right in all Points essential to Christianity and in the certain Way of Life he may easily conclude that to be unwarrantable separation which goeth from such But then I say How will the Protestants warrant their first separation from Popery or how did this Baxter with his Presbyterians in Oliver's time with their Directory excuse their separating from the Bishops and their Comon-prayer and how will be salve his old Non-conforming Brethren's flight into New-England where since they have shed the Blood of the Martyrs of Christ from the former Bishops But now his false Ground and Foundation being overturned it is most manifest that that separation is most lawfull which is from such who call good evil and evil good put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light as Baxter and all the Wicked do from whom the People of God in these Days separate And so in obeying the Voice of our God who saith Come out of Mystery Babylon my People lest ye pertake of her Sins and so of her Plagues we are justified for the sins of the Wicked who in words profess God and Christ but in deeds deny all is reached Heaven at this day And doth not the Apostle say If any man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolator and Covetousness by the Apostle's Doctrine is Idolatry or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such not to keep company no not as to eat with them 1. Cor. 5.11 And doth he not say in an other Place Have no Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness nor with the unfruitful Workers in Darkness as before but rather reprove them Ephes. 5.11 must we not yet separate from them yea yea in their very Worship Actions as well as others and when even the greater number are so far defiled and tainted with the Leprosie of Unrighteousness that they are so far from amending that they persecute all that will not be as bad as themselves Surely when the Lord hath spued out a People as he threatned to do luke-warm Laodicea Revel 3.16 yea and cast them off for their resisting of his good Spirit as he did the Jews 't is no time for his People to stay amongst them then and to continue with them in their Worship-Actions as he calls them but every one to deliver his own Soul by coming out of such Babylonish Worships whose Prayers are Abomination to God as all sinful Prayers are and neither this Baxter nor any one that he knows upon the Earth prayeth without sin as himself before hath confessed and so all of them together do daily and continually that which they should not do and leave undone what the Lord Commands them and so have no health in them and so now that the True Light shines so clear again from under the long Cloud of Antichristian Apostacy it is the wisdom of all that love God and their own Souls to joyn to the Lord in the Covenant of his Light and Spirit where no Committers of sin can joyn for Darkness and the Workers thereof can never joyn with the Light and the Workers thereof So now that the Trumpet hath sounded all ought to come to the holy Worship of God amongst the holy Worshippers that Worship in the Spirit of Holiness and Truth where no Worker of Iniquity nor Hypocrite can come out of all the Defiled Worship of the World whatsoever or under what Name soever in the Fall But this Baxter is in such love of hypocrisie that he makes a necessity of the Hypocrites being amongst the true Members of Christ as though they knew not how to do without them as if the good Corn could not grow so well if the Weeds were wanting saying Pag. 56. It is more for the sake of the truely Faithfull then for themselves that the Hypocrites have their Station and Priviledges in the Church God makes use of their Gifts and Profession for his Elect to many great Services of the Church To which I answer That this Language berayes thee further to be of Babylon and not of Zion what R. Baxter with all his seeming Zeal for Reformation in Oliver's dayes become now a-Pleader for the Hypocrites and their great Service in the Church But this is but like his Doctrine of his graceless Ministers which he pleads for Pag. 114. of his Book so R. Baxter and his Hypocrites and graceless Brethren with their Gifts or rather Thefts void of Grace have been so far from being serviceable to the Elect True Church that they have done it and ever did all the Injury that ever they can by their wicked Doctrines Ungodly lives and heaps of Lyes and false Accusations and cruel Persecutions in somuch that the growth of the heavenly Seed the Lillies of God the true Heirs of the Kingdom hath been and is as a Lilly among Thorns But Christ and Richard Baxter are directly contrary in their Judgment one to the other for Christ would not suffer the Devil in the man to preach him but commanded him to come out and hold his peace because Christ never had need of Devils or wicked men or Hypocrites to preach him but saith to such What hast thou to do to take my Laws and Covenant in thy Mouth and hatest to be reformed Psal. 50.16 c. and so far are graceless Priests and Hypocrites from being serviceable in this matter to his Church that he saith My Sheep hear my Voyce and they follow me but the graceless Minister and Hypocrite who is a Stranger to me they will not hear for such come but to rob and destroy read John 10. and see if ever R. Baxrter understood Scripture who talks so contrary to it As did those Pharisees of old whom Christ cried out so many times Wo against Mat. 23. Who would neither enter into the Kingdom of Heaven themselves nor suffer others And those in Ezekiel who sowed Pillows under mens Elbows making glad the Hearts of the Wicked Hirelings by perswading People that they must not disown them from being Ministers though they be totally void of all saving Grace and that Hypocrites have a Station in the Church for great services with their graceless Gifts to the Elect and by pleading for Games and Fashions of Apparel yea and the Opinions in Religion of bad People yea to such a measure that he is not ashamed to say That many an Error is taken up by going too far from other mens faults as is to be seen in Pag. 224. of his Book with many such like heathenish sayings up and down his Book a few whereof I only touch here and there as they come to mind that by those the Reader may see the nature of that wretched spirit that hath long lurked in him under a cloak of zeal for Reformation when the World pretended to such things but now that the World is for a manifest establishing of their old dark Stuff he turns about and is all for them as it were and against Zeal against
Baxter's Book Entitul'd The Cure of Church-Divisions ANSWER'D CONFUTED And he prov'd to be a Physitian of NO VALUE Who hath manifested his Folly and Weakness in undertaking a Work which he hath so little Understanding in By Thomas Taylor For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to Covetousness c. They have Heal'd also the Hurt of the Daughter of my People with sweet words saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace Jer. 6.13 14. But ye are Forgers of Lyes ye are all Physitians of no Value Job 13.4 Printed in the Year 1671. Baxter's Book Entitul'd The Cure of Church-Divisions ANSWER'D CONFUTED RICHARD BAXTER a man who through a shew of Learning and Religion had gotten in Oliver Crumwel's dayes a great esteem in the minds of the ignorantly Zealous Professors of Religion in this Nation and especially in the parts of Worcester-shire about Kidderminster where he then resided hath since the change of the Times and coming in of the Old Common-prayer-Book again much manifested his Nakedness Confusion and Unsoundness to every Eye that in any measure is open to see the difference of Truth and Error in the ground of it as by his works appear and that it is so amongst other things that Book of his falsly call'd The Cure of Church-Divisions which I have now under-hand to answer doth plainly manifest For instead of curing Divisions he hath shew'd himself to be a Physitian of no value so instead of curing hath struck at under a Judas Kiss of Unity Concord the very Life and Foundation of all true Christian Unity and Amity to wit The Free and Perfect Teachings and Gifts and Work of the Spirit of Truth the Spirit of the Father and Son in his believing Members whereby they cry in a spotless Mind Abba Father and freely and powerfully declare the Glory of his Kingdom to the Children of Men and instead thereof would bring in and establish that Soul-deceiving and Church-dividing doctrine of Humane Learning and Humane Helps as absolutely necessary to the procuring and engaging as it were the Holy unlimited God to give unto the Creature his holy Spirit and the Knowledge of the Mysteries of his Eternal Will and Kingdom for the same as in Answer to an Objection in the 6th page of his Book in his first Direction so call'd is to be seen The Objection against his carnal Reasonings for Old Men's knowledge is in pag. 5. where he saith I know those that I have to do with will say That Divinity is not learn't by Labour and Men's-teaching as other Sciences and Arts are but by Teaching I add yea and most free Gift of the Spirit of God and therefore the Youngest may have as much of it as the Eldest And to this R. B. there thus answers Answ. There is some Truth saith he and some Falshood and much Confusion in this Objection Reply But O the Darkness ye◠rather Enmity that is in Baxter's heart against the free Teaching of God's Spirit that he would find any thing against so plain and manifest Truth as is in this Objection But what will not Flesh do that is lifted up with Conceits of his own wisdom to keep up its Honour before the people rather then the Pure Undoubted Truth of the Gospel and Self-abasing Spirit of Truth should Raign and have the Preheminence But let us hear how this R.B. proves that that there is either 〈◊〉 or Confusion in the Objection It is true saith he that the saving Knowledge of Divinity must be taught by the Spirit of God but it is false that Labour and Humane Teaching are not the Means which must be us'd by them who will have the Teaching of the Spirit But to this I say That a Child of Light in the least Measure doth easily see the Falshood of that spirit by which this R.B. is acted in this his answer For the wind of the Spirit bloweth where it listeth and thou hear'st the sound thereof thou natural Man but neither knows whence it comes nor whither it goes so is every one that 's born of God And without this Birth all thy knowledge is damning not saving John 3.7 8. c. And Job 32.7 8. I said dayes should Speak and multitude of years should Teach Wisdom but there is a Spirit in man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Understanding And saith God It shall come to pass in the last dayes that I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and they shall all know me from the least to the greatest yea and Young-men shall see Visions and Servants and Hand-maids shall Prophesie and ye have receiv'd an Unction from the Holy One and ye know all things saith the Apostle John and ye need not that any man teach you This is the Day of the Lord wherein these things are fulfill'd prais'd be God And the new Covenant aboundantly witness'd in the Children of Light whom this wicked Book of Baxter's strikes at but his Wickedness turns upon his own Pate and his own Inquities shall slay him For he by his carnal Wisdom would darken Knowledge and shut the Kingdom of Heaven against men as his Predecessors of old the Pharisees mention'd Mat. 23. did But the Lord hath open'd a Door to the Believing Souls this Day which all the powers of Darkness shall never be able to shut Glory to his Name forever But what is that Labour and Humane Means that People must use for getting the Spirit of God or saving Knowledge of Divinity as he calls it Is it tumbling over a Ruck of Books stuffed with art and Humane Wisdom or Learning from below as this R.B. hath long done to the darkning of his Heart from the Knowledge of God and Way of his Spirit so that he knows nothing of it after all his long lost labour but what he knows naturally as a bruit Beast and that 's plain for it sanctifies him not as by his confessing That his best Duties even his Prayers are not without sin and affirming that no man prayes without sin as in his Book is to be seen page 195 and in his Preface And so the Prayer of Faith and Preaching by the Spirit he is ignorant of yea Preaching by the Spirit is become a Mock and a Derision to him and his Brethren at this day but Paul and all the Ministers of Christ Magnifie the Free Grace and Infinite Gift of the Spirit of God according to that 2 Cor. 3. Saying Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think a good Thought but our Ability is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter kills but the Spirit gives Life And that which the Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor hath entred into the Heart of man or Humane Heart to conceive hath God reveal'd to us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the Deep Things of
God and which Things we Preach or Speak not in the words which man 's or Humane Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual 1 Cor. 2. But this R.B. comparing Spiritual things with Carnal is not wise who because old men and long Students in Arts and worldly Sciences are most Wise or likely to be so therefore they that labour and study most in Books of Divinity so call'd get most of the Spirit 's teaching O sad That ever the minds of the Children of Men should be so cover'd with darkness and yet read the Scripture of Truth which witnesses to no one thing more then to the Free Teachings of the Spirit of God without humane Helps For all the Help that is humane or that man who is ab humo that is from the Earth can afford is but natural and of this World which comes to nought therefore is it said That none of the Princes that is the chief men of this World knew the Mystery of Christ and his Kingdom then which made them so band against him see the 2d Psalm And the Natural Man with all his natural means discerns not the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discern'd So every one that would know the Mind of the Spirit of God must come to feel through the Most Holy Faith a measure of it in themselves For after ye believ'd ye were seal'd with the Spirit of Promise saith Paul And the Word is nigh thee even in thy Heart and Mouth O thou that hast an Ear to hear hear what the Spirit speaks even the Word of Faith which we Preach Therefore go not forth from the Anointing of God in thy Heart to hear the frothy and false Doctrine of such as R.B. who have run and set up themselves by their humane Helps in the place of Teachers and God never sent them and therefore they cannot profit the People at all but lead them about like silly Women laden with divers Sins and Lusts yea in their Prayers and best Performances as is manifest and so not being sent and enabled by God's Spirit they can never lead you to it but from it as is manifest Also R. B. in pag. 6. before mention'd saith The Objection hath much Confusion in it and how proves he that but by saying 1. It confoundeth the Spirit 's teaching us by inditing the Scripture with the Spirit 's teaching us the meaning of the Scriptures 2. And it confoundeth the common Knowledge of Divinity with the saving Knowledge of it No man cometh to a common Knowledge fit for a Teacher of others without the Spirit 's teaching by the Scriptures for that was the first part of the Spirits teaching us to inspire the Prophets and Apostles to deliver a Teaching Word to the Churches by which we might all be taught of God through all Generations But many men have excellent common Knowledge by this Word and by the common help of the Spirit without that special Help which begetteth saving Knowledg And all Knowledge requireth Time and Labour to obtain it though the Spirit giveth it and though it may be sanctified to us in a little time but that may be a means of saving others which saveth not the man that hath it And in pag. 114. farther saith Take them not for no Ministers that want Grace totally and marvel not that Gifts are more necessary to the validity of Ministration then Grace is he may perform the Office of a Minister to the benefit of the Church that hath no Saving Grace at all Thus for Rich Baxter O! What Sorcery and Egyptian-Darkness is here to make void the New Covenant and Free Gratious Teachings of the Spirit of God in these dayes and to establish the Letter in the room and stead thereof which only witnesses to it and is a Declaration concerning what the Spirit of God did in them and in the World before Christ's coming in the Flesh and what was done during his being in it and what the Spirit would do in the Believing Souls and in the World after that time But this the Hirelings do that they by their trading with and giving their false meanings upon the Scriptures they may keep the people in Blindness and so from the Anointing and Teaching and Enjoyment of that Spirit that was in them that gave forth Scriptures that they may not see their deceitful Doctrines and Merchandizes lest they should buy no more of them For no man that knows the Badness of Babylon will buy them any more and then will the Merchants of Souls Mourn For they that know the Lord and his Spirit 's Teaching in them which is the Good Old Way yea and the ever New Fresh Profitable and Living WAY will follow no more such men as would bring in and establish a Graceless Ministry as this Baxter doth here to his everlasting Shame But such Graceless Priests the Lord will have none of nor his People neither For my Sheep hear my Voice saith Christ and a Stranger they will not hear Surely a Graceless Man is this Stranger They to wit graceless men saith John 1 Epist. 4. are of the World and the World hear them we are of God Stewards of the manifold Grace of God 1 Pet 4 10 And they that are of God hear us And so ever Bless'd and Prais'd be the Great and Glorious Name of the Lord Jesus who hath restor'd to them that obey him the Glorious Doctrine of the Spirit 's Teaching as was in the Apostles dayes according to his true Promise where all in the Truth of which we the People of God in scorn call'd Quakers are Members where all I say is done in and by the Holy Spirit prais'd be God and nothing own'd among'st us but what is so done Here is Praying in and by the Spirit and Preaching in and by the Spirit and Singing in and by the Spirit of our Holy Lord God and so the Head being Spiritual and the Members of the Body every one Spiritual for we are all Baptiz'd by one Holy Spirit into the one Heavenly Body our Food is also Spiritual Heavenly Bread and Heavenly Wine and the Water Spiritual that Sanctifies us and makes us clean to God in all our Sacrifices and Services for Christ gave himself for his Church which is his Body that he might wash it and present it spotless to himself and without all Deformity by the washing of Water even the Water of Life in the Word of Life the creating Word of the everlasting Father which is Spirit and Life the Resurrection and the Life in every believing Soul for we are redeemed from Death thereby that we might forever hereafter serve God in the newness of his own Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter as all such do as know no other teaching Word but the Letter as this Baxter doth and so they having gotten a little Brain-knowledge by their humane helps and not by the Spirit of Truth
freely given for the edifying and building up of the Body of Christ till we all come to a perfect man to the measure and feature of the fulness of Christ no more then the Apostle did Ephes. 4.11 c. but that which we cry down is that Antichristian spirit in R. B. and all such men as by seting up self and flesh would draw from Christ and his Teachings in Spirit to look at them and their painted words and love killing Doctrines who are this day Goliah like come forth to defie the Armies of the Living God but the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands shall dash them and their Images all to peices Glory to the Lord for Ever And though they with their Humane or Earthly spirit and Sorceries withstand the Truth and Spirit thereof as Jamnes and Jambres withstood Moses when he was about to call Israel out of Egypt yet as their Folly was soon seen so are these and they shall not proceed far but Israel out of Egypt shall go and those Faithful ones that are escaped shall they not with all their Inchantment bring back again into Egypt Glory to the Lord for Ever Amen But wouldst thou indeed know Oh vain man R.B. for what the Apostles who had Ability to preach without mans help were sent forth then thou mayst know it was to reprove such as thee that would limit God to vain man's Help and to call his People from amongst you who lay heavy Burdens on mens Shoulders but will not touch them with one of your Fingers it is even so But whereas thou addest and say'st Those are taught of God who are taught by those who are sent of God to be their Teachers It plainly shews the numerous Company thou boasts of who believe thee are not taught of God for thy Doctrine already mentioned shews most plainly that thou wast never sent of God for never did any whom God sent set themselves against the free and Gratious Teaching and Gifts of God's Spirit to Establish Humane Helps as thou doest But as if that which thou hast said were nothing thou addest Pag. 8. Advise with the experience of all the World Who was the man that ever you knew able to Expound one Chapter in the Bible by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone without any Labour of his own or Help from others by Voice or Writting Where dwelleth the man who by meer Inspiration can turn one Chapter out of the Hebrew or Greek into the vulgar Tongue and where is the man that can solidly unfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never read or heard of or can Teach that Truth and deny that Religion which he was never taught by man And afterwards in his Second Direction and Pag. 16. having led his wretched Disciples into a Laborinth or Mist of words about their uncertainties in their Matters of Knowledge and having advised them to humility as he calls it or not to think too highly of their own knowledge he there adds and sayes in that 16th Page especially If you know your advantages for knowledge have been less then other mens that you are young or that it is but a few Years since you entred upon the study of the Scriptures or that you have not any stronger natural Parts then other men that you have not had that Measure of Learning which might further your knowledge of the Holy Scriptures but that others that differ from you have had much more of all these Helps and Means then you and have Prayed more and Meditated more c. And in Pag. 17. in his Answer to an Objection which is That the Learnedst men are not always the wisest in the matters of Religion he saith many men are learned in the Languages and Sciences who are not learned in the Scripture because they applyed not their Studies that way and many men are learned in the Scriptures and Sacred Languages who yet live in sin though they are able to Teach the Truth for others here by the way all may take notice what a False Teacher this Baxter is who is not ashamed to say That man that lives in sin may Teach the Truth for others for such as live in sin neither know the Truth which is Christ nor have seen him as John's first Epist. Chap. 3. expresly saith but this Baxter goeth on and saith But those that well understand the Scriptures without learning the Languages which they are written in and the Customs of those Times and Countries or without much reading and long study of the Scriptures themselves and the Writings of them that better understand them are so few if any at all that if you will pretend to be one of them you had need of some Miracle or somthing like a Miracle to make your selves or others believe that you are not deceived I Might here add his other false Doctrines immediately following these in that his Book as his Answer to an Objection there set down against singularity or so the Objection is this The greater Number are not alwayes in the Right therefore why should my singulary discourage me But because his Answer hath pretty many words in it I refer it to another place and to what he hath already said do answer and say in brief thus First That as by his other words so also by these it is most manifest from what Fountain this Baxter's knowledge hath proceeded to wit not from the Inspiration of the Eternal Spirit which gave forth Scripture but from his own Earthly or Natural spirit and Humane Industery and Studies and trading in Books and Letters without him from which Earthly or Humane Spirit and Wisdom hath not come nor possible ever can come to any the right meaning and understanding of Holy Scripture as such as he would have it for the natural man as the Apostle saith Perceiveth not the things that be of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 But all false Visions and lying Divinations have ever come from that Earthly spirit and all the cruel wrestings of the Holy Scriptures from the beginning to this day have proceeded from it to the miserable and wofull undoing of the Generallity of that People called Christendom as also the Blood-sheds and all the cruel usage of Spiritual Minded Men for their pure Conscience sake have issued from that Fountain of the Earthly spirit and the false Births thereof from the beginning and that great Whore found Guilty of all for in her was found the Blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth Râ—â—â— 18.24 for what Spiritual man did ever ask such a Question or rather affirm for in him his question is an affirmation to wit That no man is able by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone to Expound one Chapter in the Bible And that there is none can solidly Unfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never read or heard of or can teach the Truth or defend that Religion which he was
never taught by man Oh happy therefore are they who are come to the Everlasting Covenant of God and to know the inward Teachings and Leadings of his Holy Spirit in their Heart to Lead them into all Truth according to Promise Joh. 16. without being beholding to Vain Man's Help for whereof is he to be accounted as is manifest even as a Thing of naught is the best of them out of the Truth For O! How Ignorant of the Ministry of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit 's Inspiration sufficient Teaching is this Baxter who is not content to sit among the Parish Teachers as a Fellow but even takes upon him to be a Teacher of the Teachers Yea so Ignorant and Unbelieving is he concerning the Spirit 's Power and Sufficiency in these dayes that without an outward Miracle he will not believe any such Thing Nay he would not have People believe for themselves that God teacheth their own Hearts unless it come in man's Way and by Humane study Labour and natural Means Therefore the Lord saw good for his own Glory and for the Vindication of his own Honourable and Everlasting Truth which the Hirelings had made void by their Traditions and for the absolute necessity of his own beloved Seed to restore unto us the Ancient Doctrine of the Holy Spirit 's Sufficiency in all the Work of bringing man out of the Fall to God that the Lord the Spirit might be the first and the last yea all in all in their Salvation without man's Help for he is worthy who as he created all things by his own alone Power and according to his Good Will so he restores all things according to the Counsel of his own Will and not of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the Will of Man as the Apostle also speaks Joh. 1.13 but Oh How unlike is this Doctrine of the Apostle's to Baxter's for when the Apostle had said To them that received Christ to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God left any should think as this Baxter doth that it was either by man's Labour or Study or Humane endeavour or Art or Parts or any natural Abilities or Helps whatsoever he saith It was not of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the Will of Man but of God And of his own Will begat he us by the Word of Truth saith that other Apostle Jam. 1.17 18. and he bids not err as this Baxter doth to set up another Fountain or Root and that this Word of Truth is not any outward Writing Voice or any Creature John in his first Chapter tells us That in the beginning was this Word and the Word was with God and is God and his Name is called the Word of God Revel 19.13 so this Word though it works according to the witness of the Scripture which it gave forth freely and as it self pleaseth in the Children of men yet it is not the Scripture For search the Scriptures or ye do search the Scriptures saith Christ That witness of me but you will not come to me that you may have Life and these were they that Paul said He bore them record that they had a Zeal for God and Scripture but not according to knowledge for they being Ignorant of God's Righteousness went about to Establish their own Righteousness and submitted not to God's And so even so this Baxter and many such like have a blind Zeal and a great Talk of the Scriptures without and of the Spirit 's Teaching by the Letter and Humane Helps and the like but will not come to Christ to know him in them that they may have Life and Wisdom and Righteousness But would Establish their own which is meer Emptiness and Vanity in the sight of God and all truly Spiritual men 2 Cor. 13.5 Rom. 10.3 And how far this Baxter's Language in those other words where he saith That if any will pretend to a good Understanding of the Scriptures without learning the Languages which they are written in and the Customs of those Times Countries or without much reading and long study of the scriptures themselves and the Writings of them that 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 them had need of some Miracle or sounding 〈…〉 to perswade themselves or others that they are not deceived How far I say is this Doctrine and language in this 〈◊〉 from the Language of the holy men of God that writ Scripture let the Spiritual Man who best understands all things judge for the holy Apostles Magnified the free Grace and the free Teachings of the Spirit of Grace and debased man and all Humane Helps as is said before and as the Scripture every where witnesseth But this Baxter tyeth the Wait and main stress of all upon Humane Learning natural Parts knowledge of Customs and Countries much reading long study and the like insomuch that without them man must not look that any should believe him Nay nor he must not own God's Teaching in his own Heart without these unlest seconded by some Miracle or the like But Oh the Misery therefore of such poor Souls as follow such wretched Teachers and their damnable Doctrine as I may well And Oh forever Blessed are they who are brought from off such Barren Mountains into the good Fold where all the Lambs of Christ lie down in the good Pasture of the Spirit 's fulness and walk up and down in the Light of the Lord under the hand of the good Shepherd Christ Jesus where none can come to make afraid nor deceive for in the Light of our God we see all these false Teachers and their devouring Doctrines and by the holy Power of God are delivered from them and made able in the overcoming Spirit of Truth to declare against them Glory to God forever Amen Again Let us revew and consider in particular a little of those words of his before set down where he saith as an Argument to perswade his young Ones and Dissenters to his falsly called Humility Especially saith he If you know your advantages for knowledge have been less then other mens that you are younger or that it is but a few Years since you entred upon the Study of the Scripture or that you have not any stronger natural Parts then other men or that you have not had that Measure of learning which might further your knowledge of the holy Scripture But that others that differ from you have had much more of all these Helps and Means then you and have Prayed more and Meditated more c. To which I Answer That by these words it is easily seen what manner of knowledge it is that this Baxter trades in and would have all Slaves unto and what are his Means for obtaining it to wit a meer natural Knowledge which by meer Worldly Helps and Advantages may be attained for a meer Heathen accompanied with many Years and much Humane Learning and strong Natural Parts that can but talk much of the Scripture especially having on him a Form of Prayer and the
Reformation Separation Revelation or any thing that may manifest People to have a care of their Souls But Oh the misery the misery the unspeakable misery of such as are not yet redeemed from under the slavery and Egyptian Bondage of such men But the Lord will break the Rod of the Oppressor as in times of old as in the days of Midian and Egypt where both Jannes and Jambres who withstood the Lord's Servant Moses in his calling Israel out of Egypt were made manifest and their Folly by all clearly seen as this Baxter's is by every open Eye Praised be the Lord for his Infinite Love in all things But the Hearts of the Righteous whom God delights to comfort he doth all he can to make sad by perswading the dark cruel World that the cause of all the miseries of the late years yea and at present in these Islands is much what if not mostly occasioned by those who in tenderness of Conscience to God could not nor cannot joyn with nor uphold the Popish Customs and Antichristian imposition in Matters relating to Religion and the Soul which is more pretious to them that know it then all the World And in the Truth we may say that if we should come amongst the Steeple-house Worshippers or any other Company who are only separated from them in form and not in Life and Power and their exercise or Gift and heavenly holy Worship and Service to the Lord Jesus Christ our God we should even sacrifice the Abomination of the Egyptians before their Eyes and would you not Stone us or Imprison us or otherwise evil intreat us even as you do and ever have done yea yea and as they dealt with the Prophet Isaiah for saying Chap. 66.3 He that killeth an Ox is as if he flew a man he that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dogs Neck c. and Chap. 1.11 c. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the Lord I am full of them and who hath required it at your hands to tread my Courts bring no more vain Oblations c. for which it is said they slew him so they would deal with us And what measure have the dear Servants of God in New-England met withal not long since for the like witness against those Hypocrites but Death and cruel Whippings and Banishment and in old England lately but most savage and cruel usage And would this Baxter yet have us yea and those he counts his Brethren and of his Flock who have any tenderness in them to communicate with such whose Hands are full of Blood if he were as the mouth of God he would put a difference between the Clean and Unclean But he being of an other spirit is for leading People back again into Egypt not for bringing them out of Egypt into the Promised Land and so his Work and endeavour is accursed of God and abhorred of all that know God who are escaped out of Sodom and Egypt and Babylon spiritual where our Lord was crucified And to us the Lord hath said Let them return to you ye saved People but return not you to them for their Pastors are become bruitish and have not sought the Lord therefore they shall not prosper and all their Flocks shall be scattered Jer. 10.21 He that hath Ears let him hear and he that readeth let him understand for the time is at hand for the Lord is arisen to plead with all the false Worshippers upon Earth and with him is no respect of persons And now is the Lord God of ever blessed Power and love appeared in the Earth after the long Night of Apostacy to restore all things and now are the Virgins called upon through the whole World to trim their Lamps for behold the Bridegroom is come and coming and now the foollish Virgins who have been long sleeping and slumbering in a dead Profession of Christ and the Scriptures are found wanting in their Faith Holiness Love and all other Christian Vertues and so in their Unholiness shut out yea and though they run to the Hirelings that set all things to sale to buy yet still before they come the Door is shut for whilst the Lord stood waiting upon them with his pure free and full Grace and Spirit they would have none of it but rather chosed to go their own Ways of Carnal endeavours and man commanded Religion and so like the Jewes of old going about to Establish their own Righteousness have not submitted to the Righteousness of God which is by Faith in Christ Jesus But the wise Virgins who are of an honest Heart to fear God and wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to appear in their spirits to set up his heavenly and everlasting Kingdom in them they receive daily of his fulness which filleth all in all where the true Oyl of the Kingdom is found in their holy Lamps to the praise of the Glory of the unspeakable Love and free Grace of the Almighty Father so be it Again to that part of this Baxter's former Answer where he saith That in all Ages God giveth to some few men more excellent natural Parts then others and he engageth some in deeper and more laborious Studies and he blesseth some mens Studies more then other and therefore there are still some few who know more then the rest of the Country or Mankind and it were well for the rest if they knew these and would learn of them Quer. But how may one know these hard and laborious Studiers as he calls them Oh saith this Baxter They are such as give proof of their knowledge they pretend to and they are such to imploy their knowledge to the preserving of the Peace and Concord of Believers and do not proudly make a stir with it to set up their own Names though thereby they set the World on fire To which I answer and say it is still more and more manifest that this Baxter layes all the weight and stress upon natural Parts and hard Studies as though the Kingdom of God were not at all come nor the Promise of God concerning the free Gifts and plentifull pouring forth of the Spirit not yet fulfilled and so a necessity of learning at the feet of Gamaliel and earthly Doctors still But now that the Spirit of Truth according to God's blessed Promise is come and witnessed amongst us that believe praised be God we cannot go to such as this Baxter with all their natural Parts and hard Studies for the Spirit of Truth leads us and all that obey it into all Truth but this Baxter and such as he leads are in all Error as is manifest for they are of those that lead about a Company of poor Souls silly as Women leaden with divers Sins and Lusts ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth which sets free from sin for that and nothing else is the Truth which sets free from sin for saith Christ If ye
Imprison you deny you civil Liberties and Privileges and count you unworthy to be suffered in the Land yet all this by Baxter's Doctrine is far less then you do to us Jews for you think us so bad that you avoid Communion with us and deny us Church Liberty and Privileges yea and think us unworthy to be suffered in the Churches Come Baxter Would this have been good and true reasoning by the Jews against the Christians or by the Papists against the Protestants then if it would not as no sober man can say it would then forever stop thy mouth and let shame cover thy face for ever speaking any more of things pertaining to Christian or Christ's Religion for an Enemy to Christ and his People thou art here manifest to be And lest thou shouldst want any thing to make thee compleat in wickedness thou goest on and in answer to an Objection which is to this purpose That the Persecutors separated from are bad and prophane and he that separates saith he charges them truely but he is not Schismatical or Heretical but they accuse him falsly To this I say this Baxter with a Whores fore-head on the behalf of the Persecutors answers and saith You to wit you that separate say so and they to wit the Persecutors say the same of you They say you are Schismatical but they are not Prophane Now how shall a Stander by know saith Baxter which of you are in the Right doubtess by the Witnesses and Evidences saith he they try you in some Court or before some Magistrate before they punish you saith he You never try them nor hear then speak for themselves nor examine any Witness publickly against them nor allow them any Church Justice but avoid their Communion upon Reports or pretence of private knowledge They judge you Personally one by one You condemn whole Parishes in the lump unheard They condemn you as for a positive Crime but you condemn them without charging any one Crime upon them c. To which I answer for the Lord and his Truth in this day of Israel's trouble and tryals and say The Lord rebuke thee thou lying spirit in this R. Baxter was there ever heard such notorious Falshoods and Abominations come from one professing the Gospel yea professing himself to be a Minister of the Gospel yea and taking upon him to be a Teacher of the Teachers as is here from this R. B. Oh the Envy Oh the Malice the deep rooted Iniquity of this man against them that depart from Iniquity in these Islands and cannot joyn with the People of this wicked World in their bloody Offerings Oh the Patience and long suffering of God towards such though they continue long in their Wickedness but the Lord will certainly plead with thee O Baxter and all his Adversaries for your great envy to his People and Work in these dayes But come let us see again if these Lyes of Baxter's would not have suted as well for the Persecuting Jews against the first Christians or the persecuting Papists against the Protestants as it doth for the Persecutors in these dayes against those that in obedience to God are separated from them For what it Tertullus or any Jewish lying Orator had stood up in behalf of the Jews against the Christians and said The Jews try you in some Court or before some Magistrate before they punish you but you Christians never try them nor hear them speak for themselves nor examine any Witnesses publickly against them nor allow them any Church Justice but avoid their Communion upon report or pretence of private knowledge and so condemn them by the lump yea a whole Nation together c. And so if the Papist against the Protestants had used the like reasoning would it have been any thing but gross untruth and falshood in either of their Mouthes Or were either the first Christians or first Protestants any more to be blamed for their separation because of such Lyars Nay nay neither are the People of God in these dayes any worss to be thought of for separating from the Wicked notwithstanding all these gross lyes of Baxter or any of his spirit I say they are most gross Lyes if they be said of us the People of God whom the World in scorn calls Quakers that we have not Tryed them c. For we have Tryed them and heard them often what they can say for themselves and we have by the Spirit of the Lord found them wanting of the Life and Power of Godliness like the Heathen who profess not Christ and publick Witnesses there are of it not onely their own works which are daily manifest in the face of the Sun but also their own words and confessions when they meet to worship for they say they have left undone what God commands and done what he forbids and so have no spiritual Health in them which signifies plainly they have denied Christ come in the Flesh for whosoever receives him receives God's saving Health and are saved People Spiritually healthful they have condemned themselves by their unbelief and evil Deeds from the Common-wealth and Inheritance of Israel And so not onely the Spirit of the Lord in us but even the Witness of God in their own Consciences charges not onely one but even many great and greivous Crimes upon them And so Baxter with all his Lyes and evil Inventions is for the Lake and if ever he be saved it must be through fiery terrible Judgment which will consume the Adversary For Oh! how hath Satan blinded his Eye that he should thus rise up against the People and Work of God in these dayes to his hurt And when it is objected that of all men living no man think that a Persecutor is godly and fit for Church Communion he doth not like a Christian Confess to the truth there 〈◊〉 but after his accustomed manner Heathen-like he invents his sorry shifts to avoid the force of the Truth by saying Did all the Ministers and common People persecute you and then asking a Question concerning the doings of the Souldiers under Oliver and the like which are meer shifts For what is the doings of any Men to make void the Truth by it for whatsoever any in their Ignorance of the Truth have done against the Truth serves nothing to the making void of this to wit That a Persecutor of the Godly is not godly nor fit for Church Communion but instead of giving Glory to God by confessing to truth this Baxter after he hath wearied himself with his words of what was done in Oliver's time or so he sums up his devilish Doctrine of pleading for the Persecutors and against those whom God hath separated from them saying to the same wicked purpose as before It is but one and the same sin in Persecutors and the Separates which causeth the one to smite their Brethren and the other to Excommunicate them the one to cast them into Prison as Schismaticks and the other to cast them
Time But by all these unfound unchristian and ignorant sayings it fully appears that this Bryan is one of them who have neither seen nor known Christ seeing he would bring in the Heathen into the Temple without the Word and so who is more ignorant and prophane then this Priest Bryan himself as also his Brother Baxter who is not ashamed to make such a one a Tutor or Father of Ministers who is ignorant of the very Door and entrance into the Church and of Christ's second coming nay who is ignorant of his first appearance which was for Judgment even to whip the Buyers and Sellers and all prophane Ones out of his House as he said himself For Judgment come I into this World And so What Pastors or Teachers can such Tutor as are so ignorant of Christ's Kingdom and so admit the Ignorant and Prophane into their Church or Cage of unclean Birds for the Church of Christ which is visibly seen and known by the Spiritual Eye to be his Body is holy and â—nto it can no unclean thing enter as saith Scripture Revel â—1 27 but into the Worldâ—s-Church may both ignorant and prophane enter and dwell but at such dishonest Gain as is gotten by such Doctrines as this of Bryan and Baxter hath the Lord long shaken his Hand Is this your Ware that you sell to the People at so dear a rate Is this your Straw and Stubble that you feed them with But no man of any understanding in venly matters will buy any more of your Merchandize forever For God is come to teach his People himself and the Spirit of God is felt and witnessed amongst us praised be God yea and in our very Hearts to teach us and by which we feel Christ come again the second Time without sin to Salvation according to his holy Promises and by whose all powerful Word of Faith and heavenly Presence in us are we joyned together unto him in one holy Body glory to his Name over all for he is worthy so be it And for that saying That Christian Princes have not less Power to abolish Idolatry and by Law and Penalties to compel their Subjects in matters of Religion where there is a parity of reason then the Jewish Kings under that Law had I Answer and say That all are not Christians who are so called and this crying up the Worldly Magistrates Power in matters Spiritual is the onely in let into Persecution of the tender Hearted People of God who cannot bow to every thing the World sets up yea though it come under the name or shew of Christian Religion and if the Image be of Gold never so goodly yet wanting Life and Power they cannot bow to it I say they who preach up the wordly Princes under what Name soever to have power over the Consciences of People in matters purely Spiritual as the whole Body of Christian Religion is are Antichristian and the great Enemies of that Liberty which Christ hath purchased for his People and which the Apostles sealed unto with their Blood saying in such cases Let every man be fully perswaded in his own Heart And who art thou that judges much less forceâ— and compellest as Bryan and Baxter's Doctrine would have it another to his own Master 10 wit God the Judge of all he standeth or falleth see Rom. 14th at large but what account will these Daubers give to the Lord for all the Innocent Blood they have caused to be shed these many hundred Years is sad to consider For though such Magistrates as are evil inclined are not free yet the false Teachers who by their Lyes stir up yea and bring forth that evil inclination into real actings against the good shall receive the greater Condemnation and yet notwithstanding all the evil both in the one and in the other the Lord will certainly carry on his great Work to his own praise which he hath begun glory to his Name for ever And the Beast Whore and false Prophet shall alive together be cast into the Lake prepared for them and into the Pit which they had digged for others so be it Also whereas he saith That it sufficeth that we have examples in the old Testament for the Magistrates Power in Church matters though none in the new Testament or so I say it is no more true then if we should reason for an outward worldly Temple and Sacrifices and Circumcision now because there is examples of these things in the old Testament and for revenge and retaliation now because it is mentioned in the old just contrary to Christ For though it hath been said of old saith Christ an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth yet I say to you my Disciples under the New Covenant If any Man smite you on the one Cheek turn to him the other and the Apostle saith Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but if thy Enemy hunger feed him c. and so Christ being come and all Power in Heaven and Earth given him Is not he in these Spiritual matters relating to the very Soul and Conscience the onely Lord Law-giver and King and Supream and ought of right to rule in his own House and Temple which is in Man and those that will not that he should rule must bow before him and be ashamed before his Face as saith Scripture 2 Thes. 2. So that now the Son of God being come and seated by right of Inheritance the true King and Heir upon David's Throne to rule in Righteousness forever in the Hearts of his Children he commands the true Seed of Israel to obey his heavenly Voice Law and Doctrine spoken and written within as those outward and typical Kings did command the fleshly Seed of Abraham to keep Moses's Law written without and as those that obeyed not that outward Law of Moses were lyable to the punishment of that Law so they nâ—w that obey not Christ's Spiritual Law written in the Heart and Conscience by his holy Power are lyable to the Eternal Judgment of Jesus Christ the Judge of Quick and Dead as he saith The Father judges no Man but hath committed all Judgment to the Son and as for the worldly Magistrate he is to rule in outward things betwixt man and man to see that every one as to the Body and outward Estate be well beheaved one towards another and not to bear the Sword in vain as hath been too much in use even amongst them called Christian-Magistrates as well as others from whence it hath come to pass that for the sake of the Poor whom the worldly Powers have oppressed as well in Temporals as Spirituals the Lord hath overturned them one Sort after another as they were found in the abuse of that Power and Trust which was put into their Hands for the protection of and encouragement and praise of the Good and punishment of the Evil-Doers but not the contrary according to that of the Prophet I will overturn overturn overturn till he come whose Right it is And so until Truth Righteousness Goodness Equity and Justice rule both in the Hearts and Lives of the Children of Men there will neither be Peace nor Establishment of any thing but as a Wheel will the whole Earth be from Generation to Generation saith the Spirit who is the sweet Orderer in all things for the holy Seed's sake glory to his Name forever And so in the Love and Kindness of the Lord God have I been thus enabled for the Truth and the poor People's sake to lay open something of the Deceits and gross Hypocrisie of these two Men called Baxter and Bryan who have long under a Cover or Vizard of Holiness deceived the unstable Souls of many but now the Covering being rent off their Wolfish nature is fully manifest glory to the Lord the good Work-man over all forever so be it T. T. THE END