show according to that Latine Verse Fabula narratur mutato Nomine de te i.e. Change the Name and the Tale is told truly of thy thy self CHAP. III. IN his first Argument he accuseth me to be guilty of a Lye in matter of Fact and that I pretend to an assurance for it from the Spirit of God and the Lye he alledgeth in matter of Fact is That I charge their Confession of Faith for holding that the Scriptures ought to be believed for their own outward Evidence and Testimony and not for the inward Evidence and Testimony of the holy Spirit in mens Hearts And to prove this to be a Lye he citeth some words of that Confession which saith Our full perswasion and assurance of the infallible Truth and divine Authority of the holy Scriptures is from the Inward Work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our Hearts And for a further Confirmation he alledgeth John Owen saying That the Scripture be received as the Word of God there is a twofold Efficacy of the Spirit c. withal affirming That I cover Lye with Lye To which I Answer Cotton Mather and not I is guilty of two gross Lyes or Falshoods in this Charge first That I pretend to an assurance from the Spirit in matter of Fact concerning what they hold is a manifest Perversion for I bring my assurance in matter of Fact not from the Spirit but from their Confession of Faith which I have diligently examined but the knowledge I have that their Doctrine in that particular is false I bring from the Spirit of God that hath given me the understanding thereof and is Truth and no Lye 2 dly That he saith Their Confession doth grant that the Scriptures are to be believed for the inward Evidence and Testimony of the holy Spirit in mens hearts but this it doth not say nor can it be gathered by any just consequence to be their sence seeing they deny with C.M. and his Brethren all inward objective immediate Testimony and Revelation of the Spirit And whereas the Confession mentioneth the inward Work of the holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word viz. the Scripture in our Hearts This doth sufficiently prove That their Confession doth not mean or intend any inward Testimony of the Spirit reallâ— and properly so called as having a standing Evidence of its own bâ—â— only borrowed from the Scripture and therefore is no true and proper Evidence at all but only and altogether improper yea as improper as if I should say when I hear but one man give Evidence to the Truth of a thing and that I read it also in wâ—it from his hand that three Evidences or Witnesses have given their Evidence to that Truth as 1 st the Maâ— â— dly my Ear that heard him 3 dly my Eye that hath reâ—d his writ But what sober Man will say these are three Witnesses or Evidences And would it not be a great Cheat to say That whereas the Law requireth two Witnesses and there is but one man that giveth witness to Cotton Mathers hearing that C.M. should alledge his Ears are other two Witnesses because they have heard him and so they are three in all And as great a Cheat and Fallacy is it to call the witness of the Scripture the inward Witness of the Spirit when they confess the inward Work of the Spirit is only Effective to open the Ear to hear the outward Witness of the Scripture but not to speak by any distinct Witness to the inward Ear And it is like that other Fallacy as if James being required to give his Witness he giveth it not by himself but by John and John being required to give his Witness he giveth it by James but neither of them by himself or at least the one not by himself for when they are asked By what do they know the Scriptures to be the Word of God they answer By the Spirit And again By what do they know the Spirit they answer By the Scripture And thus the Fallacy and Falshood both of the Confession and of C.M. is detected and G.K. is cleared from being no wise guilty of any Lye in the case And what I said of John Owen is true for the Title and design of his Book is concerning The Self-Evidencing Authority of the holy Scriptures only he confesseth the Spirits inward Work is necessary to let men see or know it but that is no proper Witness more than a mans hearing is one Witness and the thing heard is another I do therefore Appeal to all sober impartial and judicious Readers Whether not I but Cotton Mather be not convicted of gross Lying or Falshood and whether the Society he belongs unto ought not to bring him to Repentance for such Crimes to use some of his own words His Second Argument is That I am guilty of having committed most horrible Blasphemy against the holy Spirit of God which is the unpardonable Sin And though he doth charge this one while positively yet another while If I have not the certain yet fearful Marks of it and my Sin is very like that Sin and yet again charging it positively on me That I have taken part with the Pharisees in dorg that impardonable Injury to the Eternal Spirit of God But how doth he prove any thing of this to have the lest show or shadow of truth Why because as he alledgeth I called his and his Brethrens Prayers more than once a Conjuring of the Devil and do put on them the stile of Charms and Spells by which Prayers he alledgeth he and his Brethren did cast out the Devil that did Bodily possess some Young People and that therefore their Prayers were the special Operations of the holy Ghost which I blaspheme and that therefore I have committed the Vnpardonable Sin But I Answer 1 st As I said in my Book called A Refutation c. I am little concerned whether or not these Young People were bewitched or had a Diabolical Possession further than to take notice That C.M. will have it to be so to make the simple believe that his and his Brethrens Prayers did conjure the Devil and cast him out by which it is most clearly apparent to every one of common sence that I did not mean that his or his Brethrens Prayers were done by any Diabolical Art or Craft of Conjuration for I do not think them to be Conjurers but that they would have People believe that by some divine Power of Exorcism as was frequent in the primitive Church they did conjure the Devil which is as widely different from his Perversion as East from West Now I cannot believe that they had this divine Gift of Exorcism which was a Miraculous Gift in those primitive Times that Popish Priests do also pretend to have and many strongly affirm they have cured many by their Prayers because they commonly say That Immediate Revelaiion with the Gifts of Miracles are ceased How then can
〈…〉 10.3 And that he saith it s descended into all 〈…〉 iâ— false for as I am informed it is not used in 〈…〉 other Countries in the World And for his â—â—â—ing 〈…〉 some of us saying Thou writes Thou 〈…〉 Case of the Second Person to a Verb of the 〈…〉 It is not so much the Incongruity with a 〈…〉 fault in using You 〈◊〉 one as the 〈…〉 and the gratifying a proud Spirit and bowing to 〈…〉 be pleased with Thou altho' they give it to God in Prayer◠〈…〉 or other that they despise also to say You to 〈…〉 more in company maketh Confusion in the sence 〈…〉 uncertain whether one or more are intended but to say Thou 〈◊〉 hath no such inconveniency nor argueth no vain Respect oâ— Personâ— Nor hath he any better Argument for Salâ—â—ing with the Hat 〈◊〉 Custom but seeing uncovering the Head as well as bowing the 〈◊〉 are Religious significations of our Reverence to God in Prayers we should not give them to the Creature for it is very proper that some what of Distinction be made externally betwixt our Reverence to our Maker and our Reâ—â—â—ct to Magistrates Parents Kindred or Neighbours But he conâ—â—â—deth with a rare way to deal with us at last viz. To throw their Caps 〈◊〉 us which bespeaketh a very airy and frothy Spirit very unbecoming a Minister of Christ yea not well becoming any Colledge-Boy of New-England When the Preachers are thus light and vain what may be expected but that in Jeremiah is fulfilled Jer. 23.32 They cause thy People to Err by their Lyes and by their Lightness c. And another Instance of his Lightness and Airyness is as because one of us said as he doth alledge in a Catechism Let none reason about us for there they can never know us nor com unto us that is in Reason But nothing but a meer Spirit of Perversion would turn the sence of this as if the Quakers did renounce all true Reason whereas the sence that is obvious to all impartial men is Reason falsly so called or carnal Reason that is certainty a great Enemy to all true divine and spiritual Knowledge for what is the Wisdom of the World that is foolishness with God as the Scripture declareth but carnal Reason Reasonings and therefore saâ—â—â— the Scripture If any will be Wise let him be a Fool and again 〈◊〉 â—ot to thy own Vnderstanding And C.M. might as well mock at 〈…〉 saying Cor. 10. 4 5. The Weapons of our Warfare are not 〈…〉 Mighty and to throw down Reasonings the Greek word being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is plain that tho Paul expresseth no distinction betwixt Reasonings and Reasonings more than that Catechism yet he doth not mean all Reasoning of all sort as to exclude or destroy the use of it even in divine Matters for Paul maketh most excellent use of it in proving Justification by Faith in Christ Jesus and the Resurrection of the Dead and other divine things also Christ and the Prophets did make most excellent use of true and right Reason to wit 〈◊〉 enlightned by the divine Spirit and governed thereby and in due 〈…〉 thereto and this use of it the People called Quakers approve and according to their measure have made and do make good use of even in divine matters and through Gods Mercy many can say their Reason or reasonable Understanding as men is greatly improv'd and perfected by their acquaintance with that divine Light of Christ in them and no wise impaired But if C.M. think that bare humane Reason alone without all divine internal Illumination can enable a man to understand divine Things and Mysteries he is more a Socinian than Presbyterian or Independent And the like silly and airy Jest he slingeth at Isaac Pennington withal grosly perverting his words pag. 45. as because I.P. would have them stript of all their fleshly knowledge of the Scripture which according to Paul he calleth Knowledge after the Flesh or to be wise after the Flesh which 〈◊〉 Death Rom. 8.6 That therefore he would have them stript of the Scriptures All which Perversions and many more in his Book with many gross Lyes that C.M. useth show plainly how weak he is when he has no better Weapons to defend himself and render us odious And whereas he would in the Conclusion fix it upon G.F. That he thought himself equal with God and that the Soul of man were God or a part of him But seeing he bringeth not this from G.F. but from Faldo a most partial and envious Adversary it is not to be regarded and VV. Penn hath sufficiently vindicated G.F. and also G.F. hath cleared it in his Book That he did witness both the Son and the holy Spirit revealed in him who as he taketh notice by the Westminster Confessions acknowledgment are equal to God the Father And what G.F. speaketh of the Soul its being a part but more properly a measure of the Spirit of God he doth not understand it of the Soul of many that is essential to man but of the divine Soul or Spirit in man or to speak with the Scripture the Soul of God as it is written If 〈…〉 back â—â—ith God my Soul shall have no pleasure in him And again Shall not my Soul be avenged c. and though part or portion with respect to God be not so proper yet by a tollerable Catachresis even in Scripture it is used Job 26.14 How little a portion is heard of him But to speak properly God has no parts or portions as he hath no Bodily Members which yet by a figure in Scripture are assigned to him in condescention to our low Capacity But for his saying That Souls that can digest Quakerism serve but as the Salt of the Flesh they live in showeth sufficiently he has no Salt in him to savour with the things of God Indeed if Quakerism were such a thing as he doth represent it to be and would fain have People believe it to be or that the 20th part that he saith of it were true it were most abominable and such who hold it would be most unworthy and not fit to be esteemed Men for less Christians but blessed be God our Religion is not that which he would make it to be nor are we such as he describeth and it is a great Questions to me if he doâ—h really think these things that he saith of us to be true either in general or in great part and if he doth not think so the greater is his sin The other things in the last two or three Pages of his Book are so notoriously false as that The main design of Quakerism is to advance and exalt Man and that they do in effect every one make himself a Christ and such like Lying stuff I shall not need to Refute seeing every one that hath the least knowledge of us knoweth them to be scandalous â—yes And for the advancing man into Pride or vain Glory it is so far
acknowledged 〈◊〉 us though denyed by C.M. and his Brethren of New-England 〈◊〉 yet I suppose R. Baxter will not call this a Fundamental Error in 〈◊〉 People called Quakers seeing it contradicts none of the Fundameâ—â—â—â— Articles delivered by him in his said Treatise And if any say or object That if the Spirit worketh by way of 〈◊〉 sensible Object upon the inward and spiritual Senses of Believers 〈◊〉 would make void all use of the Scriptures as being so much as the Instrument or Instrumental to our Faith But I Answer denying this Consequence and by distinguishing the Object of our Faith to wit that the Scriptures are the Instrumental and secondary Object of our Faith and the holy Spirit the principal and primary Object of our Faith as it is sensibly felt to work upon our inward and spiritual Senses together with the Father and the Son Even as in outward and natural Objects that work upon our outward and natural Senses some are principal and others are instrumental as in our natural sight of visible Things on Earth as Horses Woods Trees Beasts the Sun's Light is the principal Object of our sight but the things are at least the secondary and instrumental Object thereof or as when we read on a Book the Light that we read with is the principal Object and the Letters of the book are the secondary and instrumental and though we cannot see the Letters of the Book without some light yet we may see light yea the Sun himself if we have good Eyes without the Book and so God and Christ and the Spirit may be inwardly seen felt and known and is frequently seen felt known and enjoyed by the inward and spiritual Senses of Believers without all present use of Letters or Books when the Knowledge is Intuitive and Sensible But as for the Doctrinal Knowledge as we acknowledge it is requisite in order to bring us to so high an enjoyment of God and Christ as Vision or Intuitive Knowledge or Intuition so we grant it is commonly wrought in us and increased by means of the holy Scriptures instrumentally working with the holy Spirit and that therefore the holâ— Scriptures are of great profit and service to all Ranks and Conditions of People yea to such of the highest spiritual Attainments while remaining in the mortal Body I 〈…〉 therefore with and in behalf of my Friends and Brethren of 〈…〉 Faith and Perswasion with me in all parts of the World 〈◊〉 this Solemn Appeal to you the more Sober impartial and Judiâ—â—â—â—â— People in Boston and else-where in New-England to whose 〈◊〉 this may come Whether Cotton Mather is not extreamly Unâ—â—â—â—â—itable and possessed with a Spirit of Prejudice and envious Zeal 〈…〉 R. Baxters phrase against the Quakers in general and me in â—â—â—â—â—cular as guilty of manifold Heresies Blasphemies and strong 〈◊〉 to the rendering us No Christians in the lowest degree or 〈◊〉 while I suppose he hath som Charity to some in the Church of 〈◊〉 called Papists and to Lutherans Aâ—minians and divers others 〈◊〉 differ widely from him yet agreeing in the afore-said Fundamentals when we hold the same Fundamentals of Christian Doctrine 〈◊〉 Faith both with Rich. Baxter and many others as so declared by â—hem And notwithstanding of Cotton Mathers strong Asseverations â—gainst us as if we denyed almost all or most of the Fundamental Articles 〈◊〉 the Christian and Protestant Faith yet he shall never be able to prove it That we are guilty of this his so extreamly rash and uncharitable Charge either as in respect of the Body of that People called in scorn Quakers or in respect of any particular Writers or Publishers of our Doctrines and Principles and Preachers among us generally owned and approved by us as men of a sound Judgment and Understanding And as for his Citations out of the Quakers printed Books Treatises I would have you to consider that most of them all are borrowed and taken not from our own Books but from our professed Adversaries men known well enough to be possessed with Prejudice against us such as Thomas Hicks and John Faldo and others whoâ— our Friends in Old-England and particularly George Whitehead and William Penn have largely answered yea I do here solemnly charge Cotton Mather to give us but one single instance of any one Fundamenâ—al Article of Christian Faith denyed by us as a People or by any one of our Writers or Preachers generally owned and approved by us And if perhaps there be any Citations that C.M. cites out of our Books that he hath read that seem to confirm his Charge in one or two particulars against us I do sincerely answer that I am at a loss to find them in these Books partly because divers of these Books cited by him I am altogether a stranger to them and know not where to find them in all America and partly because he not citing the Chapters Sections Parts or Pages of them that may be 〈…〉 here in America I cannot but with great pains and expence of 〈…〉 find them out and I judge I can much better spend my precious 〈…〉 than in searching of them and it sufficeth to me and I hope dot◠〈◊〉 many others that according to the best Knowledge I have of 〈◊〉 People called Quakers and these most generally owned by them 〈◊〉 Preachers and Publishers of their Faith of unquestioned estâ—â—â— among them and worthy of double Honour as many such there 〈◊〉 I know none that are guilty of any one of such Heresies and Blaspâ—â—mies as he accuseth them Yet we deny not but as it hath happeâ—ed and doth daily happen to Writers and Preachers belonging to 〈◊〉 other Societies so it may have happened to some among us to havâ— at times in writing or speaking delivered things not so warily and cautiously worded in every respect as need were But in this case all but prejudiced Persons will say If it can be found by comparing their words one with another that their sence or meaning is found though not so altogether safely or cautiously worded in every respect Charity is to be allowed and the best Construction ought to be given to their words or they themselves or their Friends for them in respect of their absence or decease who did best know them ought to be allowed to give their sence of them as I have done in the sincerity of my heart according to my best understanding and knowledge of them and I think I should know and do know these called Quakers and their Principles far better than Cotton Mather or any or all his Brethren having been conversant with them in publick Meetings as well as in private Discourses with the most noted and esteemed among them for about Twenty Eight Years past and that in may places of the World in Europe and for these divers Years in America And I further say That if any things through inadvertency have been said or writ by any of us and that it can be found
which the Author of The fulfilling of the Scriptures doth plainly acknowledge was about that time among them and indeed many of these Tremblings and extraordinary Motions that seized on the Bodies of some Presbyterians many call'd Quakers in these dayes did proceed in great part from the small experience of and little acquaintance that these Persons had at first with that sensible manner of the working of Gods Spirit and that there were but few at first that could well advise them to bear with more composure and quiet of Body that manner of workings whereas by more frequent Experience many did and do at this day witness and feel sensibly not only as great but oft greater inward Workings of the Spirit of God on all accounts and yet can bear them and most willingly and gladly submit to them with little or no Observation of any Bodily Trembling for as in going to War and heariâ—◠〈◊〉 dreadful Sound of Guns Trumpets and Drums the young Soulâ—â—â—â—â— are oft afraid even to a degree of Bodily Trembling yet aâ—â—â—â—wards having more Experience they feel not either that Bodâ—â—â— Trembling nor such fear that is the cause of it and as Water aâ—â— Fire at its first breaking forth is more violent and yet afterwarâ— is fully as effectual without such Violence so at the first hearinâ— of Thunder and seeing the terrible Flashes of Lightning Persoâ—â— are much more afraid than after when they are more acquainteâ— with it by frequency thereof so it might be and was so that the Power and Spirit of God did work in former dayes with a more seeming Force upon many and yet since doth work as effectually now and sometimes more without it so as not to come under such frequent Observation and yet even Bodily Tremblings are still witnessed proceeding from the inward working of Gods Spirit among us as the Apostle saith Knowing the Terrors of the Lord we perswade men Pag. 12. For the words of Humphry Norton alledged by C.M. I have made inquiry at divers but can find no intelligence of any such words in any Book of his but if any such have dropt from him or any other tending to deny the Faith of Christ's being in Heaven in his glorified Body of Man without us we shall be far from excusing them for we zealously believe That the Man Christ is in Heaven without us in his glorified Body of Man the same for Being he had on Earth but wonderfully changed in Manner and Condition as is clearly and fully expressed in that late Treatise given forth by our Friends in Rhode-Island called The Christian Faith c. Vindicated c. But yet we cannot approve of the too carnal Conceptions of many carnal and ignorant Professors that have too carnal Imagination of Christ and confine him altogether to such a Remoteness that they wiâ—â— not allow any Measure of him to dwell in Believers plain contrary to the Scripture Pag. 12. And whereas he saith If they own those Principles why won't they give us leave to own them I Answer We blame you not for owning them providing ye did own them as ye ought to do in the true and right Faith of them that proceedeth from the Spirits inward Inspiration and Revelation sensibly working by way of sensible Object upon the inward and spiritual Senses of mens Souls but this ye deny and therefore it is not the matter but manner of your ownâ—â—â— them that we commonly blame even as some said that the Lord â—â—â—ed yet they swore falsly because they did it hypocritically not â—nowing him to live in them but yet sometimes in these very things ye err also in the matter Pag. 15. That the Quakers adore G.K. either for his outward Learning and make him their Head or for any other thing is false nor doth he seek any such false Honour it sufficeth him to be loved by his Friends and neither he nor his Friends make any other account of outward Learning but to be the foot-stool of Christ and subservient to his Truth and as the Spoils of the Aegyptians were made serviceable to the Israelites And that he saith This Keith it is who has given the greatest advantages to Quakerism and that with no little Alterations How this is consistent with his representing me as if I were Mad pag. 44. and extreamly Ignorant doth not appear And as for Alterations great or small that I have made in the Quakers Principles as rightly understood delivered by our most Antient Friends of best account in general he hath not proved He calleth my late Catechism A wily Catechism wherein Quakerism is so disguised as that one would almost suspect him a real Protestant and yet he will needs have it that the Juice of Toads is as wholsom a Potion But it is strange that such a Wily Catechism and so politically contrived should proceed from a Mad-man and extreamly Ignorant as he would have me to be But however I say that Catechism is writ and given forth in true sincerity without any disguise and doth as really bespeak me a true Protestant as all true Quakers are as it doth seem to represent me to be and will be found to have nothing that 's hurtful in it but profitable and wholsom I hope upon impartial Examination That the inward excusing or condemning Principle as he chargeth on us p. 15. which all men are born with is the Man Christ Jesus is not asserted by any called Quakers that I know unless by a figure called Synecdoche of giving the Name of the whole to the measure and by a Metonyme as where in Scripture the second Adam is called the quickening Spirit and the Light of the World but the Quakers so called generally acknowledge that the Spirit Light and Life dwelleth in all fullness only in the glorified Body of the Man Christ Jesus without them and the measures of it not seperated from the Fullness more or less as he is pleased to give in Believers Nor do the Quakers saâ—â— that men bring with them into the World these inward Illumination and Convictions and other Operations of the Light or Spirit whether common or special that men feel by experience in them when at Age although none can come into the World but as the Almighty Power and Arm of God who formed them in the Mothers Womb doth bring them and as that eternal Word without which nothing is made doth appoint them in their several Ages and Generations And for Christian Lodowicks Challenge against our Friends in Rhode-Island it is already answered and they are cleared from his Calumnies and our Christian Religion sufficiently distinguished from either Paganism Judaism or Mahumatism And the Exceptions he makes against my Catechism are soon answered if his Perversions were but detected 1 st That some who are left without either the help of the holy Scriptures or holy Men do yet so rightly improve the inward help of Christs Light as to be accepted with God This he saith is altogether contrary
to give any one instance wherein I have not faithfully quoted the Antient Writers named by me whether in my former Book called The pretended Antidote c. or in this in each particular And were I so minded and saw a service in it to the People of New-England I could easily produce sufficient plain Testimonies from Antient Fathers so called and Writers both Greek and Latine to confirm the Doctrine of the People call'd Quakers in all the principal and most material things wherein they differ from C.M. and his Brethren but the Scripture Authority being that of greatest weight in respect of any outward Testimony I have chosen rather to make use of that Nor will it serve to justifie C. Matâ—er his Exclamations against me that seeing the Quakers hold all these Doctrines which Baxter and some other Protestant Writers hold to be Fundamental that therefore I should not have so charged them as I have done in my first Book called The Presbyterian and Independent visible Churches brought to the Test for if they and we agree in Fundamentals then why are we so uncharitable to them as not to judge them a true Church To which I Answer Although we hold all their Fundamentals according to what Baxter has delivered as I have above showed yet they hold not all our Fundamentals so it is a Fundamental Doctrine and Principle held by us to wit The inward Revelation of Christ in all true Believers and That God teacheth all true Believers by his inward Voice Word and Teachings or inward divine Inspiration and Revelation properly so called that is as well Objective as Effective and by way of Object working sensibly and infallibly upon the inward and spiritual Senses of their Souls and which their Souls and Minds if onely and fitly disposed and qualified do infallibly apprehend but yet this Fundamental held by us is plainly denyed by C.M. and his Brethren and it is a Fundamental Error in them who hold it as the generality of their visible Church Members do That all sâ—ch divine inward Objective Revelation and Inspiration is ceased and from this Fundamental Error divers other very great Errors flow as so many unclean streams from an unclean Fountain for if all true and saving Knowledge of God and Christ and all saving Faith require true divine inward Revelation and inspiration properly so called and the true and real inspeaking of God and his internal Word and Voice that doth as sensibly and perceptibly operate by way of Object upon the inward and spiritual heaâ—ing or discerning Faculty of the Soul as any outward Voice or Woâ—d of a man doth upon the outward Hearing then if that be ceasâ—d all true and saving Knowledge and Faith are ceased and all true Love Hope and Repentance and all other Fruits and Virtues of the Spirit because all these have a necessary connexion with the true saving Knowledge and Faith also all true Preaching Praying and Worship and all true Obedience and Service unto God and all real and true Religion all depending upon the inward Principle of inward divine Revelation and Inspiration properly so called and yet we do readily acknowledge a distinction betwixt these extraordinary divine Revelations and Inspirations that the Apostles and Prophets had 〈◊〉 they were Apostles and Prophets and these other that they had common â—o them and ordinary with all Christians and for the latter we contend that were and are ordinary and common to all Saints in all Ages of the World but not for the former that were extraordinary whereby they not only wrought Miracles and spoke with Tongues but had Doctrinal things of Faith revealed to them without all outward teaching of Men or Books whereas we do not say any peculiar Doctrine of the Christian Faith is made known to us without all outward Teaching but by it Instrumentally and by the immediate Revelation and Inspiration of the Spirit Principally and we are sufficiently charitable that we judge there are true Believers among them though we cannot own their visible Church that either hold not these Errors with them or if some hold them in words or Notion and Theory yet as in respect of their Experience and inward sence and feeling hold them not but the contrary and such have better Hearts than Notions and though they err in holding an unsound form of Words through too much relying upon their Teachers yet their inward sence and experience doth contradict them And in all these twelve Particulars I first charged upon them I still affirm they do grosly err and they are such great matters of Difference betwixt them and us although they are not all Fundamentals that no Society holding such Errors deserve to be esteemed the visible Church of Christ restored to that purity of Doctrine that the visible Church ought to have and had in the primitive Times and yet will have as she cometh to be fully restored to her primitive Purity And though it seem a strange and new Doctrine to C.M. and his Brethren to distinguish betwixt the Scripture called by some the external or outward Word and the inward living Word of God that proceedeth from the Mouth of God immediately as every mans word that proceedeth from his Mouth and goeth into the Ears of the Hearers is his immediate Word yet not only antient Writers and Fathers so called did so distinguish but even these called the Reformed who began the Reformation from gross Propâ—ry And for the antient Writers I shall give but one though I could give divers besides to wit Augustine of great esteem and fame with Protestants and particularly with Calvin whose Authority he more useth in his Institutions than any of all the Antients In his 5th Book de Trinitate cap. 11. Augustine saith expresly Proinde Verbum quod foras sonat signum est verbi quod intus lucet cuj magis verbi competit nomen nam illud quod prosertur caruis ore vox verbi est verbumq et ipsum dicitar propter illud a quo ut foris appareret assamptum est In English thus Therefore the Word that soundeth outwardly is a sign of the Word that shineth inwardly to which the Name of the Word doth more agree for that which is pronounced with the fleshly Moâ—th is the Voice of the Word and it is called the Word because of that from which it is taken that it might outwardly appear Where I desire the Reader to Note these two things 1 st That Augustine doth acknowledge the Word within or internal Word 2 dly That the Name of the Word doth more belong to the internal Word than to that which outwardly soundeth in our fleshly Ears in both which he doth contradict C.M. and his Brethren who do not acknowledge any inward Word in the Saints since the Apostles dayes and hold That the Scripture is the only Word that is the Object and Rule of our Faith And that famous Reformer Zuinglius whom 〈◊〉 the rather cite because C.M. maketh him his
of his Learning would not suffer him to understand And what H. Moore saith of the spiritual or heavenly Life lying for a while closed or shut up at rest in its own Principle is but the same in other Terms with what we say That the Life of Christ is crucified in Vnbelievers viz. not in it self but to them And why should C.M. find so great fault with this manner of Expression that is according to Scripture when his reverend Baxter as he designeth him writeth in a phrase that must have a charitable Construction put upon it otherwise it would look as odd as any thing C.M has quoted out of any of the Quakers for R. Baxter â—aiâ—h concerning God in his Treatise above-said called Directions to the Converted motive 12. pag. 34. Doth it not wound you to think that even there He viz. God should be so straitned and tâ— râ—st into Corners by a 〈◊〉 Enâ—my as if that simple Habitation were too much for him and 〈…〉 were too good for him meaning the heart defiled with sin Now if any should accuse Baxter with Blasphemy heâ—e in saying 〈◊〉 câ—n be straitned thrust into Corners by a hellish Enemy would noâ— C.M. excuse him and say it is a Catachrestical or improper manner of Speech and is not to be strictly taken and then if he were not very partial why doth he not excuse such Expressions in the Quakers Writings that are capable of the same charitable Construction And it were an easie thing to gather may Phrases and Expressions out of Presbyterian Independent Books that might seem very offensive to a degree of Blasphemy if they were not charitably consâ—rued yea I find an Expression in Calvin which if C.M. could have found in a Quakers Book we should have had him cry out aloud Blasphemy for he saith expresly lib. 3. cap. 2. n. 24. Quia Christus non extra nos est sed in nobis habitat In English thus Because Christ is not without us but dwelleth in us but if Cotton Mather say Calviâ—s 〈◊〉 is That Christ is not only or wholly without us but also dwelleth in 〈◊〉 as this is a charitable Construction so let it be given to such or the like words that may be found in the Quakers Books unless he could find that their words could not bear such a favourable Construcâ—ion But since C. M. findeth so much fault with me for saying That not only Conscientious Gentiles but 〈…〉 Chriâ—tians shall know more of 〈◊〉 and Christ after Death which is the general Expectation and Consolation of all Saints who know now but in part but then shall know fully and thereupon suâ—mizeth That a Quâ—kers new Purgatory 〈…〉 be erected what saith he to his much esteemed Calvin 〈◊〉 on these words of Peter 1 Pet. 3.19 By which also he went and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spiâ—iâ—s in Prison c. plainly affirmeth concerning the Souls of the deceased before the Death of Christ Indeed I willingly grant saith Calvin that Christ did shine unto them by the Virtue of his Spirt that they might know that the Grace which oft they had only tasted was then given unto the World and by a probable Reason that place of Peter 1 Pet. 3.19 may be applyed to this where it saith That Christ came and preached to the Spirits which were in Custody or place of Expectation the commonly translate it Prison for even the Context leadeth us thither that the faithful who before that time were deceased were made partakers of the same Grace with us because he doth amplifie the Power of the Death oâ— Christ from thence that it â—id penetrate even to the dead while pious Soâ—Iâ— did enjoy the present sight of that Grace which they earnestly expected and on the other hand it was made more manifest to the Reprobate â—â—at they were excluded from all Salvation But if C.M. think that Calvin words doth not infer a Purgatory why should he surmize any such thing from mine And though C.M. ignorantly in his airy fantastical Mind mocked at some called Quakers for calling the Flesh by way of Allegory the Woman that should not speak in the Church although we deny not but Women are there also to be understood litterally but yet not all Women nor in all respects alledging That the Devil is the Fleshes Husband yet if he had been well read in Origine or Augustine he might have found a better account but not to go so far backward let his Reverend Baxter answer him who saith in the Preface to his Directions to the Converted In a weak Christian the Spirit is Master but the Flesh is Mistriss And notwithstanding that the said R. Baxter is too uncharitable to the People called Quakers yet I find in the said Book he is much more charitable to them than C.M. is who will not allow them the lowest degree among true Christians Because as he will have it they deny almost all the Fundamentals of the Christian Faith for thus Rich. Baxter expresly writeth concerning Quakers Bâ—hmenists and some of the Religious Orders of the Papist in his 23d Character of a confirmed Christian pag. 66. But those of them that place their chiefest Happiness in the Love of God and the eternal Fruition of him in Heaven and seek this sincerely according to their Helps and Power though they are misled into some superstitious Errors I hope I may number with those that are sincere for all their Errors and the ill Effects of them And truly I have that Charity for Rich. Baxter that if he had known the Quakers better and had had that occasion of some more inward acquaintances with them he would have been still more charitable to them in his judgment of them for the things he hath judged to be Errors in them either they do not hold them or they are not Errors but sound things of Truth and many of them possibly owned by himself but in other Terms It is the great Calamity of these Age that men are oft confounded in their Languages and contradict one another in Words and Terms when they agree in one Sense of the same things It may be hoped and is earnestly to be prayed for unto Almighty God that all that are sincere Lovers of the Truth in all Societies in Christendom may have more Charity one towards another and they may acknowledge whatever is of Truth and Virtue one in another and this would prepare the way to bring them all to one Sheep sold and to have one Shepherd as the Lord hath promised and which he will in due time fullfill and that Time is at hand Amen CHAP. IV. ANd thus having sufficiently answered what was needful to the First Part of his Address which is the largest I shall answer some things but very briefly to his latter part partly because almost the whole of it is answered in my former printed Books directed to the People in New-England and partly because very much of it is answered in the fore going Sheets In
hath not yet appeared unto many but it is as yet Night unto them and to others it is as a little dawning but to others clear Day which answers to that of Paul Now is the accepted Time now is the Day of Salvation to wit to such who had Christ crucified and raised again livingly and effectually preached to them by Christs faithful Messengers but yet even to such who are in the Night state and are in Darkness to whom the clear Day of God hath not appeared some divine Light shineth in their Darkness and that Light though ever so small is of a saving tendency and doth prepare the way of the Lord inwardly as John's outward Ministration prepared the Way of the Lord as he came outwardly and even inwardly the Law and the Prophets go before the clear Manifestation of Christ and his Gospel so that the Law even inwardly as well as outwardly is a Schoolmaster to bring them who are under it to Christ Nor do we say That the Light doth reveal in every man all that we must know in order to Salvation upon its first appearance or in its first Ministration for we distinguish betwixt the various inward Ministrations of the Light and Spirit and teach That the former makes way for the latter as it is well improved and as he that goeth up a Stair or Ladder must begin at the lowest Step or Round and so by degrees and in process of time getteth up higher untill he come to the place where he would be and as the sojourning of the People of Israel in the Wilderness had its several Removes which were Typical of the Souls inward progress from spiritual Aegypt to the spiritual Canaan so the Souls of men have their several inward and spiritual Sojournings from one degree to another until they receive the end of their Faith which is the Salvation of their Souls as it is written in the Psalms They go from strength to strength c. And it is a great Perversion in C. Mather that because I blame them for denying That there is any Light in men generally that is sufficient to enable them to do any Work acceptable to God as if therefore I did hold That every man hath so much Grace Illumination as doth enable him to do any i.e. whatsoever Work acceptable to God For All men Not to be able to do any work acceptable to God And All men To be able to do any or every VVork acceptable to God are not Contradictory as being both Universal and therefore they are both false and as two Universals are not Contradictory and are both false so two Particulars are not Contradictory when the one is Positive and the other Negative and therefore may be both True As it is true That some men are good and That some men are not good so it is true That some good Works may be done by some men and yet it is as true That they cannot at that time do some other good VVorks for it is a good Work to believe in Christ crucified and raised again and to love him as such and yet we do not say that the Light in every man doth either teach or enable every man at first so to do for that cannot be done without some special Revelation or Illumination but yet that more common and general Illumination where it is well and duely improved doth enable men to do some other good things that prepareth the Souls of men to receive that more special Illumination that cometh from the same Author and Fountain and so is Introductory to that more special for the Law is Introductory to the Gospel and yet hath the Gospel hid in it as in a Seed as one Natural Science is introductory to another as the Science of natural Physick is introductory to the Science of Medicine and common Arithmetick is introductory to the more abstruse and recondite parts of Mathematical Learning for the Operation of the Law inwardly doth so convince the Soul of sin and doth so discover to the Soul its weakness and shortness in Obedience notwithstanding of some things that it doth which are good after a sort that it maketh the Soul sick and so to need the Physition which is Christ even crucified and raised again as the Mystery of him is inwardly revealed and applyed to the Soul by the Spirit In his 5 th Assertion he doth also grosly prevaricate and pervert the state of the Question for we do not say That Christ is so in the Wicked or Unconverted as he is in the Saints but after a far other manner for he is in the Saints by Vnion and Communion with them and giveth great and glorious Manifestations of his Glory whereas in others he is not in them by any Union or Communion yet he is so in them as to operate in them and to reveal and discover some things in them that are suitable to their present state in order to their Conversion Nor do we say That Christ is personally in the Saints as some imagine And as to his Question How we shall know Light within from Thought within I Answer If he mean by Thought within a good Thought or Thoughts they are distinguished as the cause and effect for the divine Light within is the cause of every good Thought and Desire as of every good Word and Work but all evil Thoughts proceed not from the Light but from the Darkness and the Light within doth as plainly distinguish betwixt good and bad Thoughts and other Motions as the outward Light of the Sun helpeth us to distinguish betwixt things white and black or straight and crooked but as blind men cannot judge of Colours so who are greatly blinded with Prejudice and Unbelief against the Light within as C.M. is can but very little distinguish or know good from evil except in things notoriously gross nor was it the true Light in Saul that approved him in his Persecution but pricked him in his Conscience and witnessed against him if he had hearkned to it but as a man in his heat of Passion hearkeneth not to true Reason but is Deaf to it though it be in him so men being blinded and hardened with sin doth not give due regard either to true Reason or the true divine Light which are both in them notwithstanding and yet even those men when they become more cool and calm may and do hearken to the dictates of both And for his other Question Whether their Magistrates viz. the Quakers ever had a Light which directed them to punish a filthy VVoman for exposing her self stark Naked before their Eyes in a publick Assembly to prove her Attainment of that Innocency which is without shame I Answ I remember no such thing that ever I heard tollerated by the Quakers Magistrates for we all judge that any such Practice doth really deserve corporal Punishment and I suppose the Passage he mentioneth was that which happened some time ago where the Magistrates of that
many in England and Scotland In his 17 th Assertion he is as weak and abusive as in any of the former That he his Brethren cannot own true Piety to be essential to a true Minister of Christ to make a necessary Provision for the everlasting Peace of renewed Souls which cannot be saved without their Assertion viz. That true Piety is not essential to a true Minister for this would make their Conversion or Peace wholly depend upon Grace in the heart of a Minister But this is a most gross Abuse and Pervertion and a most silly trick or cheat to palliate or excuse their absurd Doctrine which a Child may discover for the Contradictory Assertion viz. That true Piety is essential to a true Minister of Christ doth not make that the Conversion of the Souls dependeth on Grace in the Minister because many Thousands of Souls have been and are daily converted without any Minister good or bad by reading or hearing the holy Scriptures the holy Spirit aiding and concurring therein and this is generally confessed by all Protestants And if some think they were converted by means of some Ministers that were afterwards sound to be Hypocrites all that this can prove is not that they are not converted but that they are in some mistake about the man whom they thought was the Instrument of it and was not And for my saying It is no wonder that New-England abounds with such Impious Ministers I did argue ad hominem according to your Principle for to say True Piety is not essential to a true Minister of Christ openeth a door to let in a stood of Impious Ministers upon the People of New-England and it is to be feared this absurd Principle hath too much open'd a Door unto them And for all your strict pretended Tryal of men before they enter into the Ministry do ye try them concerning their Piety if nay then ye open a door to them who may be really Impious if they have but wit enough to be Hypocrites and only seemingly Pious if Yea this contradicts your Doctrine who say ye have no certain way to try whether men be really Pious or not for ye reject all pretence to a discerning of Spirits whereby to know who are really Pious and who not and the Marks given by Paul whereby to try men before they be owned to be either Bishops i. e. Overseers or Pastors or Deacons were not out-side Marks of Holyness only that Hypocrites may have but to be really sober just holy temperate Tit. 1.8 and where these Virtues are they do as certainly and infallibly discover themselves in words and works to the spiritual Discerners as Spices and precious Oyntments or Perfumes discover their sweet smell and odour to them who have the right use of their natural smelling And as to his Question How People may know whether we have an Immediate Call to the Ministry To this I Answer There must be some spiritual Ability or Gift of Discerning in such who are able to know such a thing for it is only the spiritual Man that is able to judge of spiritual things and whomsoever God calleth to the Ministry by his Power and Spirit inwardly revealed that is immediate his Power and Presence according to his faithful Promise doth go along with them so that some that hear them though not all are the Seal of their Ministry and the Blind are made to see the Deaf to hear the Lame to walk the Dumb to speak and the Dead to live to wit spiritually And as this was Luther's answer to the Papists that asked for some Signs to prove his and his Brethrens Call who did commonly upbraid them That they never so much as cured a Lame Horse so it may suffice for our Answer for whether C.M. believe it or not we have had the Seal of our Ministry that many by means of our Testimony have had their inward Eyes opened and have been turned from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Sathan unto God and this inward Change hath had its evident Effects of Christian Piety Sobriety and Justice in their outward Conversation But such who were blinded and hardned against the Spirit of Truth did not know Christ nor his Apostles and Ministers and therefore we cannot expect that such can know us And this Question of C.M. may be easily retorted upon him that doth so confidently affirm That there are so many Ministers in New-England that have and use all true Piety let him tell us how he or they can prove that they are really Holy and that their Holyness is not a meer outside Holiness that Hypocrites may have If he â—â—y they may be known by their Fruits I query again By what Fruits Are these Fruits only outward words and works that Hypocrites may have for there is nothing barely outward but Hypocrites may have But if by Fruits he mean that which hath some inward Virtue and savour of Life and Grace with them that do infallibly demonstrate themselves to be the Fruits of the Spirit to such as have a spiritual savour and discerning as this would contradict their Principle so it maketh for us to answer his Question Nor are there sufficient Testimonies of antient Christian Writers wanting who did agree with us in our Assertion viz. That Hypocrites and Vnholy Men who have not the Spirit of Christ are not true Ministers of Christ as not only Luther whom I cited in my former Book who calleth them Sectaries and Seducers who know to preach much of Christ but seeing they feel him not in their Hearts as to be sure such do not who have no true Piety they leave the right ground of the Mystery cap. 11. Luth. Mensal But of the Antients backwards of above 1200 Years ago I shall cite two short Testimonies for this Assertion held by us viz. Cyprian who lived about the middle of the 3d Century and Athanasius who lived in the 4th Century for Cyprian in his Epistle to Januarius saith How can he who is unclean himself and who hath not the holy Spirit cleanse or sanctifie the Water viz. in Baptism seeing the Lord saith Numb 19. All that the unclean toucheth shall be unclean And after What Prayer can a sacriligous Priest and who is a Sinner make for the Baptized seeing it is written God heareth not a sinner but he that worshippeth him and doth his Will him he heareth but who can give what he hath not or how can he do spiritual things who hath lost the holy Spirit And in his Epistle to Stephen Bishop of Rome he with his Collegues gathered in Council in Africa writeth saying It behoveth that Priests and Ministers who serve at the Altar and Sacrifices be sound and immaculate seeing the Lord saith in Levit. cap. 21. The man in whom there is any fault or vice shall not approach to offer Gifts to God and in Exodus the Priests who approach to God let them be sanctified lest the Lord forsake them Exod.