One and his Adulterous Mother the Synagogue of Rome for though he would seem in some words here and there in his Book to be no Papist yet there is never an Argument he brings for the Fellow-ship with Dead and Corrupted Members and against those that separate from such but they will fully serve to prove the Company of the Pope to be a Church and all them to blame who have separated from him in outward Church-Fellowship upon any pretence whatsoever So foolish is the World's Wisdom when it is set against Truth But this Baxter having laid his Wicked and False Ground That all that are called Christians are in the
profess And praised be God for ever who through his Grace gives our Souls the Victory but as for this Baxter and his Followers who are so full of that earthly faln wisdom which receives honour of men and judges of things according to the Flesh I say for them to seek God's Honour and glorifie him in such low contemptible things as this is is at present far from them but to put off the Hat in honour to proud Flesh And to love greetings in the Markets and to go in long Robes as the old Pharisees did and to be called of men Master and the like which gets praise and applause of the World though Christ forbid it never so much I say these things they like better the more is the pitty see Mat. 23. and so it appears who are in the Selfishness Pride and Hypocrisie and who are not and so is the Scripture fulfilled which saith In that day it shall be seen who are they that fear God and who not Glory to God for his unspeakable Gift and not unto us but to thy Name be the Praise O Lord. What would this Baxter if he had been in those dayes have said of Christ of whom it was said That he taught the Way of God truely and regarded not the Persons of Men then surely he put not off his Hat in honour to proud Flesh as ye do I say would not this Baxter have called him some odd conceited singular proud Fellow as his Predecessors the Pharisees of those dayes Who received Honour one of another did no question but he would for if he do thus to us his Servants What would he have done to him our Lord and Master but happy are all they in this day who chuse rather to suffer the Affliction and Reproach with Christ and his People then to enjoy the Pleasures of sin which are but for a Season so be it ALso because this R. Baxter in pag. 27. of his Preface saith That People are far more averse that is contrary or against to Communion or Concord with the Parish Churches then the conforming Ministers are and yet he seems in his Epistle to Bryan's Book to be unwilling that People should think he hath conformed though he hath pleaded for it and against separaing from the Parish Assemblies and Worships as now manag'd and also seeing that Bryan as he saith is or was silenced for non-conformity himself I desire all that reads these Lines to take notice of what a strange uneven and unrighteous Spirit these men are of in their creeping and twisting and twining to and fro yet the Eye of the Lord and his Blessed Spirit in his Children this day doth easily spy them out Sometimes they are all for Conformity and against Separation by any means and plead the Common-Prayer-Peoples Cause with all their might as it were and yet presently they are all on a fire against any that shall think they are Conformists Nay says Baxter How can any judge him to be a Conformists who is silenced for Nonconformity But if this Baxter sometime a Head to those called Presbyterians at and about Kidderminster and Bryan of the same nature sometimes a Teacher at Coventry be not conformed or be not yet Conformists as well as others of their Brethren who have long since licked up their Vomit the old Common-Prayer Service which they vomited up in Oliver's time because it hindred them then from swallowing the Peoples Labours and seeing they plead so shamelesly for it and also seeing this Baxter in express words confesseth That they are not so much against Conformity with the Common-Prayer Service as the People are What may be the Reason of this strange thing to wit That they do not in all things conform to wit in Deed and Practice as well as in words save only as is plain to me this to wit because they judge that their Admirers are not yet sufficiently wearied out with keeping off nor sufficiently moulded and fitted in their Minds for coming in and therefore they have lingred and may do yet linger a while longer before they do openly and before all appear Conformists desiring if possible to see the People in before them for these two chief Presbyterian Priests so called are wholly already in the Parish Stuff in their Judgement and with their Minds and Hearts already or at lest would be thought so to be by the wicked World of whom they are Lovers Yet they see not how to vend their flattering Doctrines if their Admirers conform not and come not in with them or rather be not in the Pit before them so weak and wretched a thing is man yea the best seeming of the Sons of Men out of the Truth oh how truely fulfilled by these men are those words of the Apostle where he speaking of the false hypocritical out-side-Teachers of that Time saith With good words and fair speeches they deceive the Hearts of the Simple Therefore ever praised be Christ who hath opened our Eyes to see and perswaded our Hearts to avoid such Wolves in Sheeps-clothing as this Baxter and Bryan are For what finer and higher Talk or Skin or Clothing can the Wolf get then to make Sermons of dwelling with God and the like as this Bryan doth when it s manifest he neither knows God nor his Way nor his dwelling-Place but is inwardly ravened from that good and Blessed Spirit of Truth and Honesty which should commend him to God The Wolves nature in R. Baxter is already in this Writing set down and manifest and now I come in the Light of the Lord to make manifest some of his Brother Bryan's And first shall set down that blasphemous Passage of his in p. 291. and 292. of his sixth Sermon in that Book of his intituled dwelling with God c. where he saith I am not ignorant that many of you whose Habitation I question not but the Lord is who have your Habitation in several Countries of this Kingdom have drunk a deep Prejudice against all the Parochial Congregations whereof you are legal Members and where all you were baptized and thereby were made the Members of Christ the Children of God and Heirs of his Kingdom I fear some of you will startle at these expressions found in the Common-Prayer But if you consult the Holy Scriptures you will find them warranted in a sacramental Sence and your prejudice hath so far wrought upon you that you have forsaken the assembling of your selves together with your Neigbours in the publick Meeting-places thus far this Bryan Answer But ever praised be the Lord who hath delivered us from the mouthes of such manifest Wolves as these are who in times past were hidden but are now fully seen who though his Brother Baxter sayes his Mouth was stopt or silenced for not conforming yet here it seems it is wide open still according to his and their custom to manifest his folly and wicked-inside against the Truth and for deceit that the Simple-hearted might forever be