forth fruit but is thâ—t Talent that is taken away from the slâ—athful and evil Servant and given to him that had ten Talents accord ng to Christ's Doctrine which still I suppose iâ— a great Mystery unto you Pag. 89. Ye alledge I perversly interpret Christ to be the Word spoken oâ— Rom. 10.8 which is evident by the context to mean the Scriptures call'd the Word of Faith because it is an instrument of begetting it But this is your bare alledgance and your proof hath no weight nor solidity that because the Scriptuâ—e is the Instrumâ—nt whereby Faith is commonly wrought in men that therefore it is that Word of Faith Rom. 10. With as great probability ye may say the Scripture is the Spirit oâ— Faith but as the Spirit of God is called in Scripture the Spirit of Faith as being the Author and Object and Foundation of Faith so is Christ called the Word oâ— Faith aâ— bâ—ing the Author and Object and Foundation together with the holy Spirit of the same Faith and that â—hrist and not the Scripture is that Word oâ— Faith is clear from the câ—ntext v. 6 7 9. nor can it be the Scripture because little of the Scripture was writ when Moses spoke these words to the People oâ— Israel and the five Books of Moses were rather the Law than that Word of Faith and Moses told them this Word was nigh them in their hearts and moutâ—es as being of an internal or inward nature directing them to the heart where it was originally placed and not in the outward leaves of the Book or Scroles and he calleth it the Commandment in the Singular number to signifie the excellency of it that being one containeth all and that cannot be the Letter without Next what Moses said to Israel and Paul to the Romans may be said to every man in a day the Word is nigh thee in thy mouth viz. to eat it and in thy heart to believe in it that thou needest not to ascend nor descend nor go over the Seas to bring this Word and therfore it cannot b he Letter of Scriptuâ—â— which came over the seas from Judea to Rome and other places of the world Pag. 8â— â—d finâ— Ye most unchristianly and iâ—humanly wrest my woâ—ds to a â—uite contrary seâ—â—e saying â— interpâ—et that Word o Faith Rom. 10. â—oâ— Câ—rists coming in t e flesh both of Jewes and Gentiles â—nd to show your gross perveâ—sioâ— that seemeâ—h wilful in you I shall set down my words which are these Pag. 110. And because this great Mâ—stery viz. the Word of Faith which was in the Gentiles was much hid in the time of the Law and in all Ages of tâ—e world untill Christ came in the flesh both in Jewes and Gentiles as Paul called it the Mystery hid fâ—om Ages and Generations Where it is most clear to any that will not wilfully pervert the plain sence of my words that the words untill Christ came in the flesh doth not refer to his coming in the flesh in Jews and Gentiles as they wilfully pervert it but to his coming in the Body of his Flesh even in that prepared body that was born of the Virgin Mary c. in the fuâ—ness of time So that the words untill Christ came in the Flesh are insert only by way of Parenthesis although by some omissiâ—n either of the manuscript or print the sign or note of the Parenthesis was omitted that is no hing material for when men 〈◊〉 a Parenth◠〈…〉 no note 〈…〉 when ye must needs make the poor omission of a in my Book a ground to raise your chaâ—ge of Blasphemy or subverting the hopes of Salvation against me although in Contradiction to your selves ye clear me citing Pag. 59. that I did acknowledg that Christ came in the flesh but ye use a fig leaf cover saying ye know not when they own any thing And it was once the received Doctrine of the Quakers that there is no other Incarnation of Christ but only as he dwells in us But this is a most gross Calumny and falsehood which ye can never prove and because ye cannot prove it in the least therefore ye declare your selves to be of that Generation who make Lyeâ— your Refuge which God hath swept away and yet will more abundantly and ye will be seen what sort of men ye are that dare thus falsly accuse the Innocent The like poor shadow of advantage ye seek to catch at pag. 28. of your Book saying my Spirit mi-sinformed me when I cited Cant. 2.4 because of a mistake in the Manuscript or Print of the word and again for the word or in your so doing like thâ— Pharisees of old ye strain at a Gnat and swa low a Camel Pag. 90. Ye say The word Reprobate there used intends only that all Vnbelievers are at present unapproved by God and in a state of Perdition Ans be it so it no wise weakeneth my Argument for seeing all unbelievers by you are not finally reprobated but only at present unapproved and may pass from that state into a better viz. into a state of Faith that is approved this quite overthroweth your Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation that denyeth it possible that a Reprobate can be saved which here ye acknowledge And seeing these Unbelievers by your confession were not absolutely or finally reprobated but unapproved or disapproved what did so disapprove or judge them but Christ in them And therefore still it remaineth that Christ is in all but such who are finally Reprobates Ye say That Christ hath commanded that his Gospel be Preached to all Nations and he tells us that so it shall be before the end of the World is no proof of what it is brought for the many Generations past have no advantage by that being ended and gone before that time comes But this ye meerly begg and assert without all shadow of proof for that Christ told the Gospel shall be Preached to all the world before the end of the world is not surely to be understood that the preaching of it to all the world shall only be in the Last Age of the world yet to come but the Gospel that began to be preached from Adams fall immediately shall be preached to all men that ever lived in the World some time or other before the end of the world so that such who shall not live in the latter ages of the world have had it preached in the former Ages when they lived in the world and therefore the preaching the Gospel to all the World is the preaching of it to all Mankind that ever lived and shall live in the world in all Ages from the beginning to the end for all that part of mankind that is to live in the world in the Last Age or Ages of it yet to come are but a small or inconsiderable part of the world And though it may seem hard to demonstrate how this hath been and shall be effected in a general way and manner it
universally your way to say and dictate things Magisterially without proof and since it is so ye might have taken a more easy way and as effectual to have only said to every passage and argument in my Book as it is reported how one refuted Bellarmine saying only to every passage and period in his Book Thou lyest Bellarmine Ye say ye have turned your Minds to the Light oâ— Christ within you as well as ye can and it tells you that my assertions are bold presumtious and heretiâ—al But â—ake heed of such ignorant Blasphemy and cease your Mockage The Light of Christ within you that I directed you and all unto is that Light of divine Inspiration and Revelation which is common in some measure unto you and all men but this ye do not believe therefore ye have not turned your Minds unto it nor hearkened to the voice of it And whereas I said It is the same Spirit that giveth to all Readers a right understanding of Scripture ye ask Why then have not all the same understanding oâ— it but contradictory the answer is easie because all do not duly believe in it as my following words make clear Then ye accuse my following words as guilty of contradiction because I said If ye believe in Christ the Light c. and joyn your minds to his inward divine Illumination he will anoint the Eyes of your Understanding and then your Eyes shall be opened which ye put this silly and impertinent gloss upon Iâ— ye will see of your selves then â—e will give you ability to see and then ye scoffingly add This may be no Contradiction in a Quaker's Logick But his is not my Logick but your Perversion for as blind as ye are ye are not altogether blind as Christ said to the Pharisees John 9.41 I ye were blind ye should have no sin c. and if ye were faithful to what ye already see and know your Eyes should be further opened And this iâ— good sence and no Contradiction and what ye see or know of Truth in the least thing ye see it not of your selves but it is given you to see by that Light which ye blaspheme calling it Ignis Fatuus and a stinking vapour from Hell In pag. 6. ye alledge a most abominable Falshood upon me as that I said in my Epistle That the quickening in a man as it abides it is impossible it should perish This is an absolute piece of Forgery as much as ever Tho. Hicks coyned against W. Penn I use no such words and nothing but Malice can put such a gloss upon my words which are these p. 5. of my Epistle And every Soul that is thus quickned and made alive unto him as it doth hold fast this beginning viz. of the good Work of God in it c. and as it here abideth it is impossible that it can perish Where my words say the SOUL cannot perish that abideth faithful c. And this is good sence and well warranted by Scripture 2 Pet. 1.10 For if ye do these things ye shall never fall which according to your absurd Logick is as if he had said If ye never fall ye shall never fall or if Grace continue it cannot be lost this Non-fence and Absurdity ye charge upon me is yours and not mine Pag. 7. Because I said the holy Scriptures are a sufficient outward Rulâ— and Standard whereby to try all Doctrines of men ye most grosly as is your general manner pervert my words as if I did intimate as if God taught us one thing by his Word and another by his Spirit The contrary whereof I have sufficiently asserted in my Book for what the Scripture saith outwardly thâ— Spirit saith the same inwardly and the Testimony of these two to wit that of the Scripture without and that of Gods Spirit wiâ—hin cannot differ or disagree Next ye blame me for not making Practices as well as Doctrines lyable to this Test I Answ And so I do for all commanded Practices of a holy Life are contained under that head of Doctrines for things to be done as well as things to be believed are belonging to the Christian Doctrine as the ten Commandments and all other Moral and Evangelical Precepts and Dutites witnessed of in the holy Scriptures And why ye should blame me for calling the Scriptures an Outward Rule showeth your inclination more to Cavil than to Dispute as men of solid Reason Are not the Scriptures an outward thing and if an outward thing then an outward Rule seeing they are a Rule as is confessed â—y us both and Protestants commonly call the Scriptures the external or outward Word witness the Augustine Confession published by Protestants Article 5. And is not the External Word the External Rule and doth not the external or outward Word intimate that there is an inward Word that is the inward Rule and these two agree in one and can never differ as an inward Domâ—nstration of any natural Science doth agâ—ee with the outward set down in wâ—it or print on Paper And tho' I call the Scripture an outward Rule yet I denie not but it hath a real service in the hand and management of the Spirit to regulate our inward Apprehensions and Conceptions of all Christian Doctrine as well as our outward words and Actions and so it may be called an Organâ—â—al and Instrumental Rule in respect of the Spirit of God inwardly witnessing which is the principal Nor do I in the least retract what I have said as ye weakly alledge when â—â—ay There are many things wherein God doth reveal of his Counsel to his Children which are not in Scripture either expresly or consequentially wherein I give a five fold instance at least that though ye cannot disprove ye boldly but Ignorantly contradict contrary to the blessed and solid Experience of Thousands for these things instanced as for a man to know his inward state beâ—ore God c. and for a Minister to know his inward Call and a Christian to know both his call to pray in vocal Prayer or in Publick and returns oâ— his Prayer from God in secret they are no matters of Christian Doctrine belonging to the common Faith oâ— common Duty of all Christians but only are relative to a Christians private Condition and Consolation for no Doctrine or Precept in all the Scripture requireth me to believe or to know whether many or one by name besides my self be in a justified state c. but it belongs to me in particular therfore it is no part of the common Doctrine or Faith or Practice of the Christian Religion to believe for another or others but every one to believe for himself And that ye alledge p. 9. that Lucas should say Any Quaker if he â—as a mind to it may make as good a Book himself as the Book of the holy Scriptures is out a falâ—e alledgance from a Foâ—ger of Lyes against the Truth and is sufficiently refuted by N. Lucas's â—â—iâ—ted
Declaration solemnly denying That ever he so spoke or thought printed in the Appendix of G. W. to W. P's Book call'd Reason against Railing being an Answer to Tho. Hick's Forgeries against the Quakers see p. 11. of the said Appendix And whereas Henry Stout was referred unto as a witness against N. Lucas he And thus ye give away your cause fairly for that work of the Spirit is a real inward Evidence Word and Testimony or Witness of a Truth not contained in the Scripture neither expresly nor consequentially viz. That A. B. or J. C. hath the inâ—allible Marks of a justified man for whereas ye use to resolve your assurance into a practical Syllogism thus Every one that hath such infallible Marks of a jâ—stified man is justified But A. B. hath such infallible Marks Therefore A. B. is a jâ—stified Man The which Practical Syllogism having two Propositions the first is warranted by Scripture but the second is no where warrantâ—d by any place of Scripture viz. that A B. or J. A. or J. M. or S. W. or C. M. hath these infalliâ—le Marks This is the only work of the Spirit which ye confess is neither Scripture nor Scripture Consequence and yet discovereth a great Truth and very sweeâ— and precious to such who have it and though the Scripture be instrumental to warrant the first Proposition yet we find no Scripture to warrant the second viz. that A. B. or any of you have such infallible Marks or if ye have any such Scripture warrant produce it otherwise acknowledge your rash undertaking The second Instance that refers to an inward Call to the Ministry ye reject and say It runs upon the same foolâ—sh Notion with the former Ye say it indeed and that is all but say nothing to prove it to be so yea by your saying it ye show what sort of Ministers ye are to wit That ye are no Ministers of the Spirit of God which is inwaâ—d in all his true Ministers and as he is inward and inwardly in-dwelling so his Call and Motion is inwardly revealed And though ye make a great noise as if ye were mighty Defenders of the Christian and Protestant Doctrine against the Quakers in these and other things ye the Qâ—akers so called are the best Christians an Protestants in these very Doctrine â—or have not many Protestant Ministers who never had any outward Call from Pope or Clergy or People alledged the inward Call of God in their hearts to the work of the Ministry as well as the inward assistance â—f the Spirit of God in the exercise of it which yet hâ—th no Scripture to prove that such a particular man hath it Calvin in his Institutions saith expresly That God did raise up in his Day if not Prophets and Apostles yet Evangelists to reform the Church And Luther declaring his inward Call to the Ministry saith He was as it were tugg'd by his Hair to the Office of the Ministry see cap. 1. pag. 11. Mensal And surely this was an inward call had great inward sensible evidence And cap. 11. p. 19. of Gods Word he saith Sectaries and Seducers know to preach much of Christ but seeing they feel him not in their hearts they leave the right ground of the Ministry Again p. 3. c. 1. he citeth divers Scriptures to prove That God and the holy Spirit speaketh now in true Ministers of Christ as he did in the Prophets and Apostles as where Christ said It is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you and where Peter said Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost Both which place with others Luther applyeth to true Ministers in his day and yet when we commonly bring these places the common answer of Presbyterians and Independents is That these places of Scripture were fulfilled to the Prophets and Apostles but not to any men in our days And tho' ye upbraid the Quakers Doctrine with Novelty yet in the former instance concerning a mans being assured infallibly of his Election and eternal Salvation as the Testimony of the Scripture is for us so of Antiquity for Augustine saith expresly lib. 11. de Civit. dej c. 12. What man knoweth that he shall finally peâ—severe in the Action and Progress of Righteousness unless he be certain by some Revelation from him who doth not teach all of this thing by his just and secret judgment but deceiveth no man Where it is plain that according to Aâ—gustine who lived above 1200 years ago That all who begin in true Piety do not persevere and That no man can know that he shall persevere without divine inward Revelation In both which he contradicteth you and confirmeth the Doctrine of the People called Quakers And yet though Augustine be a Saint in your esteem the Quakers for holding the same thing must be Apostates and no charity allowed them to be Christians And as noted and well accounted Protestants say the same with us as Grotius and the Remonstrants generally who are all better Protestants in Doctrine than your selves whether ye wiâ—l acknowledge it or not I had not medled to cite any other Authors but Scriptures but that ye would needs be so impertinent as to state the Debate betwixt you and us as if the Quakers Doctrine were a meer Novelty and only neâ—ly started up to undermine the Protestant Doctrine Whereas we have more and better Protestants with us than ye have Ye had done better not to have brought the Controversie â—o this issue as if the Quakers were not P otestants when we can easily prove our Doctrine in all these twelve Particulars to be warranted by Protestants of better and more famous account than your selves In my Third Instance ye pervert my words after your wonted manner saying p. 14. That I hold men are to tarry for an inward call to pray or perform any Religious Duty But I did not say so but that every true Christian should know his inward Call to pray or give thanks from Psal 27.8 which ye wholly pass by unanswered Now to Know the inward call is one thing and to Tarry for it is another some inward calls are to be waited for as when a duty is not alwayes required of a man but only at certain times as vocal Prayer c. But all such Duties as are continually required of us to be done at all times as To believe in God To love God To fear him yea and continually to pray unto him with inward breathings and desires have a continual inward call and command that needeth to be known although it is given and no man should suppose it will be wanting to him to do every thing that is his continual Duty Pag. 16. Ye say Ye deny not but the Spirit of God doth still put an impulse on the Spirits of his People frequently but ye query Is it self-evident or must not the warrantableness of it be tryed by Scripture rules I Answ It is
of God and these times are frequent and at such times the need of Scripture words and of all words that consist of Letters do cease as when a man eateth Bread and drinketh Wine and hath his taste well he needeth no words to tell him of the taste of it he tasteth it without all words that the mouth can utter and even so the Children of God at times yea frequently taste of the goodness and sweetness of Christ by an inward sensible taste without all Scripture words and without all present remembring of them yet if at such times the Spirit of God bringeth them to their remembrance they have a service at least tâ—â—ncrease the doctrinal and discursive knowledge of God in them and further to open the Mysteries of the Christian Doctrine which is a great gift blessing of God in its place Pag. 34. Ye alledge I introduce an Hypothesis that is a Castle in the Air that they say there is no sensible or intuitive knowledge of God in this Life But I say many or most of you expresly deny it I mean most of these call'd Presbyterians and Independents as I have had to do with them before now who have told me There is no sensible knowledge of God at â—â—ll no sight nor feeling nor taste of him and they give a reason for it viz. That only bodily things could be seen felt tasted but God being a Spirit could neither be felt nor tasted tho' the Scriâ—ture use these words of seeing tasting a aâ—d feâ—ling they say they are as improper and metaphorical as when it is said in Scripture God hath Eyes Hands and Feet c. Again though ye seem to affirm it yet it is in contradiction to your selves for it is an absolute Contradiction to say A man hath a sight of God and taste and feeling of him and yet hath no immediate discovery and knowledge of him as much as to say I see and taste Wine and yet I have no immediate discovery or knowledge of it All sensible knowledge is immediate in regard of their Objects P. 34. Ye blame me that I say ye preach altogether an absent Christ but ye wrong and pervert my words as your manner is my wordâ— are p. 36. They preach altogether an absenâ— Christ as some of them say Christ is not really and properly in his People or if present a Christ altogether dumb and silent c. So ye see my words are not positive but dis-junctive or alternative But if I did say so it is according to your own Doctrine though ye seem to contradict again for do ye not generally accuse the Quakers for setting up a false Christ because they preach him present and in his Saints yea and in all men in some respect and as Pardon Tillinghast and Benj. Keech calâ— Christ in the heart a false Christ so John Owen whom ye esteem your reverend Brother in his Latine Treatise against us answered by Sam. Fisher saith If Christ be in every Quaker there are as many Christ as Quakers So you may see I do not wrong you and your Assembly ye so much honour say It is blasphemy to say the Saints are partakers of the Godhead And this is to exclude Christ with a witness And if some of you say God and Christ are in the Saints yet ye deny all immediate discovery sight and revelation of them objective or by way of object which is as gâ—eat Non-sence as to say A Man converseth with his Wife in one House eateth drinketh lodgeth with her and hath fellowship with her and yet she hath no immediate sight nor knowledge of him which she must needs have if she be not blind sensless and stupid and it is a most palpable Contradiction in you to say Men have aâ— intuitive and sensible knowledge of God that is distinct in specie from discursive knowlâ—dge and yet God and his Spirit in all his inward operations giveth no self-evidence thereof but is medium incognitum assentiendi i. e an unknown mean or Principle of assenting as the School-men phrase it particularly Robert Baron Professor of Divinity at Aberdeen in his Book called Apodixis Catholica de formali objecto fidei against Jesuit Turnbul more particularly cited in my Book of Immediâ—te Revelation Pag. 37. The different degrees of Revelation well warranted by Scripture ye blasphemously and ignorantly call Rabbinical Fopperies That there is not only a gradual but specifical difference of divine Revelations I never denyed CAP. III. I Intend throughout principally to notice your gross Perversions and other gross Abuses and Mistakes which will in effect sufficiently answer all ye have said and leave my Book and the evidence of Truth held forth in it remaining in its full force and strength against you and the rather that the principal Controversies viz. That oâ— the Scriptures and That of inward divine Revelation and Inspiration iâ— the more fully already here handled for indeed these two are the Basis and Pillars of the following Controversies Pag. 36. Ye pervert my words as if I did affirm That the Scriptures only were a Rule to try Doctrines betwixt men and men But I neither mean nor say any such thing I believe they are a Rule in the hand and management of the Spirit to regulate our inward apprehensions and thoughts concerning all Christian Doctrines and yet the Spirits inward Witness is the greater Rule Pag. 39. Ye say To call the Spirit the Rule â— Non-sence I say to call the Spirit not abstractly but conjunctly with his inward witnessing and speaking is good sence to all but such as you who have not sence to understand it Ignatius as I have said above a more worthy man and precious Martyr of Jesus Ep. 14. to Ephes called the holy Spirit one Rule CAP. IV. PAg. 41. Ye own That natural and acquired Gifts of Letter Learning without a divine Inspiration are sufficient to qualifie a Gospel Minister and that Grace and true Piety is only accidental which ye confess may look black at first view It is so far well that since this is your Doctrine that we have it under your hand and it deserveth to be engraven in Capital Letters on the Doors of your Meetiâ—g Houses that the People may generally know it for very many to whom I have told it could not believe it to be your Doctrine but however now it is a good proof th t yâ— print it as yours Another saying of yours equally famous and which deserveth the same equal inscription in Capital Letters is that ye say It is no absurdity tâ—at a man may be a true Minister and not a true Câ—ristian But how then can he beget any unto God If he who is no true Christian can beget a true Christian by his Ministry it will as easily follow That he who is no man may beget a man for as in spiritual generation a man is but the Instrument so in the natural when a man begets a man child God
points at Christ as both God and Man that most excellent middle that unites God and Men together for in all the Creation we see how the wonderful Wisdom of God and his wonderful Power hath united extreams by certain means or middles and these do plainly point unto us how as the highest and lowest Creatures are united by a certain medium or mediating nature partaking of both extreams so God the Creator and most high over all is united with men the noblest of his visible Creatures by him that is both God and Man made like to us in all things but without siâ— and therefore behoved to dye and rise again to lay a Foundation for our Faith and Hope that though we dye we shall also rise again Nor is this my single Perswasion but that of very judicious and wise Men long before me and Paulus Ricius a Jew by Birth but who became a Christian in his Treatise de Coelesti Agricultura lib. 1. from pag. 40 to 52. showeth how there are many excellent Symboles in the Creation that as Types and Examples hold forth that great Mystery of Christ God Man that were to be united in one and that this man could be but one only single man in the intire nature of Man of Soul and Body in all essential parts who should be both God and Man and for this he citeth a saying in Aristotle which is this lib. 10. Metaph. In quolibet genere rerum daturmum maximum et omnium ahorum summum i. e. in every kind of things there is one the greatest and highest of all others And who is this but the Man Christ Jesus who only among all men is both God and Man and the Head of all mâ—n And by exceâ—lent Symboles and Examples he showeth how this one man was to dye for all otheâ— men rise again And therefore however strange it may seem unto you not only many things in the Creation but the whole Creation it self is a Book full of Symboles Vails and Figures pointing at Christ even the Man Christ who was to suffer Death and rise again for the Salvation of men and yet I do most freely acknowledge that the Books of Moses and the Prophets did moâ—e fully and distinctly hold forth this great Mystery But seeing ye grant That the Vails and Types of the Ceremonial Law did suffice to the Jews and People of Israel so far as outward helps and means were requisit to shadow and hold â—orth Christ unto them the same may be said as concerning the Gentiles that in some sort sufficient as in respect of outward helps and means for that day and time until more knowledge should come into the World was the Book of the outward Creation together with that knowledge they had that they were to sacrifice unto God as is above said And as God gave to the Jews and People of Israel his good spirit to instruct them in the signification of the Mosaical and Ceremonial Law and the Types and Shadows thereof so no doubt he gave a measure of his good Spirit to instruct the Gentiles what these Types and Figures legible in the Book of the whole Creation did signifie for as the Book of Wisdom saith The incorruptible Spirit of God is in all that is confirmed by Scripture for God gave his Spirit unto and by his Spirit strove with the People of the old World and it is the Light of Christ the Word and of the Spirit that convinceth and reproveth of sin that lighteth every man that cometh into the World which however ye call it only natural and humane we have good cause to believe it is divine and supernatural yet lightning the dark nature of Man and as it is absurd for any to hold a Book to a mans face in the dark and bid him read therein when he hath no sufficient light to read with so it were absurd that God hath set so excellent a Book as the whole Creation before the Eyes of men universally I mean the Eyes of their understanding and not give them sufficient Light in some measure to enable them to understand what is writ therein and seeing that Book contains true and real Types and Symboles Figures and Shadows of Christ as he was to come in the flesh and suffer death and rise again it followeth God hath given all men so much inward Light as whereby they might read and understand what is written therein concerning the Man Christ altho the express Hebrew and Greek Names Messiah and Christ be not known to them in such an obscure way and manner as might serve to that time but the great Glory and Light of the Mystery of God manifest in flesh which is Jesus Christ come in the Flesh who is both God and Man and yet one Christ doth incomparably surpass not only what all Vails Types either of the Law or outward Creation can discover but all declaration of words and cannot be perfectly known but by a very high degree of divine Revelation and no doubt the full discovery of it is reserved to the Life to come where it shall be matter of eternal Admiration and Adoration to Saints and Angels And lest you should say This is some new Fancy of mine and some other late Writers or apostate Hereticks as ye use to say I shall recite a Testimony of a very antient Writer who is judged to be either Ambrose or Prosper above twelve hundred Years ago in that famous and noted Treatise De vocatione Gentium i. e. of the calling of the Gentiles much esteemed and cited by Protestants of great note and particularly by Vossius and Grotius learned and judicious Protestants In the said Treatise de vocatione Gentium lib. 2. cap. 1. ad fin he saith in express words citing Acts 14. And indeed he left not himself without a Witness giving Rains from Heaven and fruitfull Seasons filling Your hearts with Food and Gladness But what is this Testimony that was alwayes serviceable to the Lord and never was silent of his Goodness and Power but the very indeclarable Beauty of the whole World and the rich and orderly largition oâ— his indeclarable benefits by which cretain Tables oâ— his eternal Law were given to the hearts of men that the common and publick Doctrine of divine Institution might be read in the pages of the Elements and in the Volumns or Books of the Times therefore the Heavens and all heavenly things Sea and Land and all things in them by the â—armonious Consent of their kind and order did attest the Glory of God and by a perpetual preaching did speak the Majesty oâ— their Author But this is not all he further saith And yet the greatest number of men who were permitted to follow the ways of their own will did not understand and did not follow this Law and the Savour of Life which breathed or inspired unto Life Note is not this in some degree Evangelical was made unto them the savour of Death
the adopted because I said Christ hath left his spiritual goods as Justification Remission Adoption and Eternal Life to his Brethren by spiritual Regeneration and since ye deny this ye must allow That Christ giveth Remission Justification Adoption and Eternal Life to such who are not spiritually regenerated which is a Contradiction to your own Doctrine And your own Doctrine distinguisheth betwixt Regeneration and Adoption Ye grosly abuse me in saying I confound Justification and Sanctification alledging I fall into down-right Popery for on the contrary I assert Justification as it is opposed to Condemnation and according to the most proper and frequent use of the word is distinct from Sanctification as thus Justification is Gods act of his free Grace whereby he forgiveth the sins of all true Believers and Penitents and accepteth and owneth them to be righteous in Christ being cloathed with Christ and his Righteousness imputed freely unto them and whom he hath truly sanctified and begot into a true and real state of inward Holiness Righteousness so that true inward Righteousness and Holiness or Sanctification iâ— not the Foundation of Justification but a Condition Qualification required in order thereunto and I place inward Righteousness and Holiness no other way than Faith by which men are justified to wit as necessary Conditions and Instruments of Justification all true Believers are cloathed not only with Châ—ist imputed Righteousness in respect of whâ—t he hath done and suffered for them â—ut with Châ—ist himself in-dwelling living and ruling in their hâ—arts making them really holâ— and righteous and this is a double cloathing unto them or as the Scarlet that is of a double Die where-with all the true Childâ—en of Jerusalem from above the Mother of all the faithful are cloathed so that they are not afraid of the Snow according to Prove 31.21 But all such who think that the alone Righteousness of Christ without them while they are not inwardly cloathed with real inward Righteousness will cover them will be greatly disappointed True inward Sanctification and Justification though distinct yea are not divided nor is the one perfect without the other he who is imperfectly sanctified cannot while such be perfectly justified Sanctification is ingredient in the Object of Justification and so is distinct from it for it is only the holy Man whom God justifieth by his act of his free Grace and Favour And therefore Sanctification is in the priority of order tho' not of time before Justification as the Object is prior in order to the Act for as God condemneth none but him who is wicked so he justifieth none but who is hoâ—y and he justifiâ—th the Ungodly from their Ungodliness not in it viz. such who had been formerly ungodly being now sanctified he justifieth them and still Justification is as much the free Grace of God as our Sanctification yea both equally his free Gifts and Favour Note that Augustine cap. 26. de spir er lit doth acknowledge a twofold sense of the word Justified in Scripture 1. To make just by the inward effect of Righteousness wrought in men by the Spirit of God 2. To account reckon or repute to be just And many Protestant Writers of great note have acknowledged that twofold sense and for the first they cite Rev. 22.11 He that is just let him be just still or more justified Pag. 106. Ye say It is a great mistake in me to say that Faith is one hand to receive Christ and Love another and ye further say By Faith we receive Christ and by Love we serve him A very unlearned and foolish distinction do we not serve him both by Faith and Love Yea and we receive him by both Faith and Love and by both he dwelleth in our hearts And as ye bring no proof to contradict it so the truth of what I say is manifest for it is the Love of the Heart and Soul as well as Faith that qualifieth it to receive Christ yea Love doth most sweetly embrace Christ for it is the nature of Love to embrace its beloved Object the loving Parent embraceth the loving Child and the loving Child embraceth the loving Parent and one Friend embraceth another Friend and not only receiveth him into his House buâ— into his Heart and the â—â—ore one said The Soâ—l is more where it lovetâ— than where it breatheth and alâ— sensible Souls who know in experience whâ—t it is to love Christ wiâ—l contradict you and say with me That by and with their Love thâ—t he hath begot in thâ—m they receive Christ they embrace him and hold him as weâ—â— as by Faith It sâ—emeth too much it is your want of sâ—iritual experience in this Love that maketh you talk so widely Yea Faith as it is a fiducial act of the Soul and of the Will and not a bare assent of the Understanding hath Love and Desâ—â—e in it and belonging to the very natuâ—e and being of it as Augustine said What is it to believe in God by believing to love him and to go into him The virtue of divine Love doth wonderfully knit and unite the hearts of true Believers to Christ and one to another according to Col. 2.2 and this is felt by all that have any measure of the divine Love shed abroad in their hearts and if Love knit the heart to Christ by Love it receiveth him as that which knitteth the Graft to the Tree causeth the Graft to receive the Life and Substance of the Tree into it Ye say In my sixth Paragraph I give up the whole cause if I speak sincerely Answ I speak sincerely and accoâ—ding to the plain and genuine sence of all the words contained in it and yet I give up none of my Cause to you but still I differ from you considerably for I say in the same Paragâ—aâ—h Tâ—at real inward Holiness and Righteoâ—sâ—ess as well as Faith are the Instruments whereby â—en are jâ—stified yet they are not the Foundation and gâ—oâ—nd of Justification And as thiâ— clearâ—th us of â—opery so it doth not make us one with you unless ye and not I give up your Cause for ye say Only Faith and not real inward Holinâ—ss and Righteousness aâ—e tâ—e Instruments of Jâ—stification Pag. 107. That Paul and other Saints renounced inward Holiness and Righteoâ—sness after believing for being so much as Instruments of Justification ye can never prove though neither he nor they did build on them but on Christ the alone Foundation of Justification and of Sanctification and all other Blessings and Mercies and to be justified by Works is but a secondary Justification for inward Holiness and Righteousness planted and begot in the Soul is before Works of Righteousness as the Tree is good before it bear good Fruit and as some Worthy Protestants have said A good Tree maketh good Fruit but a Tree cannot bear good Fruit before it be good We are created by an inward Work of Christ's new creating unto good Works and therefore this new Creation
The Pretended ANTIDOE PROVED POYSON Or The true Principles of the Christian Protestant Religion Defended And the Four Counterfit Defenders thereof Detected and Discovered the Names of which are James Allen Joshuae Moodey Samuell Willard and Cotten Mather who call themselves Ministers of the Gospel in Boston in their pretended Answer to my Book called The Presbyterian Independent Visible Churches in New-England and elsewhere brought to the Test c. And G. K. cleared not to be guilty of any Calumnies against these called Teachers of New-England c. By George Keith With an Appendix by John Delavall by way of Animadversion on some Passages in a Discourse of Cotton Mathers before the general Court of Massachusets the 28th of the Third Moneth 1690. Philadelphia Printed by Will. Bradford 1690. Introduction To James Allen Joshua Moodey Samuell Willard and Cotten Mather Men and Neighbours I Have seen your pretended Answer to my Book which ye call The Principles of the Protestant Religion maintained c. which I have also read and well considered and I find that upon the matter ye have left the substance or principal matter of it wholly unanswered and that your said pretended Aâ—â—wer contains little else but Railing after an extraordinary and unusual manner of Speech scarcely to be paralell'd and many very gross Mistakes and Perversions of my words and some absolutely false Quotations and Recitations alledging Words and Sayings and Doctrines to be mine and delivered by me in my Book which are neither directly nor indirectly to be found there and which are neither my express words nor so much as the most remote true and just Consequence of them But it is altogether unfair and absurd to alledge any thing upon a man which are not either his express words or the plain and manifest sence of them obvious to every intelligent and impartial Reader For to alledge a consequential sense of a mans words which they will no wayes bear is most uncivil and inhumane and argueth at most a weak and desperate Cause when ye are put to use such mean and unlawful Arts to make your part seem fair And surely ye who pretend to find so great fault at the supposed Calumnies of G. K. should have at least upon some prudential consideration as men shown your selves not to be so deeply guilty of that Vice of Calumniating which ye only with great confidence alledge but can never prove against him I find ye are not a little vexed at my Book but since it containeth little else but Non-sence Tautologies Nauseous Repetitions Cavils and Sophisms as ye alledge why are ye so angry fretted why should Non-sence Tautologies Cavils and Sophisms vex you so very much what aileth you that ye come with such a company ye seem in great part to resemble Micah pursuing some of the Children of Dan to recover your lost gods and to answer with him after some manner Ye have taken away our gods which we made and our Priests and ye are gone away and what have we more And what is this that thou sayst unto us what aileth us But I assure you I intend to make no such usage of your gods as the Danites did of the gods of Micah nor have I robbed any of your gods or idols from you but as becoming a true Christian I have fairly and honestly laboured to convince you of your many evil and hurtful Errors which ye set up in your hearts as Idols and false Godds for ye may know that the Scripture telleth of fome that did set up Idols in their hearts yea whatever any men set up in their hearts in the room and place of the true God and his Precious holy and living Truth and the divine dictates and Testimonies thereof are but false gods and idols of mens making It is a most false and injurious Accusation ye insinuate against me as if I did seek to perswade any to part with an infinite and eternal God and having a created Soul blasphemously place in his Throne or to pâ—rt with the precious Bible viz. the holy Scriptures as a dead Letter and to have silent postures of their own in the room thereof or that I seek to perswade these called your Congregations to part with an inestimable Redeemer for a dim Light within them which may prove Darkness it self or to have the whole Gospel Baptism of Christ his Supper taken away from them and the glorious Doctrines of Election Justification Perseverance depraved with Opinions that make man to be all and Grace to have small or no share in the matters of Salvation All which are most false and injurious Accusations with many more of that sort which ye very unchristianly cast upon me as I hope will clearly appear in the sequel and doth sufficiently appear in my former Book My desire and earnest travail of soul is That ye and all others who remain ignorant of God may come to the true knowledge of him and of his Son Christ Jesus whom to know is Life eternal I assert no created Soul or thing to be plac'd in the room of God in his Throne but plead against you that as God and Christ dwell in Heaven so they dwell in the hearts of all the faithful and that not divided or seperaâ—ed from â—heir Operations and Influences but together with them and one with them tho' ye would divide and seperate them asunder and that the same God and Christ as they are one so their operation and influence of Light and Grace are one and that by some gracious operation influence they are pleased to visit the Souls of all men more or less and as God and Christ are every where present in all the Creatures so in a more special way and manner of manifestation beside that universal Omnipresence they are in all men and cannot be excluded from any of the Creatures and therefore it is a most injurious Calumny as if either I or any of my Friends did set up any thing in the room or throne of God for whatover illumination operation or influential Effect of God and Christ we assert to be in men we do not say that it is God or Christ for we do not confound the Cause the Effect nor the Worker and his work but we say God and Christ the Word by which all things were made are most inwardly present in all Creatures and if ye deny this ye and not we deny the true God and God and Christ are Light as the holy Scripture declareth and are no dim Light which is in you Blasphemy to assert but both your Eyes and the Eyes of many are dim yea and blind that ye cannot in this your blind state see the glory of God And for the holy Scriptures ye your selves say The MIND and true SENSE of the Scripture is the Scripture or Word and that was never called by us a dead Letter nor is the Scripture dead to any but to such who are dead and
past feeling we hold to Scripture phrase that saith the Letter killeth which we thus understand that whoever have not the inward quickning and living operation of the Spirit of God that doth usually attend and accompany the outward Testimony of the holy Scriptures to such the Letter of the Scripture is a killing Letter and the sober of your own Church I suppose will not deny it and so it proveth to all Infidels and Unbelievers while remaining such who are dead in their sins and Trespasses but to all who are made alive unto God the Scriptures Testimony is a living sweet and precious Testimony in all its parts and not at all either a dead Letter or a killing Letter And as for the Gospel Baptism of Christ and his Supper and the glorious Doctrines of Election Justification Perseverance of God's elect Saints and Children we own them with our souls and hearts and only disown your false glosses of all these things ye must not think to be both party and judge in these matters both ye and we have a most impartial and just Judge the great Lord of Heaven and Earth to judge and witness betwixt us and to his Witness Evidence and Testimony in all hearts I can and do freely leave these matters of difference betwixt us in the mean time ye are greatly mistaken to think that either I or my Friends decline all outward Evidences and Testimonies or just and equal Methods or Wayes of fair reasoning and argument touching the matters of dâ—â—ference betwixt us nay it s a great if not woful Mistake in you we shall never fear to deal with you in all fair and reasonable wayes of dispute either by express Scripture or by just rational Consequences therefrom and then to leave all to the impartial judgment of all such who are both spiritual and reasonable men for to be both spiritual and reasonable are well consistent Ye may be greatly ashamed if Shame be compatible unto you to use some of your own words in the beginning of your Preface to tell of Persecutors with Cain 's Club in their hands when ye have been so deeply guilty of using Cain's Club and continuing to justifie it in putting to death so many innocent Servants of the Lord. Ye are idle and impertinent to call me the Champion whom the American Quakers do so much admire I know none called a Quaker in America or else-where that doth admire me we admire and adore the glorious God and Creator but no man nor do I seek the honour and praise of men it is enough that I am loved by my Friends and Brethren and that I am acknowledged to have a part lot among the faithful Ye acknowledge ye pass over many assertions called by you unsound in my Book with a dry foot and so ye might have said ye have passed the substance and matter of the whole and the Arguments thereof without due notice and rather than wet your feet ye wiâ—â— go far aboâ—â— and digress or deviate from that which ye cannot fairly nor justly answer As for Cotton Mather's pretended Vindication of his Father Increase Mather his abuses against the People called Quakers I have fully answered to it in Print in a Book called A Refutation of three Opposers of Truth c. to which I refer and which I suppose is come to his hand long before this of yours came to me Ye express your fear of me as if my supposed Apostacy had rendred me incurable and else-where ye call me a fearful Apostate and insinuate as if I were not only Apostate and Heretick but grown beyond Admonition But how know ye this seeing ye pretend not to a Spirit of discerning or a divine Revelation in the case Suppose I err in some things as I have good assurance I do not in any oâ— these things ye charge me doth one or some few Errors or Mistakes not willfully held in matters that are not fundamental render me either Heretick or Apostate Ye or at least the more sober among you allow that men holding the fundamentals of the Christian Religion although they be in an Error or Mistake touching divers things that are not fundamental may be allowed to be true Christians and Members of Christs Church hence the moâ—e sober of Presbyterians have a charitable judgment of many not only of Baptists and the Episcopals but of Arminians and Lutherans yea and of many in the Church of Rome also â—nd I believe ye cannot give me one instance wherein ye can justly accuse me or my Friends of any fundamental Error in Christian Doctrine so acknowledged by the more sober part among you held by us It is high and extream Uncharitableness for you so to unchristian us but praised be God we can and have holy confidence to appeal from your false Judgment to the just God to whom we are known and whose Peace and Justification we have in our Bosoms that is Proof against all your false and injurious Accusations And I have not dealt so with you so to unchristian you in the whole lump or any one of you altogether meerly for Doctrine for I only did charge it upon you and I believe I have made good my charge That your visible Churches are not the true Church of Christ to wit not having that purity of Doctrine Ministry Worship Constitution Government c. that constitutes the true Church of Christ either as the Church was in the Apostles days or as she is yet to be restored and is now restoring after the great dark night of Apostacy yet I have freely and readi y granted that there are among you who belong to Christ his true Church and though you judge his a great inconsistency and contradiction yet ye are in a great mistake for my charge is as consistent to grant that some among you yea all who are sincere and faithful to what they do know and are really convinced of the Truth but in part that are among you belong to God and to his true Church as the Charity of many of the more sober among you is consistent to grant That the most sincere sort in the Church of Rome belong to God and his Church and are his People for God hath of his People in Babylon whom he calleth to come out of it and this was the judgment generally of these called the first Reformers and is the judgment generally of the more sober and judicious Protestants of all sorts at this day and was my charitable judgment when I was among the Presbyterians and remaineth now to be and yet such who have this charitable judgment of many in the Church of Rome do not call her nor own her for most part to be the true visible Church of Christ but call her a Whore and a false Church and Babylon and for this cause judge that their seperation is just from her And as the Protestants generally who are of the more sober moderate sort do excell these
self-evident and yet may be tryed by the warrantableness of Scriptuâ—e Rules but the warrantableness of a practice doth not prove in the least the impulse or mâ—tion to be divine for a wrong or evil Spirit may move a man to do a thing that is not unlawful or unwarrantable in it self as to take a Journey from England to America and yet if he obey such a motion or impulse he should not do well and might suffer great hurt thereby And if a divine impulse have no self-evidence or some inward self-evidencing Light to discover it to be divine it is good for nothing for it leaveth a man still in the dark and at uncertainty surely Gods inward leadings are sure certain as thousands to Gods praise can witness against all your ignorant but presumptious Assertions without â—â—l Proof And ye say I tell you that Phillip Peter and others were extraordinaryly called to such and such Services where ye pervert my words for I do not say of these particular Services mentioned by me there that they wâ—re extraordinarily called unâ—o them for to go to a place or Persons to preach the Gospel is no extraoâ—dinary but ordinary inward Call of Gods Servants in all Ages though Peter and the other Apostles had in other cases extraordinary Calls and Revelations That place in James 4.15 If the Lord will ye uâ—derstand it only of divine Providence permitting any man to do what he wiâ—leth if not forbidden in Scripture But as this is meerly begged by you without all proof but your bare affirmation so it is altogether absurd for how many do rash and hurtful things both to themselves and their Families which yet are not forbidden by Scripture as for a man to leave one place and remove to another beyond Seas is not forbidden in Scripture and yet if he undertake such a thing meerly because divine Providence doth not outwardly stop him by some cross event without the inward sence and approbation of divine will inwardly permitting or allowing him he may have cause to repent it all his dayeâ— for mâ—ny by so doing have fallen into gâ—eat Inconvenâ—encies Ye are miserable comforters that wiâ—l not allow to People that priviledge that they may wait to know Gods divine good Will and Approbation in their hearts in their removals from one place to another and in other weighty concerns of this Life And as concerning Marriages ye do allow People to ask Gods mind and couâ—sel with whom to joyn in Marriage and if they are not to expect a return of their Prayers otherwise than a bare outward permission of divine Providence What is this but to mock God and deceive poor People But to Gods praise many can say they have both sought and received Gods counsel with whom to joyn in Marriage and because thereof have found their Marriage made both blessed and comfortable unto them in the midst of all Tryals Pag. 17. Ye call my saying That God answers the returns of the Prayers of his People c. A Quakerism i. e. Non-sence I pity your Ignorance and want of Experience May not the frequent and reiterated Prayers of his People for the same thing be called the Returns of their Prayers as when a Child returneth again and again to seek a thing of his Father and that God answereth these reiterated and returning Prayers as in Pauls Case who Prayed for one thing thrice thousands can witness though to you this is Nonsenâ—e because ye have neither sence nor salt in your selves to descern it It is a great encouragement to pray unto God that we find him to answer us by his living voice and speech in us and when God speaketh to us Scripture words or promises by his living voice and speech in us it is a new Revelation and divine Inspiration to us although not of any new doctrine for there may be thousands of new and distinct Revelations of the same Doctrine as there may be a thousand sights and eyes beholding the same thing and a thousand Voices speaking the same thing and all these Voices are new and distinct and yet the thing spokon is one and the same and Ancient and not New Pag. 18. That the word of the Lord grew and multiplied ought to be understood as well extensively in respect of multitude of living Testimonies as Intensively in respect of Efficacy for there was both at that time and though there was no new Doctrines yet there were new and that manifold and frequent living Testimonies to the same Doctrine and therefore the Word it self was properly encreased and multiplied Ye blame me for saying Christ and his Apostles expounded the scriptures by Inspiration and yet taught no new Doctrine but it seemeth ye have forgot that Paul said the same Acts 26.22 for all that Christ and the Apostles taught and enjoyned was either declared or fore-told by the Prophets loâ—g before therefore the Doctrine was the same for substance and the Gospel was preached to Abraham and to the Prophets but after Christs Resurrection the Dispensation of it was more clear and full Pag. 19. ye blame me for Charging that upon you in the 12th Article which ye never believed much less proâ—essed viz. that the Scriptures ought to be believed only for their own outward evidence and Testimony and not for the inward Evidence and Testimony of the holy spirit in mens hearts But in this ye are equally impertinent as in most other things as I have showed in my Answer to Cotton Mather to which I refer more at large Ye say The scripture is the only Rule oâ— Faith and hath a Self-evidence but the inward Testimony and Witness of the Spirit hath no Self-evidence but as some have called it Medium incognitum assentiendi i. e. and unknown middle or mean of assenting and that ye deny all Inspiration and Revelation properly so called all this proveth you guilty in the sight of all impartial men for to talk of an evidence or witness among men that hath not a certainty or Self-evidencing Authority in it by it self is absurd and illegal he who is a witness or evidence among men must not borrow his evidence from another and to say the Spirit of God in his inward teaching and illumination hath no proper and self evidence as it derogates from the Glory of it so it is as absurd as to say the Suns light at noon day hath no evidence of its own but men must light a Candle to let people see the suns light at noon This is rare Logick of yours Ye insinuate I seâ—k out more sences of the word Logos than it can bear without Tautologi s but if these be Tautologies the English Translation of the bible hath made them and not I and yet a true difference can be assigned by School-boyes betwixt Communication as passâ—ng betwixt two or more and words of talk and speech that may be of one when none doth answer Pag. 20. ye will have the word of God compared to
is the great Maker and principal Cause and man the Instrument But though ye would make the ignorant multitude believe that your Doctrine in this is Protestant Doctrine yet I say it is Popish and ye have no other Argument but the Papists Arguments to defend it to wit some Perversions and false Glosses of some Scripture places as The Pharisees sit in Moses 's Câ—air c. But Luther who is judged as it were the Father of the Protestants and whose followers were first called Protestants hold with the Quakers against you and called them Sectaries and Seducers that know how to preach much of Christ but feel him not in their hearts cap. 1. p. 19. Mens â—s noted above To my Arguments against an impious Ministry who have no true Piety ye answer little but with a strong Denyal and so may any child or fool give a denyal to the strongest Aâ—guments that can be bâ—ought And seeing ye plead so expresly That an Impious Ministry is God's Ordinance to wit such as have no true Piety it is no wonder that New-England abounds with such impious Ministers for this Doctrine opens a door unto them Pag 42. Ye deny Thaâ— God gives you infallible Rules ordinarily and immediately whereby to know mens hearts It may be granted they are not given to you because ye believe not that which giveth a true discerning but that Gods People who are made alive unto him and begot into his Image being Children of one Father and having his seal upon them are known one to another where due watchfulness and diligence is used and that kept in which giveth the true discerning is not only a Christian Doctrine and Experience but hath been the experience of some Presbyterian Ministers in their purest times above seventy Years ago witness The fulfilling of the Scriptures a Book set out by a zealous Presbyterian not vâ—ry long ago who relateth how Robert Bruce a Presbyterian Preacher in Edinbrough in Scotland had a spirit of discerning by which he freely declared to Robert Blair That though his Sermon was elaborate yet it had not the Spirit of God although the Doctrine waâ— not blamed by him And I have oft heard them say one to another Let us go hear such a man he is a living man and hath a lively and powerful Ministry and of others they would say They were dead and dry And seeing one living man can know another naturally why cannot one spiritual man know another living spiritual â—an spiritually a Sheep can know a Shâ—ep and a Dove a Dove and a Man can know a Man and yet a Saint cannot know a Saint by your Logick viz. certainly and infallibly And as to the word Immediately used by you I say a Saint may know a Saint as immediately and infallibly as a man may know a living man to wit he knows him to live by immediate Motions and workings of Life that immediately reach to his natural Senses and he seeth him breathe and heareâ—h â—im speak with strength of natural Life and â—hâ—t his discourse has Wisdom and Reason in it so a Saint or spiritual man may and doth know another Saint or spiritual man by immediate motions and operations of spiritual Life that immediately reach to his spiritual Senses and it is the divine Inspiration of the Spirit of Life that maketh a spiritual man and gâ—veth him both these spiritual Senses and the infallible use of them Pag. 42. Ye say The Apostles never pretended to a Spirit of Discerning If ye mean to know all the secrets of mens hearts I did not affirm it but that they had a knowledge of the sincerity of some and of the insincerity of others is most clear from many places of the New Testament for did not Paul most positively affirm of some particular Names That they were writ in the Book of Life And did not Peter know and that by a spirit of discerning the dissimulation of Ananias Saphira And that they might be deceived before they received the holy Ghost in that plenty as after Christ's Resurrection or even after in some particular men argueth nothing against the infallible sence discerning where it is given all it proveth is that they had not alwayes the perfect exercise of it The natural Senses are infallible touching natural Objects not absolutely but according to such due conditions and so the spiritual Senses according to their due conditions have their Infallibility And whereas I shewed in my Book That neither the example oâ— the Pharisees nor oâ— Judas could defend a Ministry without Piety because the Pharisees and Judas were yet under the legal Dispensation But â—he question relateâ— to the Gospel Dispensation in its more clear and perfect discovery after Christ's Resurrection this ye slightly pass telliâ—g That the Gospel was preached in the time of the Law But yet the Dispensation and Model was changed as ye confess and as there was a change in many things as the Sacrifices and Circumcision c. so of the Priesthood and manner of it Ye insinuate falsly against us That Hypocrites may be infallibly known by their meer looks Pag. 44. That a man may have Piety and real Sanctification and yet not have a ministerial and spiritual Giâ—t of Knowledge and Vâ—terance so as to be able to teach others is granted but yet whoever have these spiritual Gifts have in some measure the Grace of Sanctification which is the root of them â—ven as every School-master is a man but every man is not a School-master every man is a living Creature but every living Creature is not a man Unsanctified Gifts that any may pretend unto are not spiritual but carnal and are not so worthy as to be esteemed thâ— fâ—uit of Christs purchase Your saying Ye have too much cause to be perswaded by Scripture Rules that G. K. is an Apostate and unsanctified man I little regard your Tongue is not slander ye know me not and ye pretend to no infallible discerning of me and therefore by your confession ye may be mistaken and ye neither have given not can give any Scripture Rules to prove me suâ—h Men of your spirit called the Lord a Blaspâ—emer a Glutton and a Wine bibber and therefore it is no strange thing that ye caâ—l me as ye do but my comfort is that I am known to God and to many of his Servants and this your Reviling and false Speeches will turn to my good and to your hurt and shame if ye repent not whiâ—h I wish ye may Pag. 45. Ye say Ye do not plead for scandalous Ministers whose Conversation is contradictory to their Profession and Doctrine But by this ye fall into a gross Self-contradiction for did ye not plead your Doctrine from the example of the Pharisees whose Conversation was contradictory to their Doctrine for Christ said They did not as they said Ye blame me unjustly of forgeâ—fulness but are exceeding guilty of it your selves and much worse And besides the Qualifications required in a
Assembly was more wise than John could more properly and warily hoâ—d forth Gods attributes then John did or coulde The wise Assembly speak properly but Jehn a poor Fisher-man speaks Improperly and metaphorically only when he said God was Light But all this is meerly begged ye say nothing for proof that the name Light is any more improper to be a Name of God then the name Spirit for the name spirit in Hebrew Greek and Latine hath a various signification as well as Light and signifieth wind therfore either Light is a proper name of God or Spirit is not and if Spirit be improper than the Assembly was still partial to say God was a Spirit and not to say he was Light Indeed all Names that the language of men can express fall infinitely short to express him sufficiently but in the Language of men the Name Light is as proper as the Name Spiriâ— Pag. 65. Ye draw a perverse and blasphemous Consequence from a most great and absolute Truth God is an immense Light and then ye infer Hell it self dwells in his Light and Devils must be full of immediate Inspirations It s strange that ye will so sport with so weighty matters The Scripture saith God is light and God is every where yea in Hell but it doth not follow that either Hell or Devils dwell in God for there can be no communion betwixt Light and Darkness God and Belial and therefore Devils and Hell cannot dwell in God dwelling signifieth Communion and yet in Contradiction ye confess that God is a divine Light and derives of his wisdom voluntarily not to all alike I have never found in any Book so many self-Contradictions as ye are guilty of in this your dark Work Pag. 66. Ye call it Giddiness and Nonsence to say the light is immediate though it comes through a medium but ye have not sense enough to deny it Doth not every man acknowledge that he enjoyeth immediately the outward light of the sun in the open air and yet the Air is the medium through which it comes to him and also it comes into his sence and perception through the medium and organ of his Eye and though we hear a man immediately yet the Voice comes through the air and organ of the Ear Ye are very poor Logicians and Schollars that cannot distinguish betwixt the medium that transmitteth and the medium that doth intermit and hinder the action to be immediate for the medium that transmitteth doth not hinder the immediate action Ye add one Abuse to another for ye alledge I cite Plato saying it was mans in elicity to converse with Images oâ— things and to oppoâ—e this ye say Man shall converse with images oâ— things â—orever in his perfect state of Glory But it is clear by my words what Images I meant by adding the synonymous words Shadowes and Figures and then accoâ—ding to your Logick man in his perfect state of Glory shall forever converse only with the Shadowes and Figures or Pictures of things but not the things themselves But the Image of God which is Christ Jesus is no Shadow nor Sign but a most excellent Substance Ye say Plato is with me little inferior to Moses But it is a false Charge I judge him beyond what I can express inferior to Moses Pag. 66. Ye heap abuse on abuse falsely accusing me that I say The Word of God hath no more of God than a Glass Window hath of the Sun For I speak not of the Word of God using that Similitude But of the Scripture and though I compare the Scripture to a Glass Window yet it doth not follow that in every respect it answers to the same Pag. 67. Ye excuse one of your brethren for calling the Light of God in people a stinking Vapor from Hell by alledging another falshood upon us That we say the poor imperfect Light of Nature is God and Christ which is a meer Forgery we never said nor thought it But suppose neither God nor Christ is in People which is false yet do ye indeed judge that the poor imperfect Light of Nature that ye Pag. 30. confess Teacheth so many good things and prepareth to the receiving the Gospel is a stinking Vapour from Hell Remember how ye can clear this Ye justifie the Assemblies saying That the Communion of the Saints with Christ doth not in any wise make them partakers of the substance of his Godhead for that would infer as ye alledge the Swenckfeldian Doctrine That a Belever is Goded with God and Christed with Christ and this is the thing ye say that G. K. is here to prove or he proves nothing I Answer That Swenckfeldus used any such manner of Doctrine or Terms I find not that ye prove from any of his Writings and it is possible that ye may abuse him as ye do the Quakers But however Swenckfeldus is to answer for himself I own no such Doctrine or Terms nor my Brethren but on the contrary we have believed and do still believe that none of the Saints are God or Christ and that no man is the Lord Jesus Christ but he only who was born of the Virgin Mâ—ry and suffered Death under Pontius Pilate who is both God and Man and to whom divine Worship Honour and Glory is to be given but to no Man else nor to Saint nor Angel But yet the Doctrine of the Assembly is absurd That the Saints are in no wise partakers oâ— the Godhead of Christ for this wholly excludes Christ and God from the Saints If they had said The Believers and Saints are not partakers of the Godhead as the Man Christ was in every respect or in that respect so as to be both God and Man they had said well for the difference is wonderfully gâ—eat The Union of the Man-hood and God-head of Christ is so great and so admirable a Mystery that it surpasseth all created Understanding and shall be the Object of the Admiration of Saints and Angels as now so in the World to come and this Union is not through any Mediator betwixt God and the Man Christ but the Believers are united unto God through Christ the Mediator and therefore he is the Head and they the Members and that is Honour and Happiness enough unto them But since the Scripture saith That Believers are partakers of the divine Nature and of the holy Spirit and that the divine Nature and holy Spirit is one Substance with God and Christ therefore the Assembly's Doctrine is absurd to deny That the Saints are partakers in any wise of the substance of his Godhead Pag. 69. Ye will not own That Believers partake either of Christs God-head or Manhood but ye say They partake of his Graces and they are substantial things But all this will not help you for ye say in the following page Grace it selâ— is a Creature and created Principle Now if the Saints partake only of a created Principle or Creature they partake nothing of God's Substance
or beeing unless ye will say That a Creature is any part or measure oâ— Gods Beeing or Substance And whereas ye say Graces are substantial things and are not meer Accidents but Adjuncts And thus ye seek to hide you from the ignorant in the Thicket of some Loicgal and School Terms and Phrases but when ye say Graces are substantial things ye do not tell whether ye call them so properly or metaphorically as when ye call God Light ye say it is not properly but metaphorically And for your distinction of Adjuncts and Accidents I suppose I learned that thing ye call Logick that ye seem to glory in as well as ye and do remember what is any wise useful in it as well as ye and I never understood that either Logicians or Philosophers so called did hold that the Soul of man had any Adjuncts that was neither the real Essence and Substance of the Soul nor yet Accidents and therefore if the Grace of God in the Soul be no Accident but the Adjunct of the Soul it must be the Soul it self and this is Pelaganism and Socinianism with a Witness for Pelagius and Socinus denyed the need of any inward Grace that was not thâ— Sâ—ul it self for the Attributes of every being and so of the Soul are such Adjuncts as are either essential to that being or accidental and for this I can and do appeal to all who have any ordinary taste of that called Logick or Metaphysick but I shall not insist on this School-nicity And for your Proof that Grace is a Creature or created Principle from Ephes 4.29 If you mean the virtues brought forth in the saints called the fruits of the Spirit as Faith Hope Love Temprance Righteousness c. we own them in the Scripture sence to be the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness but that they are such a Created Principle as are neither the Soul it self nor Christ nor Accidents but a substance of another nature from all these is a novelty that I have not formerly heard of As for our Doctrine concerning Grace it is plain according to Scripture the Seed or Original Principle of Grace in the Soul is a measure of the Spirit and Life of Christ and is not Properly a Creature as commonly taken but a Pure divine Emanation and stream from Christ the Fountain and is of the same nature with the Fountain and is substantial and every Soul that is by a true and living Faith joyned to this Seed and Principle of Gods Grace is partaker of it Substantially and none else and is there by made fruitful to bring forth heavenly and divine Fruits as Love Joy Peace Meâ—kness Temperance Humility c. which are Divine Effects and may be said to be the New Creation or the Image of Christ formed and brought forth in us and where these effects are yea where that Seed is neither God nor Christ can be separated from the same Pag. 69. 70. Ye say Nor doth the Doctrine of Dr. Owen or Mr. Rutherford in the words of theirs which he cites at all run into the Quakers Blasphemy Ans Ye do then hold it Blasphemy for the Quakers to say that God and Christ dwell in the Saints and true Believers and therefore to avoid this Blasphemy ye will not own that God and Christ dwell in them and then surely ye preach an absent God and Christ for if Christ dwell not in Believers he is absent from them And yet ye contradict your selves herein as your manner is ye say The Person of the Holy Ghost dwells in us by his Operations And thus ye would falsly gloss upon the words of J. O. and S. R. for J. O. hâ—ld a peculiar Perswasion far differing from his Brethren the Presbyterians for which Cauldrey severely taxed him that whereas they held it that the holy Ghost dwelt not by himselâ— or personally as they phrase it in Believers but by his Operations Graces and Gifts J. O. in his Book of Perseverence useth many reasons and words to prove That the holy Ghost himself together with his Operations and Graces he as well as they dwelt in Believers and not the Graces without him and upon this he buildeth the Doctrine of Perseverance And S. R. said He will not have the Graces of Christ without Christ. But ye plead that the Graces of Christ are in the Saints but not Christ himself and therefore if our Doctrine be blasphemous ye must allow J. O. and S. R. equally guilty but the guilt of Blasphemy is yours who would exclude Christ from the Saints and divide the Graces of Christ from Christ which is impossible and is contrary to all sound Reason as well as Scripture to divide and seperate the Operator from his Operations Pag. 70. Ye do acknowledge That ye agree with the Ranters in that Principle viz. That God doth all and hath unchangeably ordered all things good and bad are we therefore Ranters say ye Answ Let impartial men judge seeing this is the fundamental Error of the Ranters and the Root and Base of all their other Ranting Principles and Practices Pag. 72. Ye most falsly charge me as if I were restoring Manicheâ—sm into the World as if there were two Principles or first Causes the one of Good the other of Evil for ye are very ignorant if ye know not that the Manichism Principle was That there was an Evil first Cause or Principle essentially evil uncreated eternal independent and equal to the good But we hold no such Doctrine there is one only first cause of all things originally that is essentially good and goodness and all things were originally good and all the Evil that came afterwards into the World was not any real Creation or Production of any substance for Evil in the abstract i. e. Sin is no substance but either a privation as the sin of Omission or some depraved mode or modification or alteration in the Crâ—ature that the Creature it self is the Author of and therefore Christ said The Devil was a Lyar and Murderer from the beginning and when he speaketh a Lye he speaketh of himself Pag. 73. Ye require me to tell you How God did fore-know all evil Actions that should be done in Time unless he had pre-determined them Answ The way and manner of Gods fore-knowledge surpasseth all creaturely Understanding and therefore it is too great boldness and presumption in you to imagin ye can tell it and it is yet worse to think yâ— can tell it by a way that contradicts the Scripture and the invvard sense of God in mens hearts as Because God pre-determines all evil Actions Thefts Murders Adulteries therefore he fore-knoweth them This is to make God equally the Author of Evil as of Good It is sufficiâ—nt to us to believe and know that the decâ—ee of God is Permissive but not Pre-determinative of evil Actions and as he knoweth evil Actions that are at preseâ—t brought foâ—th as they now are so
unto Death that even in these visible Testimonies it might be learned that the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life And immediately in the following Chapter he saith Therefore what was done in Israel by the appointment of the Law and the Sayings or Oracles of the Prophets the Testimonies of the whole Creation and the Miracles of the divine Goodness did perform in all Nations And that the Rain-bow was a sign of Salvation the same Author expresseth in the following words lib. 2. cap. 4. And the Security of Salvation â—aith he is consecrated in the Testimony of the Rain-bow consisting of divers Colours that is in the sign of the manifold Grace the which Mysteries and Sacraments did not instruct these very few men of one Family only but in them all their Posterity that what was given for the Instruction of the Parents might be profitable to the knowledge of their Sons Thus he And in the same Book cap. 9. he saith And it is manifest that by divers and innumerable manners God will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth but who come they are directed by the help of God who come not they resist by their own pertinacy And in the beginning of that Chapter he saith The Grace of God indeed doth principally appear in all Justifications counselling with Exhortations admonishing with Examples terrifying with Dangers inciting with Miracles inspiring Counsel Note the word Inspiring and enlightning the Heart it self and induing it with the Affections of Faith And a little after Which help viz. of divine Grace â—â— offered or applyed unto all by innumerable ways either hid or open and that it is rejected by many it is their own Wickedness but that it is received by many it is both of the divine Grace and of the Will of Man viz. co-operating And cap. 10. he saith We have laboured to prove so far as God hath helped us that not only in the last dayes but in all the fore-going Ages the Grace of God was present with all men with a like Providence and general Goodness but in a manifold manner of working and divers measure for either hiddâ—nly or openly he is as said the Apostle the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe The which Sentence of most subtil shortness and great strength if it be considered with a quiet sight doth end this whole Controversie for by saying He is the Saviour of all Men he hath confirmed the general goodness of God over all men but by adding especially of them that believe he showeth that there is a part of Mankind which by the merit of Faith divinely inspired Note the words Faith divinely inspired ye who deny divine Inspiration to be remaining ' is carried on to the highest and eternal Salvation by special benefits And a little after he saith ' And although that general Vocation doth not cease yet that special Vocation iâ— now made common to all And immediately before he saith No place of the World is destitute of the Gospel of Christ Where it is worth the observing how he holdeth forth a twofold Vocation and Calling both of Grace and belonging to the Gospel and Salvation the one general the other special and peculiar to such who have the Gospel preached to them by the Ministry of Men and have the benefit of the holy Scriptures And Luther in the Book called his Mensalia cap. 6. p. 101. saith In all Creatures we see a Declaration and Signification of the holy Trinity the Substance signifieth the Almighty Power of God the Father the Form and Shape declareth the Wisdom of God the Son the Power and Strength is a sign of the holy Ghost in so much that God is present in all his Creatures Thus far Luther expresly And since ye say Your Knowledge Faith of Christ in this Life as well as your Holiness Obedience is not perfect do ye not think if ye come to Heaven as I wish ye may by unfeigned Repâ—ntance for your gain-saying the Truth that ye shall receive the more perfect knowledge of Christ at or after Death and then why not faithful Gentiles as well as ye Pag. 96. Ye ask Where do I find three Baptisms in Scripture c I Answ I find in Scripture the Baptism of Moses for the Fathers were baptized into Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea 2dly The Baptism of John 3dly the Baptism of Christ with Fire and the holy Ghost and some were under a divine Dispensation who knew God only as a general Father to Mankind but knew not that God had an only begotten Son and others knew that God was and Christ was the Son of God and believed knowing only the Doctrine of John and said They knew not that there was an holy Ghost viz. to inspire men and in this same Ignorance ye are at this day And without doubt every divine Dispensation hath itâ— inward peculiar Baptisâ— and Washing and that a mans Salvation may be begun under thâ— first but not perfected I still affirm and have proved and ye have not disproved it Pag. 99. Ye speak very ignoâ—antly and scoffingly against Christ the Light in all men saying Is it the Light in men that was born of a Virgin hanged on a Tree I Answer Here ye more act the part of Socinians like your Brethren in Opposition Pardon Tillinghast and B. Keech who use the same Language and whom I have answered than like Orthodox and Sound Christians doth not the Scripture say They killed the Prince of Life and he who was killed and hanged on a Tree was not a meer Body but a Man consisting of Spirit Soul and Body and was not a meer Man but both God and Man and He who was hanged on a Tree said He was the Light of the World and in him it pleased the Father all fullness should dwell of Light Life and Grace and a measure of his Light and Spirit that neither is nor can be seperated from the fullness is in all men in a day of Visitation and dwelleth in the Saints and is revealed in great Glory in them but in Unbelievers it is very greatly vailed and hid and is the Light shining in Darkness c. and the Man Christ who did hang on the Tree is that second Man who is the quickening Spirit and ye may as well say Did the quickening Spirit hang on the Tree surely he who suffered Death on the Tree was both God and Man and not a meer Man and yet he suffered not as God nor in his Godhead but in his Manhood Your Ignorance is greatly to be lamented who are thus ignorant of the first Principles of the Doctrine of Christ although ye profess your selves Ministers of the Gospel Take heed of willful Ignorance that unless men be in the Faith Christ is not in them in that peculiar sence of the word Inbeing as it signifieth union and in-dwelling and enjoyment is granted as we say in one
Covenants and do not show wherein Ye say The New-Covenant cannot be fallen from Again ye say It is a Contradiction that a man may be a Believer and yet but in Adam 's Covenant and fall away Whi h yet is your own Contradiction for ye have granted That the Faith that can be lost is not a false Faith and therefore if not false it is true in its manner But whether the Faith that can be lost and the Faith that persevereth and holdeth out to the end and is like to Gold and more precious than Gold differ in kind or degree is a Question too subtil and doth involve into Philosoâ—hical School-Subtilties for it is not altogether agreed among th m called Philosophers and School-men what maketh a specifical difference in all respects as whether Brass Silver and Gold differ in specie and kind or only in degree therefore such a dispute I waved and do still wave as not being so proper to be disputed in School Terms for it is best to keep to Scripture words which the holy Ghost hath dictated As Gold endureth all tryal of fire and is not consumed by it so the most precious Faith of Gods elect Saints and Children endureth all fiery Tryals of all sorts And becaus ye would appear to be such mighty Patrons Defenders of the Protestant Religion and Principles I shall cite the Testimony of Luther whom ye will not be so bold I suppose to deny but that he was a Protestant and a better man than any of you as concerning this matter and another Testimony of these who gave forth the Augustane Confession who were followers of Luther and are generally acknowledged Protestants In Luther's Mensalia cap. 13. p. 227. he saith expresly For Faith is either false or feigned or although it be upright yet it is extinguished when People witting and willfully do against Gods Command and the holy Spirit which is given to the faithful departeth and is lost through evil Works done against the Conscience as the example of David sufficiently witnesseth Thus Luther And the Augustane Confession given forth by Protestants says expresly Article 12. They condemn the Anabaptists who deny that they who are once justified can loose the holy Spirit So ye may see or if ye will shut your Eyes yet the Impartial Readers may see how it is a Doctrine of antient Protestants more antient than your New-England Model that they who are once justified may loose the holy Spirit and they who say they cannot are guilty of the Error of the Anabaptists and the Scripture Testimony is most plain that they may be Partakers of the holy Spirit and may afterwards fall away Heb. 6. So that hitherto ye have not showed any one Article of Faith wherein I or my Brethren differ either from Scripture or the best sort of Protestants for in all these matters we have both the Scipture and the best sort of Protestants on our side and therefore your Charge is false as if I or we did oppose the fundamental Articles of Salvation as ye alledge p. 127. ad fin Pag. 118. Ye falsly charge the Quakers that they boast of Perfection The honest and fober People called Qrs. hold forth the Doctrine of Pefection according to the Scripture as a state attainable by the Grace of God but boast not of their attainment they chuse rather to express any measure of Attainments they have by a good and innocent Life than by a talk of it Pag. 119. Ye falsly charge it upon me as a Cheat and Fraud That I infer it from your Dâ—ctrine that the good Works of Gods holy Spirit are defilâ—d in and by the Saints Answ I make no such â—â—ference but I did set down the express words of the Confession of the Assembly owned by you cap. 16. That the best Work of the Saints which proceed from the Spirit of God as they are wroâ—ght by them are defiled Let the Reader see the place and he will find the Cheat to be yours and not mine yea p. 119. forgetting your selves ye say expresly That the Works of the Saints which ye confess are wroâ—ght also by the holy Spirit are defiled by sin And whereas ye say The Wâ—rk is not totally perfect and totally sin yet ye teâ—â— not what part of it is not sin for the whole Work as done by you is sin which is still a Chimaera seeing that whole Work is done also by the Spirit Pag. 120. Ye blame me for alledging it to be â—our Doctrine That they must sin viz. Saints and Believers as long as they live as if there were a fatal necessity that God laid them under o so doing Answ But whether this be not the real and true sence of your Doctrine that saith No man is able by any Grace of God to keep the Commandments oâ— God but doth daily break them in Tâ—oâ—ght Word and Deed. Let Impartial Readers judge for whâ—t men cannâ—t do th y are under a necessity not to do and not to do is sin and ye say God hath decreed all this and if it be not a fatal Necessity in the sence of the Epicureans or others who held a fatal Necessity and denyed a divine Providence yet in another sence it may be called a fatal Necessity Pag. 121. Ye would cover the Impertinency of the Citation of Rom. 3.9 c. from the description of the natural state of man there given But this is but a fig-leaf for the Assembly brings that place of Scripture to prove universally That no man neither Saint nor any other can keep Gods Commandments c. And truly they are sad and miserable Saints who are in the case there described and yet as I said before too like to these in N. England whose feet were swift to shed Blood and their Throat an open Sepulchre Your answers to the places of Scripture I brought to prove the possibility of Perfection by the Grace of God are meer Assertions without any Reasons of the least seeming weight to prove them and therefore I refer both what I and Ye say to the Readers further Impartial Consideration Pag. 123. Ye say Nor was Noah so perfect but that afterwards he was drunken This is a weak Reason ye may at this rate deny that God created Adam free of all sin because after God made him he sinned We plead not for an impossibility of sinning but a possibility of not sinning by the Grace of God Ezek. 36.25 The making them clean from all their Filthyness belongs ye say to Justification Answ I doubt ye have forgot your selves sure I â—m it was the common Doctâ—ine of the Pâ—â—byterians That Justification took away the Gâ—ilt of Sin and Sanctifiâ—ation took away the Filtâ— oâ— it But now according to your New Model it seemeth Sanctification taketh no Filthilness of sin away at all and therefore aâ— in respect of Sanctification the whole filthiness of sin remains in the best Saints their heaâ—ts are as filthy inwardly as ever formerly for