Word and Doctrine doth not depend on the Church nor is built on the Church but the Church depends on it and is built thereupon Eph. 2.20 Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone and great Foundation of both Section 7. The Rule of the Christian Faith must be a Doctrine which sets before our Minds all the Credenda or things necessary to be believed in certain Propositions concerning which the Mind of Man can give a Judgment Affirmative or Negative AGain that the Doctrine is the most perfect Rule being compared with the new Creature or work of Sanctification is evident because so far a Man is said to be the more sanctified and redeemed the more that his Faith Love Hope Humility Patience Temperance Justice and other Virtues comes up to a Conformity to the precepts of God and Christ faithfully declared to us in the Holy Scriptures And notwithstanding the high pretentions of some among the People called Quakers to perfection yet I appeal to W. P's Conscience if he can or dare say or think that his Sanctity or Virtues come up to a full Conformity to the Holy precepts delivered in the Holy Scripture Is his Faith as great as the Doctrine given us in the Holy Scripture requires it to be Is his Love as perfect perfect and compleat Is his Meekness Patience and Humility Justice Temperance and Piety equal to the heighth breadth depth and length of all God's Commands even as outwardly delivered in the Holy Scriptures I trust he hath so much discretion as to say nay then let him not exalt his Sanctity or Work of the New Creature wrought in him above the Sanctity of the Holy Doctrine and precepts of God and Christ contained in the Holy Scripture making his Sanctity or New Creature in him superior or primary Rule to the Doctrine but let the Doctrine have its due place to be a superior and primary Rule to his Sanctity or work of the New Creature wrought in him let his Faith and Love and other Virtues if he hath them be Ruled by the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures and subjected thereunto but let not the Doctrine be subjected unto his Faith and Virtues which are far inferior to the Purity Spirituality and Holiness of the Doctrine But if he will say the New Creature in him is the greatest and highest and most perfect Rule whereby to square his Faith and Life it followeth that he is arrived at the highest pitch of Holiness for what can be beyond or above the highest and most perfect Rule of Sanctity But again the greatest Sanctity that is possible of Men or Angels simply considered could not have given the knowledge of Christ's Incarnation and of our Redemption by him without a divine Revelation therefore the Sanctity or New Creature in the Holiest of Men could not be to them a Rule of Faith as touching these Mysteries If he will say there is a higher and more perfect Rule of Sanctity than the New Creature wrought in him let him tell us what it is if not the Doctrine delivered in the Holy Scriptures the Laws Precepts and Commandments delivered there If he say the Light within or Christ and the Spirit within is that highest and most perfect Rule of Sanctity To this I answer The Spirit or Light within abstractly considered cannot be properly a Rule I say abstractly considered from the Doctrines and Precepts delivered by the Spirit whither internally without any external Medium or externally by some external Meidum Nothing properly can be a Rule of Christian Faith as in respect of the peculiar Doctrines of the Christian Religion but that Doctrine which sets before our Minds certain propositions of Truth to which the Mind can and ought to assent from sufficient Motives of Credibility which W.P. from his own definition of Faith must allow For he defines Faith Page 4. to be an assent of the Mind in such manner to the discoveries made of God thereto as to resign up to God and have dependance on him as the great Creator and Saviour of his People Where Note that he wholly passeth by Christ Considered as God-Man from being concerned in the object of Faith and so his Faith is no other but the Faith of a meer Deist Now seeing he defines Faith to be an assent of the Mind to certain discoveries made of God thereto c. These discoveries must be certain propositions set before the Mind in some form of Words mentally conceived and apprehended for the Nature of the Mind or intellect of Man is such that it cannot Judge what is true or false but as the truth is set before it in certain propositions consistng of Words at least internally conceived and apprehended for the assent of the Mind is a Judgment of the Mind formed whereby it Judgeth this or that to be true and if it be a true Judgment it must have some proposition consisting of words concerning which it is enabled either to affirm or deny what is really true as the Mind cannot assent to this great truth that God is not a Body but by a negative proposition consisting of some words which is a negative Judgment nor can it assent to this other proposition that God is a Spirit but by an affirmative proposition consisting of some words at least Internally conceived called by some Idea's which is an affirmative Judgment and therefore so far as Faith is an act of the intellect and an assent of the Mind it must needs have some Words at least internally proposed to it whereby it is capable to give an assent to the Truth of what it Judgeth and seeing in matters purely of Faith the Mind is not capable of giving an assent to the truth of them without some sufficient motives of Credibility as that they are given of God who is a God of Truth and cannot lye nor deceive From these Considerations it is evident that as there can be no assent of the Mind or intellect without words or Idea's so there can be no Faith without them and consequently that the Rule of Faith must be certain propositions consisting of words and sentences such as God delivered to the Prophets and which are recorded in Scriptures such are That the Word was made Flesh that a Virgin should Conceive and Bare a Son and that Son should be the Saviour of the World that by his Death he should reconcile us unto God That he should rise again from the Dead on the Third Day and ascend into Heaven and that he should there remain appearing in the presence of God for us our mighty Advocate and Intercessor until he come again to Judge the Quick and the Dead c. How can the Mind of Man assent to these great Truths without words at least Internally conceived if he cannot as every intelligent Person must acknowledge then those very words as they lye in a certain series and order of propositions are the Rule of his Faith But seeing these words have no
self-evidence but the evidence of the truth of them depends on the veracity of God the Original Author of them the next thing to be enquired into is what is the great and most principal motive of Credibility to move and effectually perswade the Mind that they are the Words of God surely he who believes that there is a God cannot but assent to this proposition that whatever God hath said is true that all the Words of God are Words of truth it hath as immediate evidence to him that has the least true knowledge of God as that the whole is greater than the part That then which is only requisite to move the Mind of Man to assent to any words delivered to us as the words of God is to have a sufficient motive of Credibility given us why we should believe them to be indeed the words of God That the Prophets and Apostles knew that all the words they delivered to Men as the words of God were infallibly the words of God is generally granted by all that own the Truth of Divine Revelation the manner of their Conveyance to their Understanding being with such a Divine Power Majesty and Glory and making such a Divine Impression on them as infallibly assured them and this many times without all Miracles proposed to their outward Senses Section 8. That the Faithful have as good Assurance of the Truth and Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures by the ordinary Inspirations of the Spirit in the use of the outward Means as the Prophets had by Extraordinary and Prophetical The Distinction betwixt them explained THE great Question therefore that remains now to be considered and resolved is Whither the Faithful cannot have and actually have not as good Assurance in respect of all Fundamentals and Essentials of the Christian Faith at least that the words delivered by the Holy Prophets and Apostles were the Words of God as if they had received them in the same way and manner as the Prophets and Apostles received them which was without any external Medium such as the Ministry of Men and Books whereas the way that we now receive those words is by some external Medium to wit the Ministry of Men and Books I shall not here insist upon the external Motives of Credibility taken either from so many Thousands of the best and wisest of Men in the several Ages of the World since the words were committed to writing who have received and embraced them to be what really they are even the Words of the Living and True God or such as are taken from the Words themselves as outwardly delivered such as the Simplicity Purity Majesty and Efficacy of their Doctrine the Harmony of the several Parts the fulfilling of the many Prophecies contained in them the many other incomparable Excellencies of them the wonderful Effects they have had on many Thousands and Millions of Men in being instrumental to their Conversion from Idolatry and Ungodliness to true Piety and Sanctity all which are of great weight to convince the Reason of Men but because all this doth amount to no more but a rational Conviction and doth not beget a Divine Assent or Perswasion Therefore I conclude with all Orthodox and Sound Christians that our full Perswasion and Assurance of the Infallible Truth and Divine Authority of them is from the inward Work of the Holy Spirit by his Internal and Supernatural Illumination Inspiration and Revelation and secret and most inward Teaching in our Hearts by sensible and perceptible Impressions Sealing to the Truth of them upon our Hearts and Minds And here I think fit to guard against a two-fold Extream that I find too many run into both greatly and dangerously erroneous the one is of some that grant indeed that the Spirit doth inwardly operate in the Souls of Men and more especially in the Souls of the Faithful but this Operation or Agency and Efficiency of the Spirit they will have it only to be effective and no-wise objective that is to say no-wise perceptible or sensible to the Soul in which the Spirit doth so operate Hence it is that some of them have called this Internal Operation of the Spirit even in the Faithful Medium incognitum assentiendi the which Assertion being so repugnant to the Scripture Testimonies in many places that hold forth the Spirits internal Operations and Virtues to be as sensible upon the internal and spiritual Senses of Souls in any good degree inwardly quickned and made alive to God as the Operations of outward Light Heat Cold or the most affecting Objects of Sight Taste Smelling and Feeling are upon our outward and bodily Senses and also being so contrary to the Experience of many Thousands of true experienced Christians I shall not insist here any further to refute it The other as dangerous and erroneous Extream is of such of whom is W.P. and his Party as plainly appears by what he layeth down in this Treatise and oft elsewhere in his Books who hold That the Manner and Kind of the Spirits Internal Inspirations Revelations Illuminations and inward Teachings is the same with that which the Prophets and Apostles had that is to say that whatever they think they have a Divine Knowledge and Faith of the words which are necessary to be the Rule and Medium to the obtaining this Knowledge and Faith must be given them as they were given to the Pen-men of the Holy Scriptures to wit without the external Medium of the Holy Scriptures and without any external Teaching whatsoever and that therefore their Faith and Knowledge so far as it is Divine hath no dependence on the words delivered in the Holy Scriptures but whatever they know or believe by a Divine Knowledge and Faith it is wholly from words inwardly given them from the Spirit without all outward conveyance of Men or Books Hence it is that W.P. calls his and his Brethrens Rule of Faith and Life the eternal Precepts of the Spirit in Mens Consciences but as for the Precepts and Words outwardly delivered in Scripture they are but to him what Pythagoras and other Philosophers quoted by him Page 6. judged of other Writings to wit liveless Precepts Hence many of his Party have presumed to call them a Dead Letter Death and Carnal Yet Page 25. he is so yielding and seemingly kind to the Scriptures that he grants them to be a subordinate secondary and declaratory Rule Such a subordinate secondary and declaratory Rule saith he we never said several parts of Scripture were not Here observe for all his professed kindness to the Scriptures he will not allow all the parts of Scripture but only some parts of it to be so much as a subordinate secondary and declaratory Rule though even the Ceremonial Precepts he has as great reason to believe them to be the Words of God and consequently a Rule of Faith though not of Practise as touching the external Types as truly as any other parts of Scripture But seeing every subordinate
and secondary Rule pre-supposeth a primary Rule which hath no dependence on the Secondary though the Secondary is wholly from the Primary as the Transcript is wholly from the Original but the Original is intirely compleat and perfect without the Copy or Transcript it is evident that according to him he hath all what he thinketh to be a Divine Knowledge and Faith wholly from his primary Rule and nothing from the Scriptures which he calls the Secondary for the Excellency of the primary Rule is that it teacheth all that is to be divinely known or believed without the need or help of any secondary Rule otherwise it should not be primary nor should the Scriptures in that case be a subordinate Rule but co-ordinate and of equal Dignity Necessity and Use with what he calls the Primary for whatever is a primary full adequate and perfect Rule such as he will have only the Light within or by whatever other Name he designs it it must propose to him all the Credenda and Agenda i. e. all things he ought to believe and practise without any other Rule whatsoever And yet in Contradiction to his own Doctrine he grants p. 25. That by and through the Scripture as some Instrument this great and universal Rule which he will have to be the living spiritual immediate omnipresent discovering ordering Spirit of God may convey its directions Judge Reader if this be not a Contradiction to his former Doctrine and a great Impertinency surely as he who hath the Original has no need of the Copy nor great use of it for himself so if W.P. have such a perfect compleat primary Rule that teacheth him without Scripture all what he ought to know believe or practise I cannot understand of what great use the Scripture can be unto him or at least it is of no necessity to him this primary Rule hath taught him all before-hand otherwise it is not primary If it be objected That the Prophets and Apostles had the Spirits inward Teachings to be their primary Rule in what they delivered as Prophets and Apostles and yet they made use of the Scriptures such as were penned before them I answer Because neither the Prophets nor Apostles were taught in all things that they believed and practised by the Spirits inward Teachings as the primary Rule but only in what they spoke or writ as Prophets and Apostles in other things which they had not by Prophetical Inspiration the Scripture what was then extant of it was the primary Rule to them as well as to others of the Faithful who were neither Prophets nor Apostles Section 9. That the Doctrine of the Holy Scripture is the Rule of Faith which Faith the Spirit of God being the principal Efficient begets and works in the Faithful by the Doctrine which is the Instrument of the Spirit That it brings Confusion and derogates from the Spirit to make the Spirit the Rule Arg. 6. ANother of W. P's great Arguments to prove that the Scripture is not the Rule of Faith p. 13. is How shall I be assured saith he that these Scriptures came from God If with the Spirit that gave them forth which searcheth the deep things of God a measure of which is given to me to profit withal then it is most congruous to call the Spirit by way of Excellency and not the Scriptures the Rule I answer denying his Consequence It is indeed allowed that it is congruous for that cause to call the Spirit the principal efficient and moving Cause together with Christ and God the Father but most incongruous false and pernicious to make him to be the Rule which is so far from giving the due Honour and Excellency to the Spirit so to do that it derogates from his Honour and Excellency for it confounds the efficient Cause with the Instrument and is as absurd as to say the Square or Carpenter's Rule that the Carpenter works with that is but of Wood is the Carpenter himself which is extreamly false it is no derogation from the Spirit to say that he useth the Rule or Instrument of his own preparing whereby to frame and fashion us according to his good pleasure as the Carpenter useth his Square or Rule to frame his pieces of Wood to put into a Building And for the better clearing of the matter a little further when all Orthodox Christian Writers say that we are assured that the Scriptures came from God with or by the Spirit that gave them forth they mean not that the Spirits inward Testimony or Witness to the Divine Authority of the Scriptures is any new or repeated Testimony of the Words and Doctrines of the Scripture which is not necessary but only by way of putting a Seal on a Deed or Bond together with the Hand or Subscription of him that gives the Deed or Bond which Hand and Seal confirms the Truth of the Bond yet it doth not tell what the Contents of the Deed or Bond is nor is it necessary it should the Deed or Bond it self tells the Contents of it And to use the Schools Distinction a little in the case The Doctrines and Words contained in the Holy Scriptures are the material object of Faith to wit quod Creditur i e. what is believed but the Spirits inward Testimony Seal or Impulse and Motion which carrieth in it a peculiar Evidence that none knoweth but he who hath it is the formal Object of Faith to wit propter quod Creditur that inward Motion and Influence Impression and Influence of the Spirit that sensibly and perceptibly moveth the Faithful to believe the Truth of the Scriptures as being the Words of God Nor is this Controversie about the Rule of Faith and Life a Logomachy or strife of words as some may ignorantly suppose but a most material Case and of most dangerous Consequence to exclude the Scriptures which are the great and blessed Means that God has appointed us for begetting true Faith Knowledge and Obedience in us through the mighty Operation of the Spirit of God But if what the Spirit of God hath appointed us to be the Means and Instrument of our Knowledge and Faith and Practise and the Rule whereby to discern Truth from Error Right from Wrong with the Spirits internal Illumination we prove neglectful of it to wit of the Holy Scriptures in the frequent use of them by Reading Hearing Meditation and Prayer we provoke the Holy Spirit to depart from us and to leave us to our vain imaginations and Satan's suggestions and delusions to be received by us as Divine Revelations and Inspirations as hath happened to many to their unspeakable hurt Again as the Spirit nor yet his Internal Inspiration or Illumination and Revelation is not the Rule of Faith but the principal efficient of it and his Internal Inspiration Illumination and Revelation is the Objective Medium moving the Mind to assent to the truth of the Doctrines contained in the Holy Scriptures but not the Rule of Faith nor
Light within which all Mankind had as well as the Jews but the outward Word of Doctrine delivered by the Prophets according to Psal 147.19 He shewed his Word unto Jacob c. The which external Word he calls Sect. 1. Aliud melius adminiculum i. e. another and better help which was necessary to direct us rightly to the Creator of the World comparing it with whatever other helps God had given to Mankind without them or within them which he calls Communia illa Documenta those common Documents the which external Word he saith is Rectior certior ad ipsum Cognoscendum nota i. e. a more right and more sure Mark whereby to know him which also he calls the Rule of the Eternal verity and cap. 9. Sect. 1. l. 1. inst He calleth them Nebulones i. e. Knaves and chargeth them with Nefarious Sacriledge that divide the Word to wit the external Word from the Spirit which God hath Joyned together by an inviolable Bond and in the Title of that Chapter he calleth them Fanaticks and saith They overthrow all the Principles of Piety who despising the Scripture to wit considered as the Rule flee over to Revelation pretending to be taught by the Spirit without the external Word Where it is evident he doth not mean that whoever are taught by the outward Word are sufficiently taught without the Spirit but that whoever are taught Savingly to know God as the Creator or Christ the Redeemer they are taught of the Spirit with and by the external Word as the instrument of the Spirit which he hath given to us for a Rule of Faith and Life not that it 's the Rule to the Spirit but the Rule to us of the Spirits giving and preparing and which he perswades us to be Truth by his secret operation in us And as unfair and fallacious as W.P. hath been in wresting misapplying and abusing Calvin's words to prove that he was not of another Mind than W.P. viz. That the Scriptures is not the Rule of Faith and Life he is as unfair absurd and fallacious in his quoting other late Protestant Authors as Bish Jewel Dr. Ames Dr. Owen all which are sufficiently known by their Books to be of a contrary Mind as much as one thing can be to another The Quotations indeed taken out of those Authors prove that they did assert the necessity of the Spirits inward Operation in the Souls of Men to perswade them to believe the Truth of the Scriptures and the necessity of his Internal Illumination to give the Saving understanding of them as particularly the quotation given out of J. Calvin instit lib. 1. c. 8. who gives the Sense of all those Authors and indeed of all true Christians viz. It is necessary the same Spirit that spake by the Mouth of the Prophets should pierce into our Hearts to perswade us that they faithfully delivered that which was committed to them of God which he illustrates by the word Obsignare elsewhere in that Book that is by Sealing to the truth of them but this does not prove that this inward Obsignation of the Spirit is the Rule of Faith even in Calvin's sense or that the Scripture was not that Rule Page 36 It 's strange that W.P. should bring a proof against the Lawfulness of Swearing from the Conviction of the Light within some Jews long before Christ came to wit the Esseni that when the Scriptures of the Old Testament made it lawful to Swear in some Cases if W.P. believes that the Spirit of God did Dictate these Scriptures that the same Spirit in the Esseni should teach them that it was unlawful even while the Mosaical dispensation was yet standing But how proves he that the Esseni did think Swearing unlawful from a Conviction of the Light within them when others of the most faithful of the Jews both then and before that time did Judge Swearing Lawful and that from the declared and revealed Will of God in the Old Testament that came from the Light within in Moses and the Prophets that was in force until Christ suffered as to all the other parts of it If he will allow that the eternal Precepts of the Spirit in the Conscience command one thing to some and the quite contradictory to another surely at this rate the Light within must be a very uncertain Rule for by this Concession one may take the liberty to say his Light within commands him to Kill to Steal to commit Adultery though the same Light in another forbids it I had thought that by the Eterprecepts in the Conscience W.P. had meant those unchangeable Precepts and Laws of Justice and Temperance c which in all Ages have been the same to all Men and will ever be the same to all so long as the World lasteth But now it seems even the Precepts of Light within are not Eternal but Temporal and may be changed and one may be commanded to Swear or permitted without Sin to Swear and another forbidden But there are two things that W.P. in his instance of the Esseni that would not Swear which he quotes out of Josephus and Philo. That they shun Oaths worse than Perjury for they esteem him Condemned for a Lyer who without it is not believed should prove neither of which he hath done First That they held it Unlawful in any Case to Swear even when called before Authority for it may rather be thought it was common Swearing they were against a thing that was too ordinary among the Jews seeing the Law did allow Swearing in a Judicial way Levit. 5. that was then in force Secondly Suppose they were against all Swearing that they had this from the Light within them it is much more probable it was an erronious Opinion in them which could not proceed from the Light within otherwise it had contradicted the standing Law of God without then in force which not only allowed Swearing but commanded it upon necessary Occasions And as idle and impertinent are his Instances of Pythagoras the Scythians in King Alexander's time and Clinias all which lived some hundreds of Years before Christ came in the Flesh Now if Swearing was lawful by the Law of God among the Jews in those Ages How can we suppose it unlawful among the Gentiles since I know not one Instance can be given that the Light in any Gentile did condemn what the Light within or Law of God without in the Jews did justifie for this were to set Light against Light It 's nothing to the purpose if some in these ancient Times were against Swearing but the Question is Whither it was the Light in them that taught them so or rather whither it was not an erronious Opinion like that of not eating Flesh said to be taught also by Pythagoras was that thinks W.P. from the Light within If so How does the Light in him allow him to eat it and to take his liberty in diverse things that the Severity of Pythagoras's Doctrine did not
allow What if any now should say that the Light within them forbids them to eat Flesh How could W.P. convince them of their Error If he bring Paul's words or any other Scripture words to his Conviction may he not answer that the Scripture is not the Rule of his Faith and W.P. hath confirmed him by his late Book that saith the same and if the Light within in the Esseni might contradict the Scripture of the Old Testament why may not the Light within in a Quaker contradict the Scripture of the New Testament both being given from the same Spirit and the Scripture of the Old Testament as binding to the Jews before Christ's Incarnation as the Scripture of the New Testament is to the Christians since And how can W.P. prove that Poligamy is against the Light within It is granted that the New Testament forbids it But what then by W. P's Doctrine the greatest things in the New Testament are not necessary absolutely to be believed but upon Conviction of the Spirit i. e. upon a new Revelation as that Christ was born of a Virgin dyed for our Sins c. And he plainly tells us Any such new Revelation is not necessary If this be not to turn People loose and to run them into great Confusion Light against Light and Spirit against Spirit while the Holy Scripture is denied to be the Rule of Faith and Life yea a Rule I leave to the Sober and Intelligent to judge Section 18. A Correction of a Saying of W.P. Scandalous and Offensive to Christian Ears That Men are not like to be informed of the Knowledge and Experience of the New Birth from our Saviour's words to Nicomedus John 3. Nor can that Scripture be my Rule saith he in that heavenly travel c. Neither can any other Writing whatever Page 29. HERE I find one passage more in this book of W. P's that I am sure greatly derogates from the Scriptures and is justly offensive to Christian Ears Having quoted our Saviour's words to Nicodemus that he saith may be credited Historically that unless a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3. But what is that saith he to the Knowledge and Experience of the new Birth that they are never like to be informed of there Nor can that Scripture be my Rule in that heavenly Travel respecting the many and wonderful Trials and Exercises that are to be met with in the way to it Neither can any other Writing whatever This Only is the Office of that Spirit and Word Immortal by which we are begotten again I answer Here he excludes not only that place above mentioned but the whole Scripture from being instrumental to our Information and plainly denies that any can be informed of it there this is indeed to make it not only not the Rule but not a Rule in this great case But his assertion is extreamly false the place quoted John 3.3 5. informs us of the necessity of Regeneration and the following words informs us of the way and manner how it is wrought to wit by the Spirit as the principal Efficient and by Faith in the Son of Man as the Instrumental cause v. 14 15 16. and this Faith is wrought instrumentally by the Words and Doctrine of the Gospel called by Paul Rom. 6.17 The Form or Pattern of Doctrine whereunto the believing Romans were delivered as the Mettal that is melted into the Mould that frames it into a Vessel And will W.P. say that his and his Brethrens Preaching and Words inform People nothing of Regeneration nor of the manner of it and the several steps in the progress of it If not their Preaching so much of the New Birth and the manner of it at least as they think is very unprofitable but if they think their Preaching profitable to inform concerning Regeneration and manner of it then their Preaching must be better than the whole Scripture Had he said the Scripture without the Spirit cannot guide or direct us in the way of Regeneration nor be instrumental towards it without the same he had not been to blame all true Christians say the same but to exclude the Scriptures that is the Word and Doctrine contained in the Scriptures from being so much as an Organ or Instrument in the hand of the Spirit as the Spirit giveth Efficacy to it is extreamly false and erronious and contradicts the Scriptures Testimony and the Experience of Thousands who can set to their Seal that the Spirit of God has made the Scriptures to wit the Word and Doctrine delivered in them Instrumental both to their Conviction and Conversion Surely James was of another mind than W.P. who said That the Faithful were begotten of the Will of God by the Word of Truth and Peter said They were made Partakers of the Divine Nature by the exceeding great and precious Promises which are to be found in the Holy Scriptures through the Operation of the Divine Power And as false it is what he saith That Experience to wit of the New Birth must go before all Doctrinal Scripture Meaning the Doctrine delivered in the Scripture which was the same before it was written This is to set the Cart before the Horse as the Proverb is or the Fruit before the Seed Are Men regenerated in Blindness and Ignorance or rather are they not renewed in Knowledge And this Knowledge doth it not presuppose some doctrinal Principles of which Men must be first convinced Has the Doctrine of the great Love of God in sending his Son into the World outwardly to dye for us and inwardly to enlighten us no Influence on our Regeneration Was Adam regenerated before God gave him the Promise of the Womans Seed after his Fall by his Assertion it must be so which is wonderful Ignorance Is he so little acquainted with the Holy Scriptures as not to have seen the Lineaments Steps and Progress of the New Birth fairly delineated and the whole manner of it as clearly as any Country can be delineated in the fairest Map with all the several Roads but as the Map can be of no use to a blind Man though to a seeing it is of great use so to a Man whom the Spirit of God has in some measure enlightned the Scriptures are as serviceable as a Map to a Traveller yea and much more they are really the Instrument of the Spirit both for convincing and converting Men and the Rule according to which the Spirit leads them in the various steps of it It is granted That the Experience of Regeneration in whom it is wrought is much more than any verbal account of it by the best of words and gives a Man in some respect a more satisfactory Knowledge of it than any Man can have by Scripture words or any words whatsoever who is not himself regenerated as the sight of a Country is more and gives a Man a more satisfactory account of it than all verbal Descriptions or Maps can do to
with any Blood outwardly shed for them Is not this the ready way to open the Flood-gate and to let in Deism and Heathenism to over-run not only England but all Christendom and not only to destroy the Protestant Christian Religion but any remains of Christian Doctrine that are in the Popish Countries But from this Cure of W.P. we have all great cause to pray Good Lord deliver us But nor would this Cure he proposeth be successful upon the Hypothesis of his general Rule if universally received for a Rule The Heathen Philosophers many of whom professed and owned the Light in every Conscience as it did enlighten their Reason yet how many great Controversies were there among them notwithstanding and oft great Heats and Animosities And if this Cure of W.P. be so effectual how comes it that it has not healed the breaches and great Controversies that have been on foot these Forty Years chiefly about G. Foxes orders his party contending that they were the Dictates of the Light both in G.F. and all his followers the other party as strongly denying it that they were any Dictates of the true Light within and let W.P. tell us when any such Controversie arises which are the true Dictates of the Light and true Spirit abstractly considered from the Scripture what shall be the Cure in that Case He seems indeed to give an answer to this in Page 42. Answ By the same Spirit as well said Gualt Cradock the way to know whither the Spirit be in us is its own Evidence and that is the way to know it in others too and the Man that hath the Spirit may know the Spirit in another There is saith he a kind of Sagacity in the Saints to this purpose To this I answer where the Spirits Doctrine which is the Doctrine both of Christ and the Father goeth along with the Spirit according to Isaiah 59 21. and many other places of Scripture there is a great Truth in it but whatever Spirit either teacheth another Doctrine or draweth Men away from the necessary belief of Christ's Death in the Flesh in being a Sacrifice for our Sins and other Fundamental Principles peculiar to Christianity is not the true Spirit of Christ whatever Unity or Sagacity W.P. and his Brethren may think they have to know it in one another while he and they make nothing to be the Rule of Faith but the Light in every Conscience John 2.9 which teacheth not this Doctrine of Faith nor proposeth this great Object of Faith to wit Christ Crucified to the Conscience they destroy all necessity of that Faith as concerned in our Salvation However with plausible shews he and they will say it is necessary where the History as he terms it has reached but how not for Salvation but historically as we believe the History of Alexander or Julius Cesar or as W.P. and his Brethren pretend to believe G. F's Journal The Difficulty that he moves P. 41. about Interpretation of Scripture is easily resolved without any new material object of Faith if the Spirit of God be acknowledged inwardly to enlighten the Understandings of the faithful and that they faithfully receive the same it will infallibly give to all the Faithful so much of the true knowledge and Faith of all Scripture Doctrine as is necessary to Salvation Page 46. As unfair and fallacious as he hath been in his Definitions and Arguments about the Rule of Faith and Life no less unfair and fallacious is he in his representing many Orthodox and sincere Protestants as if they Judged the Quakers for their asserting an unerring certain or infallible Judgment in things necessary to Salvation This is a very unfair representation of them The Question lyeth not about an unerring certain and infallible Judgment given by the Spirit of God to all the faithful in the things necessary to Salvation which they fully assert But the Question lyeth here whither they have this infallible Judgment either by the common Discoveries and Dictates of the Light in every Man's Conscience or by any new discoveries of the Spirit abstractly and seperately considered from the Scriptures so that the Doctrine as delivered in the Holy Scriptures is not the Rule or Instrument whereby the Spirit works or begets this infallible Judgment in them in all the necessary things of Salvation which â—et are more and others than those assigned by W.P. to wit Faith in Christ crucified and raised again and other fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Religion A Second part of the question is Whither all or any of the Quakers when met in their Yearly Meetings or any other Meetings or the most enlightned among them have an infallible Judgment given them in all things as their chief Teachers have asserted so that they are not only infallible in the most necessary things but in other things Yea in all that they have given forth either in Preaching or Writing as the Word of the Lord and with an Authority the same in kind with the Prophets as W.P. doth in the Concluâ—ion of this Book where he pretends that he has a Message to tell them and that from the Spirit of the Lord God of Truth and that is Page 48. That Men unregenerated for all their external imitations of the Ancients in some Temporary and figurative parts of Worship will never be accepted But this is no extraordinary Revelation it is a Doctrine that is daily taught and generally believed among all true Christians that never were under the profession of Quakers But the fallacy is here that all are unregenerate in his Sense who own that what they are taught and helped to believe know or practise is by the Doctrine contained in the Holy Scriptures as the Rule of their Faith and Life and Instrument of the Spirits preparing and giving them the Spirit himself being the principal efficient Author and Cause and primary principle of their Knowledge Faith and Practise Yet all this is Judged by W.P. here in his Conclusion to be nothing but a literal Knowledge Historical Faith and outward Religion that is but as the Old Heaven that are to be wrapt up as a scroul and the Old Wine and Bottles that belong not to the Kingdom of God For which Uncharitable and False Judgment I heartily pray God that he may forgive him and giving him a better understanding and reclaim him if it be the blessed Will of God from those most dangerous errors he is intangled in and especially from this that is the foundation of his other errors to wit his Deism and setting up the Light within or Spirit or whatever he calls iâ— abstractly and seperately from Christ's Doctrine and Words even those divine Oracles and Words which the Father gave to Christ and Christ gave them by his Holy Spirit to the Apostles John 17.8 And by the same Holy Spirit by means of the Apostles writing has given to all the faithful since thus dividing what God and Christ have Joyned together surely this cannot be the true Light nor Spirit in him or his Brethren that leads away People from hearing the true Shepherds Voice either as it is outwardly sounded in the outward Ministry of the Word outwardly Preached or as it is inwardly sounded and Eccho'd by the Holy Spirit in Teaching the faithful to believe the same Doctrine that is outwardly delivered in the Holy Scriptures My Sheep said Christ hear my Voice they that draw from Christ's Doctrine being the Rule of Faith and Life to every true Christian draw from the Spirit of Christ and from his Voice whatever seeming pretences they fallaciously make to exalt the Spirit by rejecting that Instrument to wit the Rule of the Holy Scriptures by which the Spirit doth both enlighten the faithful and beget Faith and Hope and Love in them by the precious Oracles and Testimonies therein contained and also doth refresh quicken and comfort them If the Spirit and his divine influences be the Wine that refresheth and cherisheth them the Scripture so to speak are the Flagons that convey it to them according to the words in the Song Cant. 2.5 Stay me with Flagons comfort me with Apples and many other plain Testimonies of Scripture that hold forth in God's ordinary way the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures as outwardly delivered to be the means and therefore the Rule by which the Spirit doth both Teach and also Quicken Comfort and strengthen them such as these following places which I recommend to W.P. and his Brethrens Consideration Psal 19.7 8 9 10 11. Prov. 6.23 Psal 119. 4 5 6 18 49 50 105. Psal 147.19 20. Isaiah 8.20.59.21 John 10.3 John 17.8 20. John 20.31 John 5 39. Acts 10.44 Rom. 16.17 Rom. 16.25.26 Gal. 3.2 Eph. 1.13 1 Thes 1.5 1 Tim. 4.16 2 Tim. 1.13 2 Tim. 2.20 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. 28th of the First Month 1699. G. K. FINIS Nam cum humana mens pro sua imbecillitate pervenire ad Deum nullo modo queat nisi sacro ejus verbo adjuta sublevata omnes tunc mortales exceptis Judaeis quia Deum sine verbo querebant necesse fuit in vanitate atque errore versari Calvin Instit Lib. 1. c. 6 S. 4
6. His Quotations out of Gentile Authors as Thales Pythagoras Socrates c. prove no more at most but that they acknowledged an inward Law Rule and Principle of Justice and moral Virtue placed in Mankind But what saith all this to prove that all Mankind had or have a Law or Rule of the Christian Faith Nothing at all Page 8. Arg. 2. He makes a fresh Assault to prove that the Scriptures are not the Rule of Faith and Life c. His Argument is this If now the Rule then ever the Rule but they were not ever the Rule therefore they cannot now be the Rule That they were not ever the Rule is granted That they are not therefore now the Rule I shall prove saith he thus If the Faith of God's People in all Ages be of one Nature then the Rule but of one Nature But clear it is Heb. 11. the Faith has been but of one Nature consequently the Rule but of one Nature In short If the Holy Ancients had Faith before they had or wrote Scripture they had a Rule before they had or wrote Scripture Answ His whole way of arguing here is extreamly weak to detect which let him consider when it is commonly said the Scriptures are the Rule of Faith it is not meant simply and barely the written Letter but the Doctrine delivered in or by the written Letter is the Rule which at other times is thus expressed the Word of God contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament or the revealed Will and Mind of God delivered to us by Scripture is the Rule of Christian Faith c. And seeing the Doctrine of Faith in the promised Messiah and of eternal Salvation through Faith in him is the same in the Essentials and Fundamentals of it now as then and then as now without any substantial Variation it is evident that as the Doctrine now committed to writing is the same it was before it was in writing the Rule is still the same and the Faith is the same for Substance and Nature for the different manner of conveying the Doctrine makes no essential Difference either in the Doctrine or Faith and consequently nor a different Rule As when the Doctrine is delivered by Preaching or Writing to one Nation in one Language and to other Nations in other Languages yet the Doctrine may be still the same Nor doth it change the Nature of the Doctrine that some had it by Prophetical Inspiration and Revelation without any external Mediums and others had it by and through some external Mediums as by means of the Ministry of Faithful Men faithfully conveyed through the several Ages the Spirit of God inwardly by his secret Inspiration moving the Faithful to believe the Doctrine preached to them by such Faithful Men. And here I would have him to consider his great default in not distinguishing the Inspirations of God's Spirit the want of which leads him into so many By-paths as if all Divine Inspirations were Prophetical and of the same Nature with what the Prophets and Apostles had as Prophets and Apostles whereas the Scripture plainly distinguisheth the various Gifts Operations and Ministrations of one and the same God Lord and Spirit all which may be accounted Divine Inspirations Are all Prophets said Paul 1 Cor. 12.29 intimating they were not all Prophets who yet were true Saints and Believers all which had the same Spirit inspiring them all but not the same manner and kind of Inspirations but far differing the Prophetical Inspirations taught them the Doctrine of Faith without all outward teaching of Men but the Inspirations of other Faithful Men who were not Prophets did teach them the same Doctrines by means of outward teaching of Men. Section 4. His third fourth and fifth Arguments Answered Page 9. Arg. 3 HE frames a new Argument here which he sets out in a two-fold Dress I shall produce it in its best Dress and thus it is Such as the Faith is such must the Rule be but the Faith is as before Inward and Spiritual therefore the Rule must be Inward and Spiritual which no meer Book can be Answ Here he takes his Consequence as granted without any offer of proof but it is altogether Fallacious If by the term Such he mean such every way and in all respects and Universally such it will Infer the greatest Blasphemy ad Hominem as to argue thus Such as the Faith is such must the Rule be but the Faith is an Act or thing that had a beginning in Time therefore the Rule is an Act or thing that had a beginning in time and that Rule according to him being the Word and Spirit of God which is God therefore God Absit Blasphemia had a beginning in time If by the term Such he mean not such universally but only in some respects as because the Faith is true and certain therefore the Rule is such his proposition is granted but then the Consequence would not follow that because the Faith is inward the Rule is only inward no more than it will follow that because my sight of an object is in my Eye that therefore the Object is no where but in my Eye He grants that until the Son came the Law outward was a Rule pag. 19. and yet all those Holy Ancients who lived before the Son came had the true inward Faith therefore they had the true inward Rule and not the outward Rule by his Argument which destroyeth his former Argument His Syllogism Transgresseth a certain Rule in Logick The major Proposition in the first Figure must not be particular Page 8.9 As to his Authorities and Testimonies out of Justin Martyr and Clemens Alexandrinus to prove that the Word and Spirit is the only Rule of Faith that Socrates and Heraclitus were Christians as living with Christ the Word It may be supposed that Justin Martyr and Clemens Alexandrinus might thhink that they had Faith in the promised Messiah as Abraham had nor hath W.P. proved the contrary and if they had that Faith the Rule of that Faith was the same as to us to wit the Doctrine of Faith which is still the same whither given by prophetical Inspiration or by an outward Ministry His Quotation out of Eusebius affirming that Abraham and the Ancient Fathers were Christians and his defining a Christian to be one that by the knowledge and Doctrine of Christ excels in Moderation of Mind in Righteousness and Continency of Life c. has not the least weight to confirm W. P's most false Doctrine viz. That Deism and Christianity are but one and the same thing and have but one and the same Rule to wit the Light as with respect to the common Illumination for Eubseius in the definition of a Christian makes the Doctrine of Christ that whereby he excels in those Vertues But can W.P. prove that the Doctrine of Faith in Christ as God-man for remisiion of Sin and Eternal Salvation was no part of the Doctrine of Christ according
the Government of our Life in all Estates are not the Rule which the Holy Spirit useth as his Instrument to Guide us in all parts of our Duty But he might have told us some of those Thousand Cases in which the Scripture cannot be our plain and distinct Rule whereby to know either our Duty to perform it or what is prohibited that we may avoid it though we have the inward assistance of God's Spirit to enlighten our Minds and set before them on all necessary occasions and emergencies such Scripture Precepts and Prohibitions as suit with the present occasions But if the cases be of things in themselves simply indifferent i. e. neither commanded nor forbidden either by any Precepts of God or Just Precepts and Laws of our Superiors we are left to our choice according as our rational Faculties and Christian Prudence shall direct us a due regard over all being had to the Glory of God and that whatever we do be done in the Spirit of true Love and Charity which are general Rules plainly given us in the Holy Scriptures the particular application of which in all particular Cases whither in relation to Superiors Inferiors or Equals the Holy Spirit by his special Illuminations in our Hearts will teach us as we faithfully pray and wait for them without the need of any other general or particular Rules than what already are given us in the Holy Scriptures Therefore in opposition to this extravagant and rash Assertion of W. P that there are a Thousand Cases in which the Scripture cannot be our plain and distinct Rule I affirm that there is not one Case respecting our Duty either towards God our selves or our Neighbours but plain Instructions and Precepts are given us in the Holy Scriptures concerning the same but we still need the Grace and Guidance of God's Holy Spirit to give us the Spiritual discovery of them and to enable us rightly to practise them Surely David had a far better and greater esteem of God's Laws Precepts and Testimonies even as outwardly delivered by Moses and also by himself than W.P. hath concerning which he said Psal 119.24 Thy Testimonies also are my delight and my Counsellors Though David was a Prophet yet as King over the People of Israel he was commanded of God to write him a Copy of the Law of God in a Book which was to be with him and he was to Read therein all the days of his Life that he might learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of that Law and these Statutes to do them c Deut. 17.18 19 20. And yet David was highly illuminated and inspired far above W.P. or any of his Brethren but the written Law was to be the Rule of his Actions as well as of other Men. Nor could David have excused himself from taking the written Law to be the Rule of his Life because he had it in his Heart and if it could be no excuse to David nor can it be to any Christian now King or Subject that because they have the Law writ in their Hearts and the Spirit put in their inward parts according to God's promise in the New Covenant that therefore the Laws of God both of the Old and New Testament that are of a Moral concern even as outwardly delivered do not bind them which is in very deed to take away the Authority of the Holy Scriptures and make void the Prophetical and Kingly Office of Christ yea and the Office of the Holy Spirit also who inspired the Holy Pen-men to commit them to Writing And it is no less extravagant and rash in W.P. to assert that there is not laid down in Scripture any general Rule how to answer before Magistrates and to act in times of Sufferings for though no particular words are given us limiting and determining us what to say yet the general matter of our Duty is plainly laid down in Scripture what and how to answer before Magistrates as that of Peter and John Acts 4.19 How that it is better to obey God than Men and that of the three Children to King Nebuchadnezzer Dan. 3.17 18. And how to act in Times of Suffering we have both excellent commands and examples in Scripture as Mat. 10.28 1 Pet. 2.20 1 Pet. 4.16 Luke 23.34 Acts 7.59 60. But seeing he doth so peremptorily require a general Rule to suit all Cases as well as all Persons of Mankind otherwise it could not be general which yet he will have it to be what those dictates or Revelations of the Light in every Conscience are of Jews Mahometans and Christians that can give such plain directions to all Persons in all Cases which the Scripture cannot give I desire him to tell at least some of them If he doth not it is a sign he cannot and that consequently his Argument is vain for the Light or Spirit abstractly considered without all Revelation can be no Rule Section 13. His fourteenth Argument which he calls his eighth answered Page 120. AFter he has given Thirteen Reasons and all false ones enough as I think I have sufficiently shewed he comes to that he calls his eighth reason after his former Thirteen at least Why the Scriptures cannot be the Rule under the New Covenant which is this Christ the Spiritual Leader of a Spiritual Israel writeth his Spiritual Law in the Heart as Moses the outward Israel's Leader writ the Law upon Tables of Stone This was God's Promise and the priviledge and blessing of the New Covenant that as the outward Jew had an outward Law for a directory the inward Jew should have an inward Law for his directory and as the outward Jew had an outward Priest at whose Mouth be ought to seek the Law so the Jew inward and Circumcision in Spirit has an inward and Spiritual High-Priest whose Lips preserve knowledge at whose Mouth he is to receive the Law of Life The King Ruler Judge Law-giver High-Priest Law Rule are all Spiritual so the Scriptures inform us My Kingdom said Christ is not of this World Again the Kingdom of God is within Luk. 17.20 21. I will write my Law in their Hearts They shall be all taught of me Heb. 8.10 quoting Rev. 21.3 Joel 2.28 Tit. 2.11 12. Job 32.8 Rom. 1.19 And here again he falsly quotes the words Whatever may be known of God c. Gal. 5.16 1 John 1.7 Isa 2.5 Rev. 21. 23. Gal. 6.15 16. as also he quotes unduly 1 Cor. 12.7 putting a measure of the Spirit for a manifestation of the Spirit Answ 1. If the Light within be a general Rule to Mankind then the outward Israel had it as well as the inward Israel Where is then the distinction and difference betwixt the one and the other 2. If the Rule of the inward Israel be within and the High-Priest within then as the inward Israel has no Rule to be the Rule of their Faith and Life but the Light in the Conscience so they have no High-Priest
the Spirit has given them of their Truth much or indeed most of all this is again denyed by W.P. telling us in answer to that Objection Page 32. This Light you speak of could not tell you which way Sin came into the World that there was an Adam and Eve that they fell after that manner and that Sin so entred the World that Christ was born of a Virgin suffered Death and rose again c. He roundly answereth that inasmuch as an account of those things hath been already revealed and is extant therefore any new Revelation of such things is not needed I answer How not needed and yet certain to you upon the Spirits inward Evidence and Testimony and to none but you and such as you who pretend to the same Revelations with the Prophets and Apostles However seeing he grants he and his Brethren have no Revelation from the Light within them That Christ was born of a Virgin suffered Death and rose again therefore he must needs confess all these things concerning Christs Birth Death Resurrection are uncertain to them and so no matters of their Faith And then seeing other Christians believe these things upon an inward Evidence and Testimony of the Spirit though not by the same Revelation in Kind or Specie with that of the Prophets and Apostles yet by way of Seal to the truth of them as above explained the proper consequence of which is this that all these great things recorded in Scripture concerning Christ's birth of a Virgin his having dyed for our Sins his Resurrection Ascension and Intercession for us in Heaven are altogether uncertain upon the Quakers foundation because as W.P. confesseth not inwardly revealed to them which yet are certain upon the foundation of all true Christians to wit the inward Testimony and Evidence of the Spirit by way of sealing to the Truth of them as by an objective medium as above explained But why are not these things concerning Christ's Birth Death revealed to the Quakers by W. P's confession Why because they are not necessary to be believed they are none of the Eternal Precepts of the Spirit in the Consciences of all Men Teaching some few things of owning a great God Almighty and some few moral Principles of Temperance and Justice as doing as we would be done by this is the Quakers Evangelium Eternum their everlasting Gospel whatever is more is unnecessary and Superfluous Page 32. He saith To say the Light or Spirit could not do it viz. reveal that Christ was born of a Virgin suffered Death and rose again c. is blasphemous as well as absurd Answ I know none that saith the Spirit or God and Christ considered as the Light could not do it but that 's not the Question what the Spirit could do or what the Light within taking it in the highest Sense as to signifie the divine Word could or can do but the proper state of the question is whither the Spirit or Light within hath given generally any such Revelation of these things which if he hath not given and that to all Men then to be sure even by W. P's confession such Revelation is no part of the Rule of Faith for it is not what God who is Light or the Spirit can reveal but what he hath revealed that is the Rule of Faith and doth ordinarily reveal And seeing the Quakers as W.P. hath granted have no inward Revelation of these things viz. That Christ was born of a Virgin c. It is no part of their Faith or Creed for the Rule of their Faith hath not taught it them If any have said the Light within every man cannot reveal these things they do not mean by the Light within either Christ or the Spirit but that common Illumination that is in all Men that is neither Christ nor the Spirit but yet is a gift of Christ and of the Spirit Section 17. His Proofs out of the Fathers and Primitive Protestants for the Spirits being the Rule of Faith all Fallacious An Instance of Calvin quoted by him in some Passage of his Institutions expresly to the contrary Whither the Esseni Pythagoras Clinias and the Scythians before our Saviour's Incarnation thought Swearing unlawful from the Light within AS for these many Authors some Fathers and other late Protestant Authors that he quotes in confirmation of his Assertion viz. That the Scripture is not the Rule of Faith and Life but the Light in every Conscience none of all these quotations which I have diligently read and considered say any such thing viz. That the Scriptures are not the Rule of Faith and Life or that the Light in every Conscience is that Rule Either he is very ignorant and unacquainted in Calvin and Beza's wriings and other Protestants or very unfair to quote them when he cannot but know in his Conscience if he be acquainted with them that all those Protestant Authors did Zeolously contend that the Scripture was the Rule of Faith and Life and though they did Zealously assert the necessity of the Spirits Internal Evidence and Testimony to Seal to the Truth of the Scripture and give the understanding of it yet none of them all that he has quoted say or hold that the Spirit or Light in every Conscience is the Rule of Faith and Life I rememno such Doctrine taught by them and yet I suppose I know their Doctrine as well as he and were it needful I could produce sufficient Testimonies from their Books that he has manifestly wronged them but he who takes so great liberty to wrest the Scriptures no wonder if he make bold to do the same with these Mens Writings His Quotation out of Calvin is this Inst Lib. 1. Cap. 8. It is necessary the same Spirit that spake by the mouth of the Prophets should pierce into our Hearts to perswade us that they faithfully delivered that which was committed to them of God This doth not prove that Calvin denyed the Scriptures to be the Rule of Faith having expresly taught that they were But to shew how little acquainted W.P. is with Calvin's Doctrine in this point whom he hath quoted for him to prove that the Scripture or written word is not the Rule of Faith but the Light in every Conscience or the Spirit abstractly considered from the written word or how unfair and fallacious in so doing if acquainted with his writings I shall give some passages out of his Institutions That is in English For when the mind of Man for its weakness could by no way come to God unless helped and assisted by his Holy Word it was necessary that all Men the Jews excepted did walk in vanity and error because they sought God without the Word Thus we see according to Calvin how necessary was the Word of God to wit the Doctrine outwardly delivered of God to Men by the Holy Prophets to bring them to God out of error and vanity for by the Holy Word it is manifest Calvin meant not the
places of Scripture quoted by him touching the Rule as Gal. 6.16 Phil. 3.16 2 Cor. 10. 13 15. none of them all say either that the Light within or the new Creature is the Rule of Faith and Life nor doth he give any proof by any true Consequence that it is And here by the way W.P. should be put in mind to prove what he asserts by plain Scripture without Consequences which his Brethren commonly allow not of but when any of their Opponents argue with them by Consequences however so fair they will not allow of them And yet throughout this whole Treatise of W.P. he brings not one Argument from express Scripture to prove his Matter but proceeds all along by Consequences not one of which is fairly and truly inferred as will appear in the thorough Examination of them The Rule mentioned Gal. 6.6 hath a plain and easie reference to the Proposition laid down by the Apostle in the foregoing Verse which is this That in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a new Creature This Proposition laid down by the Apostle in so many express words is an excellent Rule and one of the many excellent Rules appertaining to the Christian Religion the intire body of which Rules is deservedly called the Rule and well might the Apostle say As many as walk according to that one Rule which is very comprehensive Peace be upon them for he that duly walks according to that Rule will be careful to walk according to all the other Rules appertaining to the Christian Religion whereof that one is a main But let it be granted that in some sense the new Creature may be allowed to be a Rule as I see no hurt to allow it in some sense and a Law to him or them in whom this new Creature is wrought or brought forth for even those Gentiles which did the things contained in the Law are said by Paul Rom. 2. to be a Law to themselves Which did shew the Work of the Law writ in their Hearts Then surely much rather every regenerate Person by reason of his new Nature may be said to be a Law or Rule to himself according to that saying of Boetius de Consol Phil. Quis legem det amantibus Major lex amor est ipse sibi The love of Virtue is greater than any Law that can be expressed or laid down in words But how as Law there is understood not properly a Law or Precept informing the Understanding but Metaphorically as it is an inward power having a mighty impulse upon the Will of a good Man even as the love of Vice is a mighty Law that acts with a mighty impulse on the Will of a bad and vicious Man Hence as the one may be understood to be even in the Scripture sense the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus so the other may be understood to be the Law of Sin and Death LAW in both these respects being understood not properly but Metaphorically as when we commonly say God Almighty the great Author and Creator of Nature hath given a Law to the Nature of every thing as weight to Stones and Metals whereby they are moved downwards and levity to Fire whereby it is moved upwards but whither these Motions proceed from an inward or external Cause in these natural bodies is not the proper matter of Debate here only the instance is given to shew that LAW hath commonly a Metaphorical Sense as well as proper and so hath the word or term Rule And I suppose W.P. though perhaps not much acquainted with School-distinctions hath heard of the distinction of a Rule into Regula regulus and Regula regulata i. e. the Rule ruling and the Rule ruled at least of the primary and secondary Rule for he hath allowed in this Treatise that the Scriptures may be called a Secondary Rule at least in several parts of them And why may not much rather the new Creature or work of Sanctification be called a Secondary Rule and the Doctrine of the Christian Religion consisting of many excellent Precepts and Promises and other Gospel Truths the Primary Rule Yea that it is so is evidently proved because the new Creature it self to wit the Work of Regeneration and Sanctification in the Souls of the Faithful is instrumentally wrought by the Form of Doctrine contained in the Holy Scriptures the Spirit of God working by and with the said Form of Doctrine being the principal Agent and Efficient according to Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the heart that Form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you or as the better Translation is out of the Greek unto or into which ye were delivered the word translated Form is Type signifying Pattern Mould or Frame according to the Fashion of which a thing is made as when a piece of Clay is formed by the Potter by the Frame to which it is applied or Wax receiveth the Impression of the Seal or a Vessel of Brass Tin or Silver is framed by the Mould into which it is cast Now as the Mould or Pattern whereby any Vessel is framed is prior to the Vessel and the shape or fashion of the Vessel is posterior to the Pattern or Exemplar according to which it is framed even so the new Creature is posterior to the Form of Doctrine contained in the Holy Scriptures and this evidently proves that the Doctrine contained in the Holy Scriptures being the same that was extant in the Church of God before it was committed to writing hath the precedency and priority in point of a Rule to the new Creature so that the Doctrine to wit the doctrinal Word and Words of God given by God and Christ to the Holy Prophets and Apostles and by them to other Men who by means thereof are converted and inwardly renewed regenerated and sanctified through the Operation of the Holy Spirit as the principal Efficient is the Rule to the new Creature and not the new Creature the Rule to the Doctrine Hence it is that the Word of God to wit the doctrinal word or word of Doctrine is by a Metaphor called Seed in Scripture for of Seed Plants Trees and Animals are produced And seeing according to Scripture Faith is wrought by hearing the Word outwardly preached in God's ordinary way and that Word is the Doctrine of the Christian Religion given originally by God and Christ to the Prophets and Apostles and by them to us it evidently follows that Faith or the new Creature is not a Rule to the Doctrine but the Doctrine is a Rule to the Faith and consequently the Doctrine is the primary Rule of Faith and Life but not that Faith and Life is the primary Rule or any Rule at all to the Doctrine even as in natural Generation the Seed is before the Birth and Fruit so is the Doctrine before the Faith and before the Person that is the Believer or Saint and regenerated Person as such and before the Church for the
without them but only within them that is the Light in the Conscience and so there is no High-Priest without us nor no Heaven without us into which the Man Christ Jesus is gone nor King Christ without us but only within us for to say he is both without us and within us also will spoil W. P's Argument altogether and mar his Analogy betwixt the Law without under Moses and the Law within under Christ the High-Priest without then and the High-Priest within now If he grant there is a High-Priest without us and who is also King as well as Priest and that he is more without us than within us as all true Christians believe who have not the fulness within them but receive of his fulness and Grace for Grace and therefore that fulness is in the Man Christ without them he must also grant that the Law and Rule of Faith is as well without us as within us and so his Argument is spoiled but that he will be loth to grant for then the fundamental Principle of him and his Brethren is pluck'd up by the Roots by confessing to the Man Christ a High-Priest without us or King without us which will necessarily infer the Law and Rule of Faith delivered us by Christ without us is not within us only but without us also as Christ the Law-giver is Thus we see for Love of their supposed Rule of Faith only within them W.P. and his Brethren who approve his Book abandon and reject utterly any Christ High-Priest or King without them as also he has done in his Christian Quaker where he will have P. 97. The Lamb without in the Passover to shew forth the Lamb within to wit the Light in the Conscience but not the Lamb Christ without as he was outwardly slain And yet W.P. for all this hath said in his late answer to the Bishop of Cork That the Quakers differ little in Doctrine from the Church of England setting aside some School Terms And in his answer to the Bishop of Cork P. 97. he saith We i. e. he and his Brethren plainly and intirely believe the Truths contained in the Creed commonly called the Apostles Creed But possibly some fallacy is latent here also as if he had said they believe the Truths Contained in the Jews Talmud or Turks Alcoran for doubtless there are some Truths contained in them both but many Falshoods and so he may think there are in that Creed for all his seeming fair Confession to it and I offer to prove they have disbelieved them all But how this consists with their having only their High Priest King and Prophet within them as they have the Law and Rule of their Faith only within them as W.P. here doth Argue I leave to the intelligent to Judge and whither this palpable contradiction bewrayes not their great disingenuity considering that they will not grant that they are in any one point changed in their Faith or Doctrine from what they were ever since they were a People but as God and Truth is the same so his People to wit the Quakers are the same as they have in so many express words lately Printed in the Book called the Quakers Cleared c. 3. As concerning the several places of Scripture quoted by him that he brings to prove the inward Teachings of God Christ and the Holy Spirit and God's writing his Laws in the Hearts of the Faithful all this is granted by all Sound Christians but that is not the true State of the Controversie betwixt the People called Quakers and their Opponents But the true State of the Controversie is this whither the inward Teachings of God of Christ and of the Holy Spirit come to believers without all outward means and without all outward Ministry and Service of Men or Books and whither the Law and Rule of Faith that Believers have in them put in them yea and writ in their Hearts by the Lord himself is without all outward Instruction and Teaching or Service of Men or Books or whither the Law and Rule of Faith and Practise within in respect of all the peculiar Doctrines and Precepts of the Christian Religion be not so to speak a Transcript or Copy from the Law and Rule of Faith without us as delivered in the Holy Scriptures which therefore may be called the Original as to us though that Original Law and Rule without us came from an inward Original in the Holy Prophets and in the Man Christ and his Holy Evangelists and Apostles which yet had a higher Original to wit the Archetypal Law as it was in God before the Copy or Transcript of it came to be in the Prophets and from them committed to writing outwardly and from that outward writing transferred and transcribed into the Hearts of the Faithful where it becomes an inward Law or Rule in them And thus the Faithful have the Law and Rule of Faith both without them and within them first without them in the Holy Scriptures next within them put in them by the Lord in their Hearts by means of outward Instruction as Preaching Reading c. And if the Question be asked Whither is best to have it without them or within them I answer to have it both ways is very necessary for in God's ordinary way of working we cannot have it within us if we had it not first without us no more than we can have Food within us if we had it not first without us for as our outward and bodily Food that nourisheth our Bodies comes into our Bodies from without us by the Door so to speak of our Mouth so the wholsome Doctrine of eternal Salvation by Christ our Blessed Saviour and Redeemer by means of which our Souls and inward Man are nourished being accompanied with the Divine Influences of the Grace and Spirit of God and of Christ comes into our Souls by the Door of our outward Hearing and Reading in the Holy Scriptures Again though there be ever so good Food and ever so Plentiful without us yet if we receive it not within us it neither doth nor can nourish us And as the clean Beasts under the Law did chew the Cud of what they did eat for their Nourishment so the Faithful what they outwardly hear and read of God's Word in the Holy Scriptures must meditate upon inwardly for their Spiritual Food Thus the great necessity of having the Law and Word of God both without us and within us the Rule of our Faith and Life is evidently apparent so long as we live in these mortal Bodies And therefore God hath appointed and Christ hath given an outward Ministry together with his other Gifts and Graces to his Church to continue to the end of the World and to his last coming But again if it be asked Is there not an Internal word Voice or Teaching of Christ distinct from the outward word Voice and Teaching that outwardly soundeth in our outward Ears I answer There is but in God's
them speak that God was manifested extraordinarily in the Flesh that he gave his Life for the World that such as believe and obey his Grace in their Hearts receive Remission of Sins and Life everlasting First It is needful he should explain what he means by these words That he gave his Life whither the Life of the Man Christ without us or the Blood which is the Life and that Life is the Light within as he hath been heard to preach and is according to his Books And what means he by the word believe Whither to believe that Christ died for our Sins and rose again Well in Charity I will suppose this to be his meaning otherwise he would greatly equivocate but still all this belief is none of the absolute Necessaries in Religion they are some considerable Matters superadded Superadded to what To the Scriptures Nay they are the chief Doctrines of the Scriptures Therefore again I ask Superadded to what Why to the Light within its Dictates But are they necessary to be believed since they are supernumerary and superadded to the Dictates of the Light in every Conscience Yea saith W.P. Page 35. where the History has reached and the Spirit of God has made a Conviction upon the Conscience Well then If they are necessary to be believed where the Spirit of God hath made this Conviction upon the Conscience this Conviction is not the Effect of the general Light in every Conscience but somewhat superadded and therefore the general Light in the Conscience is not the perfect and compleat Rule But what if the Spirit make not this Conviction upon the Conscience of some who have the Scripture which he calls the History Is he sure the Spirit will make it or doth make it on every Conscience to whom the History reacheth If he say yea he throweth down his Fabrick with his own words for if so this Conviction made by the Spirit of God on the Conscience must be a part yea the greatest part of the Rule of Faith to all who have the Scriptures because the Scriptures hold forth many more things to be believed and practised than these few eternal Precepts as he calls them of the Spirit in the Conscience And though W.P. here seems to render them excusable to whom the Doctrine of Christ's Death hath reached and yet believe it not on whom the Spirit of God hath not made a Conviction Yet in his Treatise of Spiritual Liberty he calls it a loose Plea to pretend want of Conviction for not obeying G. F's Orders and tending to Ranterism But if he shall say the Spirit doth not work this Conviction upon many that the History reacheth as his words import then they are left at liberty whither to believe them at all without all Sin or danger Thus we may see what sort of Faith he and his Brethren have of the Articles of the Creed viz. An unnecessary Faith to have it or not have it is all a Case if they have it not it is not their Sin their primary Rule the Light within them tells them nothing of it But then why should the Secondary Rule tell them any of these things As there is nothing in the Copy but what is in the Original so there is nothing in the Secondary Rule the Scriptures at this rate but what is in the Dictates of the Light within and therefore all that is to be found in the Scripture that is not in the Dictates of the Light within is not so much as the Secondary Rule Thus we may see of what little value the Scriptures are and must be with him and his Party by this his way of arguing and answering Objections But note Reader how in his foregoing words I have faithfully quoted he makes the believing and obeying God's Grace for Remission of Sins and Life everlasting to be none of the absolute Necessaries of Religion but superadded as some of them speak Here is Obedience to God's Grace made as unnecessary by W.P. as Faith in Christ as he was outwardly manifest in the Flesh What thinks G.W. and his Brethren of this Doctrine Is it not plain Antinomianism yea plain Ranterism Section 16. The Scriptures are not certainly known and believed upon the Foundation of W.P. and his Party among the Quakers but are upon the Foundation of all Orthodox Christians The Question wrongly stated by W.P. about the Sufficiency of the Light or Spirit of God within which is not what he can reveal but what he doth reveal without the outward Means of Instruction Page 23. HE labours to turn off that Objection against him of his arguing from the uncertainty of the Scriptures that they cannot be a Rule of Faith and Life by answering The Scriptures are uncertain upon their Foundation but not upon ours We would have them received saith he upon the Spirits Testimony and Evidence which gave them forth I answer And so would all true Christians but the difference is great in the way and manner of their and his defining this Testimony or Evidence which he and his Brethren will have wholly to be by Prophetical and Apostolical Inspiration the same in Specie and Kind with what the Prophets and Apostles had giving them a new repetition of the same Articles and Precepts and all this only from the Light within as it is a common dispensation to all Mankind the falsity of which common experience as well as the Testimony of Scripture doth sufficiently prove for if the Light within them doth de novo give W.P. and his Brethren the Revelation of all or most of these peculiar Doctrines of Christianity why should they have it more than Jews Mahometans Deists and Heathens many of whom they account have been and are faithful and obedient to the Dictates of the Light within them Besides if more be revealed to the Quakers by the common Light within than to other parts of Mankind who have not the Scriptures they must needs grant their Rule of Faith is more large and full than that in others and consequently not being so perfect in others as in them it is no general Rule of Faith for thus he argued against the Scriptures But if the Scriptures are so wholly uncertain upon the foundation of other Christians and so certain upon the foundation of the Quakers from their pretence to the same divine Inspiration that the Prophets and Apostles had they would wonderfully oblige the Christian World If we could believe them to tell us from their infallibility what Translations are best or rather to give us a new Translation by divine Inspiration and which of all the Copies and various Iections are truest but that this is a groundless and empty brag is too apparent while their ignorance and gross perversions of Scripture and false Interpretations are greater than any other in Christendom as can easily be proved But in contradiction to all this that the Scriptures are certain upon the Quakers foundation from the divine Inspiration and Revelation that
him that never was in the Country Yet this proves not but that the Geographical account of that Country by words and Maps truly and accurately given by Men of great Wisdom and Sincerety is of great Service and Advantage both to Strangers who desire to see the Country and live in it and also to them that already live in it And for all the great Conceit that W.P. has of his knowledge of the great Mystery of Regeneration by his Experience of which he denieth That the Scriptures have given him any Information Yet he is very ignorant of it still if he be of his former mind as he wrote in his Preface to R. B's Works That Regeneration is a greater Mystery than God manifest in the Flesh Had W.P. consulted Scripture it would have better informed him and to be sure the true Experience of Regeneration never taught him any such horrid and extreamly false Assertion Page 31. He saith The knowledge of those Prophesies of Christ's Sufferings was by extraordinary Revelation not falling within the ordinary Discoveries that are absolutely necessary to Man's Salvation by which he shews his Power and Faithfulness that he is God and can foretell and will bring to pass But therefore must there be an extraordinary Light or Spirit and not rather an extraordinary Sight and Sense from one and the same Light and Spirit in them Answ First this quite overthrows his Notion of a general Rule that must be one and the same to all Mankind for if the Prophets had extraordinary Revelation concerning Christ's Sufferings which other Men have not that extraordinary Revelation was the Rule of their Faith touching that matter which could not be the Rule of Faith to them who had no knowledge of that thing Secondly Though the inward extraordinary Revelation given to the Prophets concerning Christ's Sufferings was not necessary to others of the Faithful who were not Prophets for their Salvation yet the Knowledge and Faith of them was necessary to Salvation by some other means to wit by having the Doctrine given to the Prophets by extraordinary Revelation preached or conveyed to the Faithful by the ordinary outward means of Instruction which differing manner of conveyance makes not any difference in the Doctrine nor yet in the Faith of it for Matter and Substance Thirdly That he makes the Faith of Christ's Sufferings none of the absolute Necessaries to our Christianity and Salvation because not given to us as it was to the Prophets by extraordinary Revelation This plainly gives us a new and fresh Instance of his Deism and Paganism appearing with open face for if the Faith of Christ's Sufferings be not necessary to our Salvation because we have it not given us by extraordinary Revelation as the Prophets had which is a false Consequence by the same reason not one of the twelve Articles of the Apostles Creed or any of the other Creeds called the Nicene and Athanasian nor any one of the peculiar Doctrines and Articles of the Christian Faith are necessary to our Salvation though we hear them daily preached or may daily read them in the Holy Scriptures because by his false Inference not given us by extraordinary Revelation and at this rate no more Faith is necessary to our Salvation than what any Infidel Jew or Mahometan or Heathen may have by the common Dictates of the Light in every one of their Consciences abstractly consider'd without all means of outward Instruction by the Holy Scriptures which is a plain undermining of the whole Christian Religion and introducing Deism and Paganism in its room and is really a degree more remote from Christianity than any Pelagianism or Socinianism Fourthly Whereas he querieth Must there be therefore an extraordinary Light or Spirit and not rather an extraordinary Sight or Sense from one and the same Light and Spirit in them I answer Taking Light and Spirit in the highest sense to signifie God Christ or the Holy Spirit it will not infer another Light or Spirit but another Illumination Inspiration and Revelation as well as another Sight and Sense proceeding from one and the same Spirit and from one and the same Light originally according to the Doctrine of the Holy Scripture that teacheth there is diversity of Operations Administrations and Gifts but one God one Lord and one Spirit But the words and terms Light and Spirit sometimes in Scripture signifie some Internal Act of Illumination and Operation and Gift of the Spirit as when we read of the seven Spirits of God in Scripture and that God is called the Father of Lights this doth not signifie seven real distinct Spirits of God but seven Gifts or Virtues and Operations of one and the same Spirit And because there are several sorts of Illuminations proceeding from one Light originally which is God and the Divine Word therefore they are called Lights and in this sense fully agreeable to Scripture the Prophets and all the Pen-men of the Holy Scriptures may be said to have had an extraordinary Light and Spirit as well as an extraordinary Sight that others of the Faithful had not or now have not and yet the Faith the same for Matter and Substance for extraordinary Revelation may be called extraordinary Light well enough and also the Faithful may be said to have an extraordinary Light and Spirit that no Infidel Jew Mahometan Heathen or meer Moralist Deist or meer Formal Professor of Christianity hath to wit in respect of the diversity of the kinds and sorts of the Illuminations according to the differing subjects that of the Prophets differing from that of other Faithful Men that were not Prophets who yet had the same Faith though not conveyed by the same manner of Illumination and the Illumination of the Faithful differing from the common Illumination given in common to Mankind which in the respects above-mentioned may be said to be three several Lights and Spirits according to the three several subjects all which are but originally one and the same like to which we have an Example in the Beams of the Sun that remaining the same in their nature yet according to the differing Mediums and Subjects of reception seem wonderfully diversified so that passing through Glasses of several colours as green red blew and yellow the Beams or Rayes will have these differing colours which diversity proceeds not from the nature of the Sun-beams but the differing Mediums and Subjects and thus also the same Influence of the Sun melteth Wax and hardneth Clay and operating on a Field where Barley is sown contributes to produce a Crop of Barley but operating on a Field where Wheat is sown contributes to produce a Crop of Wheat from the differing Seeds and Subjects it works upon Section 19 His Definition of the Judge of Controversie lame and fallacious as his Definition of the general Rule and Faith in what Sense the Spirit is the Judge of Controversie quoad nos i.e. as to us THus having gone through and examined all that I have
observed in his Book giving his Reasons and Arguments That the Scripture is not the Rule of Faith and Life but the Light in every Conscience and having shewn the Weakness yea the Falsity of them I thought it not necessary to take notice of his Enlargements and Amplifications on his several Arguments but answer to the Argument it self wherein its strength seemed to lye I shall be brief in my Examination and answer to his second part to wit concerning the Judge of Controversie for because it hath such a necessary Connexion with the former the former being clearly discussed the latter will easily be determined Page 39. He gives us his explanation what he means by these Terms Judge and Controversie A Judge saith he is one that has not only power to determine but discerning to do it rightly Controversie is a debate between two parties about the Truth or Falshood to be determined by that Judge But as he wrongly stated the Question in the first part about the Rule so here he is very short in stating the Controversie about the Judge It is without all Question among all that own that there is one great God Almighty that he is the Great and Supreme Judge of what is Truth and what is not universally and that most perfectly and infallibly and all that believe in Christ and in the Holy Spirit do own that Christ and the Holy Spirit together with the Father are that Supreme Judge as they are one and the same Supreme God and not only so but all true Christians own that Christ as the Son of Man has all Judgment committed to him and is both Head and Judge in his Church Now that wherein W.P. is short in stating the Question here is that he doth not assign the true Rule whereby the Judge to wit God Christ and the Spirit doth give forth a definitive Judgment to be understood and received by the Members of the Church of Christ Neither God nor Christ nor the Holy Spirit need the Scripture to give a Judgment as to themselves their knowledge of what is Truth and what is not so is wholly independent from the Scripture but the Question is to be thus stated What Rule Standard or Measure God Christ and the Spirit has given to the faithful in particular and to the whole Church in general since the Doctrine of the true Faith was committed to writing whereby they may understand and know the true Judgment and determination of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit the Supreme Judge of Controversie True it is that the Law-giver is the best interpreter of any point that may concern his own Law and therefore as God is the Law-maker so he is the Supreme Judge and Interpreter of his Law But as an Earthly Law-giver suppose an Earthly King with the consent of the great Counsel of the Nation gives forth his Laws to his Subjects if any Controversie arise about the true sense of those Laws the King and his Counsel that made those Laws is to determine the Controversie by the Laws themselves one part of the Law serving as a Key to open what is hard to be understood in another part of it Thus it is in this Nation and commonly in all Nations for the Law is supposed to be such a perfect Law Intire and Compleat that the Sense of it needs not be given by giving forth any new Law to give the sense of the former nor ought any Subject to presume to give his private Interpretation of the Law by any private Gloss or Sense which he cannot demonstrate from the Law it self and as it 's thus as to the Laws of Men how much more is it so as to the Laws of God The Laws of Men indeed receive frequently new Additions and Alterations and yet this cannot be done but by Publick Authority But the Law and Rule of Faith and Life that God has given to the Faithful and to his Church now under the New Testament is so full perfect and comprehensive that is fully Sufficient without any Addition and if it can be supposed that it may please God to give forth any new Laws to his Church it must be allowed that there must be the same Evidence and ground of receiving them to be such as was given for the Old Testament by Moses and for the New Testament by Christ Now had W.P. fairly stated the question he should have stated it thus Whither the Spirit of Christ whose Judgment and Determination is all one with that of Christ and the Father doth give his Judgment to the Church and the Members of it by any other Law or Rule Measure or Standard than what is already to be-found in the Holy Scriptures whether relating to Articles of Faith or positive Precepts of revealed and instituted Religion by Christ and his Apostles in the New Testament Or whither the Spirit gives this Judgment not by the Doctrines and Precepts contained in the Scriptures but by the common discoveries and Dictates of the Light within every Man's Conscience which are commonly the same and of the same extent in all Mankind be they Jews and Mahometans and Painims abroad or Deists at home here in England or elsewhere Or lastly whither by any new particular Discoveries Revelations or Dictates and new Precepts of the Spirit not formerly given either to Mankind in general or to the Church in particular To the first all sound Christians agree The Second is the sence of W.P. and those of his Brethren of the Second Days Meeting that have approved his Book The third is the sence of some of the chief Teachers and Leaders that first arose among the Quakers that did affirm they had new Commands given from the Spirit by immediat Revelation from Heaven some of which are neither the common Dictates of the Light in every Conscience of Mankind nor to be found in the Scriptures either expresly or by any necessary consequence from them And indeed the first Teachers and Leaders amongst that People did not think it worth while to prove their Doctrine or warrant their Interpretations by consequences from Scripture but the general proof was This is the Word of the Lord unto you for G.F. see his Journal plainly told that when he first came forth he was commanded of God to say thee and thou to every Man to whom he spoke and not to put off his Hat to any Also the setting up of Womens Government in their Meetings distinct from the Men by the more devout sort who did think and still think that G.F. was a Prophet as immediately sent as Moses or any other is Judged to have been by a Divine Authority and Power in G.F. without any dependance on Scripture Rule or seeking to fish it by consequence from Scripture And pray what need is there to bring Scripture proof for any thing that Men either believe or practise either by consequence or express words seeing that is not the Rule of either Faith or practise but
the Light in every Conscience as W.P. saith here in this Book or some New Revelation or discovery that neither Jews nor Turks nor other Deists have nor all Christendom but only and alone the People called Quakers But if these new Revelations be their Rule in the Case it quite overturns W. P's Fabrick of setting up a general Rule of Faith and Life in every Man's Conscience For a new Revelation that only one part of Mankind hath cannot be a general Rule W.P. makes not the Light within which he will have to be the Spirit or God himself or Christ in every Man abstractly considered from the inward discoveries Dictates and Precepts there delivered to be the general Rule which he calls the Eternal Precepts of the Spirit in the Conscience and the Noble precepts writ in Man's Heart Phrases that he has borrowed from some Heathen writers as Pythagoras and Sophocles and which are to be owned in their place to be such and to be a general Rule of Moral Justice and Temperance as is above owned but not either the general Rule of the Christian Religion with respect to its peculiar Doctrines and Precepts nor indeed so much as any Rule at all in that state nor indeed is it at all proper to call the Spirit the Rule in his Sense but rather the Dictates and discoveries of the Spirit which W.P. calls sometimes Revelation to wit Internal and the Internal Testimony of the Spirit Eternal Precepts and noble Laws writ in all Men's Hearts for the Spirit abstractly considered from all Internal and External discovery Revelation and Testimony teacheth Men nothing at all and therefore can be no Rule to them as such And seeing W.P. hath cast away the Holy Scriptures from being the Rule of Faith and Practise even to us Christians that is all and every one of the peculiar Doctrines and Precepts of Christianity that are to be sure no part of those Eternal Precepts and Laws writ in all Mens Consciences not one of them nor all of those peculiar Doctrines and Precepts are so much as a part of the Christians Rule of Faith and Life for if it were then the Christians the Deists the Mahometans and Infidel Jews should not have one general Rule of Faith and Life which he contends for Page 41. He proposeth an Objection and pretends to solve it Obj. But is not the Scripture the Judge of Controversie He should rather have made the Objection run thus Is not the Scripture the Rule whereby the Spirit of Truth who is properly the Judge doth by his inward ordinary illumination in the Faithful determine the Controversie in all the necessary things of Salvation Yea and also in many other things though not absolutely necessary yet very profitable He Answers How can that be since the Question most times arises about the meaning of Scripture I reply yet still the Scripture is the proper Rule to determine the Controversie even when the question ariseth about the meaning of the Scripture because what seemeth obscure in some places of Scripture are opened and made plain by other plain places of Scripture treating on the same Subject that are as a Key to open them with out any other Rule than the Scripture it self only there is need of the Spirits Internal Illumination and assistance to help us to use that Key especially in reference to the saving knowledge of them He proceeds in his answer to the Objection saying Is there any place to wit in Scripture tells us without Interpretation whither the Socinian or Trinitarian be in the right in their differing Apprehensions of the Three that bear record c. Also the Homousian and Arian about Christ's Divinity or the Papists or Protestants about Transubstantiation If then things are left undefin'd and undetermined I mean literally and expresly in the Scripture and that the Question arises about the Sense of words Doth the Scripture determine which of these Interpreters hit the mark From all which he concludes that not the Scripture but the Interpretation must decide the Matter in Controversie and that Interpretation must be given from the Spirit of God to be a true and infallible Interpretation Answ Seeing that Interpretation according to W.P. cannot be given from the Spirit without an extraordinary Revelation the things in Controversie being such according to W. P's Phrase and Confession P. 31. as fall not within the ordinary Discoveries that are absolutely necessary to Man's Salvation and that W.P. also grants that he and his Brethren have no such extraordinary Revelation for it is not needful being none of the absolute Necessaries to our Salvation P. 33. It evidently follows that neither W.P. nor any of his Brethren nor indeed any other Men now living whatsoever have any certainty whither the Socinian or Trinitarian be in the right that is whither Christ is God and whither Christ had any Existence before Mary and whither Christ be in any of the Faithful yea or nay yea W.P. hath no certainty of this Fundamental Principle that Christ is in him or in any of his Brethren the great reason of their Assertion that Christ is in them being that Christ is God so that if it be not certain from Scripture that Christ is God and if the Socinian Doctrine should prove true that Christ is only a Man it will evidently follow as I think W.P. will grant that it is utterly false that Christ is in any Men whatsoever and that that Light that is in Men even the most Faithful is not Christ for how can that which is only a meer Man and a meer Creature as the Socinians say that Christ only is be in all Men. Again If it cannot be determined from Scripture without extraordinary Revelation which W.P. grants neither he nor his Brethren have as touching these Matters whither the Arians or the Homonsians be in the right it evidently followeth that neither W.P. nor his Brethren are certain whither the word mentioned John 1.1 be any other than a meer Creature and consequently they are not certain but that they themselves are Idolaters who give any Divine Worship to Christ as he is that Word Also if it be not certain from Scripture whither the Papists or Protestants be in the right about Transubstantiation without extraordinary Revelation according to W. P's way of arguing If the Papists should happen to be in the right and W.P. by his Confession knoweth nothing to the contrary but that they are he and his Brethren should be guilty of horrid Contempt and Blasphemy to call that which is the Body of Christ nothing but Bread And is not this Assertion of W.P. a fair Inlet to Popery that the Scripture doth not determine expresly without Interpretation and that Interpretation cannot be had without new Revelation whither the Papists Doctrine of Transubstantiation be true So that to him at present it is a Matter of Indifferency and if W.P. should turn Papist or suppose him to be one when he declares himself he