us and working together with us This answer is but a meer presumption or Conjecture seeing they deny all inward Revelation and Inspiration of the Spirit which gave the Believers and Saints in former ages an infallible kowledge and assurance that they had the Spirit of God for the Spirit that they claim unto as they say doth only work in them effectively but not by way of object it is altogether an unknown mean or principle of operation it hath no proper light or evidence or demonstration of its own such as the Spirit that was in the Apostles is no infallible spirit that they have but fallible and therefore their Faith is fallible their Knowledge fallible their Hope fallible and every thing in them fallible dubious conjectural and uncertain and they only think that they have the Spirit of God and a spiritual knowledge of things and when asked they dare not say their thought hath any infallible assurance in it as all true assurance is Infallible yea some of them are so dark ignorant and blind that to me in my hearing have affirmed That the Apostle Paul was not infallibly sure that he had the Spirit of God bringing Paul's words 1 Cor. 7.40 I think also that I have the Spirit of God But according to his blind argument the holy Ghost is not infallibly sure for the same Greek word is applied to the holy Ghost Acts 15.28 It seemed good to the holy Ghost but this is blasphemous to think or affirm and I see not how they can clear their Doctrin of Blasphemy to say That they have the Spirit of God and yet to affirm That they have no Infallible Spirit The plain English of which is that the Spirit of God and God himself is fallible 6. But the great cause and reason why all true Ministers and Preachers of the Gospel should not only be truly godly and holy Men but also should be indued with some more than ordinary power of the holy Spirit and communications thereof not common to all Christians at least in degree though one spirit in all is That the Ministry of every true Minister of Christ is a Ministration of Grace of Spirit of Life and Power which doth emanate or flow forth from or through the Minister or Preacher as living Waters that emanate and flow from a living spring or fountain which reach and flow into the hearts and inward parts of the Hearers such as are sensible and whose hearts God is pleased to open to receive them and sometimes to the opening and making alive the dead souls and hearts of many hearers whereby not only many that are spiritually dead are made alive but the living are made more living and livingly refreshed and strengthened and though this can hardly or not at all be received by many yet thousands can witness it from living experience that they have felt streams of divine Life Power and Vertue to spring and flow forth from the Spirit of Christ in faithful Preachers into their souls and inward parts to their exceeding refreshing and strengthning in the inward Man and the Scriptures abundantly confirm it that so it was in the primitive times the Ministers of Christ were the Ministers of the Spirit and Power of God and the outward and audible Words that reached the outward Ears were only as a Conduit of Conveyance to convey and transmit that heavenly Virtue that flowed through them and therefore the Ministers of God are called in Scripture flames of Fire and their Words and Preaching have a divine and spiritual Fire and Heat in them that exceedingly warm and melt the cold and congealed Hearts of many Hearers and that Fire is a living Fire or Power of Life to quicken them And this was it that made the two Disciples going to Emaus say How did not our Hearts burn within us while he spoke to us by the way and opened the Scriptures unto us And when Christ preached to the People it is said he spoke with Authority that is Power and not as the Scribes and so did the Apostles as Paul declared That his Preaching was in Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power And Christ and the holy Spirit spake in him to the People when he preached and so did it in all the other Apostles and Ministers of Christ and the Hearers who had and knew Christ in their own hearts had a Proof sufficient that Christ spoke in Paul by what they felt of that spiritual Vertue and Power that did flow forth through him in his Ministry And according to this Peter exhorted That he who ministers should minister of the Power that God giveth as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God So they ministred not only Words but Grace and Power and Life to the hearers And thus there is a communication of the Grace and Graces of God not only betwixt Ministers and Hearers but among all the Faithful who are as one living Body but many Members and every Member a living Member and ministring Life one to another as it is in the natural Body and this is that Communion of the Saints that the Scripture testifieth that they had together in the Spirit which did knit their Hearts together in Love unto all Riches of the full assurance of Understanding Col. 2.2 And with such living instruments that are spiritually made alive unto God doth God work to make their Ministry effectual and fruitful to convert and beget Souls unto God and when begotten to nourish and feed them with the sincere Milk of the Word which Milk is not the outward Words but the Life that is in the Words For as in the outward God doth not work with a dead Man to beget outward and natural Children but with the living so it is with Men spiritually living with whom God worketh to beget Sons and Daughters spiritually unto God where God only properly and principally is the Father and Men but Instruments with and by whom he worketh and in order to this spiritual begetting of Sons and Daughters unto God by the Ministry of faithful Preachers God giveth unto them a spiritual and divine Seed which they convey in their words into the Hearts and Souls of their Hearers according to 1 Cor. 9.10 He that ministreth Seed to the Sower And Isa 55.10 That it may give Seed to the Sower So that there is a divine and spiritual Seed in the Words and Preaching of a true Minister of Christ for the words are living Words and are not his but the words of Christ and of the holy Spirit that speaketh in him But he that speaketh Words as suppose scripture-Scripture-words and not by the Spirit of Christ speaking in him there is no divine Seed in the Words there is the form or body of the Words but there is no Soul or Life in them as he speaks them And these Men are like that Harlot which took hold of Josephs garment but himself she could not enjoy So many get the outward form of the words
just Man and perfect in his Generation and Noah walked with God Another place they cite Rom. 3.9 Answ This place is as impertinently alledged as the former for it is plain that Paul there describeth the condition of Men both Jews and Gentiles as they are generally under the Law and before they have Faith in Christ as is clear from Verse 19. Now we know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law But no where can it be found in Scripture that there are none of these who are under Grace that are righteous Men and made free from Sin but the contrary is manifest which expresly testifieth of many righteous and perfect Men in their Generation both before and after Christ came in the Flesh who pleased God and were Men of good Hearts and good Lives and especially Enoch is recorded to have walked with God by Faith of whom nothing blame worthy is mentioned in any one particular And Christ speaking of good men saith A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit and a good Man out of the good Treasure of his Heart bringeth forth good things But to apply these words Rom. 3.9 and the following words to the Saints generally as these Faith publishers do sutes more with Ranters than sober Christians see and well consider the words from Verse 10. to Verse 19. There is none Righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God they are gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that dâ—th good no not one Their Throat is an open Sepulchre with their Tongues they have used Deceit the poyson of Asps is under their Lips whose Mouth is full of Cursing and Bitterness their Feet are swift to shed Blood Destruction and Misery are in their ways and the way of Peace they have not known there is no Fear of God before their Eyes O ye Presbyterian and Independent Teachers of New-England and Old How are ye not ashamed to apply these words to all God's true Saints Yea to the best that ever lived in the best state and to bring them as a proof against the possibility of the Saints perfection in this Life For if these Words do hold forth the best condition of the Saints that ever they were in upon Earth ye may as well say all Men yea the worst of Men are Saints or the Saints are the worst of Men and there is no difference of Men at all but all are equally wicked equally ungodly unholy unrighteous which is indeed the plain and express Language of Ranters Libertines Atheists some of whom to the wounding and loathing of my Soul I have heard so affirm But we cannot grant unto you that any of God's Saints are in that state and condition described by Paul in that place Rom. 3. from verse 9. to verse 19 and 20. which Words he citeth out of some of the Psalms of David describing the state of Men as they are in the fallen state and before the new Birth and spiritual Regeneration in Christ But thus to confound these so differing states is to confound Heaven and Earth yea rather Heaven and Hell and to soppose a concord betwixt Light and Darkness God and Belial Christ and Antichrist But let it be known unto you we can allow none of God's true Saints to be such as are there described by Paul Rom. 3. from verse 9. to 19. But it doth too much sute and quadrate with many of your supposed New-England Saints who have most bitterly and falsly accused God's Servants called in scorn Quakers and most cruelly whipped imprisoned and robed many of them and hanged some of them It may be well enough said of them indeed Their Throat is an open Sepulchre with their Tongues they have used Deceit the poyson of Asps is under their Lips whose Mouth is full of Cursing and Bitterness their Feet are swift to shed Blood destruction and misery are in their ways c. Take this home to you and blame not me for the Application seeing ye make it your selves and judge it to be your own condition 5. And that the said Doctrin viz. The best of the Saints by the greatest Grace of God given in this Life cannot perfectly keep the Commandments of God but doth daily break them in Thought Word and Deed and cannot be free from Sin for term of Life but must sin so long as they live and are only set free from sinning after Death as they expresly word it in answer to Quest 89. larger Catechism is not only warranted by any place of Scripture but is most expresly contrary to Scripture in many places and is quite opposite to the very Nature of the New Covenant and Gospel Dispensation and highly injurious to the Lord Jesus Christ tending to make void and of none effect the very end of his coming and to frustrate his exceeding rich Grace and also it is most wofully injurious to Mens Souls not only discouraging Men to press after Perfection in Holiness and Freedom from Sin but tending to encourage them in sloath and neglect to live and die in their Sins and yet for all this be Saints and immediately go to Heaven although they both live and die in their Sins And first That the said Doctrin is expresly contrary to Scripture see Rom. 6.18 Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness And Chap. 8.2 3 4 5. and Verse 9. and Chap. 6.6 7 8. John 8.32 33 34 35 36. Ephes 4.13 Coloss 1.28 Heb. 7.19 Next God did promise in the New Covenant That he would pour clean Water upon his People and they should be clean from all their Filthiness Ezek. 36.25 c. and he would write his Law in their Hearts Jer. 31.33 and put his Spirit in their inward parts and give them a Heart of Flesh and a new Heart and a new Spirit and put his Fear in their Hearts that they shall not depart from him And surely all this doth plainly hold forth a freedom from a total sinning and that daily in Thought Word and Deed. Thirdly The very end of Christ's coming was to save his People from their Sins and not in their Sins to put an end to Sin and to finish Transgression and bring in everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 and to do or effect that which the Law could not do viz. to destroy Sin and him who hath the power of Death to wit the Devil that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.4 And the Lord said unto Paul 2 Cor. 12.9 My Grace is sufficient for thee But if it cannot preserve any Soul one day or hour or moment from sinning actually in Thought Word and Deed it cannot be understood to be sufficient and Paul said Where Sin did abound Grace hath much more abounded and he was able through Christ that strengthened him to do
Psalms and in the Song of Solomon and other places of holy Scripture for by the living Word of God as they come freshly and newly or immediately from the mouth or spirit of God the Souls of God's Children are quickned and kept alive as Christ said The words that he did speak unto his Disciples were Spirit and Life and man liveth not by Bread alone but by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God And David waited for the coming of the Word of God to quicken him to wit that God might speak unto him and he said I will hear what the Lord will speak for he will speak Peace to his Saints and to his People So here is God's Promise to all his Saints and People to speak Peace unto them and as he promised to his Israel in Hosea Chap. 14. I will allure or perswade her and bring her into the Wilderness or a solitary place and there I will speak comfortably unto her or as the Hebrew hath it I will speak to her Heart And this is an inward Speech And the Scripture Promises when God is pleased by his Spirit to apply them to the Souls of his Children is as real and proper an inward Voice and Speaking of God unto them as he spoke to the Prophets of old 5. And therefore the Scripture doth not contain either all the Word or Words of God as some say but many thousands of Words of God have been livingly spoke and utter'd by the Spirit of God to the inward Ears of his dear Children since the writing of the Scripture and daily are and will be to the end of the World And as it was said in the Apostles days the Word of the Lord grew and multiplied Acts 12.24 and 19 20. so ever since the Apostles and writing of the Scriptures the Word of God hath grown and multiplied and still shall and must to the end of the World and yet no new Doctrin or Gospel to be Preached but the same which the Prophets and Christ and the Apostles have already Preached 6. And as Christ and the Apostles expounded the Scriptures of the old Testament by divine Inspiration and Revelation of the same Spirit without propounding any new Doctrin or object of Faith unto People so why may it not be so now yea it is so that some at this day by the same Spirit do expound and open places of Scripture both of the old and new Testament and yet bring no new Doctrin And it is a far better way to have such Preachers and Expounders who open and expound the Scriptures by the Inspiration and Revelation of the Holy Spirit as the Apostles did than for men to presume to open and expound them without all new Revelation or Inspiration and who plainly confess They neither Preach nor Write by any Infallible Spirit And such mens Exposition who declare they have no infallible Spirit can neither be the word or words of God which are infallible but only the fallible word and words of man and human Imaginations 7. And as for the term Word the Greek of it being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I find it variously used and translated in the new Testament as first to signifie Christ Joh. 1.1 2dly to signifie Treatise Acts 1.1 3dly Communication Mat. 3.7 4thly Vtterance 1 Cor. 1.5 2 Cor. 8.7 Ephes 6.19 Col. 4.3 5thly Word of Talk or Discourse 1 Thes 1.5 6thly Reason 2 Pet. 3.15 Acts 18.14 7thly Preaching or Doctrin 1 Cor. 1.18 8thly Account or Business as to have to do Heb. 4.13 and 9thly the Hebrew word in the old Testament is translated Order Psal 110.4 10thly Matter Psal 45.1 11thly Speech Psal 19.2 and 12thly the same Greek word is used by Paul to signifie the empty and dead preaching of false Teachers 1 Cor. 4.19 And therefore whether the Scriptures may be called or are called the Word in Scripture rarely or improperly is not the proper state of the Question for it cannot be denyed and is not denyed but that rarely and improperly the word is used to signifie Scripture or Scripture Words either written or spoken and sometimes the words of evil men are rendred by the same Greek word in Scripture as Ephes 4.29 and 2 Tim. 2. â—7 But the true state of the Question is Whethâ—r first the Scripture doth contain all the Word or Words of God And this I justly deny for the reasons already given and indeed as the Word and Words of God are compared in Scripture Deut. 32.2 to the Dew and Rain that falleth upon the dry ground to refresh it and make it fruitful and the drops of the Dew and Rain are so many that they cannot be numbred which God hath been pleased to speak to the Souls of his People and still doth so nor can the Words of God be numbred by Men and therefore they are of a greater extent than all these set down in Scripture which may be numbred and also they are compared in Scripture to Bread that is eaten as Jeremiah said cap. 15.16 Thy words were found and I did eat them and as none can number the small grains of flower that make up a Cake of Loaf of Bread so none can number the words of God Secondly Whether the Scriptures only as they are outwardly written or spoken by the mouths of natural Men or heard by the outward ears or conceived only by the bare natural thoughts and understanding be properly and without all figure the Word or Words of God I say nay for the words of God are spiritual and of an inward nature as God himself is for the words of God are first and properly spoke to the mind and spirit of man and the outward words whether spoke or writ are but the signs of them as all outward words are but the signs of the inward thoughts of the mind which are the words of the mind or heart of man within it self Thirdly VVhether he who only talketh Scripture words and hath not the true sense of them doth truly and properly speak the VVord of God And whether he that only heareth them from man and hath not received the true sense of them hath properly heard the VVord of God I say Nay for it is not the bare Letter without the sense that is the Word of God properly understood Nevertheless the Letter of the Scripture in a figurative sense may be called the VVord as the Map of England is called England Moses his Books are called Moses and Isaiah his Book is called his Vision and John his Book is called his Revelation CHAP. II. Concerning new divine Revelations and Inspirations 1. THe places of Scripture which they commonly bring against all new divine Revelations and Inspirations of the Spirit of God prove no such thing as will easily appear to any that are impartial and unbyassed in their understanding if they will but read and consider them which places are these following as they are alledged and quoted by them called
and Religion but this doth not prove the ceasing of new divine Revelation but rather indeed establisheth it for the Prophets and Apostles who had divine Revelation were profited taught and edified by their Fellow-Prophets and Apostles and especially the latter Prophets were much helped by the Words and Writings of the fore-going Prophets as Daniel confessed he understood by Books to wit by Jeremiah his Prophecy the number of the years of the Captivity Dan. 9.2 And Christ opened the understanding of the Apostles to understand the Scriptures of the Old Testament what they did declare of him and Paul freely confesseth that the Scriptures of the Prophets were writ for his Learning as well as of other Men and yet he had great plenty of divine Revelation beyond what many of them had and David said he had more knowledge than his Teachers and yet no doubt profited by them and especially by the Prophet Samuel and others that lived with him and before him Next as to the sensible and intuitive knowledge of God it can be and oft is without all Words either outwardly heard or inwardly conceived I mean words consisting of Letters or Syllables such as are not the things but signs of things even as we have a sensible and intuitive knowledge of a Land by seeing it and eating the Fruit of it and drinking the good Wine or Milk of it tho' we are not hearing or reading of it nor thinking of any words that ever we read or heard of it And so often the Souls of God's people enjoy a sweet sight taste and repast of him in a deep inward quiet and stillness of mind having no words of any sort that can be expressed in Letters or Syllables so much as in their present thoughts or remembrance and this is the most excellent degree of Knowledge and as far excelleth and transcendeth the other sort as the sight taste and feeling of a thing doth the report or hear-say of it It is also acknowledged that oft it pleaseth God to joyn of his Life to Scripture words as Promises Prophecies or any others as we hear read or meditate on them and make them as Conduits Pipes or Cisterns or as Cups and Flaggons to convey the divine Influences of his Life and living Spirit of Life and love to our Souls but then they hinder not our Revelation to be real and true and proper Revelation as well objective as subjective for as in drinking of outward Wine in a Glass or Cup we not only see the Glass or Cup that revealeth the Wine but also the Wine it self and the Wine is the most desirable and pleasant and acceptable object of both our sight and taste and feeling so that we regard the Glass or Cup little or nothing for it self but for its use and service to us and if there be no Wine or other refreshing Liquor in the Cup we care not to use it it hath no taste unto us nor service but as the Wine is in it And thus it is with the living Soul that thirsts after the living God and to drink of his Spirit that quickens and refresheth the Soul when it seeth or perceiveth any divine Vertue or Life as God is pleased when how or by whom to joyn of the same to it in Scripture words either preached read or meditated it is very glad and most gladly maketh use of them and giveth God thanks for his great mercy but without Life be joyned unto them it is no more wisdom nor discretion to use them than for a Man to put an empty Flaggon or Cup to his Mouth to drink at it 8. But if they say There is no sensible or intuitive knowledge of God in this Life at least since the Apostles days as indeed it is most yea altogether most agreeable to their Doctrin who say All new Revelation of the Spirit is ceased then I say unto them they are miserable Comforters yea miserable and sad Gospellers to poor Sion they bring not glad but sad tydings they cannot say Behold O Sion thy King cometh unto thee they cannot say Taste and see that God is good they cannot say The Life was manifested and we have seen it and declare it unto you that ye may have fellowship with us they cannot declare the great kindness and love that Christ the Soul's Husband and Bridegroom hath to his Bride but rather their Doctrin preacheth him to be most unkind and unnatural never to let his Bride see him once all her Life here in this World nor yet once to hear himself or taste or touch or handle him or be embraced by him They preach altogether an absent Christ as some of them say Christ is not really and properly in his People or if present a Christ altogether either dumb or silent that being so near to the Soul as to be in it never speaketh one word in it and always hideth his Face and never giveth to the Soul one glance or shine of his Countenance But if they be ashamed of this Doctrin which yet is the very purport of it who deny all inward nèw Revelation and new Visitations of the Lord's love unto the Souls of his People then let them be ashamed to preach teach or write that there is no new Revelation of God and Christ nor no immediate or inward teaching no inward and immediate calling or sending to the Ministry and let them be ashamed to own themselves to be the Successors of the ancient Protestants who did acknowledge immediate Teaching and calling unto the Ministry and the Spirit of Prophecy and some of them had it as George Wishard and others whose Prophecies Fox in his Book of Martyrs hath recorded 9. And whereas these Faith-publishers at Westminster one while deny all new Revelation another while seem only to deny extraordinary Revelation as they term it cap. 18. section 3. is another piece of Non-sense or Contradiction for if all new Revelation be ceased as they expresly affirm cap. 1. sect 1. and 6. then there is neither ordinary nor extraordinary Revelation remaining according unto their Doctrin But the distinction of ordinary and extraordinary Revelation may in a true sense be well admitted by them who believe that divine inward Revelation is not ceased for among the Prophets Numb 12.6 7 8. Moses's Revelation far exceeded the Revelation of the other Prophets as is clear from Scripture and in that respect was extraordinary And we now plead for new divine Revelation we mean not extraordinary beyond what God was pleased to give to his Saints and Children in an ordinary and usual way from the beginning of the World more or less nor do we compare our Revelations with either the Prophets or Apostles by way of equality either in degree or in all the various manners and ways which they had then But we say in that one way and manner which was by God's inward appearance and speaking in their Hearts in the divine Seed and Birth we do plead for divine Revelation
exceed the Scholar for if Divine Inward Revelation and Inspiration together with other spiritual Gifts are the common priviledg of all true Christians in some degree more or less according to their several growth and capacity much more are they to be found in the true Ministers of Christ who are both to feed the Babes with Milk and the strong Men with Meat and to be Rom. 2.19 20. the guide of the Blind a Light of them which are in Darkness and Instructors of the Foolish and Teachers of Babes and also who can speak Wisdom among them that are perfect according to which Christ said to his Apostles Ye are the Light of the World and the Salt of the Earth 3. But more particularly it is apparent from the Scripture that there is a peculiar Ministerial Gift or Gifts that God giveth to all his true Ministers to fit or qualifie them for that great Work whereby to make them able Ministers of the New-Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit the which Gifts are the Purchase of Christ and the Fruits and Effects of his Death Resurrection and Ascension as is clear from Ephes 4.8 11 12. When he ascended on high he led Captivity captive and gave Gifts unto men and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists Pastors and Teachers Where altho' it may be granted that some of these are extraordinary as namely Apostles and some ordinary yet all are given to the Church by Christ as the Fruit and Effect of his Purchase and that therefore all ordinary Ministers who are indeed true Ministers of Christ are indued with some measure of Spiritual Gifts in more or less according to the good pleasure of God And as concerning the spiritual peculiar gifts of the holy Spirit besides these that were common to all such as Faith Love Hope Knowledge Meekness Temperance Patience Brotherly-kindness Charity the Scripture doth expresly mention them in divers places 1 Cor. 12.8 To one is given by the Spirit the Word i. e. Speech or utterance of Wisdom to another the VVord of Knowledg that is some degree inferior to another Faith that is some peculiar degree of Faith for some peculiar Service besides the Faith common to all Believers and all these are ordinary and have still remained in the true Church but together with these in the Apostles days there were extraordinary Gifts which God may give or with-hold as he pleaseth as not being essential to a true Minister of Christ such were Gifts of Miracles Gifts of Healing Gifts of Tongues and the like And as concerning Prophecying it was either extraordinary or ordinary extraordinary was a fore-telling of particular things to come as was that of Agabus his fore-telling that Paul should be bound at Jerusalem ordinary was the ordinary and usual manner of Preaching by the Inspiration and motion of the holy Ghost in Doctrin Exhortation Correction c. Moreover concerning this diversity of spiritual Gifts Paul saith Rom. 12.6 Having then Gifts differing according to the Grace that is given to us whether Prophecy let us prophecy according to the proportion of Faith or Ministry let us wait on our Ministry or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation And likewise Peter concerning these spiritual Gifts saith 1 Pet. 4.10 11. As every Man hath received the Gift even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God If any Man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God If any Man minister let him do it as of the Ability or vertue which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ And as touching spiritual Gifts that were not common to all Christians but peculiar to some Paul exhorted the believing Corinthians saying 1 Cor. 14.1 Desire spiritual Gifts but rather that ye may prophecy And he declareth what that prophecying was vers 3. He that prophesieth speaketh unto Men to Edification and Exhortation and Comfort And vers 5. Greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with Tongues except he interpret that the Church may receive edifying And concerning the great power and virtue of Prophecying he said further vers 24 25. If all Prophesie and there come in one that believeth not or unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all And thus are the secrets of his Heart made manifest and so falling upon the Person to wit that did Prophesie for so the Words may be better translated he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth 4. Now in the true Church and among the true Believers there was a spiritual discerning or judgment that they had whereby they did know who had these spiritual Gifts and who had them not who spoke and preached by the Spirit and who did pray and sing by the Spirit and who did not and who not only had the Words but the Power and who had only the Words and had not the Power and these were false Apostles and false Teachers and Hypocrites that had good Words which they did take or receive from other Men but had not that good Power and Spirit that was in the true Ministers of Christ and because they had not that good Power their Ministry and Words were dead dry and barren and such the Scripture compareth to Clouds without Rain and Wells or Cisterns without Water and of such Paul said he would know not the Speech of them which are puffed up but the Power 1 Cor. 4.19 The which spiritual discerning or judgment as it was in some measure given in common to all true Believers as the sense of Taste is given in common to Beasts Mankind whereby to relish things sweet or bitter and Meats and Drinks that have the true Nourishing Virtue in them so it was given in some greater measure to some than to others according to their growth experience and exercise or use of their spiritual senses even as both among Men and Beasts some do far excell others in the sagacity of the Taste of outward things and so in the Smell of things as Flowers Spices c. and according to this spiritual discerning and judgment Paul said to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14 29. c. Let the Prophets speak two or three and let the other judge If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by let the first hold his peace for ye may all prophecy one by one that all may learn and all may be comforted and the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets For God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace as in all the Churches of the Saints So we see here was good Order where in one Meeting two or three might speak one after another or more if they had any motion of the Spirit so to do and in that case the first speaker was to give place to him But nothing of this is to be found among these Churches who deny
all inward new Revelation of the Spirit but one Man must take up all the time and preach over the People one Year after another and the people ever learning and yet never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth as was the manner of false Teachers in days past who had the Form of Godliness but denyed the Power thereof who were to be turned from 2 Tim. 3.5 6 7. And concerning the trying and knowing of Spirits as well as Doctrins the Apostle John writ in his General Epistle 1 John 2.1 Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God Now this ability to try Spirits is greater than barely to try whether a Man's Doctrin be true or false for it is possible a Man may Preach for an hour or more words of Doctrin that may be true and yet his Spirit not be of God And that which gave them this Ability to try all Spirits as well as Doctrins was the Vnction or anointing from the holy One which they had received 1 John 2.20 But ye have an Vnction from the holy ' One and ye know all things And vers 26 27. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you i. e. seek to seduce you But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things c. 5. But because it is taken for granted and laid down for a Fundamental among Presbyterians and Independent Teachers as well as many others That all inward divine Revelation and Inspiration such as Believers had in the time of the Apostles is ceased therefore they lay no claim to any of these spiritual Gifts and plainly confess they have them not and also that they have no Infallible discerning or knowledge what Men are truly gracious and holy and living Members of Christ's Body and what not And therefore when these and other places of Scripture are brought that declare how true Ministers of Christ had spiritual Gifts of Ministration some in a lesser degree and some in a greater they alledge all these Gifts are now ceased and the reason they give is because all inward divine Revelation and Inspiration such as the Saints formerly had is altogether ceased Whereas if they did grant that inward divine Revelation did continue they would also readily grant that these spiritual Gifts of Ministry did continue and a spiritual discerning and ability whereby to know Infallibly who were indeed indued with the Spirit of God and who did preach and pray by the Spirit or sing by the Spirit and who not And the like concerning the Ministerial Call if they did grant that divine inward Revelation and Inspiration did continue in the Church as the common Priviledge of all true and sound Believers as being given to all and every one of them to lead them into all Truth they would readily enough grant that Ministers had an inward Call to preach and exercise other Ministerial Services and Performances as these Ministers did of old So that indeed this their Doctrin That inward divine Revelation is ceased in the Church and in Believers is the foundation of many other false and pernicious Doctrins yea almost of all the false and erroneous Doctrins they have among them And since it is so that they have no Belief of having the Spirit of God inwardly inspiring them and revealing in them the things of God and inwardly teaching them the Mysteries of the Kingdom What is their Ministry or Church or Ordinances All made things of Mans making and inventing and setting up a Man-made Church Man-made Ministry Man-made Ordinances and a Man-made Worship And though they say they hope they have the Spirit and seem at times to lay great stress and weight upon it and the need of it not only to believe but to do all good and acceptable Works and Performances yet their blind Doctrin and Unbelief that all inward divine Revelation is ceased doth so blind and darken them generally and make them so spiritually stupid senseless and benummed that they plainly confess They have no infallible assurance or infallible knowledge that they have the Spirit of God or any of these gracius Motions and Operations of the holy Spirit For according to their blind Doctrin and Faith all the motions and operations of the Spirit are only effective but none of them objective and any Illumination that they have is only effective and not objective that is to say is no immediate object of their knowledge or feeling or spiritual perception the Spirit only works in them so to speak as fire or heat works in Stone or Iron or Wood but the Stone Iron or Wood hath not any inward sense or perception of it for if they did grant true spiritual sense and spiritual feeling or perception they would grant infallible knowledge of these things even as our outward senses when sound and duly qualified and within due circumstances give us an infallible knowledge of outward things for is not every sensible Child infallibly sure that it both seeth its Mother and feeleth her when the Mother is handling the Child and feeding it And doth not the Suckling on the breast surely know the Milk that it sucketh and can well distinguish the breast that hath Milk in it from that which is dry and empty But as the Epistle to the Hebrews saith Things made to wit the things of Mans making without the Spirit and Power of God inwardly revealed are all to be removed Heb. 12.26 27. Yet once more I shake not the Earth only but also Heaven And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of these things that may be shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain Let them consider this who seem to themselves to have a Church Constitution Ministry Discipline Worship far above others as Heaven is above Earth as the Presbyterian Church thinks she is above the Episcopal the Independent Church thinks she is above the Presbyterian the Baptists think themselves above both and yet all these as well as others are open and declared Enemies to the holy Spirit his inward Revelation and Inspiration by which alone the true Church is a living Church and the Ministry a living Ministry and every true Member a living Member and all truly Religions Duties and Services are living But made things of Mans making are all dead things and therefore must all be shaken and removed not the made Earth only but the made Heavens also of Mans making made Faiths made Worships made Ministers made Covenants all things of Mens making without the Spirit and Power of God inwardly revealed must all be removed and every plant that is not of the heavenly Fathers planting must be plucked up But if any of them say Our Churches our Ministry our Faith our Worship our Covenant is not so for we have the spirit of God assisting
can perish Heb. 3.14 8. And as concerning the diversity of the Dispensations of the divine Grace given unto Men in the several Ages and Places of the world according to the several States and Capacities of Men in the World the Scriptures testimony is very plain and clear which declareth both of the manifold Grace and manifold Wisdom of God 1 Pet. 4.10 Ephes 3. And Ephes 1.10 Paul mentioneth the Dispensation of the fulness of time as being the greatest wiâ—h respect to the fore-going Dispensations before that fulness of time came and they may be distinguished as Paul doth distinguish them very plainly into three to wit Diversity of Operations but one God and Diversity of Administrations but one Lord and Diversity of Gifts but one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. The operations belonging to the Law as inwardly dispensed the Administrations to the Prophets and to Christ's coming in the Flesh and to the Apostles their Preaching both before and after Christ was crucified and rose again and afterwards the Gifts to the holy Spirit as they were the effect and fruit of the Apostles Preaching and the end of it And according to the Scripture the first is that divine Dispensation proper to Men as Children in the Knowledge of God and in Virtue the second to that which is proper to Men as in Youth or middle Age the third as proper to Men of full or ripe Age. And each of these Dispensations may be said to have their proper and peculiar inward Baptism or spiritual Washing the first being the Baptism of the Father the second being the Baptism both of the Father and of the Son the third being the Baptism of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost which Christ commanded his Disciples to administer after he rose from the dead and gave the holy Ghost Matth. 28.19 which is not to be so understood as if the three to wit the Father the Son and the holy Ghost did not work together in all these three Dispensations for certainly they did but because in the first Dispensation God only was known as Creator and Father of all mankind in the second both the Father and the Son were known and in the third the Father the Son and the holy Ghost are known and the Mystery of the three and of the more abundant divine Grace that accompanieth this Knowledge largely opened and revealed And though I say the first belonged to the Law as inwardly dispensed yet that very Dispensation of the Law was not meerly Legal but had Grace and Mercy mixed with it For no Dispensation without the Grace and Mercy of God could have been in any respect serviceable unto Men therefore the Law both as outwardly and inwardly administred had always some measure of divine Grace mixed with it and therefore in the second Commandment the substance of all the Ten Commandments being commonly acknowledged to have been delivered by God himself to the Gentiles who had not the written Law God did reveal himself to be a gracious and merciful God visiting the Iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation but shewing Mercy to Thousands of them that love him and keep his Commandments And as I have already proved from the express Testimony of the holy Scripture by the Obedience of one to wit the Lord Jesus who dyed for all the free Gift and Grace of God is come upon all unto Justification of Life Rom. 5.18 And Christ himself is the Mystery hid in the Gentiles being that Word of Faith which Moses preached in the Jews and Paul in the Romans Chap. 10. 9. And since it is so that Christ is really that Light that doth lighten the Gentiles and is Light in them who have not heard him outwardly preached unto them it is no less than real Blasphemy though pardonable upon Repentance to say as the Presbyterian and Independent Teachers of both Old and New-England have said in their Confession of Faith That the Light in men which they call the Light of Nature that doth so far manifest the Goodness Wisdom and Power of God as to leave men inexcusable yet is not sufficient to give that Knowledge of God which is necessary unto Salvation as they expresly affirm cap. 1. sect 1. And cap. 10. sect 4. they say expresly Men not professing the Christian Religion to wit the Faith of Christ's Death and Resurrection cannot be saved be they never so diligent to frame their Lives according to the Light that is in them Which here again they call the Light of Nature And as for the expression the Light of Nature it may be safely enough owned in a true Scripture sense though not in the sense of them who do so call it For as Christ is called the Light of men in Scripture John 1.4 In him was Life and the Life was the Light of men so he may be very well called the Light of Nature to wit lightning the dark Nature of man and not only so but quickning and sanctifying Nature in all men who joyn thereunto and the Word of God in the Heart James calleth it Ton Emphuton Logon the innate Word i. e. put into the Nature of men which is able to save their Souls But the Presbyterian and Independent Teachers of Old and New-England by the Light of Nature mean only that it is some natural Faculty of man's Soul as to say his natural Understanding or his natural Mind Conscience And according to them there is no other Light or Principle of Knowledge or Virtue in man generally and universally nay not in any who profess not the Christian Religion though ever so diligent to frame their Lives according to the Light that is in them as they expresly affirm and yet in manifest Contradiction to their own Doctrin they have confessed That Persons elected are saved by Christ and regenerated through the Spirit who are uncapable of being outwardly called by the Word cap. 10. sect 3. 10. But that Light that is in men generally within their day of visitation is not any natural Faculty of man's Soul as to say his natural Understanding or Conscience is manifest 1 st because they do confess that Man by his fall is become dead in Sin and wholly defiled in all the Faculties and Parts of Soul and Body and indeed so he is and his Understanding is so darkned naturally that he is called Darkness and therefore he hath not any Light that is left in him as some call it the Reliques of Light left in him since the Fall for if he did fall wholly then no Light was left in him nor Virtue nor Goodness as they confess cap. 9. sect 3. that Man is altogether averse from good 2 dly they confess That all Sin is a Transgression of the righteous Law of God cap. 6. sect 6. And therefore the Gentiles who have not the Law outwardly delivered unto them seeing they are Sinners do transgress against the righteous Law of God now where
so a Church or Assembly of People only professing the true Religion but having nothing of the true Life and Spirit of Christ and whose outward and bodily Services and Works have no inward and spiritual Virtue and Life in them which is that Salt that maketh them savoury and doth recommend them unto God so that he savoureth a sweet savour in them cannot be truly and justly accounted a true Church of Christ For we no where find in Scripture any Society or company of People called the Church of Christ who had nothing but the Profession of the true Religion and although Hypocrites and meer Formalists did outwardly at times mingle or mix with sincere Christians and did assume the same outward Profession with them in former Ages as such were among the Churches of Corinth and Gulatia c. Yet these Hypocrites and meer Formalists who had only the Form but had nothing of the Power and Life of true Religion were no part of the true Church no more than Chaff or Tares that are mixed with Wheat are any part of the Wheat or Dross that is mixed with Silver is any part of the Silver or old Leaven that is mixed with the new Dough is any part of it And therefore it ought to be the work of all the true Members of the true Church to purge out the old Leaven and to be a separate People from all these that have only a Form and Profession of Religion but have nothing of the Power of it 3. The Church of Christ is called his Body frequently in Scripture and every Member thereof is called a Member of Christ and his Body is a living Body and every Member a living Member and that which maketh both the whole Body and every Member thereof living is Christ Jesus the Life living and indwelling in every Member and together with Christ both the Father and the holy Spirit do dwell in every Member of the true Church even as Christ promised it should be John 14.23 If a Man love me he will keep my Words and my Father will love him and We will come unto him and make our abode with him And this WE is the Father the Son and the holy Spirit who are three and one indwelling in every true Member of the Church of Christ and according to this Paul said to the believing Corinthians Know ye not that your Bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost which dwelleth in you And the holy Ghost which dwelt in them together with the Father and the Son did work every good Work in them and move them in all holy and religious Services and Performances whether to Preach Pray or give Thanks or to meditate and wait upon the Lord in silence And they knew by the inward Teaching and Revelation of God's holy Spirit the proper and fit times when to speak and when to be silent when to preach and when to pray and when to begin and when to make an end they had no Hour-glass to measure out the Time unto them nor an outward Bell hanging in a Steeple to call them together but the Gospel-Bell did ring and sound in their Hearts and this gathered them together in a living way and manner and of this the outward Bells Ex. 28 34 35 that did hang at the High-Priest's Garment with the Pomegranats were Types And this is the living Word even Christ whose inward Voice and Call in the Soul and Heart giveth a joyful sound to that Ear which is opened to hear it and of such it is written Blessed are they that know the joyful sound they shall walk O Lord in the Light of thy Countenance Psal 89.15 4. Moreover the true Church and every Member thereof is said to be of Christ's Flesh and of his Bones and they two are one Flesh Ephes 5.30 31. And they are one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 For Christ he is both the Head and Life of the Church which is his Body from whom the whole Body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every Joynt supplyeth according to the effectual working the Greek hath it Energia in the measure of every part maketh increase of the Body unto the edifying of it self in Love Ephes 4.16 And that which thus knitteth all the Members both unto Christ the Head and one unto another is the Spirit and the Unity of the Spirit is the Bond of Peace for by one Spirit they are all baptized into one Body and do all drink into one Spirit And this is the true gathering of a Church or Churches of Christ that is far beyond all Profession of true Religion or outward Signs or Ceremonies as that of water Baptism which Presbyterians and others use to Initiate or enter People into their Church or outward Covenants and Contracts or Bonds which these called Independents use to initiate or enter People into their Church all which outward things are but Mens Inventions as they are now used whereby to gather and make up Churches And all this is but Mans gathering and work made Things Likenesses and graven Images of heavenly things which the Lord hath forbidden saying Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing in Heaven above c. Exod. 20. For whatever Men make or set up whether it be Church Ordinance or Service without the Spirit and Power of God inwardly moving assisting teaching leading guiding and ordering them so to do is but Man's work a thing of Man's making and all such made Things made Faiths made Churches made Worships made Ordinances without the Spirit and Power of God inwardly revealed are to be abolished shaken and removed and the Voice of God will do it whose Voice of Old did shake Mount Sinai and the Lord hath said Yet once more I shake not the Earth only but the Heavens also And this Voice of the Lord uttered from Heaven hath both shaken abolished and removed many things of Mens making already and in the Lords due time will remove them all and every Plant that is not of the Father's planting he will pluck it up and throw it away And this is a warning unto you O ye Churches and People of New-England altho' Babylon like ye sit as a Queen or have at least so sate some few Years ago and did say in your Heart ye shall see no Widdowhood and have preached it as Doctrin that the sounding of God's Voice from Heaven is althogeter ceased in these days Let this be told unto you it hath not ceased to sound but still doth and shall and the sound of it shall not only shake but utterly remove undo and destroy all your Babylonish buildings And this the Lord will do not by Might nor Power viz. of man but by his own Spirit and the time hastneth and blessed shall he be who receiveth warning and hearkneth unto the counsel of the Lord he who hath Ears to hear let him hear 5. And the true Church is in God the Father and in
Works were finished from the Foundation of the World and therefore that seventh day doth signifie Christ Jesus the first and the last who is the alone true Rest and Sabbath of all the Faithful as he invited saying Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you Rest And concerning this spiritual and divine Sabbath or Sabbatism it is said in Heb. 4.9 10. Therefore there doth remain a Rest unto the People of God for he that is entred into his Rest he also hath ceased from his own Works as God did from his let us labour therefore to enter into that Rest c. And Verse 3. We which have believed do enter into Rest By all which it doth plainly appear that the New-Testament understandeth the Christian Sabbath not of any outward Day but of Christ which the outward Sabbaths of the Jews did by way of Allegory signifie and hold forth And lastly as to Matth. 5.17 where Christ saith he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it It is not to be understood that he came to keep up and perpetuate the Types and Figures of the Law but to put an end to them and in the room and place thereof to fulfil all the Righteousness Equity and Justice that they did signifie or hold forth which is as the Kernal Otherwise ye might argue as much for upholding the outward Circumcision as the outward Sabbath and that outward Sabbath was not the first day but the seventh day And whereas some plead that the 4th Commandment is altogether Moral as well as the other nine that were given forth immediately by the Mouth of the Lord unto the People and writ by his Finger on the Tables of Stone and therefore is perpetual and never to be abrogated If all this be granted it doth not prove that the first day of the Week is there commanded as these called Presbyterians and Independents would have it Nor can they who plead for the keeping of the seventh day of the Week for the Sabbath prove that the said fourth Commandment did enjoyn to the Jews the keeping of any outward or natural seventh day of the Week for their keeping the outward seventh day of the Week was enjoyned to them among the other Ceremonial Laws and Precepts as is clear from Exod. 16.23 and Chap. 31.13 14. where it is called a Sign to wit of that spiritual moral and perpetual Sabbath And therefore if it be granted that the fourth Commandment is altogether moral and perpetual it doth not follow that the seventh day therein mentioned is any outward day or that it enjoyneth any outward day for it can all be spiritually understood very well as the tenth Commandment Thou shalt not covet doth not enjoyn any outward thing but reacheth to the Heart and inward part only and is altogether Spiritual And as the last Commandment of the second Table is altogether spiritual so why may it not be said that the last Commandment of the first Table is altogether spiritual And even the mystick Writers among the Jews do acknowledge that not only the seventh day mentioned in the fourth Commandment but all the six days signifie spiritual Days and Mysteries as well as the seventh of which I shall not particularly enlarge at present A Call and Warning from the Lord to the People of Boston and New-England to Repent c. THE Burden of the Word of the Lord that came unto me on the twenty first day of the fourth Month 1688. in the Town of Boston in New-England to declare it unto Boston its Inhabitants and to the Inhabitants of New-England who have been or are concerned in opposing and hardning their Hearts against the inward appearance of God and of his Son Christ Jesus in the Hearts of his Servants and in the Living Testimonies they have born unto you to call you to believe in the Light of his Son Christ Jesus who hath enlightned you all and every one of you and to turn you from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God Oh! Repent Repent for your great Sins and Transgressions of all sorts that ye have committed against the Lord and against his holy and divine Light and Gift in all your Hearts and especially Repent of your great Hypocrisie all Teachers and People of Boston and New-England every where who call your selves Christians and have a Name to live but are dead who draw near unto God with your Mouths and honour him with your Lips but have removed your Hearts far away from him and who have the Name of Christ oft in your Mouths and think to cover you with his imputed Righteousness while ye are ignorant of his Life and holy Power Spirit and divine Nature in your Hearts and while ye are daily crucifying the Lord of Glory afresh and putting him to open shame and treading under Foot the Blood of the Covenant as the holy Scripture declareth concerning some that professed Christ Jesus in former Ages And this is the state of many of you yea of the generality of you both Teachers and People of Boston and New-England of all sorts a few Names excepted whom the Lord doth honour and they shall walk with him in White although ye have sought to dishonour them And this I have seen from the Lord in that pure Light of his that maketh all things manifest and before which all things are naked and bare which Light ye generally despise and reject and blaspheme calling it A meer natural Light and insufficient to lead unto God and the Children of it ye have hated reproached and mocked with cruel Mockings whereby ye have sufficiently declared your selves to be born after the Flesh and not after the Spirit Oh ye Blasphemers against God and his Temple which is his Light and them that dwell therein Repent repent of your Blasphemies and hard Speeches and hard Thoughts against Gods inward appearance by his holy Word Light and Spirit in all your Hearts And Repent of all your Pride Vanity Folly Excess in Meats Drinks and Apparel who though ye profess your selves to be more pure and more purely reformed than other Churches so called yet in the sight of God ye are nothing better but many of you worse and the Sin of Sodom which was Pride and Excess and fulness of Bread is the Sin of many of you especially of the richer sort Oh unthankful Nation Do ye thus requite the Lord who are Jesurun like that since ye waxed fat have kicked against the Lord and are gone from that Tenderness Sobriety and Simplicity that was among you and your Fathers sometime ago Oh! how quickly have ye degenerated and departed from the Lord of whom ye have made and still are making a great Profession The anger of the Lord is ready to break out against you yet more than formerly unless ye Repent And though his Hand hath been manifestly stretched out against you in manifest Judgments and especially in
Rev. 2.2 Thou hast tryed them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them Liars Rev. 3.9 Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews and are not but do lie behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee Rev. 18.4 5 6. And I heard another Voice from Heaven saying Come out of her my People that ye be not Partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues for her sins have reached unto Heaven and God hath remembred her Iniquities Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her Works in the Cup which she hath filled fill to her double THE Presbyterian and Independent VISIBLE CHURCHES IN New-England And else-where Brought to the Test and examined according to the Doctrin of the holy Scriptures in their Doctrin Ministry Worship Constitution Government Sacraments and Sabbath Day More particulary directed to those in New-England and more generally to those in Old-England Scotland Ireland c. WITH A Call and Warning from the Lord to the People of Boston and New-England to Repent c. And two Letters to the Preachers in Boston and an Answer to the gross Abuses Lies and Slanders of Increase Mather and Nath. Morton c. By GEORGE KEITH LONDON Printed for Thomas Northcott in George-Yard in Lombard-street 1691. A Friendly EPISTLE To these PEOPLE called Presbyterians and Independents FRIENDS IN true Love and good Will I have writ the following Treatise unto you hoping it may find entertainment with some among you to give it the Reading and seriously to consider what you read and my earnest Exhortation and Advice is unto you that in all your reading whether in this or any other Book ye turn your minds to that Light of Christ within you wherewith he hath enlightned you and all Men as the holy Scriptures declare and that ye may believe in Christ the Light and Life in you who is the Wisdom and Power of God and who was in all the holy Prophets and Apostles and whose Spirit that was in them that gave forth the holy Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament and the same Spirit only doth and only can give to all Readers of the holy Scripture a true and right understanding of them and of all other Books that treat of Doctrins and Matters of Religion whether they have proceeded from a measure of the same holy Spirit And if ye believe in Christ the Light the Life the Wisdom and Power of God in you and joyn your Minds to his inward divine Illumination He will anoynt the Eyes of your Understanding with his Spiritual Eye-Salve and then your Eyes shall be opened to see and understand what ye read and through your faith in him he will also open and circumcise your inward Ears and cause you still more and more to be acquainted with his living Voice and Words in you all which are Spirit and Life and this will give you a spiritual savour and taste whereby ye shall be able to try and judge of things that differ whether Men or Books whether Spirits or Doctrins what are of God and what are not of him for although the Scriptures are the best outward Test or Touchstone or Rule whereby to try all Doctrins of Men or Books yet it is the holy Spirit of Christ and his Light inwardly shining and enlightning the dark Hearts and Vnderstandings of Men that gives them ability rightly to understand the Scriptures otherwise the Scriptures are as a sealed Book both to the learned and unlearned For though the Jews had the Scriptures of the Old Testament which prophecied of Christ and of the Time and Manner of his Coming and how he was to suffer Death for the sins of Men and to rise again and ascend into Glory yet none of them had that Understanding but such only as were turned to his divine Illumination in their Hearts and were acquainted with his holy Spirit Light and Life in them And the like grave and wholsom advice I recommend unto you which a certain Ancient Christian gave unto Justin Martyr before his Conversion to the Christian Faith to wit That he should diligently read and search the holy Scriptures which should give him more Content than all Heathen Authors but withal that he should mind the Gate the LIGHT by which only he could enter into the true Understanding and Knowledge of them The which Passage the said Justin relateth in his Works and John Fox hath it also in his Martyrology taken out of him And though in this Treatise I have affirmed and sufficiently demonstrated that your Visible Churches are no true Churches of Christ yet I do not say nor conclude that none of you belong to Christs true Church in any true regard But on the contrary I have that true Charity Faith and Hope concerning a Remnant among you who have in the least measure true Hungerings and Thirstings after Righteousness and a great inward longing and panting of Heart and Soul after the Lord Jesus Christ to know him and enjoy him more nearly than by all hear-say or report of him and whose Souls are sick of Love for him and feel your need and want of him as the sick that need the Physician that ye do indeed even all such of you belong to Christ and are the real Members of his Body which is his Church for where any living Desire is after Christ and where any true sense or feeling of the want and great need of him is raised in any Soul there is somewhat of the Life of Christ in that Soul and there is Christ himself present who hath begot it and that Soul is in some Measure a living Member of Christ and to such it will be glad Tidings to hear that Christ is so near unto it as really to be within it even really and livingly present and where the least true measure of Sincerity Tenderness Meekness Gentleness Humility Uprightness of Heart and Soul hath place in any there is Christ present in that Soul who hath already begun his good Work in the same and the beginning of his Work is to quicken and make alive the Soul unto him And every Soul that is thus quickned and made alive unto him as it doth hold fast this Beginning and doth continue still hungering and thirsting after Him to know and enjoy and receive of his Fulness more plentifully doth really belong to him and is in a state of Salvation e'en so far and as it here abideth it is impossible that it can perish But yet tho such belong to Christ and to his Church it doth not follow that the visible Church which they are outwardly and by some outward Form or Practice joyned unto is the true Church of Christ for they themselves distinguish of the Church Visible and Invisible and do affirm That Hypocrites are Members of their Visible Church
but that only the true Saints and Children of God belong to the invisible Church And again tho such who have true Desires and true living Breathings raised in them after the Lord may be said as such to belong to him and be of his Sheep yet they are still but as scattered and driven from the true Fold and as wandering for most part upon the barren Mountains and the dry and desolate Hills seeking the living among the dead until they come to be gathered into the True and Living Way of God and of Christ so as to know and be acquainted with the Lord and his inward Leadings Rule and Government in them and to be able to distinguish his Voice and inward appearance in them from that of a stranger and to worship him in Spirit and in Truth and serve him in the newness of the Spirit and in pure Holy Fear and Love as Sons and Children in his House And this State ye are generally strangers unto and therefore tho some of you may be allowed in true Charity to be the Sheep of Christ yet ye are but scattered until ye are returned unto Christ the Shepherd and Bishop of your Souls and know him revealed in you to lead rule and guide you and feed you with the living Bread and give you the living Water to drink which he himself is inwardly revealed and that ye be turned away from all false Teachers and Shepherds which is the earnest breathing and cry of my Soul unto God for you G.K. Heads or Principles OF Christian DOCTRIN CHAP. I. Concerning the Holy Scriptures 1. THe Holy Scriptures of the old and new Testament being generally and worthily acknowledged by all Christians to be writ by Divine Inspiration without any mixture of Error are a sufficient outward Rule and Standard whereby to examin and try all Doctrins of men 2. They contain a full and intire Declaration of all Christian Doctrin and therefore whatever Doctrins or Principles of Christian Religion men presume to teach which they cannot prove and demonstrate from the Holy Scriptures they lay no obligation upon any to believe them 3. The Scriptures are only sufficiently and savingly believed and understood by the inward Illumination and Revelation of the Holy Spirit which is the same in kind to that which God gave to the Saints of Old 4. Although they contain a full and sufficient Declaration of all Christian Doctrin yet they do not contain the whole Mind Will and Counsel of God as some say they do Because there are many things wherein God doth reveal of his Counsel to his Children which are not in Scripture either expresly or consequentially altogether necessary to their Peace and Comfort as to instance in some particulars First It is a part of the counsel of God for a Christian to know his inward Calling and whether he be indeed one of God's called and chosen Ones whether in favour with God and justified and sanctified And though the Scripture doth give infallible Signs and Marks of such an estate yet no Scripture nor Scripture-consequence can infallibly assure any man that he hath these marks but it is the spirit of God that only can and doth give them this assurance Rom. 8.16 2 dly All true Preachers and Ministers of Christ ought to know the mind and will of God whether they be called of God to the Work of the Ministry which Call is an inward Call that is altogether necessary to their faithful discharge of so great a Work but this they cannot know simply by the Scripture 3 dly Every true Christian should know his inward Call to Pray or give Thanks or perform any Religious Duty or Service unto God as David said When thou said'st Seek my Face my Heart answered thy Face O Lord I will seek hide not thy Face from me Psal 27.8 Again 4 thly It is commonly granted that it is a Duty belonging to every Christian to enquire the Mind and Counsel of God in every weighty matter and concern of our Life as if we be visited with any great Affliction inward or outward to enquire with Job Shew me O Lord why thou contendest with me And as Rebecca when the Twins strugled in her Womb enquired at the Lord and said Why am I thus And the Lord answered her Also in the case of Marriage every true Christian man and woman ought to enquire and wait for God's counsel with whom to be joyned in Marriage that they may know indeed the Lord's joyning of them and that they marry in the Lord But this cannot be known by any Scripture or consequence from Scripture but the Spirit of the Lord must reveal it even the same that led Abraham's Servant to take a Wise to his Son Isaac And every Christian should know the will and counsel of God in his outward Vocation that it is of God and so abide therein as the Scripture saith Let every man abide in the Calling wherein he is called of God And as the Servants of God in days past in traveling and sojourning from place to place received the counsel of God so do these now that wait for it in uprightness of Heart as really as holy men did of old and as Philip received the Word of God which he could not find in the Scripture either expresly or consequentially when the Spirit said unto him Joyn thy self to this Chariot when he was sent to preach Christ to the Eunuch and as Peter was sent to Cornelius and Ananias to Saul and many other the like instances and as James declareth Men ought not to be rash or hasty to say to day or to morrow we will go into such a City c. for that ye ought to say If the Lord will James 4.13 15. Now how can a man know what the Lord willeth in such a case unless it be given him by the Spirit of the Lord inwardly to feel either a Command or Permission to do such a thing For whereas too many make the outward passages of Providence their rule as to say If Sickness or some outward Impediment hinder not they constitute that to be the Will of God And whereas many remove from one place to another and Divine Providence doth not hinder them and yet in that removal they have not had God's approbation and it hath not had a blessing to follow it but on the contrary for leaving their place they have been exposed to sad Temptations and have fallen under them And lastly there are many precious living Soliloquies and Intercourses betwixt the Lord and the Souls of his dear Children while he answers the returns of their Prayers in living Testimonies and words of his Holy Spirit which though they are agreeable to Scripture yet are not express Scripture words but are the real Words and Dictates of the Holy Ghost speaking Peace and Consolation to them beyond all utterance or demonstration of Speech and wonderfully quickning and strengthning them in the inward man as we find in the
the Assembly of Divines at VVestminster in their Confession of Faith cap. 1. sect 1. Prov. 22.19 20 21. Isa 8.9 10. which places if they prove now that all new Revelation is ceased they do as much prove that it ceased in the days of Christ and the Apostles yea in the days of the Prophets that did succed them Is it not admirable blindness that these men did not see how impertinent these Citations are And as for all the places of the new Testament cited by them as Luke 3.4 Rom. 15.4 Mat. 4.4 7 10. 2 Tim. 3.15 Heb. 1.1 2. 2 Pet. 1.19 they do no more prove what these intend than the former for by their own confession divine Revelation and Inspiration continued after all these places of Scripture were writ for divers intire Books of Scripture were writ after them here alledged And if they say that all new Revelation did cease as soon as all these Books of Scripture were in being then they must also affirm that all new Revelation did cease to divers of the Apostles long before they deceased because divers of them and particularly John survived after he wrote his Book of the Revelation 2. It is most readily granted that God in his infinite Wisdom and Goodness was pleased that there should be Oracles and Testimonies of his Truth and Gospel committed to writing according to which the Doctrins and Words of Men however so holy that should come in after ages should be tryed and examined for the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets but this doth not prove in any wise all ceasing of Prophecy or Divine Revelation or Inspiration by the same Spirit The Apostles Doctrin and Preaching was tried by the Noble Bereans whether it was according to the Scriptures of the old Testament but it doth not therefore follow that the Apostle Paul did not preach by divine Revelation and Inspiration And both Christ and the Apostles proved their Doctrin generally out of the Scriptures of the Prophets but that doth not argue that they did not Preach by new divine Revelation 3. But for the further clearing of the matter we are to distinguish betwixt new Revelation of new Doctrin and new Revelation of ancient Doctrin The Apostles had a new Revelation yet not of any new Doctrin but the very same that Christ and the Prophets preached before them and all agreed in the same Doctrin for Substance and yet had their own peculiar Visions and Revelations which were new to them to wit new though not in kind or specie yet in particular or individual unto them And so it is as to us we plead not for any new Revelation of any new Doctrin Faith or Gospel differing from what Christ and the Prophets and Apostles have taught before us and is largely and fully declared in the holy Scriptures but for a new Revelation of the same Doctrin Faith and Gospel which was revealed unto them For as the Faith of the Prophets and Apostles is not enough to us but we must also have the like precious Faith with them 1 John 1.2 and we must see with our spiritual Eyes and hear with our spiritual Ears and handle with our spiritual handling the Word of Life as they did so it must be newly revealed to us and in us 4. And if all new divine Revelation and Inspiration be ceased then all spiritual seeing and hearing is ceased and neither God nor Christ is or hath been heard or seen spiritually as the Saints did see and hear formerly nay not in the least degree and all inward spiritual Sensation and feeling is gone and all use or exercise of spiritual Series which is sad tidings to poor Souls But if any grant that there is any true and real spiritual hearing seeing tasting and other spiritual Sensations of God and divine things they must also grant true divine Revalation the same in kind and nature with what the Saints had of old for what is the proper object of the inward hearing and seeing and tasting and feeling Is it not God and Christ As David invited others saying O taste and see that God is good And as the Spouse said in the Song I sate down under his Shadow with great delight and his Fruit was sweet unto my taste his Left-hand is under my Head and his Right hand doth embrace me he hath brought me to his banqueting House c. and again The King hath brought me into his Wine-Cellar And can these sweet and heavenly Experiences be witnessed without divine Revelation or Inspiration And whereas some say It is Revelation by the Word and Spirit going along together but not by the Spirit alone without the Word I Answer granting it to be so in a true sense for the Prophets and Apostles had both the Word and the Spirit going along together in their divine Revelations according to Isa 50.21 and that did not hinder them to be real and proper in their kind But that God hath limited and confined himself so as never to give any inward enjoynment of himself to the Souls of his dear Children by any inward sense sight or hearing but what is conveyed unto them always by means of Scripture words is a most extravagant presumption to affirm without all Scripture proof for besides that the Soul may hear God speaking other words to it inwardly than express Scripture words though not contrary or disagreeing it oft falls out that the inward and spiritual seeing tasting and feeling may be enjoyed and witnessed without all words composed of Letters or Syllables even in a deep inward stillness and quietness according to these words Be still and know that I am God And as the outward seeing tasting smelling and feeling may be used without the present use of the outward hearing so may the inward and spiritual seeing tasting smelling and feeling be used at times and seasons without the inward and spiritual hearing of any Words formally composed of Letters and Syllables or Scripture words or so much as inwardly thought or conceived which Men of spiritual Experience who have their spiritual Senses cannot but readily grant We find by common experience that Words fall short to give us a sufficient and satisfactory knowledge of outward and natural things and therefore we desire rather to see taste and handle them than to hear the best or most true report of them We love rather to see a pleasant Country than to hear of it only and every good Child loveth to see his Parents rather than to hear a report or talk of them so every loving Wife loveth rather to see her Husband and hear himself and be imbraced by him than to hear others tell of him And the loving Subject is more glad to see his Prince or King of whom he hath received so many Favours and to hear himself than to hear others tell of him and thus it is with every Soul that truly loveth God they much rather desire to hear himself and see him than
what man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of a man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the Spirit of the VVorld but the Spirit which is of God whereby we know the things that are freely given us of God There cannot be brought out of the whole Scripture more suitable places to prove the necessity of divine Revelation than these are the one plainly implying it the other plainly expressing it For to be taught of God to hear and learn of the Father as the Prophets and Apostles did what is it but to be taught by divine inward Revelation Or if they will say Nay then the Prophets and Apostles were not taught of God by the same Argument And whereas they bring Paul's words saying God hath revealed them to us to wit these deep things of God to prove the inward Illumination of the Spirit of God to all Saints as well as to Paul the same proveth divine Revelation as it is expresly so called by Paul in this very place for they must needs grant that the divine Illumination which Paul had was Revelation properly so called and what he had he holdeth it forth as common in kind to all Saints and Believers And as for the word Revelation as signifying an inward operation of the holy Spirit in the Heart and Understanding we find it to be a phrase more frequently used in Scripture than the word Illumination or Illuminated or Enlightned or to Enlighten yea I find the word Illuminated out once used in all the English Translation of the whole Bible but Revelation frequently is used in our English Translation and reveal revealed see Isa 40.5 and 53.1 and 56.1 Jer. 33.6 Mat. 11.27 25. Luke 10.21 22. Rom. 8.18 1 Cor. 2 10. Gal. 1.16.3.23 Phil. 3.15 Ephes 1.17 Beside many other places So that it is very strange why these Faith-makers at Westminster should have such a grudge and prejudice at all new Revelation a Word so frequently used in Scripture and yet pretend so great kindness to new inward Illumination which is the same for it passeth their skill or any Man 's else to divide or separate the one from the other 6. But the great knack nicety or mystery of this distinction lieth in this that inward Illumination is only Revelation subjective or effective and in that sense some of that sort of Men say They own the necessity of inward Revelation and hold it to be all one with Illumination But they deny all inward objective Illumination or Revelation that is to say any inward Revelation of any inward object inwardly proposed to the Eye or Ear or other inward spiritual Sense and Faculty of the Soul the alone object of the Souls whole kowledge faith fruition enjoyment of God and communion with him being the Scriptures or God Christ and divine things not in themselves seen or enjoyed but as they are to be seen and known or revealed in the words of Scripture Hence they who use this distinction say the inward Light or Illumination of the Spirit being only effective or subjective but not objective iâ— medium incognitum assentiendi or principium incognitum cognoscendi that is to say an unknown Principle or mean of knowing and assenting which may be illustrated by this similitude that there is an inward vigour of Life and natural Spirits that are necessary to enable the outward Eye to see outward things and Objects but that inward vigor of natural Life and Spirits is not the object of the Eye nor seen by it or otherwise some may or do understand by subjective inward Revelation or Revelation on the part of the subject the Soul 's inward knowledge or perception as in the outward sight of things of this World there is the vision of the Eye or its sight and perception and the Object seen and perceived by the Eye Also in hearing there is the hearing or perception of the Ear and the thing heard be it Voice or sound of Man Beast or Bird or musical Instrument And thus according unto these Mens Doctrin the alone adequate formal Object of all faith knowledge fruition enjoyment sight and sense of the Souls of the most excellent Saints either now living or that have lived in all Ages past since the Apostles lived is the Scripture-words But this is all meerly begged and taken for granted without all proof and altogether contradictory to the experience of all the true Saints of God who have an inward sight knowledge and enjoyment of God far surpassing all Words or Writings And thus according to these Mens Doctrin all the knowledge or sight that the Saints have of God in this Life is but as one that seeth England in a Map but never saw the Land it self or as an hungry Man heareth and readeth good words of Meat but neither seeth nor tasteth it and as a Woman heareth of a Husband she is married unto or seeth his Picture on a Table or on Paper or readeth a Book that describeth his Beauty and Personage but is never admitted to see him or hear himself nor to touch handle or embrace him all which are sad tydings to Souls that love God and Christ but the best is they are utterly false and the experience of the Saints abundantly prove them to be false and such dark ignorant blind Doctrin proveth sufficiently what dark ignorant blind Men these have been or are who have published their own shame and folly to the face of the World and as blind and ignorant are these Teachers who have since received and published the same blind Doctrin But if the inward Light or Illumination be altogether an unknown Principle to him that hath it having no Evidence or Light or Demonstration of its own whereby to discover it how shall any Man be sure or know surely that he hath any inward divine Light or Illumination for no Scripture can tell him that he hath it or that he hath the Works of one that is divinely illuminated One would think the bear naming or mentioning such Doctrin is enough to refute it as to say God and Christ is and can only be known by words or report and hear-say whereas the Scripture saith Ear hath not heard nor Eye seen what these things are which God hath prepared for his Children And yet all Scripture words the Ear doth hear and the Eye doth see 7. But to come to the Conclusion of the matter it is to be noticed or considred that there is a Doctrinal and sensible knowledge of God or discursive and intuitive as for the doctrinal and discursive knowledge of God it is granted that it cannot be without words either of Scripture or some other words given by the same Spirit and also it is granted that Scripture words in God's ordinary way are necessary to give to Men the said doctrinal knowledge of God and Christ and many deep and mysterious things of the Christian Faith
as the ordinary and common allowance and priviledge of all God's Saints and People and not only to Saints but to Men and Women in order to their becoming Saints they need God and Christ inwardly to speak unto them for it is the inward Voice and Speaking of Christ that quickneth the dead Souls of Men according to the words of Christ The Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live John 5.25 CHAP. III. Of the Supream Judge and Rule of Controversies of Religion IT hath been already acknowledged in the first Chapter that the holy Scriptures are a sufficient outward Rule and Standard whereby to try all Doctrins of Men however so holy or wise they may be or however much indued with the holy Spirit because the Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets and as the holy Spirit of Truth is one so the words of it do all agree in all the true Prophets Apostles Evangelists Pastors and Teachers and as is already said the Noble Bereans were commended in Scripture for searching the Scriptures to see and examin whether the Apostles Doctrin was according to the Doctrin of the ancient Prophets that wrote the Old Testament and until the Apostles Doctrin was generally received they did appeal to the Scriptures of the Old Testament for a proof of their Doctrin although that was not their only proof for they had a greater proof than that outward was even the inward Witnéss and Testimony of the holy Ghost that made both them and their Doctrin manifest in the Hearts and Consciences of their Hearers whose Hearts God was pleased to open 2. And therefore in respect of any outward Rule and Standard the Scripture is sufficient and to be preferred in all respects to any other latter Writings or Testimonies or Records whatsoever first because writ from a greater measure and depth of divine Wisdom for though the Spirit be one yet it hath diversity of Gifts and Operations and Administrations and all Men divinely inspired had not the same clearness of divine Knowledge Numb 12.6 7 8. Moses exceeded the Prophets generally David and Solomon exceeded many of them and Isaiah and Jeremiah exceeded others of them and among the Prophets some were as Fathers some as Sons hence we read in Scripture that God is the Father of Lights and of these Lights as to us some are higher and some lower which some mystick Writers both among Jews and Christians have taken notice of out of the Scripture it self hence they say Moses drank at the Fountain Samuel David Solomon and some others drank at the Streams and others of an inferior degree at the Pond or Cistern And they further say Moses had his Revelations from Binah Abraham from Gedulah a step lower Isaac from Geburah yet lower Jacob from Tipheret yet lower but partaking of both signified by his dwelling in Tents betwixt the Tents of Abraham and Isaac David sometimes from Tipheret and sometimes from Nezah and Hod hence we read some of the Inscriptions of his Psalms to Nezah and sometimes from Mulcuth and they say that the ordinary Prophets had their Revelations from these two divine Measures Nezah and Hod called Exod. 38.8 The Looking-Glasses of the Lords Hosts that Assemble at the door of the Tabernacle see the Heb. text But Moses had liberty to go into the heavenly Tabernacle it self and so had some others And that God did make himself more known to Moses than to Abraham Isaac and Jacob is clear from these words of his to Moses at the Bush I appeared to Abraham Isaac and Jacob by the Name of God Almighty but by my Name Jehovah was I not known to them Exod. 6.3 And concerning this distinction of divine Gifts and Illuminations Paul declareth saying To one is given the Word of Wisdom to another the Word of Knowledge to another Faith all by the same Spirit Hence we read in the Proverbs Wisdom Understandang and Knowledge distinguished Wisdom buildeth the House Vnderstanding establisheth it and Knowledge filleth the Chambers with all precious and pleasant Riches Prov. 24.3 4. Therefore Wisdom is a degree above Understanding and Understanding a degree above Knowledge all which divine Measures are set in order as the parts of a Tree with Root Branches and Tops or as the Members of a Mans Body by way of Allegory and Analogy Cochmah Binah and Daath belonging to the Head Gedulah Geburah to the right and left Hand and Arm Tipheret to the Body Nesah Hod and Jesod to the Thighs and Legs c. and Mulcuth lowest of all all which make up by way only of allegory and analogy the Parts and Members of the Son of Man or heavenly Adam as both Ezekiel and John saw him upon his Throne The English Names of these Hebrew words all which are found in Scripture in their true order are these following Cochmah i e. Wisdom Binah i. e. Understanding or Prudence Daath i. e. Knowledge see 1 Chron. 29.11 Gedulah i. e. Magnificence Geburah i. e. Power Tipheret i. e. Beauty Nesah and Hod i. e. Victory and Glory Jesod i. e. Foundation and Mulcuth i. e. the Kingdom And secondly and most especially we give the Preheminence to the Scriptures beyond all latter Writers because we are well assured that the Scriptures throughout are pure without all mixture of Error or Mistake and this is generally granted by all Christians that the Scriptures are really so being duly and rightly translated but we are not assured that any mans or mens Writings since are altogether pure and free of all mixture of Error and human Weakness until they be duly examined and found to agree to the holy Scriptures and to the inward testimony of the holy Spirit for altho' whatever the Spirit of God inwardly revealeth is infallible and pure from all mixture of Error and whatever any man saith or writeth as he hath receiv'd it from that his Testimony is pure and without mixture yet we are not assured that any man or men are in that state of Perfection that they may not by human frality in some measure or way more or less decline or depart from the pure and infallible Teachings of the Spirit of God for as it is possible they may purely and chastely keep unto them so for want of due watchfulness and holy care they may more or less depart from them and so there may be a mixture of Truth and Error both in their Understandings and Words and therefore they are not to be taken on trust but both their Doctrin in all things is to be tryed by the Scripture and their Spirit by the Spirit of Truth as every one is able according to what he hath received All which doth not hinder but that the Spirit of God in our day both teacheth and leadeth infallibly although the Disciples and professed Followers of it at times by weakness may be liable to mistakes 3. And as concerning that phrase or expression that some use That
the Spirit of God speaking in the Scriptures is the supream Judge of all Controversies of Religion although it is no Scripture phrase nor proper but figurative as when a man is said to speak in his Books or Writings yet in a figurative sense it might be allowed if they did not confine all the speaking of the spirit of God to his only and alone speaking in the Scriptures so as that the Spirit speaketh not at all as they would have it in the Souls and Hearts of Men as he used to do in the Prophets and Apostles And because they have a wrong sense of it and that it is not proper but figurative it is better not to use it And in the room of it I say the Spirit of God speaking in some measure in the Heart of every true Believer and Spiritual man opening and expounding the Scripture unto him in the due and diligent use of reading hearing and meditation of Scripture words or any other means of God's appointing for our Institution and especially in the frequent use of fervent and earnest Prayer praying earnestly with David who was richly indued with divine Revelation Open my Eyes that I may see the wonderful things of thy Law and most especially in our being found in the way of Righteousness and faithful Obedience to what is already revealed unto us for as we are found here we have good warrant to expect that where any doubt or Controversie in Doctrin or in the meaning of a place of Scripture doth arise that God's holy Spirit whom Christ hath promised to his Disciples to teach them all things and to lead them into all Truth will indeed judge and decide the matter in question in their Hearts by his secret Light and Teaching or Revelation And let it be noted that I say it is not the Spirit abstractly considered from the Scriptures or our due use of them or the duty that God requireth of us but it is the holy Spirit opening or expounding the Scriptures unto us in reading hearing meditation prayer waiting and obedience to what we already know that it is the Judge of all Controversie in matter of Doctrin 4. Next as to the Rule as the Scripture is the best and only external or outward Rule and Standard it is worthily preferred to all other outward Records and Testimonies yet because we both believe the Scriptures not simply for their own Testimony but for the inward Witness and Testimony of the Spirit and also because we can only understand the Scriptures but by the said inward Witness and Testimony of the holy Spirit therefore the inward Witness of the spirit or the spirit inwardly witnessing both to the truth and true sense of Scripture is the greatest and primary Rule as John plainly testified saying If we receive the Testimony of Men the Testimony or Witness of God is greater and he that believes hath the Witness in himself and hath set to his Seal that God is true And therefore Paul recommended his Doctrin to the Witness of the Spirit in the Hearts and Consciences of the Hearers and told the Thessalonians 1 Thess 1.5 that his Gospel came unto them not in word only but in Power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance And he told the Corinthians that their Faith was to stand in the Power of God and therefore not in the bare words that he preached for he did not preach himself nor his Words but Christ to be the Foundation of their Faith CHAP. IV. Concerning ministerial Gifts and Qualifications and the Call to the Ministry the nature and manner of true Preaching and Praying and Singing and the true Gospel-Maintenance to the Ministry 1. BEcause of the near and close connexion and dependance that the things mentioned in the Title of this Chapter have with the truth of what is delivered in the preceeding Chapters therefore I do see it meet to treat of them in this place The common Doctrin and Opinion of these who deny all new Revelation of the holy Spirit is that natural and acquired Parts of Letter-learning without divine inward Revelation or Inspiration is sufficient to qualifie a man to be a Minister of the Gospel and is necessary to his esse or being of a Minister and Grace or true Piety and Holiness is only accidental and doth but only contribute to his bene esse or making him the better By Letter-learning they do not only mean human Arts and Sciences and the knowledge of Greek Hebrew and Latin but especially a Letter-knowledge of the Scripture without any saving Grace or illumination of the Spirit as being essential to a Minister And indeed they say agreeable enough to their own Doctrin for if all new Revelation of the Spirit is ceased what is left behind to qualifie a Man to be a Minister but only natural and acquired parts of Letter-learning Nor can they with any Reason affirm according to their Doctrin that true Piety and Holiness is essential to a Minister otherwise no Man is a Minister without it and then it doth follow that no Man can infallibly be known whether he be a real Minister yea or nay for if divine inward Revelation be ceased then all infallible discerning of Mens Spirits and spiritual estates is ceased and no Man can know another infallibly whether he be a Saint or Hypocrite for they grant that a Hypocrite may have all the outwards of a true Christian as the Pharisees that made clean the outside but their inward was full of Rottenness and Uncleanness And if a Man cannot be known to be a true Minister according to their Doctrin the People are in a woful case as concerning that they call their Sacraments and especially that called the Supper which they say cannot be administred but by a true and real Minister and if any that is not a true Minister should presume to do any such thing as to Bless or Consecrate and set apart the Bread and Wine from common use it would be no Sacrament at all as some or most of them affirm 2. Now that divine Revelation and Inspiration is necessary to the Being or Essential Constitution of a Minister of Christ is evident from the Doctrin already delivered because it is necessary to the being or essential Constitution of every true Christian No man is or can be a true Christian without inward divine Revelation or Inspiration and therefore without the same no man can be a true Christian or Gospel-Minister for that which is absolutely necessary to constitute a true Christian or Believer is absolutely necessary to constitute a true Christian Minister otherwise it might be said a man may be a true Christian Minister and yet no true Christian But every true Minister of Christ as he ought to be a true Christian so he ought to be more than an ordinary Christian so as to exceed or excel them both in Spiritual Knowledge and other spiritual Gifts even as in natural teaching the Master or Teacher should
transmit the Beams of his divine Light Life and Love into our Souls through Means and Instruments as good Men and good Books and especially in reading or meditating in the Scriptures and also good Angels who are ministring Spirits and do minister to the Heirs of Salvation so many times it pleaseth him to bring them into a solitude or solitary place Hos 2.14 and there to speak unto them and reveal himself to the unspeakable satisfaction of their Souls without all means whatsoever save only that great and always most necessary and desirable Mean the Lord Jesus Christ in and through whom the Father doth always speak and reveal his Glory to his dear Children even as Christ declared saying No Man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him For none of all the Prophets or Apostles did know or converse with God but as the Son did reveal him who is that most lovely and aimable skreen cloathing or vail through which the Glory of the Father shineth forth into our Souls meekly and gently and yet most sweetly according as every one is able to receive 3. And they who deny all inward divine Revelation of God in his Saints ever since the Apostles days and would wholly exclude the Saints from all inward enjoyment of God and Christ in their own immediate Light Glory and Brightness may be justly charged with Blasphemy against the great love and kindness of God to his People And such of the Priests of New-England who have blasphemously called the Light of God in his People A stinking Vapour from Hell and do blaspheme against the Light of God and Christ in all Men in a Day of Visitation that is given to lead and bring them unto God a meer human and natural Light corrupt and dark as some of them have called it and as they generally esteem of it And yet for this their Blasphemy we would not have the Magistrate to hang them or any way to punish them but our desire and Prayer unto God is for them if it be his good will that such of them who have not out-lived the Day of Visiation may find Mercy to repent and believe and acknowledge the Truth they have so long gain-sayed And whereas these Faith-publishers at Westminster in Old-England and at Cambridge and Boston in New-England do say in their Confession cap. 26. sect 3. This Communion which the Saints have with Christ doth not make them in any wise partakers of the Substance of his God-head and that to affirm it is impious and blasphemous It deserveth our serious consideration and to examin where the Impiety and Blasphemy lieth whether at their door who deny it or theirs who affirm it Even that the Saints are partakers of the Substance of his God-head And first as to their Proof from Scripture they cite Col. 1.18 19. And he is the Head of the Body the Church who is the beginning the first-born from the Dead that in all things he might have the preheminence for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell But this place of Scripture saith not that the Saints are not partakers of the Substance of the God-head of Christ but the contrary may be proved from this very place which calleth him the Head of the Body the Church For as it is the same Substance of Life that is in the Head and in the Body and every Member of it So it is the same divine Life and Spirit that is in Christ the Head and all his Members and that Spirit is the holy Spirit and that Life is the Word and the Word and the Spirit are one Substance and Being with God as the same Confession saith cap. 2. sect 3. And that the Saints are partakers of the divine Nature and of the holy Ghost the Scripture expresly declareth it 2 Pet. 1.4 and Heb. 6.4 So that it is marvelous blindness or inadvertency in these Men so to contradict the express Scripture testimony And for the Word Substance with respect to the inward enjoyment of God and Christ the Scripture hath it expresly in several places Prov. 8.21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit Substance and I will fill their Treasures And Heb. 10.34 Knowing that in your selves for so the Greek doth bear it ye have in Heaven a better and more enduring Substance For as they had it in Heaven so they had an earnest of it on Earth in their Hearts and that all fulness dwelleth in Christ doth not prove that his Saints enjoy none of that fulness but on the contrary Out of her Fulness as said John we have all received and Grace for Grace John 1.16 And not only the Saints receive Gifts and Graces from Christ but they receive him and the Father in him and with him to live and dwell in them according to John 17.23 I in them and thou in me And yet this doth not infer that the Saints are equal with Christ that they have the same Spirit and Life with him and through him and by and from him as it doth not prove that the Foot is equal with the Head because the same Soul or Spirit that is in the Head is in the Foot and the same Life that is in the Root of a Tree is in the Branches and as Christ said I am the Vine ye are the Branches And if the Saints do no wise partake of the Substance of the Godhead of Christ I ask them what do they partake of him Do they partake only of the Substance of his Manhood without the Godhead or of neither If the first then the Manhood of Christ as they partake of it is without the Godhead which is Blasphemy indeed or if the second that is to say the Saints do neither partake of the Substance of his Godhead nor of the Substance of his Manhood then they partake nothing of Christ at all substantially according to their Doctrin O miserable Teachers What then do they partake of him if nothing Substantially Of his Accidents as they commonly say All Graces are nothing but Accidents Then here is a new sort of Doctrin of Transubstantiation as these of Rome say The consecrated Wafer or Cake hath the Accidents of Bread in it as the colour taste and smell of Bread but nothing of the Substance of Bread is there So say these Faith-makers The Saints that did see smell taste and feel of Christ in ancient times that which they did spiritually see smell taste and feel with their Souls and Hearts is only Accidents and no Substance This is more strange than that other that there is no Substance of Bread in the Cake but only the Accidents But why was not your reverend Brother as ye called him John Owen taxed with Blasphemy for affirming That the holy Ghost doth well in Believers really and as he worded it personally together with his Graces And Samuel Rutherfold a great Presbyterian who said in one of his Printed Epistles He
will have none of the Graces of Christ without himself and if the Graces did come unto him without Christ he would send them away the Gate or way they came And as for the other Scriptures they cite they prove indeed that the Lord Jesus Christ is but one and there is none else nor is any man or men or Angels equal to him which we most cordially believe but they say not in the least nor by any just consequence can it be gathered that the Saints do not partake substantially of God And to shew the great inequality betwixt Christ and the Saints not only in the measure and degree but in the manner or kind of partaking of the holy Spirit which is one Substance with God Christ the Son hath God and the holy Spirit without any middle or mediator betwâ—â—t the Father and him but the Saints only have and enjoy the Father and the holy Spirit through Christ the Mediator and together with him and in him And this I hope will satisfie all sober and impartial Men to clear the Doctrin of the Quakers that it is according to Scripture 4. Next as concerning the Decrees of God these Faith-publishers say That God hath unchangeably ordained whatsoever comes to pass yet so as neither is God the Author of Sin nor is Violence offered to the will of the Creatures Whereby it plainly appeareth they hold that God hath ordained and decreed all manner of Sins and Blasphemies Adulteries Thefts Robberies Homicides Regicides c. which is abominable and blasphemous Doctrin with a witness They need not blame the Ranters seeing they are so fully one with them in Doctrin for that is one of the worst Doctrins that the Ranters have That God doth all and hath unchangeably ordained and decreed all things both good and bad for certainly whatever God hath ordained and decreed to come to pass he is the doer of it for he executeth that is bringeth to pass all his own Decrees as they confess in their large Catechism Ans to Quest 14. and that they say yet so as God is not the Author of Sin they say it indeed and so many of the worst sort of Ranters but how they clear their Doctrin of so unavoidable consequence they have not told the World nor ever can they sufficiently clear it And for the Scriptures they bring as especially Ephes 1.11 That God worketh all things after the counsel of his own Will here is nothing mentioned of the sins of Men and Devils It is plain both from Reason and Scripture that by all things must needs be understood all his own Works and not the Sins of Men and Devils which he is not the Author of as when we say every wise Man doth all things by Wisdom and wise Counsel none is so foolish as to put this gloss upon it that he doth all foolish things It is an approved Maxim and Rule Verba sunt intelligenda secundum subjectam materiam i. e. Words are to be understood according to the subject matter It is worthily granted and acknowledged that God worketh all good things all Virtue and Goodness is of him all good Thoughts Words and Works c. But all Sin is of the Devil and evil Men as John said Whosoever committeth Sin is of the Devil and the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life is all of the Devil and not of the Father And as Christ said The Devil when he speaketh a Lye he speaketh of his own It is also granted that when any commit Sin the power whereby they act is of God but when they Sin they abuse that Power and also whatever Sin cometh to pass is not without God's permission and that is not a bare permission but a most holy and wise ordering and bounding of it to his own Glory And as to Acts 2.23 a main place that Ranters and Presbyterian and Independent Teachers abuse and wrest as they do other Scriptures to their own Destruction if they repent not it giveth them no strength at all For it saith Him to wit Christ being delivered by the determinate Counsel and Fore-knowledg of God ye have taken c. So we see that he was delivered or exposed unto them by the determinate Counsel of God but that they did kill him by the determinate Counsel of God the Scripture saith not For to deliver is one thing and to slay is another Our worthy Friends that were put to Death at Boston in New-England they delivered up their Lives freely into the Hands of these Murtherers and so did many of the Martyrs not accepting deliverance and yet they did not kill themselves as these bloody Persecutors use to alledge And that it s said God hardneth whom he will His hardning is not the making their Hearts hard with infusing any evil Spirit into them but that he justly with-draws his good Spirit from them for great Sins formerly committed and so leaveth them to harden their own Hearts As it is said That Pharoah hardned his Heart And thus do many sober and judicious Protestants understand the Words 5. Again as concerning Election and Reprobation first as to the Election and Predestination of the Saints unto eternal Glory and Happiness whatever the Scripture saith of it or of any other Doctrin we do readily believe and acknowledge it as That God hath chosen the Saints in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the World that they should be holy and unblamable before him in Love Ephes 1.4 and Rom. 8.29 For whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conform to the Image of his Son c. and whom he did predestinate them he called and whom he called them he justified And what Christ said to the Disciples Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and appointed you to bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain Joh. 15.16 and 1 John 4.10 Herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our sins and vers 19. We love him because he first loved us A most sweet and comfortable Testimony as all the other But we no where find in all the Scripture that God hath Reprobated any part of Mankind before the foundation of the World nor is it said that Men hate God because he first hated them and because God hated them he made them on purpose to damn or destroy them and decreed and ordained them to sin that he might take occasion thereby to damn them No such thing at all is found in the holy Scriptures nor can be gathered from them by any just consequence for although it be allowed that Gods purpose and holy Will concerning them that finally perish is from before the foundation of the World for there is no new Will or Purpose in God the Thoughts and Counsels of his heart being from everlasting as himself is yet that Will of God regardeth and considereth them that
unto God that it might be made known and therefore as the grace or gift of Christ is in all Men so he who is the Fountain and Root of it from whom his grace cannot be separate is in all men to save them within a Day of Visitation or Salvation for Christ is in all men but Reprobates according to 2 Cor. 13.6 And none are Reprobates until Christ have left them and given them up to final Impenitency and hardness of Heart And for a proof of the second part see 1 Cor. 1.21 For after that in the Wisdom of God the World by Wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe See further Verse 22 23 24 25. and Rom. 16.26 John 20.31 4. And because of this universal Grace and love of God to all Men and that Christ is freely given of the Father to be a Saviour unto all Men therefore Christ hath commanded that his Gospel should be preached unto all Nations without exception of any and did also prophecy and fore-tell that the Gospel of the Kingdom should be preached in all the World for a Witness unto all Nations before the end of the World and because he who cannot lie hath said it we are bound to believe it shall be fulfilled that so all mankind may be accountable to the Man Christ Jesus at the Day of Judgment either to be rewarded or punished by him as they shall be found having obeyed or disobeyed his glorious Gospel that hath been preached unto them both inwardly and outwardly unto many if not unto all but inwardly to be sure unto all 5. This divine Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Hearts of all men hath had its various Dispensations and Manifestations according to the several Ages of the world and the several States and Conditions of men in it both among Jews Gentiles and Christians and especially both in the Gentiles and in the body of the Jews and People of Israel excepting the Prophets and others peculiarly favoured of God the Principle it self was but little made known or revealed in respect of the great worth of it and the great Virtue Power and Glory that was in it God in his infinite Wisdom reserving the more full Discovery and Revelation of it to the time after Christ his coming in the Flesh and Death Resurrection and Ascension yet so much was discovered of it and so much good Fruit it brought forth in the true Lovers and Improvers of it as by means whereof they were accepted of God in that day through Christ Jesus 6. Whoever were perfectly justified and saved in any Place or Family of the World or Nation People or Faculty they were saved only and alone by the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth even the Man Christ Jesus who dyed for them rose again for there is no other Name given under Heaven whereby Men can be saved but by that Name to wit by the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth who was crucified and raised again Acts 4.10 11 12. But here some will readily object How could any of the Gentiles be justified or saved by the Man Christ Jesus and by virtue of his Death and Resurrection who never heard of him never had the Mystery of it revealed unto them consequently had not Faith in Christ crucified and risen again And upon this Head the Adversaries of Truth both Presbyterian Independent and Baptist Teachers have taken great occasion to cry out against the People called in scorn Quakers that their Religion is only Paganism and not Christianity because they say that Heathens or Pagans can be saved by their giving Obedience to the Light within them without having Christ crucified and raised again outwardly preached unto them But these Adversaries of Truth little consider what Hypocrites they discover themselves to be in this very Charge when they make that a Crime in others which they judge no Crime in themselves for they themselves hold That there are not only elect Infants dying in Infancy who are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit who worketh when where and how he pleaseth but other elect Persons regenerated and saved by Christ who are uncapable of being outwardly called by the Word citing Luke 18.15 16. John 3.3 5. John 3.8 John 5.8 see Cap. 10. Sect. 3. of the Westminster-Confession owned by the New-England Churches and printed by them at Boston And what they say of Infants and other elect Persons who are uncapable of being outwardly called by the Word that they are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit who worketh when where and how he pleaseth the same these called Quakers say concerning the honest and faithful Gentiles who were obedient to the Light of Christ in them and were not outwardly called by the Word or by outward Preaching yea and were uncapable of being outwardly called when living in such remote Places and Ages of the world where the outward Preaching never came within their reach For as a deaf Man is uncapable of hearing a mans Voice so is a man that hath his Hearing to wit the faculty or sense of Hearing uncapable of hearing the Voice of a man that is at a greater distance than his hearing can reach it And seeing they plainly confess that there are such elect Persons in the world not only Infants but these come to age who are Regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit who worketh when where and how he pleaseth as their Words are and the Words are true and a good use can be made of them against themselves who have confessed them then let them forever be ashamed to cry out any more against the honest People called Quakers for saying these honest Gentiles who have not heard of Christ outwardly preached unto them belonging to God's Election are saved by Christ and regenerated through the Spirit of Christ And if the Spirit work when where and how he pleaseth to wit both in Infants and persons at Age who are not outwardly called by the Word or uncapable of being so called then let them recal and condemn their false Doctrin that saith God hath committed his Counsel wholly to Writing and the former ways of God's revealing his Will unto his People are now ceased and there is no new Revelation As they have expresly and without any reserve or exception affirmed cap. 1. sect 1. and sect 6. For if God hath committed his Counsel wholly to Writing then nothing of his Counsel is extant where that Writing is not extant And if all divine Revelation be ceased then neither Infants nor other Persons who are uncapable of being outwardly called by the Word have any divine Revelation or inward Call by the Spirit Or if Infants and other Persons belonging to God's Election be inwardly called and renewed by the Spirit then God hath not committed his Counsel wholly to Writing nor are all the ways of God's revealing his Will to men ceased for by their own
Confession it is revealed to all elect Persons who are uncapable of being outwardly called by the Word the Spirit working in them when where and how he pleaseth 7. But whether any are or can be saved or justified without the express Knowledge and Faith of Christ crucified and risen again is one Question and whether without all outward hearing of Christ crucified outwardly Preached unto them is another Question For without all outward preaching of Men the mystery of Christ crucified can be revealed and preached inwardly to Men by the Spirit of God and by the same Spirit Faith can be wrought in them by that inward hearing as these Men confess And though it may seem hard and difficult to prove that all honest Gentiles who did by Nature to wit by the Principle of the divine Nature implanted into the true Nature of Men the things contained in the Law had that express Knowledge and Faith of Christ crucified and raised again yet it is more hard and difficult unto them who affirm they had it not to prove it seeing the Spirit who worketh when and where and how he pleaseth might reveal it unto them and that they grant the Spirit doth work in all elect Persons who are not outwardly called by the Word and doth regenerate and save them by Christ. And to the further clearing of this matter we are to consider that the Work of Salvation is not a thing that is commonly done in an instant but hath its gradual Steps its beginning progress and finishing even as Faith it self hath for as at the first instant of a Man's sincere believing he is enâ—â—ed into a state of Salvation so as his Faith groweth his Salvation doth gradually encrease and grow with it the which Salvation is not only a Salvation from Wrath to come or from Hell fire and torment but is a Salvation from Sin and from under the Power of Darkness and from all Ignorance and Error and Darkness of Understanding and a thorow renewing into the Image of God and bringing Man into Conformity unto the Image of the Son of God the heavenly and second Adam And the true knowledge of Christ and of God the Father being a part of the Image of God that is to be renewed in them that are to be saved according to Col. 3.10 And have put on the new Man which is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him that created him Therefore it doth necessarily follow that perfect Salvation in the full extent of it cannot be had without the full and perfect knowledge of Christ the which full and perfect knowledge of Christ is to know him both as he is that eternal Word and Son of God the only begotten of the Father who was with the Father before the World was by whom all things were made and as he is God manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit c. to wit Christ crucified and raised which Paul calleth the great Mystery of Godliness And that both Salvation and Faith is gradual and hath its steps and progress beginning growth and perfection is very clear both from the Scriptures Testimony and the Saints experience for Paul writing to the believing Philippians exhorted them to work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling 2 Philip. 12. So though they were entred into a state of Salvation through Faith in Christ yet it was not perfected in them but was to be further wrought out and to encourage them in this great Work he told them It was God which worketh in them both to will and to do of his own good pleasure And Paul encouraged the believing Romans and also himself saying Now is our Salvation nearer than when we believed Rom. 13.11 And the perfect Salvation of Souls is called the end of Faith 1 Pet. 1.9 And verse 10. Of which Salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently who prophecyed of the Grace that should come unto you Verse 11. Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before-hand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow And Verse 13. Wherefore gird up the Loins of your Mind be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you in the Revelation of Jesus Christ so the Greek hath viz. Enapokalepsei And Philip. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good Work in you will perform it unto the Day of Jesus Christ And as the Work of the outward Creation is distinguished into six Days and that a Day of Sabbath or Rest which is the perfection So the Work of the inward Creation which is the creating Men anew in Christ Jesus by way of Analogy may be said to have its six Days and then the spiritual Sabbath or Rest according to Heb. 4.9 There remaineth therefore a Sabbath to the People of God And verse 11. For he that is entred into his Rest hath ceased from his own Works as God did from his And Verse 11. Let us labour therefore to enter into that Rest c. Where its plain the Writer doth hint at the said Analogy Now though it ought to be granted that the Knowledge and Faith of Christ crucified and raised again doth belong to the finishing and perfecting of the Saints Salvation yet it is most clear and plain from Scripture that it doth not universally belong to the beginning of it For we can prove most clearly from Scripture that the good work of God even the Work of Salvation was begun in them who had not that Knowledge and Faith of Christ crucified as first to instance in Nathaniel of whom Christ gave a noble Testimony Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no Guile John 1.47 And yet at that time he had not Faith in Jesus of Nazareth as being come in the Flesh but reasoned or questioned saying Can any good thing come out of Nazareth Philip saith unto him Come and see c. Next to instance in the Disciples of Christ who for sometime after they had followed him and that Peter had confessed to him that he was the Son of God and that Christ had told him his Father had revealed it to him yet the mystery of his Death and Resurrection was for all that hid from him and the rest of them For this see Mark 9.31 For he taught his Disciples and said unto them the Son of Man is delivered into the Hands of Men and they shall kill him and after that he is killed he shall rise the third Day And verse 32. But they understood not that saying and were afraid to ask him See again Luke 9.43 But that instance of Cornelius is a most manifest and clear demonstration of this Truth For this Cornelius was a Gentile and uncircumcised and therefore no Proselite of the Covenant to be sure and though some alledge that he was a Proselite of the Gate according to that distinction that was
Scripture would not have said Work out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling And if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall live And therefore when Paul doth so earnestly plead that men are not justified by the Works of the Law it is evident he doth only exclude these legal Performances and Observations that the Jews rested in who had not Faith in Christ And that no Works however so good or holy being performed by men ought to be rested in as a Foundation or ground of Justification for that were to exclude Christ and make his Death of no effect And again when James doth plead so earnestly that men are justified by Works and not by Faith only giving an instance in Abraham and Rahab he only placeth Faith and Works together viz. such Works as accompany true Faith and work together with it as necessary Instruments and Conditions whereby to obtain Justification but not to be the Foundation thereof 8. And whereas Paul generally so much useth that manner of Speech of Justification by Faith it is manifest that by Faith he doth not mean only that single Virtue called Faith but as by way of Synecdoche the most eminent or noted part is put for the whole as when in Scripture as well as in common Speech the Head of a man is put for the whole man Ezek. 33.4 Ezek. 17.9 Even so by Faith the Apostle in these places doth mean the whole complex or systeme or intire Body of the Evangelical Virtues and Graces whereof Faith is as it were the Head and is first in order of Nature at least in respect of the other and sometimes also by Faith he understandeth the whole Evangelical Dispensation and Doctrin as especially in that noted place Gal. 3.23 But before FAITH came we were kept under the Law c. And verse 5. But after that FAITH is come c. Where certainly Paul doth not mean only that single Virtue called Faith but the whole Evangelical Dispensation with all the spiritual Gifts and Graces of it And again Gal. 3.2 Received ye the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith which hath the same signification And thus in common Speech among Christians and Christian Writers the Christian Faith doth signifie the whole Christian Religion and Obedience and so Unbelief in Scripture is put for all other Sin that Men generally are under before they believe as Rom. 11.32 9. True Faith in Christ Jesus on whom alone the Soul resteth as on the true Foundation for Justification and all other divine and spiritual gifts blessings is not only a believing in him as he is the Word which was in the beginning with God and is God by whom all things were made and which was in all the Prophets and faithful and holy Men in all Ages but as the same Word did take Flesh and was God manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit c. 1 Tim. 3.16 which Paul called The great Mystery of Godlinss to wit Christ crucified and risen again made of a Woman made under the Law the Son of God that did come in the likeness of sinful Flesh made like unto us in all things Sin excepted who being in the form of God and thought it no Robbery to be equal with God humbled himself and took upon him the form of a Servant and was found in the true Form and Nature of a Man the Seed of Abraham and David conceived by the holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlem in the Land of Judah And thus the true Faith doth not divide Christ but receiveth him and joyneth the Soul unto him entirely to wit the whole and intire Christ both as he did come outwardly in the Flesh and as he did and doth inwardly come in the Spirit and as the said true Faith doth not divide him so nor doth it divide his Offices but taketh or receiveth him in all his Offices as King Priest and Prophet Shepherd Physician Husband c. And as he is called Jerm 23.6 The Lord our Righteousness in Scripture so as none can have him to be their Righteousness and Justification but who have him to be their Lord King and Ruler in them and their Sanctification Wisdom and Redemption And thus every truly believing Soul is as the true Mother of the Child who would not have the Child divided but she who was not the true Mother of the Child she would have the Child divided a true Figure of all false Christians who would have Christ divided and say They believe in Christ without them but do not believe and receive Christ within them as God the Father doth inwardly reveal him or as Ranters and other high Notionists who pretend to believe in Christ as he is the Word and Light in them but slight and blaspheme against Christ that was crucified without them Whereas the true Believer doth both believe in Christ and receive Christ as he came in the Flesh and was crucified for our Sins and rose and ascended into Heaven and is now in Heaven glorified in the intire and perfect Nature of man in Soul and Body appearing in the presence of God for us our Advocate with the Father and also doth believe in him and receive him spiritually to live and dwell in his Heart as he is the Lord that Spirit and the second Adam or heavenly Man the quickning Spirit who is the true spiritual Meat and Drink to every believing Soul even as Christ said I am the true Bread of Life he that eateth me shall live by me 10. And this true Faith in the least true measure of it as it is an act or exercise hath assurance in it of the Love and Mercy of God revealed in Christ Jesus and true infallible Assurance is of the very Nature and Being of true Faith as it is exercised on Christ its true and proper Object and Foundation and upon the Love and Mercy of God the Father revealed in Christ hence Paul said That his Gospel came unto these to whom he preached not in Speech only but in Power and in the holy Ghost and in much Assurance or as the Greek hath it much full Assurance 1 Thes 1.5 And he said further his Preaching was in the Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power 1 Cor. 2.4 5. That their Faith ought not to be in the Wisdom of Man but in the Power of God And this was sure footing and had assurance in it as the building on the sure Rock But they who deny all inward new Revelation of the Spirit it s no wonder they deny that Faith hath Assurance in the Being and Nature of it But without divine inward Revelation which begetteth Assurance there is no true Faith but only Opinion or Conjecture seeing there is no midst betwixt Assurance and Opinion or Conjecture and therefore these Faith-Publishers have denyed the true Faith of God's Elect when they say It may be without Assuranee and that
the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 1.1 And it is built upon Christ that sure Foundation and Rock of Ages whom Peter confessed unto which Flesh and Blood hath not revealed unto him but the Father in Heaven And upon this Rock so confessed and so known and understood which Flesh and Blood hath not revealed but the Father in Heaven is the true Church built And this is more than a Profession of the true Religion For it is not every one that professeth the true Religion to whom the Father in Heaven hath revealed the Lord Jesus Christ as he did unto Peter and as he doth unto every true and faithful Believer and Confessor of Christ And the true Church that is built on this Rock and every Member thereof they are not only hearers and professors of the Words and Doctrin of Christ but they are doers of them But they who do not although they both hear and say they are foolish Builders and build upon the Sand and such are all these visible Churches who have no other thing to qualifie them but to profess the true Religion Now to profess the true Religion carrieth a two-fold sense one is that the Religion which People profess they call or profess it to be the true Religion and in this sense every one that professeth any Religion at all if he be in earnest professeth the true Religion that is he esteemeth or professeth his Religion to be such The other sense is that the Religion that is professed is indeed the true Religion and is not only so called or professed And according to this sense your visible Churches whether Presbyterian or Independent are no true Churches For the Religion ye profess is not the true Religion of Christ Jesus which he and the Prophets the Evangelists and Apostles did teach as I have already proved in many weighty particulars yea in Fundamentals and in the very Foundation it self which is Christ Jesus on which the true Church is built and every Member thereof But ye who say All inward divine Revelation of Christ is ceased ye build not on Christ but on a meer Hear-say and Historical report of him For how can ye build on him when ye have no belief that Christ is nearer unto you than in some remote place beyond the Skies Can the Walls of the House be built on a Foundation that is altogether remote from it Must not the House and the Foundation be immediately joyned together And must not this Foundation be seen and felt by every Member And is not this incomparably more than the best Profession of true Religion O ye blind Leaders of the Blind How doth my Soul pity you and the poor People more especially who are led by you and whom ye are still seeking to lead until both ye and they fall into the Ditch and ye ill deserve your Wages and the many Hundreds yea Thousands of Pounds that poor People pay Yearly unto you and work sore and hard to feed you and cloath you and your Wives and Children to Luxury and Wantonness many of you while in the mean time under colour and pretence of feeding the Souls of the People ye famish and starve yea poyson and kill them with your false Doctrin as I have through God's assistance sufficiently made appear and I hope yet more to make appear as I have occasion given unto me 6. And Christ Jesus the living elect precious Corner-stone the sure Foundation is laid in Zion and that Zion is not only the heavenly Zion above but the Church and People of God on Earth and Christ Jesus is one both in Heaven without us and also within us even the Man Christ Jesus the same that took hold of the Seed of Abraham and is the Son of Abraham and David according unto that Seed and he is exalted in heavenly Glory in that same Seed and Nature in the whole and intire and perfect Nature of Man in Soul and Body having put off nothing that he had upon Earth but these Weaknesses and Infirmities which he did take on him for our sake even Jesus of Nazareth he who was crucified for our Sins and rose again for our Justification who was dead and is alive and lives for evermore and he who by true Faith is joyned to the Spirit of Christ by the same he is joyned both to Christ in him and also to Christ in Heaven and also to all the Saints in Heaven and the innumerable company of Angels and Spirits of just men made perfect and also unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and both God and Christ are not only in remote places and Heavens without us but also in us and in all his Saints as he hath said Jer. 23.23 24. Am I a God at Hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off Do not I fill Heaven and Earth Saith the Lord. 7. And as to the Government and Governors or Rulers of your visible Churches both Presbyterian and Independent it is of the same Nature with your visible Churches the only qualification of them being an outward profession of Christian Religion and an outward Call which ye are all at a loss where to begin it as I have already proved Cap. 4. accompanied with some natural or acquired Gifts and Abilities of Letter-learning reaching no further than the Letter of the Scripture at best and oft or for most part not that for ye preach not the Letter in the form of sound words of Scripture but have so mingled it with your Glosses and wrested Senses and Meanings and Words of men's wisdom and intentions that it is but little of the very Letter ye preach But if ye did preach the Letter and have not that infallible and unerring Spirit of Christ which was in the true Ministers of Christ in former Ages and is now in his true Ministers in this Age ye are but at best Ministers of the Letter and not Ministers of the Spirit and therefore not Ministers of the New-Testament And what is the use and end of your Government but to keep poor People in Bondage under you and your false Doctrin And if they do not believe it but witness against it then ye cast them out of your Synagogues and yet then will force Maintenance from them as many of you have done And when ye had Power with the Magistrates to instigate and stir them up to persecute honest Dissenters to Whip Stock Imprison spoil Goods cut off Ears and also to put to Death for testifying against your false Doctrins from your false and fallible Spirit I say both false and fallible For seeing ye do not profess to be taught led and guided by the infallible Spirit of Christ which was in the Prophets and Apostles and in all true Christians if ye have not this Spirit your Spirit is not only fallible but false to wit the Spirit of this World For there are but two Spirits that do teach lead and guide all men on Earth the
one is that unerring true and infallible Spirit of Christ which leadeth all God's true Children and the other the Spirit of this World which is the very Devil himself the God of this World that leadeth all Unbelievers and Ungodly Persons in the World and this Spirit is not only fallible but false continually leading into Error as the Spirit of Truth leadeth into all Truth 8. And how are ye not ashamed to cite see Confes cap. 30. sect 1. Isa 9.6 7 Acts 20.17 Matth. 28.18 for your Government and Governors and Elders of your Churches Because it is said Isa 9.6 7. The Government is upon his Shoulders to wit Christ Jesus Doth it therefore follow it is upon yours Or can any be Governors or Rulers in the Church under him without he himself and his holy Spirit Power and Life which hath the heavenly Authority in it be known inwardly revealed which ye deny Was not the Government in the Apostles days altogether derived from the Power and Spirit of Christ in them but yours is quite another thing by your own Confession ye have not that infallible Spirit nor the inward Revelation of it And if ye derive it from the Letter so may any body else as well as ye and say because they have the Letter they are Rulers and Governors of Churches And as to these Elders mentioned Acts 20.17 They were such whom the holy Ghost had made Overseers as is expresly affirmed of them Verse 28. But this ye cannot in truth say who deny all pretence to inward divine Revelation which they had Nor doth Matth. 28.18 make any thing at all for you but against you Christ said to the Apostles All Power in Heaven and in Earth is given unto me go ye therefore and teach all Nations But when said he so unto you Or when gave he you such Commission Or suppose ye had such Commission surely ye are very unfaithful unto it who creep each of you into a House or Town and there only pretend to teach a few that come to hear you So did not the Apostles but travelled from place to place and from one Nation City and Country to another and had no certain dwelling-place by virtue of their said Commission but so do not ye but commonly keep to one place unless a fatter Benefice or more yearly Sallary and Hire invite you to another Will nothing serve your turn but the same Commission which Christ gave the Apostles And if ye have the same Commission are not ye also Apostles A charge which some of you have laid to us But why do ye not mind the other part of the Commission and apply that unto you Acts 1.4 8. And being assembled with them he commanded that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the Promise of the Father which he saith ye have heard of me Verse 8. But ye shall receive Power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be Witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the Earth And though some of you in New-England have made some show of Preaching to the Indians and to have converted them and got great sums of Mony out of Old England on that account Alas to what have ye converted them Is it not very manifest they are generally nothing better than when they were called Heathens but are for most part rather worse Which of them all have ye turned from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to God and to know God and Christ by his Power and Spirit to rule in them Nay alas ye know it not in your selves and preach against it and therefore ye are not like to be Instruments to bring others to know it And if ye say Ye are the Successors of the Apostles and therefore the same Call which he gave unto them he doth give unto you Ye must first prove and demonstrate it that ye succeed them in the same Spirit Power Light and Life and in the same Holiness and Righteousness of Life as well as in Profession before ye ought to be believed but the contrary in all these respects is manifest Nor can ye shew your Line of Succession but from the Church of Rome and her Popes and Bishops which ye have called Antichrist in your Confession of Faith Cap. 25. Sect. 6. as is formerly observed in Cap. 4. 9. And as concerning the visibility of the true Church as it hath been granted that the true Church is oft visible and doth visibly appear in the Face of the World as a City set upon an Hill and doth make a visible and outward Profession of her Faith in Christ Jesus and love to him both in good Words and good Works yet it is not any thing meerly outward and visible that doth infallibly prove or demonstrate her to be the true Church or can make her known to People But it is the same inward Light Spirit and Power of God inwardly revealed that doth make known both Christ the Head and the true Church which is his Body and every true Member thereof And without the Light and Spirit of Christ inwardly shining and revealing both Christ and his Church is unknown unto Men but by the same is well known even as Christ said unto his Disciples John 15.18 If the World hate you ye know that it hated me before it hated you Now whence is it that the World both hateth Christ and his Church Because it knoweth them not And Paul said 2 Cor. 6.9 As unknown and yet well known to wit well known to the Children of the Light who dwell in the Light and see and judge of things and Men in the Light but to them who are in Darkness and are Darkness unknown and therefore hated and persecuted by them CHAP. X. Of their two Sacraments called BAPTISM and the SVPPER 1. AS for the term or word Sacrament it is no where to be found in all the English Translation of the Bible received among Protestants nor is there any Word either in the Hebrew or Greek that doth properly answer unto it unless they will translate the Greek Word that signifieth Mystery to signifie a Sacrament as the old Latin hath it in Ephes 5.32 Hoc est magnum Sacramentum i. e. This is a great Sacrament for which our English Translation readeth more properly this is a great Mystery But if Sacrament signifie Mystery then there must be as many Sacraments as Mysteries and Faith it self is a Sacrament at that rate and true Preaching and Prayer and every other Religious matter and thing all which are holy Mysteries And they who say there are two Sacraments have borrowed these two out of the seven professed by the Church of Rome having cast off and rejected five of the seven for which the said Church doth accuse these latter Churches of Sacriledge and spiritual Robbery to abolish and take away five of the seven Sacraments or rather indeed
we say they are not the only Rule nor being compared with the inward Rule of God's holy Spirit are they above it but inferior and under it and ought only to be used in Subordination to it And if the Scripture were the only Rule as our Adversaries say then all poor Heathens should have no Rule nor Law and consequently no Sin nor Judgment which is false And we deny not but the Scriptures are a means of our enlightning as God the Father of Lights is pleased to cause his Light to shine unto us in our Hearts in the serious and faithful hearing reading and meditating on the Scriptures c. but not otherwise even as the Air or Windows of a House are means of letting in the Sun 's light to us but if the Sun shine not neither the Air nor Window can give us light 2. That they denyed the Manhood of the Lord Jesus Christ and affirmed that as Man he is not in Heaven This is a notorious false Charge which they can never prove And in this Treatise in several places I have given a large Testimony to the Man Christ Jesus in Heaven and how he is the Object and Foundation of the Christians Faith as the Mystery of his coming in the Flesh Death and Sufferings c. is inwardly opened revealed and applyed by the holy Spirit in Men's Hearts 3. That they deny the Resurrection of the Dead This is also a most false charge which they can never prove But because we deny their Carnal Conceptions of the Resurrection and hold us to scripture-Scripture-words which is most safe therefore they have so belyed us And for the more satisfaction of the Reader I refer him to a little Book called The Principles of Truth published by some noted Men of the Quakers in which Book it is expresly affirmed That we to wit the Quakers believe that the same Body which is laid down shall be raised up at the Resurrection of the Dead as much as a natural Body can be the same with a spiritual Body on an earthly Body can be the same with a heavenly Body according to the Scriptures Testimony it is sown natural but raised spiritual and the Glory of the Heavenly is one and the Glory of the Earthly is another And this may satisfie any sober enquirer And Paul writing concerning the Resurrection of the Dead saith That is not first which is Spiritual but that which is Natural or Animal and afterwards that which is Spiritual 1 Cor. 15.46 and vers 49. As we have born the Image of the Earthly we shall also bear the Image of the Hevenly He that readeth let him understand 4. That an absolute Perfection in Holiness or Grace is attainable in this Life 5. That they placed their Justification upon their Patience and Sufferings for their Opinions and on their righteous Life both which are grosly false Charges and the contrary of which I have shewed in this Treatise at length in their proper places 6. They allowed not nor practised any civil Respect to Magistrates Parents c. This also is grosly false there are divers other ways sufficient whereby to shew both our Civil and Christian Respect to Magistrates and Parents c. without either doffing the Hat or cringing and that both in Words and Gestures There are only two other things which he chargeth that we grant to be true but deny them to be either damnable or corrupt Doctrin but affirm them to be truly Christian one is That all Men ought to attend to the Light within them to be the Rule of their Lives and Actions But if this be corrupt and damnable Doctrin he accuseth his own Brethren who in their Confession of Faith say That there are many Sins that Men commit against the Law or Light of Nature as they call it which are the more hainous And surely that is a Light within them and is e'en so far a Rule of Life containing as is commonly acknowledged the Substance of the ten Commandments see their answer to Quest 151. larger Catechism But we do not say That that general Illumination that is in all men many of whom have not the Scriptures is a Rule to oblige them to believe and receive these great Mysteries of Christianity declared in the Scriptures which they who have not the Scriptures have not revealed unto them The other is That we deny the use of Oaths But this is no corrupt but truly Christian Doctrin which saith Swear not at all Mat. 5.34 It is a marvelous thing that these Men have no other ways to oppugne the Quakers but by grose 〈…〉 Lies and false Calumnies and 〈◊〉 Abuses like unto the ways that ever the 〈◊〉 sort of the Adversaries of Truth have used against the true Witnesses of it It had been more Manly and seemingly Christian for Increase Mather and Nath. Morton or any others of their Sect or Society fairly to have stated the Quakers Principles and then to have gone and refuted them by the best or strongest Arguments they could find But this none of them have done nor did I ever see to this day any one Writer that did write against the Quakers that did fairly state their Principles but miserably belyed and abused them either by affirming things to be their Principles which were not or by so unfairly representing and wresting the Words of our honest Friends by their Addings and Diminishings that they could not at all acknowledge them as such All which is a manifest Evidence of the weakness badness of their Cause as well as of that evil Conscience that is in them when they use such unlawful ways and means to defend themselves or to oppugne others Read and well consider Ezekiel 9.3.4 1 Cor. 5.2