that time her Visions began to be very frequent The Quakers cannot well out go St. Mr. Fowlis Hâ—st Popish Treasons p. 2. 6. Francis in perfection for he was like Adam in Innocency and kept the Gospel exactly to a Letter not breaking so much as a jott or tittle of it If Quakers receive the Gospel from the Lord so did he have they Revelations both he Dominick and Ignatius Loyola are equal with them Loyola wrought Invisible Miracles as well as the Quakers and Dominick clear outwent them for he received the Holy Ghost with the same Glory of a slaming Tongue as the Apostles did and had also the Gift of Tongues given him by inspiration If Quakers refuse to Salute or put off the Hat Dr. Stillingfleet's Idola p. 273. they have a good President for the Founder of the Jesuites refused to put off his Hat or give any civil Titles to Men The like Example they have for refusing an Oath in Judgment for not onely the Menists of late but the Beguardi or Spiritual Brethren of the Franciscan Order made the like denyal Idem p. 255. The Maintenance which the Quakers allow unto their Ministers is much like unto that of the Franciscans who go about without their Purse and Scrip and are bare-foot also carrying Altaria portatilia little Massing Altars Confessing People and taking what they can get among them The Dominicans got also by this Voluntary Service had no Rents yet most Money no Lands and yet most Corn. Such gratis Preachers as the Quakers pretend to desire we find far earlier than those Orders even the old false Prophets Ezek. 13.19 who took handfuls of Barley and pieces of Bread And the Pseudo-Apostles who because St. Paul Preached gratis to some Churches endeavoured to imitate him therein 2 Cor. 11.12 That wherein they Glory they may be found even as we because the Devil knew that the Men of this World are most taken when Teachers take nothing St. Chrysos Apud Theophyl in locum Oecumenius in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he taught the false Apostles to imitate or counterfeit that also The false Apostles abounding in Riches took notheng and Gloried upon that account Do the Quakers look upon others as Dunces who follow not their Method Keith Im. Rev. p. 68. Your Wisdom is foolishness your knowledge is Darkness So did the Franciscan Fryars to purpose Your Parish Priest is Idiota nunquà m Theologiam audivit Bishop Usher de Christianarum Ecclesiarum successione statu p. 273. c. A Fool that knows nothing of Divinity Blind leaders of the Blind come to us to whom the High the difficult Dei Secreta patuerunt to whom the Secrets of God are unfolded And as the Quakers do now insinuate and creep into other Mens cures so then did the Monks intrude themselves into the places of the secular Clergy So that many even Noble Persons Spretis propriis sacerdotibus made these Vagabond Fryars their Teachers The same Franciscans also above four hundred years ago were busie in making the new and highest Dispensation to wit the Evangelium Spiritus or Evangelium Aeternum the Eternal Gospel of the Spirit which should succeed the Gospel of Christ and that the Quakers come near them in licking up their Vomit 2. The Quakers Temper will in its proper place appear As for their Temper in the most it discovers it self very unlike the Rational Humble and sweet Spirit of Christianity and there is more disadvantage in treating with them than any other Party For We have no Solemn Publick Instrument of theirs containing their Faith Their Judgments in Theological points their way of Worshipping God c. agreed upon by them to which they will engage to stand and by which for the future they will be concluded but each Writer states things according to his own conceit Learning or Advantage and withal they have rare Arts of Equivocation under colour of Figurative Expressions and curious Salvoes to bring one another off from the brink of Blasphemy It will be hard to find another Party that in so few years hath stated things with so much diversity as they have done And it is as difficult to discover one good Notion wherewith they have bettered the World since their first appearing Some of them give us reason to think that their Light was made to be kept dark Geo. Bishops Looking-glass for the Times p. 1. and that we must never know their Opinions There is no Religion under the Sun or no prescription that ought to be as to any thing that relates to the Worship of God but what is within in Spirit and in Truth Away with all Jewish and outward Worship Forms Constitutions Canons Orders Decrees Directories Catechisms Confessions of Faith Idem p. 4. Synods Councils Prescriptions Ordinances of Men all imitations of Christ and his Apostles and doing things by Example of them where the same Spirit of Jesus is not the Leader Away with all National Religions and Worship Christ the Substance the true Jew inwardly the Circumcision in the Spirit Christ the Publick Worship in Spirit and in Truth is come So that if we know not a Quakers heart we cannot know his Religion within it And this he tells he wrote as moved of the Lord and doing his will p. 236. There is no certain stated owned Rule Penningtons Naked Truth p. 22. whereby they will be tryed The Scriptures are excluded from Tryal of the Spirits the Spirit they say must do that Wherein they beg the Question and should give some Evidence they have the Spirit before they try Scriptures by it So that they devolve all upon their inward Motions which being invisible and indemonstrable to us and hugely dissonant among themselves discover their right Father and hereby we who deny new or renewed Revelations are debarred from having any Rule at all Their Style is so bitter so stuffed frequently with cursing and railing that they may well think themselves Conquerours when they have the last word and keep the Field with scolding The want of Arguments is supplyed by the want of Modesty and louder Clamours stand for calmer Reasons James 3.13 1 Pet. 3.15 Instead of the meekness of Wisdom and rendring a Reason of their Hope with meekness and fear Dirt and Rubbish is too oft thrown upon Men their Credits blasted their Souls damned and their Livelihoods Substracted To single out some few Evidences of their Temper If a Man be infirm or sickly A Gagg for the Quakers p. 12. they say he is tormented for writing against them If a Man be Aged then he is called and treated as a Dotard that was the Civility bestowed on Mr. Jenner Or if he dye during the Debate with them as that Person did then they Triumph They sent such an Answer as broke his Heart it seems their Works are a Killing Letter also To one a great Name threatens Reason against Rayling p. 180 181. That his
Obscurity and Darkness The Romanists make it difficult to be understood Fiat lux Cap. 3. Sect. 15. p. 192. Sure footing in Christianity Sect. Dis p. 12 13. G. Keith Immed Revel not ceased p. 34. p. 96. and dangerous to be read to make way for the Proposals and Expositions of their Infallible Head And the Quakers do use the very like Expressions and Exceptions giving great Reason to suppose that they both are Hammer'd on the same Anvil We find it to hurt and weaken and deaden us to think any thoughts even from the Scriptures but as the Life and Spirit of God influenceth and concurreth If any time we do it we find our selves rebuked and chastised by the Lord for it And elsewhere Scripture words are but as a sounding brass and Tinkling Cymbal a killing Letter it is onely the words that Christ himself speaks that are Spirit and Life and they who seek Life in the Letter seek the Living among the Dead for it declares of the Life but it is not therein but in him Among others Thomas Ellwood in a late Book which he calls Truth prevailing and detecting error c. makes it his profest business Chap. 8. To draw a Veil and obscurity over the Scriptures questioning and at last denying the Bible to be the Word of God p. 249. calling the Bible a dead thing the Scriptures dead letters p. 250. whereas they dare call their own Printed Works Living Divine Testimonies And T. E. The Works of William Smith upon his Principles cannot give the same Title to the Book of God which he gives to his own viz. Truth prevailing c. He further tells us that the Scriptures are not sufficient to Salvation p. 241. nor the Rule ibid. and the like Contempts are most subtilly insinuated Withal he disbands humane Learning from all Religious Concerns affirming that the Bible is a sealed Book needs the same Revelation to understand it that the Apostles had to Write it And all this is designed to usher in his partyes pretended immediate Inspirations as the only certain means of understanding any thing in Holy Writ This seeming Dishonorable to God Disgraceful to his Word Dangerous to Souls and the quiet of Kingdoms and the whole being wrongfully stated by him I have herein endeavoured an Examination of his Notions concerning this matter G. The Quakers plainness detecting fallacy p. 71. Whitehead acquaints us concerning the Quakers Writings That some of their Titles have not been strictly but figuratively placed upon their Books a Confession which if pursued gives us great Latitude he neither naming what those Books nor Figures are a rare Art of Equivocation in the Frontispiece what figures may he pretend their Books to have within and by this sleight they may evade the most pressing Arguments And should I by this figure call Ellwoods Book Falsehood prevailing and protecting Errour I should do no Injustice for it is but a pursuance of their own Concessions But to new a while his self pleasing title why it is not less Humble than Truth prevailing is this given strictly or figuratively or imposed by his so much boasted of Inspiration The World is too wise to be gull'd with a book that bears a feather in its top it is truth we look for within not anticipating Titles without Modesty and Reason go further than a hundred such sounding Brasses or tinkling Cymbals Truth prevailing c. so sound some other of their works Truth exalted and Deceit abased Truth lifting up its head above scandalls c. But he may know that enemies to God and truth have given such titles to the Creatures of their Brains which he doth to his Work Antiphon the Philosopher writ a Book against the very Providence of God Orig. Con. Cels Lib. 4. p. 176. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he denyed and attempted to take out of the World and yet he had the Confidence to call it a Discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concerning Truth Celsus that bitter Enemy of the Christian Religion wrote a tract against it which he named The true word or saying Idem Lib. 1. p. 14. 31. In his Fragments out of Eusebius p. 26 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierocles also no mean person composed one against the Christians which he intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lover of Truth So that bad lying Books may through confidence wear good names and yet all these three concerning Truth the True word the lover of Truth are more modest than Truth Prevailing alias Rampant but it is well Books can get Titles for T.E. is shy in giving them to men his new Heraldry and learning orders they must now have Epithetes and Adjuncts p. 45. By Thomas Elwood why Thomas he doth dis own his Baptism why hath he not changed that name which is the memorial of it why nothing but Thomas Ellwood one while they were at another pass * In the plain Answer to his 18 Queries called of the World John Whitehead ‡ In his Answer to the 15 New castle ministers by one whom the World calls James Naylor †A shield of the Truth Lib. 2. Refert nosse ingenium mores ejus eum quo velis congredi written from the Spirit of the Lord by one who is known to the World by the name of James Parnell of late such alias's are omitted for they continue changing and are but yet going on unto perfection It is a Rule in the Recognitions ascribed to Clemens to know quibus sit moribus quibus artibus c. To understand the temper of that Person with whom you have to deal which must be observed and I desire the freedom of inquiring a while into the Quakers particularly into our present Author by way of Introduction and then shall address to the main Concern His Repeated Immediate and Expository Revelations and his other Notions of the like Mold For the Quakers in general two things are not unfit to be considered Their Original or standing And their Temper First for their Original It may seem more difficult to discover where Sects are not called from their Founder but some property c. It may be harder to trace them to their Head The Quakers Original In 1652 their beginning is supposed and then abouts they were so called and known but they themselves raise it four years higher In Mr. Faldoes Q. no Christi Discourse bethe King and Hub. p. 3. p. 16. John Whitehead fixes it in the year 1648. and Hubberthorne in 1660. told the King that they were then twelve years standing In that black year to these Kingdoms their pretended light appeared Considering these things I am inclined to affirm them an off-set of the Levellers and anon shall tender strong probabilities for it proposing them to such whose Age Experience or Circumstances have qualified them for a further Discovery onely premising somewhat which seem'd preparatory towards their appearing In the North parts of
England where the Quakers were first known There were Grindletonian Familists who taught that Scripture is but for Novices The White Wolf p. 39. that their Spirit is not to be tryed by the Scripture that we must now go by motions not by motives that when God comes to dwell in a man he so fills the Soul that there is no more lusting with such like When Hell was broke loose these and some others were maintained in 1645. which are suck'd in by the Quakers as Edwards 2d part of Gangraena p. 2d That Christs Presence in Heaven cannot be proved by Scripture they pretended Revelations and Visions God conveys his Will immediately not lawful to give Thanks after Meat that they are acted by Christ in all that some are as perfect here as ever they shall be in Heaven Tho. Hall the Pulpit guarded in the Epistle Such a Catalogue we find in another with Additionals which I shall not stand to transcribe But the very draughts and even Body of Quakerism ly in the several Works of Gerrard Winstanley a zealous Leveller wherein he tells of the arising of new Times and Dispensations The New law of Righteousness dated Jan. 26. 1648 and challengeth Revelation very much for what he writ The Humane Body was not the Christ but the Spirit in that Body in the Preface p. 11. Christ the anointing shall dwell in every one as he dwelt in the man Christ Jesus p. 13. the Rising up of Christ in Sons and Daughters is his second coming the ministration of Christ in one single person is to be silent p. 21. Father and Son are all one only the Father is the Vniversal power in the whole Globe the Son is the same Power drawn into and appearing in a single person p. 53. Priests teach for hire Tithes brought in by the Pope p. 61. The Resurrection is begun p. 85. Without Voice Vision or Revelation men know not what they speak p. 103. The Righteous at Death enter into the Father himself p. 111. all Expositions are to cease and we are to wait with a quiet silence p. 112. Speak from the Original light within Pag. The Saints Paradise 1. Teaching out of Scripture is but mans teaching p. 14. the anointing teacheth without the Scriptures p. 23. you Idolize Scripture p. 73. The Father lies buried under the Vnrighteous fleshly power p. 81. Jesus Christ is now upon his rising from the dead the time is come p. 83. Jesus is the light within every one p. 94. the Holy Law is not the Letter of the Scripture but the Spirit P. The Mystery of God revealed to his servants 7. God will dwell in every Man and Woman as he did in Christ the Pledge or first fruits He maketh seven several dispensations the fifth is p. 31. Gods manifesting in the flesh of Christ the 6th is p. 32. Gods appearing in the Flesh of his Saints tell the Resurrection day which he makes a clearer Dispensation than the former P. Truth lifting up his head above Scandals Octob. 16. 1648. 11. A Christ within is thy Saviour p. 16. the Apostles seeing Christ ascend was a declaration in Vision of the Spirits rising up p. 18. Christs body went into the four Elements to purify them p. 19. his Spirit went into his Father p. 29. Father Son and Spirit are three names of one power p. 46. Magistrates have nothing to do in matters of Religion p. 70. you must have a command within p. 73. Humane Learning quarrelled at P. Fire in the Bush 20. The Law Spirit God Christ Heaven within you p. 33. Christ the anointing within leads into all truth p. 46. the Seed or Christ is to be seen within he is no Saviour that is at a distance Jesus at a distance from thee will never save thee With many such expressions over and over repeated That these are the Quakers Principles is well enough known allowing some little alterations as few Sect-Masters but have their Doctrine varied by their Proselytes And the Religious Orders of the Church of Rome have suffered super Reformations Now considering these Opinions the Year the Country as the Mystery of God is Dedicated to his beloved Countrymen of the County of Lancaster the Printer Giles Calvert New Law c. p. 44. ad 75. Fire in the Bush p. 64. ad finem An Humble Request to Ministers and Lawyers all over and that sâ—veral Levellers settled into Quakers incline to take hem for Winstanleys Disciples and a branch of the Levellers And what this man writes of levelling mens estates of taking in of Commons that none should have more ground than he was able to Till and Husband by his own labour Proving unpracticable by reason of so many tough old Laws which had fixed Propriety yet it is pursued by the Quakers as near as they well can in Thouâ—ing every one in denying Titles Civil Respects and terms of Destinction among men and at the first they were for Community A Faithful Discovery of Mistical Antichrist c. p. 39. thinking it unreasonable that one man should have so much and another so little and some of them were not free to be tenants to other men And George Fox said one man ought not to be above another Informat at Lancaster Octob. 5. 1652. Besides these the Quakers have some other Opinions most what Negative like touch not tast not handle not which are the distinctive Shibboleths of the Sect yet possibly they may be in other of the works of Winstanley however he gives in these some hints towards them New Law c. p. 125. Truth lifting up c. p. 43. p. 28. p. 68. His new Spiritual man will neither Preach nor Pray nor say Grace when he sitteth down to meat as the Custom of Professors is Christ and his Apostles did not Preach and Expound any Text Customarily as the Parish Gods do the second man will change Times and Customs all these outward Forms and Customs are to cease and pass away viz. Ordinances Sacraments Sabbaths c. And herein the Quakers do follow him and others of their Opinions might be added or improved by their After teachers and if we assert that Rome had an Agency therein at least as a pattern likely we should not be mistaken Trembling and Quaking was known before their Appearance Thomas Newton had a Vision by night of the Virgin Mary appearing to him and saying Newton John Gee foot out of the Snare p. 63. 64. see that thou do not take the Oath of Allegiance He had other Visions besides that which if he should repeat would make a man Tremble and Quake The Alumbrades or Spanish Quakers that are Seniors to ours above twenty years had Burnings Tremblings or Quakings Dr. Causabons Knthusiasm p. 174. Idem p. 161. and Swounings The Holy Maid or Sister Katherine of Jesus began her fit in the Church with trembling So that she set her wax Candle fall to the ground from
making the Spirit inwardly supply all we Christians are instructed to hearken unto that Prophet whom God raised up like unto Moses Deut. 18.15 and T. E. can scarce make Moses and the Holy-Ghost alike we do Believe in and Obey that Beloved Son upon whom the Blessed Spirit descended Mat. 3.17 for we are commanded to hear him Mat. 17.5 he discharged his Prophetick as well as Priestly Office in our Humane Nature to this the Prophecies and Promises refer and we must render to each their due in the work of our Instruction to the Son as well as to the Spirit T. E. hath made the most untrue and desperate choice that could be the Apostles to receive the knowledge of the Gospel by the Immediate Revelation of the Spirit what is become of all the Promises of the Messiah John 4.25 I know that Christ when he is come he will tell us all things saith the Woman of Samaria But by Ellwoods model he is com'd and gone and hath taught the Disciples nothing why did Christ chuse the Apostles Live Converse with and betwixt three or four years Instruct them in the things of Gods Kingdom if they were no better for all those Divine Lessons which came from him whom never man spoke like unto what quarrels have the Quakers against Jesus of Nazareth Luke 24.19 that Prophet or Divine Teacher mighty in Deed and Word before God and all the People that they must lay aside his Person or his Office either substituting the holy Spirit in his place or making their great Idol the Light or Christ within to do all the necessary work of Instruction Cannot T. E. permit Jesus to be the great Law-giver and Teacher and then upon his bodily removal from the earth the Holy Spirit to descend and build upon Christ the Foundation but as far as in him lies in imitation of the Heathens quarrels among their Deities he must have the Spirit to drown the Word the outward incarnate Christ to signify nothing but the inward Manifestation to Communicate all Was it the Holy Ghost who assumed our flesh lived and preached and Sealed the truth of his Doctrine with his Blood or it was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who performed all those things and of whose fulness we receive were they the Apostles of the Spirit or the Apostles of Christ Jesus who breathed on them gave them Authority and sent the Holy Ghost to inable them to execute their Commission Why do the Quakers thus confound the works of the Word and the Spirit like the Libertines qui nihil ponunt inter filium Dei Calvin adversus Libertin Cap. 10. Spiritum ejus discriminis but suppose they were right about the Holy Unity that there is no destinction of Persons in the Godhead but that they are only different names of the same one Subsistence yet T. E. hath laid a wrong Foundation for it was not this Spirit which inwardly did all But it was Jesus the Son of Mary be he but a piece of the Christ or have he an Heavenly body sheathed up within that which he took of the Virgin or however else for they know not what to make of him nor do with him The man Jesus who was as truly visible in Jewry as Ellwood was in the House of Pennington stands much in their way and hinders their Light or Christ within who called the Apostles taught and instructed them as appears from the Series of the four Gospels which we shall adhere to rather than to these who do but dream dreams while they conceit that they see Visions This being the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is the procreative cause of so many delusions viz. a Disregarding Christs Personal Prophetical Office and placing their supposed Spirit in his room I shall make a short Narrative how the Apostles came to the knowledge of the Gospel how Religion was delivered by Christ that it was settled in an outward Bodily and Sensible way and thereby Ellwoods account of the Spirits doing the work by his inward Immediate teaching will appear not only distant from truth but the very subverter of the Christian Religion God having at sundry times and in divers manners made known his Will unto the Fathers at the last in the highest Dispensation which is never to be out dated he spoke unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things that is by the God-man Christ Jesus who took our flesh and blood and was of the same nature with us this Son of God was God himself who came to visit the earth and be his own Interpreter yet still he discharged this Office whilst he was Tabernacling in our Flesh He was God with us instructing us in the likeness and true Nature of man of a Reasonable Soul and Humane Flesh subsisting And thus I suppose those Prophecyes were fulfilled Taught of the Lord or Taught of God he had the Spirit without measure he was the very Temple of God the Holy of Holyes in and by whom the Divine Oracles were made known to Mortals The Divine Majesty resided in this man Jesus all the former owned ways of Revelation came to attend him into the World to usher him into his Office and give Credence to what he spoke and yet excepting some short Sentences serving as Testimonials to him they were all silent while he was Teaching but still Jesus in Humane Nature took the Chair and was Gods mouth and voice unto mankind as might be more fully and advantageously shewed The Apostles conversed with Christ saw heard eat drunk and lived with him how oft is this referred to of their being Eye and Ear Witnesses of what he did and said he taught them by Sermons Parables Conferences explaining things privately to them during the whole Term of his Ministry and after his Resurrection And must his whole Prophetick Office be thought nothing and can such select Scholars be still non-proficients under so powerful and so diligent an Instructer other Quakers think contrarily to T. E and let one Infallible buffet another Whilst Christ abode with them in his bodily appearance they had some knowledge till the manifestation of the Spirit Keith Im Rev. p. 162 163. they were ignorant of many things many is not all that is for their knowledge and for their life he saith elsewhere the very Disciples themselves while they followed Christ outwardly were truly Religious and another of them surely none will or can deny Idem p. 230. who profess Christianity but the Apostles Taylors Faithful and True Witness the Light c. p. 12. in some measure before Christs outward departure from them had the Comfort of the Holy Spirit in them and were both Believers and obedient Children in their measure c. What though the Apostles being involved in the fatal prejudices of their Nation were ignorant of some things as about the Kingdom of God the Resurrection c. must they therefore know nothing of Faith
is made the Motive to Mens believing in him and Immediate Revelation is not once named He would have also the promise of sending the Comforter given without Restriction but in Scripture limitations must be given to general words according to matters c. concerned Joel 2.28 I will pour my Spirit upon all Flesh is not upon Horses Asses no nor the unconverted Indians John 14.26 He shall teach you all things is not giving the skill of Astronomy or Algebra So the promise of the Spirit is not onely to be understood with Restriction but the very Limitations are given John 15.27 Ye have been with me from the beginning that limits it to the Persons of the Apostles who accompanyed with Christ beginning from the Baptism of John Acts 1.22 Hereupon Christ saith Ye also shall bear Witness which none could do upon their certain knowledge but his Personal Attendants And John 16.13 He will shew you things to come restrains it also to the Apostles which clause T. E. as too tough for him ungodlily leaves out But to Argue upon their Principles what is Ellwood concerned in Christ's Promise made before his Death when as he slights Luke 14.8 because spoken before the one Offering was Actually offered up Edw. Burroughs p. 47. p. 37. Another saith A Command to one binds not another no more should a Promise to one benefit another The gift of Tongues and working Miracles were peculiar to the Apostles Times Geo. Whitehead's Reprehension and so was Inspiration also Those Promises Christ made just before his Death having discharged his Prophetick Office he betook himself to his Priestly the Multitude being gone he addressed himself in his Sermon to his Apostles whom he left his Commissioners on Earth and having finished his Prayer was presently Apprehended Now to enlarge to all Believers what was spoke to that select Company will make wild Divinity T. Ellwood so may pass for Thomas Didymus and challenge one of the twelve Thrones whereon to sit and Judge the twelve Tribes of Israel But suppose he inferred truly in an extensive Relation to all Believers till he prove me to be no Believer he hath argued me to have Inspiration as well as himself and withal Faith being an Internal invisible Grace without another Immediate Revelation I cannot be assured who is this true Believer nor who hath the Spirit It may suffice humble Souls that those Promises may extend in some sort to the whole Church diffusive not to every single Man no nor Sect of Men nor to any Church of one Denomination whatsoever and that God will bestow the Spirit of Illumination and Sanctification upon sincere Christians But that those are different from the Apostolical Inspiration without which a man may be saved and with which he may be damned To these he adds Auxiliary Proofs as John 17.37 38 39. p. 128. in which neither Repeated nor Immediate Revelation as perpetual is named And he reads it differently from his Master Fox Great Mystery p. 130. in the Spirit of the Quakers tryed Universal Grace p. 102 who thus turns it Out of whose Belly viz. the Light Christ flowed Rivers of Living water as also the Text above is differently by him Interpreted from his Tutor Keith He prayeth for them that they may be converted and believe as John 17.21 That Text as to us is now abundantly fulfilled in that Vital Principle of Holiness implanted in all Regenerate Hearts whereas it doth explain it self v. 39. to belong to the day of Pentecost But T. E. deals with it as Satan did with that Mat. 4.6 leaveth out the Holy-Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet Glorified Chrysost apud Theop. in locum because it looked unkindly on his Project 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He brings in also p. 229. 1 John 2.20 27. wherein Immediate perpetual Revelation is not named but it referreth to the Subject matter the discovering of false Teachers and Doctrines by the anointing that gift of discerning the Spirits then in the Church But if T. E. conceit that he know all things I shall grant him to succeed some in such thoughts Irenae advers Haeres Lib. 1. C. 1. Origen L. 1. p 31. the Gnosticks and Valentinians Abundantiùs gloriantur plus quam caeteri cognovisse Gloryed themselves to know much more than others And Celsus had as high conceits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boasted he knew all the Doctrines and things belonging to Christians His other Proofs from John 14 15 16 Chapters belong in their proper and prime sence to the Apostles who were Christs Attendants whilst he lived on Earth and his Commissioners and Witnesses when Ascended The fancy that without Revelation we are left comfortless is foolish for God hath afforded the certain Original Revelations to us in his Bible we have his Spirit and his Comforts to many purposes besides Inspiration and he is still with us in the use of means as he causeth Corn to grow and yet our Labour and Sowing are required Thus Vbi supra like those in Irenaeus he doth ex arenâ resticulas nectere his whole Scheme thus far is but a rope of Sand drawn out of untrue and unconcluding Premisses Jesus that Prophet is laid aside and the Spirit made the whole Teacher and that Employment is devolved on him to make way for their inward unaccountable suggestions Then he kindly supposeth his Friends to be the Apostles Successors thence infers that all must be taught for ever as the Apostles were And lastly attempts at some Proofs which without a Quakers Spectacles cannot be therein spelled Feed my Sheep the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven c. serve the Pope as clearly and with more likelihood The Disciples of H. Nicholas may be esteemed the Nicholaitans Rev. 2. or the two George Foxes be Interpreted those little Foxes Cant. 2.15 that spoil the Vines CHAP. IV. Concerning their Renewed or Repeated Revelations UPON these tottering Pillars he raiseth several and different Notions I. To begin with their Youngest that which is their Fondling viz. the Claim of Renewed and Repeated Revelations which without offering one Text in favour thereof he thus wordeth p. 238. Not new Revelations that is new things Revealed but rather renewed Revelations that is Old things revealed anew The same Gospel the same way of Salvation the same Essentials of Religion the same Principles and Doctrines in a word the same good Old Truths which were Revealed to the Saints of Old and are Recorded in the Holy Scriptures Revealed now anew This he is large upon p. 243. That they are again Revealed by the same Spirit which he calls a repetition of the former Revelations p. 254 256. But why names he not the Author of this knack That would have looked untowardly upon the Immediateness of it Im. Revelation not ceased p. 3. But George Keith Inspired him therewith Observe the difference betwixt these two the new Revelation of new things and the
new Revelation of the good old things which are the Essentials of Religion The first of those two we do not plead for but the latter And elsewhere p. 33. The same Eternal Life which first breathed them forth doth either again breath or speak them forth in us or sendeth forth of his Living powerful Influences into them as they have a place in our Minds and Memories this latter as more modest is below Ellwoods purpose But though he taketh the Words and Notions of Keith the Revelation is still Immediate for their Institutor hath prettily determined Truth lifting up its head p. 38. If you would hear then acquaint your seives with such as can speak from a Testimony within for as they Received what they have from the pure teachings of the Father so this second hand teaching will be a pure Teaching unto you but be sure you do not prefer this second Teaching before the first for now the Everlasting Word and Gospel must reveal himself to you or else you cannot be satisfyed Their own or others is first and second hand teaching but instructing from the Scriptures is not so much as third hand Teaching and the Scriptures are now out of date The Writings of the Apostles are to cease Truth lifting c. p. 30. when the Lord himself who is the Everlasting Gospel doth manifest himself to Rule in the Flesh of Sons and Daughters They have no New Essentials of Religion this I thought spoke in our Acception about Fundamentals till further Converse in their Works discovered the Deceit Keith Im. Rev. p. 5. for though one tell us that less than one half of the Scriptures is a full and perfect Testimony of all the Essentials yet he spoyls all in saying That the knowledge and beliefe of the History of Christ his outward Coming Pag. 229. Birth Life Death Burial Resurrection c. are such parts of our Religion and Faith as serve to make up the Intiredness or Fulness of it yet so as true Religion may be without the express Knowledge and Beliefe of them So that a man may be a Quaker Christian without the express knowledge of Christ in the outward either of his Name Nature Laws or Offices The great Mogul hath true Religion as much as George Fox This lays aside all that Jesus Was Did Taught and Suffered and contains all Heresies in its Bowels even to the denying the Lord who bought them And another hath writ a Folio to shew that men should not be concern'd about Faith or Creeds Bishops looking glass for the times but leave all to the Conduct of the Light But what then are their Essentials of Religion nothing of Jesus our Lord and Saviour nothing that is a part of the four Gospels True Christianity and Religion may subsist without the History of Christ in the Letter to wit Im. Rev. p. 243. In the Mistery of the Life of Christ in the Spirit So that a Turk is a true Christian though he never owned but hated Christ rarely allegorized till our whole Christianity is shrunk up into those four insignificant words as so used which are fit for nothing but a Quakers Posy And George Bishop crouds all into that Everlasting Truth viz. A looking glass for the times p. 235. the Principle of God in Man which is in every man a measure thereof to lead him and guide him which is able to lead him into all truth and to deliver him from evil and which will bring him to God These are the new made Essentials of Religion which the ancient Heroes knew not of who required from all Baptised persons the Profession of their Faith about Christ in the outward who scrupled the change of one Letter in the Creed but Quakers disowning visible Baptism have sent away the Creed therewith lest the retaining of it should upbraid them In the mean time the Devil hath ordered their Scene rarely The Light Christ within renders the Christ without much useless he who shed his Blood for them is no Essential of their Religion and their Inspirations supply the place of Scripture being preferred before it So that their two Principles Im. Rev. p. p. 43. the Light and Motions fairly lessen if not discharge the Essential and Written word of God Christ in Heaven and the Scriptures on Earth signifie little to these self-made Pagans who have enough within to carry them to all that Heaven which their Faith expects But to resume the claim of renewed and Repeated Revelations a Notion so strange that nothing but a search into their Writings can Discover the sense or design of it I must take the freedom to present their thoughts of the Holy Scriptures that by such preparatory tasts we may be drawn on to swallow this Camel of Repetition To begin with their Founder men must not walk by the Scriptures Winstanley in Truth lifting up p. 39. for this is to walk by the eyes of other men and the Spirit is not so scanty that a dozen ar twenty pair of eyes shall serve the World but every Son and Daughter have light within themselves You shall feed no longer upon the Oyl that was in other mens Lamps the Scriptures In the Title page now it is required that every one have Oyl in his own Lamp within himself Some walk by Example Mistery of God p. 35. The Saints Paradise p. 1.2 and have seen very little of the anointing in them some walk more in Spirit and Truth as the anoynting of the Father teacheth them teaching from Scripture is not but speaking from their own experience that is from God The like Notion breaths in T. E. Master Keith The old Revelations given unto the Saints cannot serve our turn the Faith of another man is not sufficient unto me but I must be saved by the Faith Knowledge and Experience given me of God of the self same things the Revelation of them given of God unto others cannot suffice me nor were these things recorded in Writ that I should sit down upon the History but to point us inward to that same Principle of life revealing and working the same things in us Pag. 34. c. We find it to hurt and deaden us to think any thoughts even from the Scriptures but as the Spirit influenceth if at any time we do it we find our selves rebuked and chastized of the Lord for it and in another place we must not obey Scripture without motions but we may obey motions without Scripture At this rate write others of them to cull out some few from among many G. W. and Fox in the gag for the Q. p. 14. what Paul wrote unto the Ephesians and Colossions doth not concern this Generation That is no Command from God to me which God hath given by way of Command to another Burroughs Works p. 47. neither did any of the Saints act by the Command which was to another every one obeyed their own Commands
tuum Propheta he bad Open thy Mouth Ità Epiphan Haeres 34. and thou shalt Prophecy The same Father relateth the manner how he effected it that raising their thoughts their hearts being heated and panting they grew bold and spake strange doting things and thereupon they fancied themselves to Prophecy He corrupted also many Women and the very words which Marcus gave unto himself are somewhat like those Blasphemous ones given to Fox by Josiah Coale Augustin in Haeres 14. His Women also Administred a wild kind of Eucharist and Quakers have their she-teachers He also denyed the Resurrection of the Flesh which is Quakers Doctrine and said That Christ did not suffer truly he perverted by Charms and strange Arts Women to follow him and 't is reported how many have been subverted by the Quakers by a stedfast look or a wring by the hand c. without rational means of Perswasion the sugar'd Language he gave his Proselytes blandiens eis is imitated by ours also The Spirit of the Hat p. 43. who give their Females these Appellations Innocent Lasses and Daughters of Sion 6. The Valentinians made use of the same Plea Tertul. in Valentin Lib. 4. Quidni quum Spirituale illud semen suum in unoquoque sic recenseant si aliquid novi adstruxerint Revelationem statim appellant praesumptionem charisma Ingenium they do account the Spiritual Seed to be in every one if they do light or hit upon any thing that is new they presently call that Presumption or conceit a Revelation and their own wit they do style an immediate or extraordinary gift And the same Father elsewhere relates Omnes tument De praescript adver haeret omnes scientiam pollicentur c. They are all puff'd up promise much knowledge their Novices are perfect before they be Instructed their saucy Women dare teach heal it may be Baptize their Ordinations were confused a Presbyter to day a Lay-man to morrow Laicks do Priestly Offices c. 7. Montanus and his Party claimed Inspirations as much as any and his Sect continued some Centuries and their carriage was strangely ecstatical which shewed they were not moved from the Lord. We have the judgments of some Ancients in Eusebius concerning them Hist Eccles Lib. 5. Cap. 14 15 16 17. That Montanus being alienated and ecstatical in Spirit was Distracted and under the pretence of Prophecy or Revelation he spoke unwonted things against the Faith and Doctrine of the Church They boasted of their Martyrs and Sufferings Miltiades wrote against them so did others the whole Church or Fraternity throughout the World disowned this Prophecy as accursed He taught to dissolve Marriage had his Exactors or Collectors who gathered many Gifts and Oblations His Prophetesses had run away from their Husbands his Party grew strong they called Pepuza Tymium two little Cities of Phrygia New Jerusalem So Munster and Strasburg were called and the Quakers once Travelled towards New Malton in Search of the New Jerusalem comed down from Heaven till the mire and rain wearied out their Zeal The Pepuziani a branch of them had Women Bishops and Women Presbyters upon the same Account that our Quakers plead for their Prophetesses Epiphan Haeres 49. Ibidem Augustin Heres 27. because in Christ Jesus there is neither Male nor Female and Christ is said to appear either to Quintilla or Priscilla or both when sleeping and being Cloathed in a white Garment to Inspire Wisdom and to Reveal that to be an Holy place even the Heavenly Jerusalem In prologis ad Naum Abacuc And St. Hierom is sometimes confuting them that a Prophet understands what he seeth nec ut amens loquitur nor speaketh as distracted as Montanus and his Prophetesses doated but Quaking which was thought the sign of their conversing with God is now looked on otherwise that the Voyce of the Lord was not distinctly discerned there in stilness the mind is brought into a capacity to discern the voyce of the Lord. Living Stone in 3d Q. quib p. 4. 8. The Messalians Psalliani or Euchites laid claim to Revelations as much as any other Sect they were so assiduous in prayer that it may seem incredible to most that hear it Augus Her 57. by a misapplication of those words pray always and pray without ceasing some of them would have named themselves to be whatsoever persons you would have them art thou a Prophet he would reply I am a Prophet Epiphan Her 80. Theodoret. Hist Eccl. L. 4. C. 11. art thou Christ he would reply I am Christ but besides this they were strangely Eathusiastical pretending they had the presence of the Spirit and calling their own Dreams and Fancyes Prophecyes their Opinions infected many Monasteries and several Countries they looked upon the Lords Supper to do neither good nor hurt Adelphius an old Professor among them gave this Account of their Faith That Holy Baptism profitted nothing but only that perpetual Prayer cast out that inward Devil which every one received from their first Parents that then the Holy Ghost came upon them with his sensible and invisible Presence whereby they were freed from Sin Ibidem and needed neither Fasting nor Instruction but that then they were able to foresee future things and to behold the Holy Trinity with their eyes These are to the purpose T. E. Predecessors several Bishops opposed themselves to their pernitious Doctrines and indeed we cannot do more acceptable Service to the Spirit of truth than by detecting the Spirit of Errour though it appear in the guise of an Angel of Light or have got a piece of Scripture in its mouth nay though it pretend Antiquity and get it self wrapped in old Samuels Mantle or come demurely in Sheeps cloathing 9. Aetius an Arian Heretick though one that did seperate from his Communion was at the like pass with the former Temerariâ audaciâ elatus Binius Tom. 1. p. 486. dixit being puff'd up by a rash boldness he said Deum sibi Revelasse ea quae usque ab Apostolorum temporibus hactenus occultaverat that God had Revealed those things to him which till then he had concealed from the times of the Apostles say the Fathers of the Council of Constantinople Theodor. Hist Eccl. L. 2. C. 28. Histor Triparet L. 5. C. 22. apud Binium and the like words of his are elsewhere Recorded Serras though a Favourer of him accused him by astrange height of Pride or Madness to have presumed and spoke higher things that those things were now Revealed to him which God had concealed hitherto from the Apostles universis from all men And that is pretty Consonant to the Quakers Doctrine have not we had the Gospel all this time till now Answer we say no the Gospel Dispensation was lost saith Smith But Blessed be the Lord for his renewing the Spiritual Ministry in our days and Ann Wrights Letter is full about the same Since the Lord first
visibly in their exstacyes c. that all things ought to be done by Immediate Motions and Inspirations c. The Church of Rome proves her self the Temple of the Living God from these Revelations Borius de Signis Eccles L. 6. C. 2. in Dr. Spencers Prophecyes p. 15. Keiths Im. Rev. p. 99. or the voice of his Oracles heard therein she hath she tells us the Spirit of Prophecy called the Testimony of Jesus to bear Witness to her Doctrine Worship and Discipline and to this purpose gives in a list of her Prophets and of their Wonderful Predictions And this very Argument is used by the Quakers Jâ—sus Christ revealed in man or Immediate Revelation is the Foundation of the true Church and of every member thereof in particular and therefore if the true Church remain this must remain also And the Councel of Laterane having prescribed Rules for the Preachers Session the 11. under Leo the 10. addeth an exception Caeterum si quibusdam c. But if to some the Lord shall Reveal by Inspiration certain Future things in his Church as he hath promised by Amos the Prophet and Paul saith despise not Prophecying we will not have such to be numbred amongst Fabulous or lying People or otherways to be disturbed Here is a Council defending Immediate Revelation and if I credit a Quakers pretensions that way I am in point of Justice equally bound to believe the Romish and the Doctrines thereby confirmed nay I am more bound in that the Romish Church hath used this claim much longer and pretends to more Caution in examining the things thereby brought 3. At the Reformation this pretence was industriously set up and carried on by Satan to weaken or defeat the endeavours of those Worthy Heroes Calvin in the preface saith That for twenty years Satan endeavoured to extinguish Adver Libertin stifle or defame that Evangelicall Doctrine which he saw appearing they called them Literal Reformers who had but faint and small discoveries of the Spirit c. Muncer said the first Reformers were not sent of God Bullinger Adver Anabap. L. 1. c. 1. nor preach'd the True Word of God c. Of these Conceited Devoto's there were several sorts which did split and subdivide more and more afterwards 1. The Anabaptists flew high with this claim and it was the stale to cary on each design Their Founder Nicholas Stork John Davyes Apocalypse had his visions and God Communicated Himself to Thomas Muncer John Matthiz the Baker had Secrets revealed to him which God had not Revealed to others He being Enoch the second High-Priest of God Herman the Cobler professed himself a true Prophet and the true Messiah c. Their Storyes are so known that it is superfluous to relate them John Buckhold had Revelations as plentiful as Mahomet This King of Justice Minted his Money with this Impression Verbum caro factum quod habitat in nobis that is the Word was made Flesh which dwelleth in us which is the Doctrine of Winstaenley and of his Disciples that God is manifested in the Flesh of Sons and Daughters New Law of Righte p. 33. or in many Bodyes as Christ or the Anointing was poured on that Humane Body Jesus the Son of man and dwelt Bodily there for a time So that Quakers are Christs now as much as Jesus was on Earth only he was one single Christ but this spreading power of Righteousness makes them many Christs in many Bodyes But if there was perpetual Inspiration Reason would adjudge the Anabaptists and the others being contemporary with the Reformation more likely to have a share thereof than others at a great Distance from it And so little did the first Reformers favour them that Luther Writ to the Senate of Mulhusium to beware of such Wolves and Melancton expressly declares against them De numero Sacramentorum Anabaptistae fingunt expectandas esse novas Revelationes c. The Anabaptists feign that there are new Revelations and Illuminations to be expected from God and that these are to be obtained with great Bodily severities as the Monks and Enthusiasts of old Feigned These Fanatical dotages are accursed we contrarily do think that God out of his Infinite Goodness having Revealed his Will to us in the Gospel other Revelations or Illuminations are not to be expected 2. The Libertines took themselves to be Inspired Calvin Advers Libertinos C. â— and galled the Church much totus corum sermo de Spiritu est Calvin Advers Libertinos C. 2. c. all their Discourse was of the Spirit Sometimes they used strange Words to bring their hearers into Admiration and cast a mist about them at other times they used common words Sed significationem corum deformant C. 7. altering their signification when any place of Scripture was urged C. 9. their Answer was nos Literae minimè obnoxios esse that they were not concern'd in the Letter thereof but were bound to follow the Spirit that quickneth It was their Principle that the Scripture in its natural Sence was a dead Letter and therefore was not to be regarded but to observe the quickning Spirit saying Sublimiùs speculemur let us look for higher things than what the Letter affords and let us seek new Revelations They scarce spake two Clauses but the word Spirit was in their mouths C. 10. and made no Account of the name Christian in compare to the name Spiritual perswading their hearers that they were Spiritual purely Divine Et jam cum Angelis semiraptos esse Antonius Pocquius a great man among them said Aspicite adest tempus c. Behold now the time is at hand wherein the Disciple of Elijah begged the double Portion of the Spirit and that was the time which Christ meant when he said I have many things to say unto you c. Qualis ego sum such a Teacher did Pocquius boast himself to be but he would not speak out donec tempus advenerit 3. Casper Swenckfield for thirty years together troubled the Church with his Dreams Rutherford p. 15. Ex schlus Selburgio he called for Spiritualness and the Spirit and the internal word that we must not depend on the External Word he took several things from Papists Anabaptists and Calvin making a mixture of Opinions he accused the Reformed Pastors that no man was better for their Preaching extolling the Spirit as doing all The Reformed Divines admonished and refuted him his monstrous Opinions were Condemned by a Synod at Norinburg and by the Divines of Mansfield and he still persisted in them He made the Gospel to be the Essence of God which is the Doctrine of Winstanley the Lord himself Truth lifting up its head p. 30. who is the Everlasting Gospel he made Faith and Conversion to be wrought Immediately taught that we must try the Word by the Spirit and not the Spirit by the Word that no Doctrine Sacraments or any things written in
Scriptures do conduce to Salvation but God is to be sought in his naked Majesty in Dreams Inspirations and Revelations of the Spirit 4. Henry Nicholas In the answer to the Families Supplication the first Illuminated Elder of the Family of Love put in as high for Visions and Revelations as any of the rest the power of the highest came upon his Godded man H N. and did instruct and speak such and such things to him as his words are at large set down H. N. by the Grace and Mercy of God through the Holy Spirit of the love of Jesus Christ raised up by the highest God from the Death anointed with the Holy Ghost Elected to be a Minister of the Gracious Word In the Evangel Regm C. 1. which is now in the last times raised up by God according to his Promises in the most Holy Scrvice of God under the Obedience of his Love and in a Manuscript Epistle written in an apish imitation of Clemens Ignatius or those times he declares his Divine Commission H. N. Jesu Christi Minister à Dco ad veritatem è Gratiae Solio Epistola H. N. ex Charitare Jesu Christi in Angl. missa c. Majestatis Dei testificandam Electus ad Bonum nuntium de Regno Dei ura Charitate retectae faciei Jesu Christi super terram annunciandum ac salutem in eadem manifest andam missus quemadmodum de adventu ejusdem charitatis per Prophetas Dei Apostolos Jesu Christi prius significatum Evangelizatum fuit Nos Dei Misericordiam sacerdotale munus nostrae Administrationis sub obedientia Charitatis Jesu Christi accepimus c. And he goeth on relating the great things that God was about to do the danger in not accepting his Ministery that God was about restoring all things the Earth to be full of his Glory applying twice that in Abac. 1. and Act. 13. Behold ye Despisers c. and the late New-England Families were high in the same pretence that the Quakers have much affinity with the Familists might easily be shewed and they seem to have the most kindness for them George Whitehead makes the Familists to have better Discoveries than other men In Cambridg debate p. 63. and Keith determines that we must examine Revelations Inspirations Visions and Openings by this of Divine Love Im. Rev. p. 241. Q◠love to mankind p. 3 A Brief Rehearsal of the Belief of the Good Willing in England which are named the Family of Love Print 1575. If it be alledged that Quakers of late do not so allegorize Jesus Christ as formerly I can produce the like outward ownings of Christ by the Familists the Apostles Creed at length owned by them Jesus acknowledged to be the Son of God c. in words much like the Nicene Creed born of a Virgin out of the Seed of David in whose name only and no other they obtain Salvation and Remission of their Sins 5. Some time after the Reformation Jacob Behmen appeared who received if we will believe him his Mystical dark terms from the Father of Lights there is but a glimpse of the Mystery Signatura rerum p. 209 in these writings for a man cannot write them if any man shall be accounted worthy of God to have the Light inkindled in his own Soul he shall see unspeakable things there is the Theosophick School of Pentecost wherein the Soul is Taught of God Joh. 6.45 Joel 2.28 he that can read his own Book aright needs no other for therein lyeth the unction from the Holy one In the Preface which teacheth him aright of all things none can understand these obscurely clear Writings but they that have tasted of the Feast of Pentecost saith Ellistone the Translator and the Author himself saith I have set before the Readers eyes p. 201. what the Lord of all Beings hath given me and in the Preface to his 177 Questions without Divine Light p. 223. none can be able to expound them it is only the Spirit of Christ that gives their understanding and he wrote from his own experimental Science His Notion of the Signature opened by the Spirit p. 1. 2. imprinting his Similitude in my Similitude entring into another mans form and awakening in the other such a form in the Signature So that both forms do mutually assimilate together in one form and then there is one comprehension is much like the Quakers Seed or Birth which is the Susceptive Principle conveying Inspiration from God into the Soul there being a Revelation required as well in the Hearer as in the Speaker Im. Rev. p. 209. Theophilus had the Spirit Witnessing to the truth of the things which gave the certainty or assurance what the Apostles declared in words from the life of Jesus Christ revealed in them the same Spirit answered and testifyed to the truth of those things in their hearers It seems it was not the Apostles certain knowledge of Christ Idem p. 58. and the Miracles they wrought which inclined men to believe their Doctrine but it was a light in them which met with a Signature or Seed or a congenial Principle in others that perswaded them to become I dare not say Christians but Illuminado's Having tasted of Jacob Behmens Style and the Subject being unpleasant a cage of unclean Birds or an Herd of lying Prophets of which but one Sect be it which it will can but possibly be true Before we descend to view the last Scene of our own Countries Abominations it may be a Diversion to present fome of Geo. Foxes Divinity and Oratory which if you have the Patience to read you shall not be Obliged to the pains of Studying or Understanding The Worlds Original Some Princi ples of the Elect People of God called Quakers p. 51. is the many Languages whose Original is Babel which make Divines as they call them sit a top of Christ And the Whore sits upon the Waters as it is spoken in the Revelation and John saith the Waters are Nations Multitudes People and Tongues which Tongues they call their Original To which Waters the Gospel must be Preached before they can be established And ye are to be redeemed from Tongues and Tongues shall cease saith the Apostle and so from this Worlds Original the beginning of which is Babel and which keeps in Babylon the Saints are Redeemed and this hath been set up as an Original among them who are alieniated from the Spirit of God in Babel where the Original of Tongues was in the days of Nimrod that Heretick who began to build Babel The same Curious Writer hath a rare gift in proposing Queries Ibidem p. 70. 12. Q. Whether ever any Man came to see so far as Balaam's Ass who saw the Angel of the Lord 13. Q. What are the Graves and the Tombs and the Sepulchres and the Fowls of the Air and the Nests they sit in which Christ spake of
immediate Communications as fully as T. E. Some sweet sips of Spiritual Wine sweetly and freely dropping c. A Prophecy a Vision a Revelation and the Interpretation thereof in the Title page and as many pages as there are we have almost as much talk of the Spirit That Tract is like the other Scriptures p. 1. the Father secretly whispering would not have him set down Book Chapter or Verse though he used Scripture Language p. 2. arise out of Flesh into Spirit out of Form Type and so into Power Truth c. p. 4.48 passim hear what the Spirit saith p. 10. The Doctrine turned into a Prayer is a brisk one Fall upon them while they are eating and drinking without p. 13. let them eat and drink within bread in the Kingdom and drink Wine new in the Kingdom even new in the Kingdom new in the Kingdom not in the oldness of the Letter but in the newness of the Spirit The Elements p. 6. Formal Prayer Baptism Supper c. shall melt away into God and at this rate he proceeds he Loved also a Woman Prophetess even his dear Friend p. 46. Mrs. T. P. I had as live hear a Daughter as a Son Prophesie and I know that Women that stay at home divide the Spoyl Male and Female are all one in Christ 5. The Fifth Monarchy Men were not onely Citizens of the New Jerusalem but Candidates of Heaven receiving much Intelligence from thence Their Prophet for I know not what Sect else he should belong to had several Visions of what the All of All things was bringing to pass The pouring forth of the seventh Vial upon all Flesh The Father spoke to him as he lay in a Trance almost dead for 22 hours in the Preface Being chosen to declare those things and publish them as being what the Prophets pointed at his Name was changed from George in a Vision to Jacob Israel Foster and so saith he I subscribe or George Foster or Jacob Israel Foster His Visions are too many to be set down as if he strove both to imitate and out-do St. John some few we shall take a taste of for their curiosity He had a Vision of the calling of the Jews p. 19. under the Emblem of a man that went up and down gathering men together So that the Jews now dispersed among the Gentiles were to return to their own City p. 33. p. 41. p. 55. and there the Lord would Reign among his Saints in Mount Sion for Judea was the place where both God and his Spouse were to rest Heaven or the third and highest Dispensation must be about Jerusalem for the Credit of our Nation the Chief or Principal Leader of this Expedition into the Holy Land p. 39. must be an English man whom God hath chosen for that Work When they came to Jerusalem they were to dye and presently to rise up again and never to dye more and the time of restitution is to be in the year 7000. p. 40. after which there is neither Hell nor Devils left with very many Visions of the like Nature delivered in such exact Circumstances with so set and composed a Countenance and under such variety of Emblems and Figures that he deserves as much regard as any other in the whole herd of Enthusiasts 6. William Franklin Mary Gadbury and their Proselytes put in as strongly and produce as good proofs for Inspiration as T. E. can do some take them for Quakers but the name was not then known nor do I think they will own them But be their Sect without name or what else I am not concern'd it is onely their Revelations I must consider for they had drunk their share of the Spirit of Delusion then poured forth Franklin affirmed Humphrey Ellis his Pseudo Christus p. 7. His Receit of Revelations and Visions which he endeavoured to countenance with fair and seeming Gospel Expressions he pretended to Prophesie to fore-tell things to come to speak with new Tongues p. 36. and babled out uncouth words He also forgave Sins and his Proselytes as Spradbury and the rest were drawn unto him by Sights and Voices with several strange Relations His Whore Mary Gadbury called him the Son of God p. 31. the Christ the Lamb slain c. She pretended to Visions Voices and Revelations was full of comfort p. 8. joy and singing had strange trembling Fits She saw a Light as big as the Moon and many Stars p. 10. p. 18. she had a voice sometimes to seal up the Vision and then would not speak she slighted Sacred Scripture and yet delivered her Revelations in its Language p. 15. They were commanded in a Vision to go into the Land of Ham which by a sutable Exposition they Interpreted Hampshire Their Proselytes like the Disciples of Marcus had Voices p. 22 28. Visions and Glories insomuch that both a Minister Mr. Woodward and his Wife were deluded by them he hearing Voices and seeing Glories and she seeing Visions To this hight they had quickly arrived till the Vigilance of the Magistrates suppressed them That Whore with whom Franklin lay as a fellow-feeler of her Misery called her self the Spouse of Christ p. 50. the Lady Mary the Queen the Bride and the Lamb's Wife Had she not been ten years too forward she would have been a fit Match for apretty pragmatical thing of G. F. which begun to bleat in 1659. called the Lamb's Officer gone out with the Lamb's Message 7. Lodowick Muggleton and John Reeve giving out themselves as the two last Witnesses Rev. 11.3 as the Prophets of Christ and the Sealers of the Fore-heads of the Elect and the Reprobate appeared much contemporary with the Quakers being equal to them both in their Claims and Proofs of Inspiration But the Devils Malice herein out-run his Wit for setting up so many contradictory Competitours in Revelation about the same time one of them is a sufficient confutation of another whereas had but one single Sect put in and ingrossed the favour of that immediate Heavenly converse weak and simple Souls might thereby have been sooner deluded but to considering minds their so fertil multiplication is their mutual Destruction In what terms Muggleton Challenged Inspiration is not now proper to relate for seeing that the Fire hath of late deservedly by publick Order done Execution upon his Works 't is not manners to rake such putrid stuff out of its ashes Let all the like Tracts and Pretentions meet with the like Purgation Only by way of Tryal take this whatever the Learned men of this World Dream of finding out the Invisible things of Eternity Reeves and Muggleton's Divine Looking-glass Cap. 36 p. 145. by searching into the Scripture Records and comparing them togeher the Divine Majesty hath lock'd up all the Principal Secrets of the Scriptures in his own Spiritual Breast that he by any Immediate Revelation may dispose of them into
received from God Magistrates must make Laws by Gods Spirit but not only Lawyers but Physicians also instead of Curing these Enthusiasms are themselves to turn Inspirado's Im. Rev. p. 69. He reads Hypocrates Galen and other Writers concerning Medicine and so he thinks hereby to become a Physician c. Whiles their hands are out from the Light of Christ which gives ability Dr. Gray thus pretended Revelation for the Secrets of Physick The Q. Spiritual Court p. 39 40. whereas it was one Mrs. Slack of Islington who inspired him and made him pay sauce for it Paracelsus would have been a good Physician for them or Helmont who at length obtained a Vision of his Soul Dr. Charltons Ternary of Paradoxes being a pellucid transparent Substance If Hermolaus Barbarus had had this Light he needed not to have gone to the Fiend to know the meaning of Aristotles Entelechy 3. Consider the debate about the Hat and their Canons so far as Inspiration is concerned whether the Hat should be put off or no in Prayer hath caused great heats among them they who act consentaneously to their first Principles would have it left to the Spirits motions The rest who set up a Tyranny will have it off as matter of Decency as significative that the Veil is taken from their Heart as expressive Honour to God c. The thing I debate not but the Consistency of it with their Doctrines their Mournful Gildas makes a sad Narrative of what was made known Spirit of the Hat p. 9. and manifested in him concerning the great Apostacy to wit among themselves to such a height was it carried that to keep on the Hat was a forfeiting of their Priviledges Perrot declared Tyran and Hipo. detec p. 33. I have received by express Commandment from the Lord God of Heaven in the day of my Captivity in Rome viz To bear a sure Testimony against the Customs and Traditions of the taking off of the Hat by men when they go to Pray to God the which they never had by Commandment from God And yet this Revelation is thrown by as a Delusion Fox and the ruling party having determined the Contrary but it is hence Evident that men may take that for Inspiration which is not so even among Quakers as well as other men And Ben. Furley wrote a large Letter to shew that such imposing Idem p. 67. is contrary to the Freedom or Motion of the Spirit of Life and the thing begot much confusion some taking their Hats off at wrong times c. How can I know which are the right Quakers the Hat-men or the others Spirit of the Hat p. 32. or should not I believe the Revelations of the weak side rather than the Arts and Tyranny of the stronger But the most unparallel'd Usurpation Printed at the end of this Tract and Lordliness consists in their Canons or the Testimony from the Brethren which are a direct Receding from their first Principles But experiencing the Light in every one to be the way to destroy all Government and Order they Mint a pretty thing called the Light of the Body in which the dispersed Light is concentred and to which it must be accountable we shall first consider the making and entertainment of this Testimony and then some of the matter of it The makers thereof declare that through the Lords good hand being met together were through the Operation of the Spirit of Truth In the Preamble as God hath put it into our Hearts Art 1. The Lord giving us to see being thereto encouraged by the Lord whose Presence is with us c. Which imply that Testimony to be drawn up by Inspiration Mr. Pen calls them inoffensive Faldo's Appendix p. 2. nay Christian and necessary Resolves which sinks them far below Revelation But G. Bishop who deserves as much credit as any of the party wrote a large Letter in Opposition to that Testimony having considered their Paper in the Spirit of Truth In Tyran and Hypo. detect p. 34. he was moved of the Lord to let them know c. and upon their first Principles he proceedeth shaking down what the others later Model had erected but Gods Spirit is opposed to himself and in such Wicked Debates what side must an Inquirer joyn unto or what undoubted security can one party give of their having the Spirit more than the other it being in both alike Invisible and neither submitting to an outward Rule nor giving outward proofs They enjoin them to be read in their several meetings and kept as a Testimony So W. D. sent his Papers to be read in the fear of the Lord in the Holy Assemblies of the Church of the first Born an insolent Act to impose their Motions on others who are equally taught by God their notion of the Body of Friends of good and ancient Friends the Witness of God in Friends the Judgment of the Spirit of Christ in his People good and serious faithful and sound friends the Vniversal Spirit of Truth c. are such canting ways of inslaving Souls that they exceed both implicite Faith and all the Intrigues of the Conclave this being their new Maxime and Infallible Rule that the Body will have a true sence Spirit of the Hat p. 21. feeling and understanding of Motions Visions Revelations Doctrines c. and therefore safest to make her my Touchstone in all things relating to God But what signifieth the Light in every man or Immediate Revelation they are wholly useless upon these Principles for if my Revelations must be tryed by the Body what must I be guided by in the Interim till their approbation be sent in a Cloak-bag from London but who are this Body how many members go to constitute it Where is it deposited In what place lodged whence have they this Authority or how can I infallibly know when they proceed upon Inspiration are they turned into Body who were all Spirit Thomas Ellwood is a Non-conforming Brother as he states things but to have such a power over others requireth a being deputed thereto as Bishop well urged but especially the trying Divine motions in that manner requires the highest degree of Inspiration and Authority from God Never did any turn Revelation into a craft so much before the Body to be sensible of Visions c. Where is this Body one in every County or the Universal one at London such a Representative mankind never heard of The Apostles at the Council Acts 15. received their outward information from Paul and Barnabas and so proceeded but for a Body of Friends to understand the motions of all the Members makes such a trifling prodigious superfaelation of Revelations as cannot be imagined suppose the number of Quakers to be 20000. each Believer of these hath Scripture renewed hath expository Inspirations on it besides all that concern civil Life as eating drinking marrying c. Now what Body besides its own particular ones
they though wrested to some mens Damnation Hezekiah and Josiah c. read the words of the Law and the Prophets and the people thought they understood the meaning of the words and God accepted their Reformation And the new Testament which is fuller of light is not more dark certainly it is at least as serviceable to us as the old was to the Jews Christ having taken the Veil from the face of Moses hath not another drawn over his own How much is the Spirit different from the Letter or the Veiled Sence how far it is distant from the Apparent you put the World in bad Circumstances in debarring us to Expound the letter and Challenging to your selves the Spirit Pray what Teachings have you by the Spirit which we find not in the Letter but you have need to make so great a Distance your Expositions are so wide for they do not appear to us in the letter and yet they do not look like the Spirit But is there not a letter in your Revelations as well as a Spirit are yours all kernel but the Scripture wrapped up in a thick husk and shell you dare not say so God I dare say could speak as plain to St. Paul as to Ellwood We know your Opinions by words and letters may we not know Gods in the like Manner Assert what difficulties you will in the letter I dare make out that your Inspirations supposing them Real labour under the like and greater Prejudices but by Gingling thus with misunderstood terms men run themselves out of their Religion and Reason Doth God send his love Letters into the World and men can make nothing of it when they have it his Style is not so dark as yours Perfect phaâ— p. 3. that needs a Lexicon to explain yours phrases you think God to be such an one as your selves Psal 50.21 Pretending equality with him I have observed as much sence and life in a Chapter of St. Matthew as in any part of Truth Prevaling nor can I work my self off but that I can understand a Revelation made to Paul as soon as one made to T. E. supposing I had them both before me and the Apostles were as like to have clear Inspiratitions as any other Persons Did not Christ speak Intelligibly to such as heard him have not the Apostles plainly and faithfully set down his words or though he had spoke darkly yet the Spirits descent made things clearer so that the darkness cannot yet continue We shall find some and those no believers who understood Christs words so as to leave them without Excuse Pilate the Pharisees Scribes Sadduces Officers with the other Jews though no Disciples understood his Language Their sin is heightned not from want of knowing what he spoke but non-Entertainment of what was so convincing Judas his Sin was heinous and yet the Holy Ghost was not then given This Notion draws a strange cloud over Gods Proceedings making all sins alike except in the degree of the Revelation for where that is not there being no knowledge there can be no sin and where Immediate Revelation is it makes each sin to be the Sin against the Holy Ghost Whatever Ignorance we have in Scriptures upon Thomas Ellwood's Principle is solely Imputable to the Spirit not moving Waiting makes us Innocent God cannot damn any but such as have â—â—â—â—ediate Inspirations and to hear and not understand though taken for a sin yet is not so much as a punishment by this mans Divinity so that a Quaker need not go to the Temple or Altar but Cripple like to wait for the moving of the waters If Revelation come he sets up for an Inspired Expositor if not still he contiues an innocent Ignoramus Laws are penned in an Intelligible style else they are snares and men know not when to yield Obedience and the Scriptures were taken for a Law The Apostle is for an understood Language in Church-assemblies much more then in the Divine Oracles which are Designed for the Generality Ignorant as well as Learned and so can have no crafty concealed or reserved Sence in them The matters of Necessary Duty and Faith may be soon known and the Spirit Inclines to love Practise and believe them and in the more Difficult things he so Blesseth the means that we shall either know them or be pardoned it is not necessary to Salvation to be able to Explain each Verse in Scripture a man may have the true Spirit of God and yet not understand the Apocalypse exactly God Requires Holy Living more than Accurate Interpreting and an honest heart at the last day will go further than either a Critical or an Inspired head Quakers also should not urge that Scripture to us which they deny to be the Rule But Thomas Ellwood's manner of Proving is strangely wild he affirmeth Scripture cannot be understood without Inspiration and to prove it produceth Scripture which cannot be understood without that Inspiration which we deny we have Are those Texts so plain that they prove it in our way or doth Inspiration light on those who Dispute a-against it Except it can be understood without Inspiration he should not Produce it to those who deny it for the proof of it and as long as the manner of Interpreting Scripture is under Debate they should not produce one Text of it till that debate be ended but his Proving from it supposeth it plain and full for that purpose and is the direct confutation of his own notion Nor have Quakers shewed so much gratitude for the Scripture Discoveries that God should discover more unto them Nay what need of Scripture if they must be Renewed and cannot otherwise be understood God had better have left men to their inward Conductor than to make a book as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bal of strife about the sence of which they are quarelling but can do nothing really with it when they have it Nor did the Apostles signify any thing upon their Principles Revelation being required in the Hearers as well as in the Speakers Saints Paradise p. 84. By the Anointing ye can speak the mind of the Scriptures though you never see nor hear nor read the Scriptures from men How can we hear Christ if his words be unintelligible but Thomas Ellwood 2 Quib. p. 34. Imme Rev. p. 131. Truth Exalted p. 9. is singular others bid us Bring plain Scripture saith Fox mark this saith Keith read with Vnderstanding saith another What need of any Translations the Spirit can Expound Originals as well as English They used to Renounce all Interpretations and Inferences but now give them without any security they come from God there is much labour and Trouble in the trying of Inspirations and much danger also so that we have Reason to bless God in settling Religion in such a manner leaving us his Word as the Record of his Will and giving us sound minds and sober Reasons therewith If I see not sufficient Proofs that you are
106. where no cogent reason moves to the contrary With several of the like Nature so that he hath destroyed Thomas Ellwoods notion of the obscurity of the Scripture and Expository Revelations of its sence Having Considered their Doctrine let us briefly view their Practice in a tast of some few out of many of their Inspired Expositions and this sad Account we may give of them That if they had been hired to subvert true Religion they could not have done it more effectually by transforming Histories and Prophecies as those in Daniel the Revelations c. into internal things and making them vanish in frothy Allegoryes Phil. 3.21 New Law p. 42. p. 40. Changing vile Bodies is when Oppression and Injustice shall cease 1 Cor. 2.15 The Spiritual mans Judging is according to the Law of Equity and Reason But it is different from T. Ellwoods Inspiration Job 1.6 Beelzebub sat among the Sons of God that is among the five Senses Saint Parad. p. 29. Fire in the Bush p. 35. 1 Cor. 15.24 Putting down all Rule is destroying all Government and Ministry 2 Cor. 12.3 The Seed or Birth is that 3d. Im. Rev. p. 11. Heavens in which Paul on Earth saw and felt things unutterable John 14.2 the spreading Power of Christ in all New Law p. 22. is the Fathers House in which are many Mansions p. 132.134 the New Covenant is Christs spreading himself in mankind Psal 24.1 Humble Request to Lawyers c. p. 2. p. 6. p. 4. Univer Gr. p. 55. p. 44. Noble Salutation p. 9. Saint Parad. p. 45. the Earth is the Lords that is mans Christs speech to the young man to sell all concerns all people Isa 2.4 Ezech. 36.34 35. Belong to the taking-in of Commons Heath and wast Land for all poor people The Light within is the Everlasting Gospel which the Angel Preached The Tabernacle of David is explained by the slain Image of God in man or as another words it it is Gods own Eternal Witness in men God himself is the tree of Life and the Gospel Christ is the Image of God in Man he breathed in him the Breath of Life then the Lamb was not slain Im. Rev. p. 71. Christ is the true Jew inwardly the Circumcision in the Spirit the publick Worship in the Spirit and Truth Angels are Heavenly Principles and Graces Looking glass p. 4. Saint Parad. p. 66 67. p. 129. p. 37. Howgils Glory p. 7. Saints Paradice p. 19. Some Principles p 68 and men taken up into God as Moses and Christ were The Lambs Book of Lise is his Divine Nature and Spirit The proud Flesh is the Devil or Father of Lyes Rev. 12.1 The Woman cloathed with the Sun brought forth the Holy Child Jesus that is Jesus was Born after Johns Banishment into the Isle of Patmos the Bottomless Pit is Corrupt Flesh the Form of sound words is yea and nay or thou as T. Ellwood seems to intimate p. 27. there is no Devil but Flesh and outward Objects Dan. 73. the four Beasts are the four Powers which are to be destroyed Fire in the Bush p. 74. p. 23. that is Magistracy Ministry Law and Propriety the Beast slain Dan. 7.11 is all imaginary selfish power hear what the Spirit speaks Dan. 9.24 the finishing transgression True Christian Faith p. 58. New Law p. 32. c. is having the mind truly turned to the appearance of God in Christ within Rev. 13.1 the Flesh is the Beast with seven heads but differently expounded by T. Ellwood p. 243. Rev. 3.7 8. the Beasts having power over Tongues is fulfilled by Masters of Arts Truth exalted p. 8. Batchelors of Arts Vice-Chancellors over Colledges and others Saint Parad. 126. The Light interpreted these two Texts Rev. 9.4 green grass is the tender Sons of Christ Matth. 12.31 that old pusling Text Sin here is the Serpent the Holy Ghost is the anointing or Spirit Ruling in Flesh the two Witnesses N. Law p. 80 are Christ in one Body and Christ in many Bodyes or as another will have them to be Christ the Light within and Immediate Revelation which have been slain in man Babylon is the great City of Fleshly confusion the Mystery of Iniquity Univ. Gr. p. 5 and the Man of Sin are the first Adam New Law p. 43. p. 94. Fire in the Bush p. 11. Im. Rev p. 8◠the Mystery of Godliness is the second Adam Michael and the Dragon do fight in mankind the Battle between them is in the Heart the Temple of God 2 Thes where the man of Sin sits is mans Heart there he is Worshipped in the degenerate State p. 194. Antichrist not a Person or persons particular but a Spirit True Christ p. 185. the very Spirit of Satan the Sin against the Holy Ghost is Sinning against that Beloved Son Im. Rev. p. 194. Truth lifting p. 50. Fire in the Bush p. 58. or Body in whom the Father dwells Bodily time is Monarchy times are Popery and Reformed Episcopacy the dividing of times is Presbytery Independency and State Government These are enough to cloy Thus the men of Revelations do expound CHAP. IX Of their Demonstration of the Spirit and new Dispensation IV. TO appear like the Apostles Successors the better Univer Gr. In the Title they challenge the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit of Truth worded by T. Ellwood p. 244. thus that the Gospel should be preached in the Demonstration of the Spirit and Power after the Apostacy as well as before And this belongs to them who are emerged out of the Apostacy and are the Church returned out of the Wilderness Some Princ. p. 48. Smiths Gospel tydings p. 36. they fancy themselves to be like the Apostles they Witness the Spirit of God fallen upon them as formerly among the Apostles the Gospel is now Preached in the same Power as formerly but their claim is ill bottomed and their demonstration indemonstrable First therefore we shall search into the sense of that phrase Secondly give the Quakers opinion of Miracles Thirdly Supposing that their Principles were right thence infer that Miracles are as necessary now as ever 1. As for the meaning of Demonstration of the Spirit and Power 1 Cor. 2.4 't is misunderstood by T. Ellwood if he think they have it like the Apostles Words and this Demonstration are by the Apostle opposed not with enticing words Ver. 1.4 5. with excellency of Speech or Wisdom that is with Oratory or Philosophy and Quakers bring no more than Words and those misapplyed and inward heats like the Disciples of Marcus c. but their internal sentiments or Consolations are not the Scriptures Power Demonstration is not a thing of outward words or inward feelings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nomine utitur Beza in his shorternotes in Locum quo significatur probatio quae fit certis necessariis rationibus Demonstration is a certain proof by necessary
Pharisees who had an itch to take place c. but p. 41. what was it to Christs own Disciples did he ever Instruct them after this manner no such matter by which he disobligeth Christians from any Obedience to what Christ spoke to such as were not his Attendants and so demolishes a good part of the Gospels 4. Being pressed from Luc. 14.8 that there ought to be distinctions of Persons he saith p. 41. those words were not spoken with Relation to the times of the Gospel nor directed to the Disciples by which he dispatcheth also much that Christ spoke 5. To do that more effectually he breaks all in pieces with this reply p. 37. it was under the Law before the One offering was actually offered up making what Christ spoke whilst alive and Executing his Prophetick Office to signify nothing to us 6. He makes the Apostles to speak by way of condescension to take in others and omit themselves p. 77. which though sometimes used yet must not be pressed when such terms as we All Jam. 3.2 do include themselves as well as others 7. He declines the Lords Prayer as taught p. 81. when the Disciples were young and weak c. which equally destroys the whole Sermon on the Mount at the same time delivered Thus David George and the Familists said the Scripture was given to Novices 8. He changeth Tenses p. 137. is should be read was an alteration which if allowed may be serviceable to strange purposes 9. He inlargeth to his party the particular Promises made to the Apostles p. 228. and the Commands as Matth. 10. about meat and drink 10. He conceals the unkind parts of a Text which favour not his Pretensions p. 230. this he conceals with an c. he shall bring to your remembrance all things c. and quoting John 16.13 he wholly omitteth the last word he shall shew you things to come and yet challengeth all the other Promises 11. He gives Christs words a downright denyal p. 20. to that Command Mat. 23.3 to do whatsoever they bid them he replyes nay hold there we have had too much of that already He fastens also a Ridiculous Command upon God whilst he saith to challenge a property in mans Labour c. is ridiculous p. 335. when as the Priests by Gods Command had a Property therein receiving the Tenth of that Increase obtained by sweat care industry c. And he saith That Christs Excellency lay not in Humane Learning p. 207. had he said His Commission lay not there he had spoken like a Schollar of so All knowing a Master He that made the Eye shall he not see c. Suppose a man be pressed to any Duty Thomas Ellwood hath furnished him with evasions the Law doth not oblige nor what Christ spoke before his Death this discards the Old Testament and the Gospel and the Remainder may be avoided by his Rules as spoke to such as were weak or under the Law or by way of Condescension or if none cut the knot yet the last breaks the Bonds insunder Nay hold there we have had enough of that already thus whilest he is pleading men may live without Sin he enervates that Doctrine which was designed to keep them from it and his New Light attempts to turn true Old Religion out of the World The Conclusion HAving Considered his Pretence to Inspirations I think it not necessary now to view his Notion of Humane Learning that being in Effect yielded up by acknowledging that Learning must Translate put an English Bible into his hand for his Spirit if true is as able Immediately to do the one as the other When Thomas Ellwood considers Sacred Geography Historyes Prophecyes Chronology the Fabrick of the Temple the dispersion of People over the World Numbers Weights Coins Measures Customs Rites Proverbs with many such he must acknowledg the usefulness of Learning in other concerns besides bare translating the most convincing and beneficial Employment for him will be to let the World see the noble Fruits of his Interpreting Spirit for the Ministration of the Spirit being given to every one to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. he is bound to acquaint the World with his Inspired Expositions and if he please as a Specimen to begin with the Chronicles from what he doth perform In Prologo we may be induced to change our thoughts about their Pretensions St. Hierom saith the Book of Chronicles is such that without it if a man arrogate to himself the knowledg of Scriptures he doth but abuse and delude himself and Dr. Lightfoot thinks that a close Comment on it would contribute much Light to the other Scriptures when we see solid Interpretations and not Allegorical Fancves proceed from him we may entertain better Opinions but he must borrow none of our Aegyptians Jewels nor go to the Philistins Forge to sharpen his Weapons nor with David make use of the Sword of Goliath though wrapt in a Cloth behind the Ephod and that there be none like it For our security of his Faithful performing when he discerns his Spirit to seize on him let him repair to some Justice of Peace or his Parish-Priest that by them he may be certifyed of the Truth or if his Spirit be indisposed like Baal be talking pursuing in a Journey or in a sleep and must be awaked we shall have patience a while till he be better fitted such a Specimen as above will for a while imploy us but I suppose he need no protracting of time the Spirit of Truth dwelling in them and suffering no recess he must be always ready but if he will bury that his Talent in a napkin and think a rejoynder sufficient I desire he will Demonstrate the Fruits of the Spirit in his proceedure The Jews put off difficult things till there stood up a Priest with Vrim and Thummim and afterwards till the coming of Elias if Quakers speak true better than those are now come among us 't is but a Reasonable Request we make viz. Apostolical Proofs of his Apostolical Inspirations or convincing Evidences to remove those many Reasons drawn up against his claims but he must not make out his pretensions from those Sacred Scriptures which he denies to be the Rule and looks upon as unintelligible without Inspiration and when they are produced do conclude as fully for any other party as for his when he Demonstrates his Spirit some other way it will deserve another manner of discussion but besides Miracles he must produce the Spirit of Prophecy or certain proofs like Daniels weeks c. That this is the foretold Season when the Dispensation of Christ in the inward or in the Spirit was to Commence and withal Evidence that our English Quakers and Positively whether the Conforming or Non-conforming party are the Persons intrusted with the delivery of it or if he except against their being the off-spring of Winstanley it no way can prejudice us we having as much reason to believe a Levellers
Inspirations as a Quakers There having been in the Preceeding Discourse Reference sometimes made to the Quakers Testimony or Constitutions and those being Destructive both of the Light in each man and of Thomas Ellwood's Immediate Revelation in each Believer they are here verbatim Presented A Testimony from the Brethren who were met together at London in the third Month 1666. to be Communicated to the Faithfull Friends and Elders in the Countries by them to be Read in their several Meetings and kept as a Testimony among them We your Friends and Brethren whom God hath called to Labour and Watch for the Eternal good of your Souls at the time aforesaid being through the Lords good hand who hath Preserved us at Liberty met together in his Name and Fear were by the Operation of the Spirit of Truth brought into a serious Consideration of this present State of the Church of God Which in the day of her return out of the Wilderness hath not only many Open but some Covert Enemies to Conflict against Who are not afraid to speak evil of Dignities and despise Government without which we are sensible our Societies and Fellowship cannot be kept Holy and Inviolable Therefore as God hath put it into our hearts we do Communicate these things following unto you who are turned from Darkness to Light and Profess with us in the Glorious Gospel throughout Nations and Countries Wherein we have Travelled as well for a Testimony against the unruly as to Stablish and Confirm them unto whom it is given to believe the Truth which is unto us very precious as we believe it is also unto you who in Love have received it and understood the Principles and felt the Virtue and Operation of it In which our Spirits breath that we all may be preserved untill we have well finished our Course and Testimony to the Honour and Glory of our Lord God who is over all blessed for ever 1. We having a true sence of the Working of the Spirit which under a Profession of Truth leads into a Division from and Exaltation above the Body of Friends who never revolted nor degenerated from their Principles into marks of Separation from the Constant Practice of good and antient Friends who are found in the Faith once delivered to us And also into a slight esteem of their Declarations or Preaching who have and do approve themselves as the Ministers of Christ and of the Meetings of the Lords People whereby and wherein Friends are and often have been Preciously revived and refreshed And under Pretence of keeping down Man and Forms doing down the Ministry and Meeting or Encourage those that do the same We say The Lord giving us to see not only the Working of that Spirit and those that are joined to it that bring forth these ungrateful fruits but also the evil Consequents and Effects of it which are of no less Importance than absolutely tending to destroy the work of God and lay wast his Heritage We do unanimously being thereto encouraged by the Lord whose Presence is with us declares and testifie That neither that Spirit nor such as are joyned to it ought to have any Dominion Office or Rule in the Church of Christ Jesus whereof the Holy Spirit that was poured forth upon us hath made us Members and Overseers Neither ought they to act or order the affairs of the same But are rather to be kept under with the Power of God till they have an Ear open to Instruction and come into Subjection to the Witness of God of the encrease of whose Kingdom and Government there shall be no end 2. We do declare and testifie That that Spirit and those that are joined to it who stand not in unity with the Ministry and Body of Friends that are constant and stedfast to the Lord and to his unchangeable Truth which we have receiv'd and are witnesses of and Ambassadors have not any true Spiritual Right or Gospel Authority to be Judges in the Church and as the Ministry of the Gospel of Christ so as to Condemn you and their Ministry Neither ought their Judgment to be any more regarded by Friends than the Judgment of other Opposers who are without For of Right the Elders and Members of the Church which keep their Habitation in the Truth ought to Judge matters and things that differ and their Judgment which is so given therein ought to stand good and valued among Friends which though it be kickt against and disapproved by them who have degenerated as aforesaid And we do further declare and testifie That it is abominable Pride which goeth before Destruction that so puffs up the mind of any particular that he Will not admit of any judgement to take place against him For he that is not justifyed by the Witness of God in Friends is condemn by it in himself though being hardned he may boast over it in a false Confidence 3. If any Difference arise in the Church or amongst them that profess themselves Members thereof We do declare and testifie That the Church with the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ have Power without the assent of such as dissent from their Doctrine and Practices to hear and determine the same If any pretend to be of us and in case of Controversie will not admit to be tryed by the Church of Christ Jesus nor submit to the Judgment given by the Spirit of Truth in the Elders and Members of the same but kick against their judgment as only the Judgment of Man it being manifested according to Truth and Consistent with the Doctrine of such good antient Friends as have been and are found in the Faith agreeable to the Witness of God in his People then we do testifie in the Name of the Lord if that Judgment so given be risen against and denyed by the party Condemned then he or she and such as so far partake of their Sins as to Countenance and Encourage them therein ought to be rejected and having Err'd from the Truth persisting therein presumptuously are joyned in one with Heathens and Infidels 4. We do declare That if any go abroad hereafter pretending to that Weighty Work and Service who either in Life or Doctrine grieve good Friends that are stedfast in the Truth sound in the Faith so that they are not manifest in their Consciences but disagree to the Witness of God in them Then ought they whatever have been their Gifts to leave them before the Altar and forbear going abroad and Ministring until they are reconciled to the Church and have the Approbation of the Elders and Members of the same And if any that have been so approved of by the Church do afterwards degenerate from the Truth and do that which tendeth to Division and Countenance Wickedness and Faction as some have done then the Church hath a True Spiritual Right and Authority to call such to Examination and if they find sufficient cause for it by good testimony may Judge them
unfit for the Work of Gods Ministry whereof they have rendred themselves unworthy and so put a stop to their Proceedings therein And if they Submit not to the Judgment of the Spirit of Christ in his People then ought they Publickly to be declared against and Warning given to the Flock of Christ in their several Meetings to beware of them and to have no fellowship with them that they may be ashamed and Lambs and Babes in Christ preserved 5. And if any man or Woman which are out of the Unity with the Body of Friends Print or cause to be Printed or published in Writing any thing which is not of Service for the Truth but tends to the Scandalizing and reproaching of faithful Friends or to beget or uphold Division and Faction then we do warn and Charge all Friends that do love Truth as they desire it may prosper and be kept clear to beware and take heed of having any hand in Printing republishing or spreading such Books or Writings And if at any time such Books be sent to any of you that sell Books in the Country after that you with the Advice of good and serious Friends have tryed them and find them faulty to send them back again whence they come And we further desire from time to time faithfull and sound Friends may have the view of such things as are Printed upon Truth 's account as formerly it hath used to be before they go to the Press that nothing but what is sound and Savory and that will answer the Witness of God even in our Adversaries may be exposed to publick Vieu 6. We do advise and counsel That such as are made Overseers of the Flock of God by the Holy Spirit and do Watch for the good of the Church Meeting together in their Respective Places do set and keeep the Affairs of it in good Order beware of Admitting or Encouraging such as are Weak and of little Faith to take such Trust upon them for by hearing things disputed that are doubtfull such may be hurt themselves and may hurt the Truth not being grown into a good understanding to judge of things Therefore We exhort That you who have received a true sence of things be diligent in the Lord's Business and keep the Meetings as to him that all may be kept pure and clean according to that of God which is just and equal We also advise That not any be admitted to order Publick business of the Church but such as have felt in a Measure of the Universal Spirit of Truth which seeks the Destruction of none but the General good of all and especially those that love it who are of the Houshold of Faith So Dear Friends and Brethren believing your Souls will be refreshed in the Sence of our Spirits and Integrity towards God at the reading of these things as ours were while we sate together at the opening of them and that you will be one with us on the behalf of the Lord and his Pretious Truth against those who would limit the Lord to speak without Instruments or by what Instruments they list and reject the Counsel of the Wise-men and the Testimony of the Prophets which God sanctifyed and sent among you in the day of his Love when you were gathered and would not allow him liberty in and by his Servants to appoint time and place wherein to meet together to wait upon and worship him according as he requireth in Spirit and calling it Formal and the Meeting of Man We say believing that you will have Fellowship with us herein as we have with you in the Truth we commit you to God and the Word of Life which hath been Preached to you from the beginning which is neither limited to place nor time nor persons but hath Power to limit us to each as pleaseth him that you with us and we with you may be built up in our most holy Faith and be Preserved to Partake of the Inheritance which is Heavenly amongst all them that are Sanctifyed Richard Farnsworth Alexander Parker George Whitehead Josiah Coale John Whitehead Thomas Loe. Stephen Crispe Thomas Green John Moon Thomas Briggs James Parkes The Summ of the Particulars handled in the preceeding Treatise DIvisions are no argument against the Truth of Christianity p. 1. The Holy Scriptures are by some thought too plain and by others too obscure p. 2. Quakers give better names to their own Books than to the Scriptures p. 3. Their beginning was in 1648. p. 4. Winstanley the Leveller was their Father p. 5. 6. They have a great resemblance to Rome p. 7. 8. The many disadvantages in Treating with them p. 9. Their unchristian temper in Controversies pag. 10. 11. They misapply Scripture words as the old Hereticks did p. 12. 13. T. Ellwood's Ignorance and Impudence about St. Basil p. 14. About St. Greg Nazianzene and Sosiades p. 15. And in calling the Martyrs our Godly Martyrs p. 16. 17. Quakers deny themselves to be Protestants p. 16. Thomas Ellwood's sauciness towards the King p. 18 19. Quakers have dangerous Doctrines about Kings and Magistrates p. 19 20. Their degrading of the Nobility p 20. And contempt of other Orders of men p. 21. Thomas Ellwood's manner of claiming Inspirations concludes as much for others as for themselves p. 22. God affords sufficient means of Conviction p. 23. Immediate Revelation should be attested with Evidences p. 24. Revelation is a more easy thing than studying p. 25. The various Claimers of Infallibility confute each other p. 26. Quakers Challenge the Internal work of the Spirit but deny the External p. 27. Thomas Ellwood and his party 's high demands p. 28. His seeming Concessions p. 29. Christ was the Apostles Instructer before the Spirit p. 31. Quakers make Christs Prophetick office to signify nothing p. 32. Or confound Jesus and the Spirit p. 33. The manner of the Apostles Instructions recited p. 34. Quakers differ about the Apostles knowledge p. 35. The Apostles were certain Witnesses of Christ and the Writers of the N. T. wrote upon their certain knowledge p. 36. No new books of Scriptures can now be written 37. The Holy Spirit did inwardly pursue what Christ had outwardly delivered p. 38. Enthusiasm destroys the settled grounds of Religion p. 39. Quakers called themselves Apostles and Prophets p. 40. They make the Apostacy to begin with the second Century p. 41. They are very unlike the Apostles p. 42. Successours cannot receive like predecessours p. 43. The first settling a Dispersation must not always continue p. 44. God is not prodigal of Miracles p. 45. Quakers Inspirations must be as unintelligible as those of St. Paul or others p. 46. The Texts produced by T. Ellwood prove against him p. 47. What was promised to the Apostles should not be inlarged to all p. 48. Quakers like Celsus and the Gnosticks pretend much knowledge p. 49 Thomas Ellwood borrows Renewing of Revelations from George Keith p. 51. Their damnable Essential of Religion p. 52. 53.