stumbled at this freedom of the Spirit in our days as well as in the days of Christ and yet her Inspired Doctrines were contrary to the Quakers God spoke to her p. 3 4 9 16. 36 49. shewed her Visions and the new Jerusalem a light shone she was taken into the Mount of God She was anothers voice a voice within a voice Gods Heavens came down into her Earth 5. 7. 76. she fasted 9 11 14 days c. was told by the Spirit of the Soldiers coming to London p. 4. 6 7. had a Vision of the Scots over-throw before Dunbar and of the Fight with Holland of the dissolving the long Parliament 10. calling the Jews of the breaking up the Representative had a Vision against Rowse the Chair-man 13. 30. and several Visions to inform her that Oliver would be Protector which she was troubled at and fore-told Gideon's that is his being laid aside with many the like No Quakers have come nigh her Tyran detect p. 38. A Visitation of Love to the King c 4 5 p. 58. 73. p. 20. p. 35. p. 15. for Ebbit's fore-telling the Firing of London was not believed by his Friends And Burroughs attempts to shew that the Quakers fore-saw the Kings Restoration came not near it She was for the Reign of Jesus destroying the fourth great Monarchy fore-told that all the Monarchies are going down Jesus was at hand Among the rest she fore-told we must have no more Kings and yet she was swallowed up of the Glory of the Lord. 9. The gifted Brethren who with the next are the most orderly of all the Pretenders else made use of this Engine by their Zealous Advocate c. Their Request was the most modest Not to lay aside the Ministers nor destroy Church-Order Blake's Embassage from the Kings of the East to his Highness Oliver Lord Protector p. 45. p. 47. they onely pleaded for an hour before or after Sermon wherein they might exercise their Gifts they allowed the usefulness of Study that three hours in a day close employed therein would make a brave Preacher they offer to give Security to Preach sound and Peaceable Doctrine and begged but the liberty of a Tryal how beneficial their Model would prove offer upon misdemeanour to call in p. 42. and take back the Offenders Commission with a Dehortation to exercise any more for the present would have themselves not taken for absolute Ministers but Assistants they engage not to meddle with Administring the Sacraments or other proper Ministerial Offices with many such fanciful things in their Plat-form and yet the conceit of Inspiration together with acquired Abilities was the cause of it We leave Christs Work with you In the Epistle Churches the Spirit bid us do it the Word and Spirit and God himself is for us my Sons and my Daughters shall Prophesie p. 11. 23. hear this day what the Spirit saith unto the Churches None must Preach by Notes p. 58. we love to drink from the Fountain and yet they are for short work strive not to speak beyond the breathings of the Spirit p. 61. Hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches in England in this day of their Visitation p. 70. And the Socinians come somewhat towards this Model though they deny Enthusiasms Divine Miraculous Inspirations Cateches Eccles Polonicar in Praefatione or Prophetical Authority to be claimed by them yet they allow a great liberty of Prophecying that any one may Interpret who hath the gift of Revelation 10. The Congregation or People commonly called Considerers had recourse to this Trayte de la vaye c. A Discourse of the way to the Kingdom though as sparingly as any of the others They were very much taken up in studying the Book of Nature saying that alone is enough for all men and that the study of the Prophets lay therein p. 76. That Consideration was the Royal way to the Kingdom They acknowledge the Trinity and Christs Incarnation p. 80. p. 52 90 100 used the Sacrament and the Lords Prayer meddled not with Worldly or State Affairs p. 74. were thrifty of their time Married such as they loved upon first sight 92. p. 52. were against the inclosing the Holy Spirit to any particular Sect of Men looking on the Creed as a sufficient instrument of Vnion among all Christians p. 4. 88. But Immediate Inspiration was owned by them p. 4. The Voice of God that I heard said unto me Immediately God himself opened me by his Spirit p. 6. the way to the Kingdom resounding in my Heart Monck Rogers being so taken up with God p. 50. as not to remember the words a man just spoke to him is highly commended the Spirit of Wisdom and Vnderstanding hath appointed me to tell you and such lights as God infused into any of their hearts p. 72. they thought themselves bound to communicate to others p. 94. Here are Competitours sufficient that agree in one bottom though they build different and contradictory Doctrines upon it and all these likely an hundred to one and in this very Kingdom of late ten to one being the far greater number are all against the Quakers and therefore suppose the Scripture did not please me which of these Pretenders must I give Credit to The others whether old or late produce as good Proofs as T. E. can do and if I favour one side where the Evidences are equal I become partial and hold the Faith with Respect of Persons Do the Quakers say and witness their Inspirations The others do the like with an equal confidence Do they Experience it The rest come not behind them If their Refreshings perswade the Leveller and the late named Whore can use the same Topick and the Ranter is as brisk as any If some Scriptures befriend their Fancy the rest and all Hereticks and the Devil himself do bait their Hooks with wrested parcels of it In case then of different Revelations to which must I adhere Or shall I not suspend untill a third Revelation do determine which side is in the right Must we believe men meerly because they say so Or are yea yea and a few Solemn looks or wrings by the hand Evidences that the Spirit is secretly whispering They lay no Obligation on us to trust them rather than their Rivals In their Words Lives and Writings they seem at least Fallible like other men Thomas Ellwood must then produce better Evidences than the rest otherwise we are Innocent And he hath cut himself out work sufficient 1. To prove that perpetual Inspiration is certainly promised by God to all Believers 2. He must prove that all other pretenders do ly in their claims 3. That such as deny Immediate Revelation have no share thereof 4. He must by some undoubted Evidences prove that his party are solely intrusted with this Ministration and when this is done he must
Keâ—â—â— â—â—med Reâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 p 3â— p. 9 The Romanists make it difficult to be understood 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 influencete 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 â—ounding brass and Tinkling Cymbal a killing Letter it is only the words that Christ himself speaks that are Spirit and Life and they who sâ—eâ— 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. upon his Principles The Works of William Smith 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. Whitehead acquaints us concerning the Quakers Writings That some of their Titles have not been strictly but figuratively placed upon their Books The Quakers plainnes detecting fallacy p. 91. 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 Falsâ—hood prevailing and protecting Errour I should do no Injustice for it is but a pursuance of their own Concessions But to view a while his self pleasing title why it is not less Humble than Truth prevailing is this given strictly or figuratiâ—â—ly or â—â—â—oâ—ed by his so 〈◊〉 boasted of Inspiration The World is too wise to begull'd with a book that bears â—â—â—ther in its top it is truth we loâ—â— for wiâ—hin not anticipating Tâ—â—â—s without Modesty and 〈…〉 â—â—â—dred such sounding 〈…〉 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. 17. 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 disown 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 remper 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 John Whitehead fixes it in the year 1648. and Hâ—bberthorne in 1660. told the King that they were then twelve years standing In Mr. Faldoes Q. no Christi Discourse be the King and Hab. p. 3. p. 16. 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
rest being chosen receive such or such an impress and are brought in to speak to such a purpose This Old Art Irenaeus well Illustrates by the semblance of such as transformed the Picture of a King into the likeness of a Dog or Fox by changing the scite and posture of the Gemms and Parts Quomodo si quis Regis Imaginem c. Lib. 1. C. 1. As if any should take the Picture of a King well made by a Wise Artist out of Precious stones and destroying the Figure of the Man should transfer these Jewels and by altering them make it into the form of a Dog or Fox and when they were so badly disposed yet still to say this is that good Picture of the King which such a Wise Artist made shewing those Jewels which at the first were well made up into the Picture of the King but were badly afterwards chop'd and translated into the Image of a Dog c. In like manner do these transgress the Order and context of the Scriptures and as much as in them lieth do dissolve the Members of the Truth and by such chopping and mangling do make one thing out of another and so seduce many Several also of the words used by the Valentinians and their Predecessors are used by the Quakers as terms of Art with their Signature upon them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Irenae Lib. 1. Cap. 1. Epiphan Haeres 31. Word Life Power Spirit perfect or perfection so they called themselves The Seed of Election man Earth and Mankind are frequent and synonimous in Winstanley stilness depth silence which are Mystical words among the Quakers entring into the stilness meeting God in silence and the like See Mr. Faldoes Key They had also unscriptural terms of Art Achamoth Jaldabaoth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And the Quakers have choice of theirs as Ravend ravening brain inwardly ravening from the Spirit Vulturous Eye the Seed in Prison invisible Miracles or Miracles in Spirit the Royal Noble Gentile Seed taking away the Tables and many such like 2. From them we shall now pass to make a few Remarks in the entrance upon Thomas Ellwood both as to his Honesty and Learning and also his Courage and Confidence in striking blind-fold about him As to his Honesty and Learning T. Ellwood's Honesty Learning There is a Vein of Sophistry and tripping that runs through his Tract and when the paint is off it is full of furrows and deformity there are many gross escapes which look ominously in a Treatise for Immediate Inspiration so that his search seems not to be after Truth but Victory I had thought that after his Book had been several Months Publick some Friend or himself might have observed the great unfaithfulness in many parts of it But meeting the 30th day of March with a Letter â— in which he seems well satisfied with his Atchievâ— that is Glories in his shame I found it conveâ— hasten the Examination of part of his Work â— the Letter is here inserted as a specimen of hâ—per Some thou sayest will needs have me to be a â— and why Because of a little Learning Must nâ— have Learning but they and Jesuites This is the oâ— but poor shift of Priests hard beset When they cannoâ—â—tain their ground they cry out their Opponent is a â— as if none could be too hard for them but Jesuites iâ— to be worsted they are not ashamed to think it noâ— the more shame for them Well Truth is too hard and Jesuites too But whilst with some I pass for a with others it seems I am but a Counterfeit The they think is feigned there 's no such Man c. were true what then There 's such a Book to be â— there were no such Man as bears that name yet the needs be such a Man as wrote that Book for the Boâ— not write it self But a third sort I perceive wâ— allow me to be a Quaker and why Because they â— Quaker could not have given such an Answer Tâ—â—ceeds from their Ignorance of Truth and the poweâ— And indeed the contrary is most true Had I not Quaker I could not have given such an Answer at that rate he goes on ascribing his imaginaâ—â—umphs to that powerful Arm which gave both thâ— I and therewith skill and strength to use it Now tâ— is a down-right Fathering Lyes upon God will â—dent from three or four Instances out of many 1. He deals unfaithfully with St. Basil Sirnaâ— Great p. 165. bringing him into the Council â—cedon refusing to swear and commending Cliâ— the like denyal Whereas if the thing had beeâ— it had not much pressed us for what signifieth â—ample of one Pythagorean Philosopher to the Laâ— Christian Empire Or what availed one Basil â— Great to a whole Council of six hundred anâ— Bishops Geo. Bishop in his Looking glass p. 168. Though a Quaker cry out against that â—cil What cluttering what clamouring what beiâ— like a company of Geese gigling their noises than â—cil of grave Men and sober Christians But the self is untrue for St. Basil was dead about seventâ— years before that Council He flourished in thâ— of Valens dyed about the year 378. The Coâ— Chalcedon was held say some Anno Christi 45 the soonest by Justell's and Beverig's Computatiâ— under the Emperor Marcian if he had looked into his Brother Geo. Bishop as much as I have done by comparing p. 122. and 166. together it might have revealed something better to him But poor George was one of the Nonconforming Quakers Dr. Lightfoots Harm of the O. T. and so his works are out of Vogue Now this is a lying Wonder to purpose Christ raised Lazarus four days dead the Witch of Endor brought up a supposed Samuel nigh two years after the Death of the true one But T. E. haleth St. Basil out of his Grave where he had rested between 70 and 80 years and brings him into the Council with a Quaker-like sullenness speaking against the Laws and Constitutions of the Empire He deals as dishonestly with the formers dear Friend St. Gregory Nazianzene whom he quotes p 186. thus in his Dialogue against swearing whereas the very Title of that Jambick 20th is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adversus eos qui frequenter jurant against those who swear Frequently Customarily often not against Judicial swearing before Authority as he belyeth the Title so also he abuseth the Dialogue it self and that Eloquent Father who there expressly allows swearing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. B. when dost thou allow the liberty of an Oath A. Then when its necessary B. But when is it necessary declare is it that thou mayst deliver any from great dangers A. it is then lawful B. or to free thy self from some grievous crime A. then it is also lawful c. and in his Jambick 15. He defines an Oath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a making faith to a thing by placing of God a Witness
giveth the true sence and meaning of Scripture immediately p. 238 239 251 253 255. 4. The Gospel is now Preached in the demonstration of the Spirit and Power p. 244. and they are the Persons without question who Preach it 5. They know the Word of God by Experience p. 249. 6. The Primitive Christians had the knowledge of the Gospel by the immediate Revelation of the Spirit as the Apostles had p. 233 245. and the Quakers now receive it in the same manner 7. They receive it by the gift of God p. 245. 8. They have heard the voice of God speaking in them p. 249. 9. Divine Revelation consists in opening and discovering p. 249. 253 255. that is in expounding And all this is done without any help of Humane Learning which is not so much as to appear between the first of Genesis and the last of the Revelations but hath its Circle assigned beyond which it must not step reduced to its proper station and service which is to be conversant in Natural Civil or Humane Affairs p. 218 Humane Learning is to do the Drudgery of Translating to put an English Bible into a Quakers hand and must presently with-draw the pretended Spirit then supervening and opening each Text of Scripture truly to them These are different Notions and are too great favours for any Party on this side Heaven but it s subtilly done to chuse so many to leave room for escaping that if some prove deceitful the rest may support their Partners We must attend his Motions and examine them one by one giving his own words under each head onely some few things must be premised in passage 1. I think he seldom or never names our Lord Jesus Christ who dyed at Jerusalem as concerned in the revealing of Gods will His Prophetick Office is destroyed or weakned by this Sect and the Spirit is substituted in his place Thus p. 245. when he saith the Author of our Faith is the same the Finisher of it is the same alluding to Heb. 12.2 Where Jesus to wit the Son of the B. Virgin is named yet he takes no notice of him but turns it another way They received their Faith namely by the gift of God they received their Faith he saith there in the same manner that the Primitive Christians received it of old Now how that was he tells us p. 233 From the Immediate teachings of the Holy Spirit which dwelt in them So that he either lays aside our dearest Saviour or Confounds Jesus Christ and the Holy-Ghost as one and the same which he doth to purpose p. 233. Paul received the knowledge of the Gospel from Christ revealed in him thence he presently infers thus The Apostles did receive the knowledge of the Gospel from the immediate teachings of the Holy Spirit making Christ revealed in Paul and the Holy Spirit to be the same 2. He seems to make some concessions to inform within what bounds they keep denying new Revelations and yet he either hath new ones or none as from his Principles will be proved p. 237. they expect not a Revelation of any other Gospel of any other way of Salvation of any other Essentials in the Christian Religion they have but renewed Revelations p. 238. Truths formerly revealed p. 254. The same good old Truths p. 243 The good old Gospel again revealed a concession that destroys his design for having no new ones the old do neither need nor are capable of Repetition The true Christians Faith and Experience 3. He appropriates these receits to himself and Party We p. 237 245 249. Vs 254 256 to all Believers 228. that is to himself and Friends for they are the onely true the others but Titular and Nominal Christians saith Will. Shewen frequently The Testimony from the Brethren they are the Church of God returned out of the Wilderness And this is large enough Moses wish fulfilled Numb 11.29 All the People of the Lord are Prophets Are all Apostles Are all Prophets 1 Cor. 12.29 Yes among the Quakers Had he Challenged some few Inspirations in pursuance of the former or some rare single notices from good Angels they had been more Modest or an Immediate Revelation to ascertain him which Books were Divinely inspired and which not it should have been confessed that some have gone that way before him Vindication of the Protestants grounds of Faith second Discourse p. 308 Sect. 4. not onely the Enthusiasts and some Calvinists but the Popish Guide in Controversies in Dr. Stillingfleet saith That the ultimate Resolution of a Christians Divine Faith is into that particular Revelation first made known to him But supposing there was such a Supernatural and infused assurance given yet it is not rational and discursive saith Mr. Chillingworth it may be an assurance to a mans self but it is no Argument to another But one single immediate Revelation is too scant for T. E. during his whole life time He must put God upon Miracles and unnecessaries have what hath been before Revealed though translated into the vulgar Tongue renewed repeated re-revealed in the same manner and he must have Expository Revelations given him of the Sacred Books besides So that his own words contain the best his own Character p. 101. he treadeth an unbeaten path p. 246. he seems not rightly to understand Revelation but rather to have taken in some strange Notion concerning it CHAP. II. How the Apostles came to the Knowledge of the Gospel HIS first rise is That the Apostles had an inward manifestation and Immediate Revelation of the Mind and Will of God to them by the Spirit of Truth which dwelt in them p. 227. this he would have and so craftily brings in as if the Friendly Conference had so meant If by all those ways he intends no more than an inward manifestation But supposing this was true as he states it yet it is not Large nor Comprehensive enough For the Apostles had another Teacher even an outward one both before and besides the Holy Spirit and what Christian did ever yet lay aside or overlook the Personal Oral Teaching of their Lord Jesus If Quakers delight to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Irenae ad Heres L. 1. C. 1. the Spiritual and perfect from their supposed Teacher the Spirit as the Scholars of Valentinus did we must adhere to our elder name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that Author and Finisher of our Faith If Quakers first make no distinction between the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and then would lay aside the God-Man Jesus by 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 Revelacion 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 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 Repentance a Christian Life or Duty Christ who knew them the best speaks otherwise John 17.6 7 8. they have kept thy word they have known they have believed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost apud Theâ—p in locum having known by my words and by my Doctrine The Apostles were as certain knowing Witnesses of Christ as we can be of any matters of Fact and the Christian Religion was entertained upon their Testimony that they
in that best of Books called the Bible But must the first settling a Dispensation be always continued Must those manners whereby Religion was propagated be perpetually maintained Then Miracles are as necessary in the present Church as in the Primitive the ten Commandments were delivered in Thundrings and Lightnings were those repeated every time the Law was read in their Synagogues and Houses The Holy-Ghost descended wonderfully on the day of Pentecost So Acts 4.31 8.17 10.44 11.15 15.8 19.6 and generally there was an outward evidence of him upon Believers but where have we now such Miraculous Convictions of his Presence Religion being once settled by Gods extraordinary Power needs not the daily renewing those Wonders and when other Miraculous gifts are ceased and Prophecy is fore-told to cease as well as Tongues and Tongues are undoubtedly ceased It is strange and looks like giving God the Lie to say that Prophecy is longer lived than the other The first bringing in a Religion requires other Methods of Conviction than are necessary afterwards for being entertained upon those Evidences The danger of Enthusiasm Discovered in an Epistle to the Quakers and committed to writing God continues it in a regular course men instructing men from these owned Oracles as is well proved in a late Treatise George Fox upon T. Ellwood's Principles may quarrel with Margaret Fell that she is not his Wife because not made out of his Rib as Eve was out of Adam's and Margaret Fell may retort that George Fox is not her Husband because he was not formed out of the Earth as Adam was The Israelites might refuse to Plough and Sow in Canaan expecting the same easie Maintenance afforded in the Wilderness And we may Object that now we are not to work only to expect and wait the Earth ought to yield us Fruit of its own accord as it did in Paradise T. E. needs the Breast and Spoon at forty years old as well as at four months and all Men and Women must come into the World in the same manner with Adam and Eve and this is the direct consequent of holding Nature and Religion always in the Cradle But though Quakers did not hear nor see Christ nor have had the Spirit visibly descend yet these Successors have the same inward Revelations with the Apostles If you prove it in the same manner they could you shall have another manner of return till then I shall be assured that God doth not multiply unnecessaries nor grant things to satisfie wanton Humours Whatever Immediate Revelations the Apostles had we have at this day the benefit of them in their Inspired Writings and God having conveyed them to us in an Intelligible Book it is not his Method to increase Revelations to represent that immediately to my Soul which he hath commanded me to read in a Book of his own Inditing Christ who raised Lazarus from the dead could by the very same Word have rolled away the stone that lay over him but he was not Prodigal of Miracles Where other means can be used Gods immediate Power will not be Arrested He therefore bids first Take ye away the stone John 11.39 which they obeyed v. 41. and then he speaks with Power Lazarus come forth If the Apostles had Immediate Revelations which I can read in my Bible for me to say I receive them in the same manner is a Delusion and to desire the receit is a Temptation But suppose that Ellwood's Book was writ by Revelation as his Hectoring Letter imports May the Honour be returned to that Powerful Arm which gave both the Weapon and therewithal skill and strength to use it And suppose the Expositions he gives proceed from the same Fountain still fresh vexations do arise for I am as much to seek how to understand his Book as an Epistle of St. Paul's If Paul's Revelation cannot be understood without a new one no more can Ellwood's the Successor must be like the Predecessor and therefore till he can either write so as to be understood or give us security that he writes by Revelation and withall assurance where to meet with another Inspiration to capacitate us to understand his Charity obligeth him to keep his sealed-up Notions to himself and not to trouble the World with waste Paper But upon what grounds is all this claimed Doth he know by Inspiration that all Believers receive the Gospel as the Apostles did No sure for he turns another way attempts a proof thereof from Scripture-promises but hereby he makes Quakerism a little imbodyed 'T is not so airy and slippery as formerly I may now look at it turn it about and handle it which leads to the third 3. The Proofs produced to make out this claim and they seem more like the coherence of a Quakers dream than the Logick of a waking Man p. 228. Thus he takes his rise As our Saviour prayed not for them onely but all such also as should believe on him through their word So what he promised concerning sending the Comforter he did not promise with Restriction and Limitation onely but with an extensive relation to all that should believe on him and inference that is strangely wide and destructive of his very design Is there no limitation because he observes none Nor no restriction implyed where not expresly given From a Prayer for all to infer a Promise to all especially when about different things is a loose way of Arguing Such a Writer may commence any thing per saltum and from Fisher's folly instantly jump into the Porphyry's Chair Christ's Prayers were always granted and his Promises fulfilled but his Prayer and Promise must not be confounded He made Intercession for Transgressors he Prayed Father Isa 53.12 Luke 23.34 forgive them for they know not what they do It would have been a closer deduction but untrue thence to infer that all Transgressors and all that know not what they do be the Ignorance never so culpable are forgiven But view the Prayer and it confutes this perverting gloss it was a Prayer for all Believers that they may be one that is John 17.21 live in all the Duties of Christian Unity Had Christ prayed for Immediate Revelation to all Believers in all Ages that had been to his purpose but it is not named nor concerned here And the very words of that Prayer in v. 20. plough up his Fancy For them also who shall believe on me through their word where the Apostles Word Doctrine Preaching and Testimony concerning Christ 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 who thus turns it Out of whose Belly Great Mystery p. 130. in the Spirit of the Quakers tryed Universal Grace p. 102 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 Vbi supra Thus 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 these 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
Prophecyes could be renewed it cannot be proved that one Prophet had the Visions of another Prophet repeated to him no nor that the same received the same exact Vision twice so little is it probable that a thousand can have the same for ever renewed downwards This pretence in the Issue destroyeth Christianity for suppose that Mat. 1.23 a Virgin shall be with Child be renewed then Jesus is not yet born when a Vision is fulfilled 't is Impossible to have another that it shall be fulfilled or to desire one to inform that it is fulfilled is a like folly It is equally as reasonable to expect a Revelation that there was a K. Henry VIII as that Jesus died at Jerusalem for it makes Prophecy to have no fixed determinate sence or completion Suppose the Revelations be repeated then no part of them is yet fulfilled for what hath been done cannot be scened or staged as undone and further it renders the Scriptures useless for what need I buy a sealed Book not to be understood when I have it line by line inwardly rehearsed by a supervening power to my own Spirit Repetition also would swallow up that Blessed Grace of Faith the believing things credible as credible and turn it into sense and Vision so that the desiring it if possible is either the Mother or Daughter of Infidelity There being also in tract of time some few Variae lectiones crept into the Sacred Volume T. E's Spirit if right will make a stand at the wrong ones so that he can inform infallibly which is the best Copy and where words are to be inserted altered or omitted Upon his Principles Revelations made to Women must be renewed to men which in Case of Conception or Child-Birth would look strangely though of all persons they seem the fittest for it your Mother the Pope saith Father Fox Lambs Officer p. 18. Winding sheet for Controv p. 1. Im. Rev. p. 118. Some Principles of the Elect p. 95 96. Her is He sometimes then He may be an Her at other times Blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see Her in Imitation of Bonaventures change in the Psalms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hic haec Homo as Dewsbury observes who attempts to baffle St. Paul about Womens not speaking in the Church making the Woman to signifie either Sex in which Christ is not the Head such chops as those would make a man think them nearest a Kin to Tiresias the Prophet There are many particular Revelations concerning places as Nineveh Tyre c. Persons as King Ahaz Zedechiah c. Can these be reacted when both Kings and Kingdoms are extinguished but it is not worth the while to hunt this fly or pursue so serious a folly Only these few things shall conclude it That if he speak Truth he must have received all the Revelations conferred to the Saints of Old before and after the Flood those written in Scripture and the unrecorded ones or if only those in the New Testament then those of Christ the Apostles particularly S. John S. Paul the 70 Disciples and those mentioned in the 1 Cor. chap. 14. that which was the Work of many Ages Periods and Persons is in a trice Acted before him which if it was really done I verily think he could not live The Divine Light was so strong in a Prophets Soul that he could not long continue under it but fell into Consternations or his Vision declined into a Dream all the Scripture Revelations if the thing was possible yet for length of time cannot be renewed to him since his turning Quaker in 1659. He must have time to recruit his Spirit between Vision and Vision allow Liberty for other intervening Affairs converse sometimes as a man and not always as a Prophet And Prophecyes in their preparatoryes and effects in their solemnity and dress are not so soon gone thorow Hosea was some 70 years a Prophet and yet hath but left some 14 little Chapters Isaiah was 45 years between the 6th and 36th Chapters which allows a year and a half to each Chapter Let Ellwood Study such things as these and the Nature of the Prophetick light it will make his Spirit be humble and modest and will Convince him that his Hairs will be gray before he see to the far end of the Revelations But possibly he foresaw not the Monsters he was hatching let us turn the Notion into what other more favourable shapes we can as First what was Revealed by several ways before is now renewed to him by the Spirit This is nothing better must the Holy Spirit repeat what was spoke by Angels Urim Signs Voices Visions Dreams Prophets Nay the very words of Christ I lay down my Life My Flesh is meat indeed I ascend to my Father c. can the Spirit repeat these for shame to Imbarque in such a leaky Vessel But Secondly what was Revealed by the Spirit at the first is by the Spirit renewed to him now try this also and he will reap no Advantage The Spirit said to Phiâ—ip Go near and joyn thy self to this Charet Act. 8.29 is this renewed or is he Philip â—s Candace now alive oâ— her Eunuch 〈◊〉 to Jâ—rusalem to Worshâ—p The Spirâ—t said unto Peter Behold three men seek thee Act. 10.19 is this renewed then Cornelius is alive and Ellwood is turned the Apostles Curate Agabus by the Spirit signified that there should be great Dearth throughout all the World which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar Acts 11.28 If this be Repeated then Paul is yet alive and Claudius hath not yet began his Reign But now the Spirit reveals to him that he did Reveal the Scriptures but this reacheth not his purpose renewing or repeating old Revelations is a distant thing from one single inspiring Assurance But the Spirit now renews to him those Expositions which he made to others this he cannot mean for those Expositions are not in Scripture and his are but the Repetition of what is therein Recorded Withal he supposeth the Spirit to turn Expositor of the Sacred Text but doth not prove it speaking of Scripture Revelations he should use the Word in the proper Sense for the Subject matter by God Revealed and not foyst in an uncouth Notion of his own That Revelation is Exposition turning the Spirit into a Glossary So the Revelation of John the Divine is the Exposition of John the Divine but this Fancy will be elsewhere met with Clements Recogn L. 8. What Peter in the Recognitions is related to have spoken that those things which are Revealed to others some do apply as spoken to themselves doth well befit this novel Fancy of Repetition Christianity being a Certain True and Determinate Religion so done and spoken as is related is not capable of Repetition the things of Jesus were True Real and Substantial not performed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 its Faith which makes them certain and even present to us
and not Hystrionical Representations Our Holy Religion is a rational thing not a Drammatical Imaginary shew to be done over and over as in a Scene Christ lived on Earth Taught Instructed and lastly Dyed but once which Faith so receives and Entertains but Fancy cannot renew as dayly in doing that will destroy the reality of the History and make the very Religion to expire with it If Ellwood then feel such a thing as renewing former Revelations it is either Satans Delusion or his own Fiction of Imagination CHAP. V. Concerning their Immediate Revelations II. BEsides their Repetition they have Immediate Revelations The Apostles had an Immediate Revelation of the Mind and Will of God to them and these Successors receive in the same manner p. 228. The Ministration of the Spirit by Divine Revelations was not to cease but continue in the Church p. 227. inward and immediate teaching p. 229. The Revelations made to the Prophets and Apostles confirm'd by Miracles and Believed by Christians we own But for any further ones we can discern no Necessity thereof or if there was we cannot discern that God by you sends them to us It is not reasonable we should believe you in such a Concern meerly upon your own Witnessings nor will God I hope Damn him who died before the Quakers or never heard of them or doth seriously search into and yet disbelieve them and to call them Immediate must needs reflect upon the Scriptures which are Means appointed by God or else are nothing Keiths Title page Immediate Revelation remains a Standing and Perpetual Ordinance in the Church of Christ and of indispensible Necessity to every true Believer Living stone in 3d. Q. Quibbles p. 11. just such another Ordinance as giving the Hand and pulling off the Hat which are to continue in the true Church To what end they enjoy this Ordinance is differently related between the Tutor and his Pupil the latter claims it to the renewing old Scripture Revelations denying they have any new ones as to substance p. 237. but Keith is open-hearted tells what plenty they have and to what purpose things relating to our Conversation in the World Commanding or Forbidding Im. Rev. p. 5. 6. or Licensing us how to carry and be conversant about them as in eating drinking marrying or giving in marriage plowing digging or any other employment going coming to a place abiding therein things Revealed to them from the Lord which are not to be found in the Scriptures particularly not so much as by consequence Happy men they cannot do Ill certainly who eat drink get Children and know who get them c. by Revelation 'T is strange to see men who are Wise in the World to be so Fancyfull in Religion to Intitle God to the Risings and Bublings of their own Spirits they shut up those Reasonable Souls which God gave them as Spirits in Prison Anima suilla pro sale a Swines Soul serves for Salt and a Quakers doth no more just keeps his Body from Corruption How low and cheap is Inspiration made when the Holy Spirit must be Imployed in Inviting men to Dinner and they must be carryed on by Wires and Pullyes and not proceed by Humane measures T. E. hath such Immediate teachings as the Apostles had ask a Proof thereof the return is They Witness it but they will not swear it and I think it unreasonable to believe them on easier terms than our Lord himself was believed upon But whilst good Men are baffling Atheism with the rational grounds of Christianity Satan tacks about and would baffle Christianity by Impostures Is Inspiration grown so common that every one must have it Or is God so Prodigal of Miracles to exceed his regular Dispensations St. Paul who healed the Sick exerted not that Power on Believing Timothy Trophimus and Epaphroditus Christ increased the Loaves and yet commanded the fragments to be gathered up Hebron was promised unto Caleb for an Inheritance God could have ordered the Lot to fall upon it and yet it was settled by vertue of the Promise Where things can be had in an ordinary way it is not Gods Method to exceed nor heap Miracle upon Miracle his works are perfect and immediate answers were never common the Lot must not pass upon that which was promised before that would have been irreligion or a Tempting God There are no need of Teachers or Scriptures if all receive immediate Instructions The Ancients were too curious in their esteem of the Bible and the Traditores had too harsh Measure Though all Bibles were burnt a Quakers Light could verbatim write a new one as Jeremy gave Baruch the same words a second time The Jews say one Prophet who hath the Testimony of another Prophet is true I can discern no such attestation among them as S. John gave to Jesus but they first make themselves Prophets and then give Honour one to another Till they produce some undoubted Evidence I am guilty of no sin in denying I must either see some Miracles or have an Immediate Revelation my self to assure me that each of them hath such and such Inspirations and it being difficult to distinguish between the Dictates of spirits and the Fancies and Motions of a Man 's own upper and lower Soul Quakers will need a second Revelation to ascertain them of the first and a third to ascertain them of a second and so forward which is like the dancing of Fairies a skipping and running round but an advancing nothing And they are got into such a Circle wherein they may run themselves blind They believe the Scriptures from their Inspirations and those again from the Scriptures making one to prove another The Spirit ascertains them it is Gods Word and from thence T. E. attempts to prove they have the Spirit In that Debate at Jerusalem Acts 15. it was not the Immediate Inspiration which was the Rule which certainly would if every one had been so fitted but it was the Epistle from the Council that concluded all Set up this Notion and there would be none to be Ruled nor any such thing known as Obedience either in Church or State for Immediate Instruction must not be controlled by any thing below it self nor is it reasonable the Divine Voice should be prescribed to So that this pretence hath an evil aspect upon Kingdoms which have been frequently disturbed thereby Admit T. E. to be Heavens Privado to receive immediate Communications from thence we have no security but the same impetus may carry him on to imitate the Prophets words I have an Errand unto thee 2 King 9.5 O Captain and to interrupt the Lineal Succession for George Fox deserves as much to be King of New Jerusalem as John of Leyden and a Shoe-maker is as fit to wield a Scepter as a Taylor Religion also can never be fixed or known where Enthusiasm is avowed for this days perswasion may be out-dated by to morrows fresh Suggestion The Quakers are much
the order or Profession of Christianity used by your City he writes that an Angel Commanded him whereas thou dost not profess the Christianity of thine own City but that of the whole World wherefore if that Angel had stood besides thee whom he by a Crafty Novelty as we think doth feign to have stood by him for thy sake and if the Angel had spoke those words to thee which he saith he doth at the Command of him insinuate or convey to thee thou oughtest to have been mindful of that Apostolical Sentence though an Angel from Heaven c. It was their usual saying Gal. 1.8 Oravit Donatus ei respondit Deus è Caelo God from Heaven gave an Answer to the Prayers of Donatus his Intimacy therewith made him to be the Oracle of those times and the Circumcellions a branch of them were mad with a fanatick Zeal These Instances are sufficient for the first Period whereby we may discern that bad Designs sheltered themselves under this cover and T. Ellwood is either not Learned or not Faithful in affirming that in all Ages the Saints have had Revelations in some Degree or other for true Christians disowned them pag. 237. and only Hereticks or Schismaticks had recourse to them but whilst new Heresies were superinduced over the former Euseb Hist Ecol L. 4. C. 7. which got the Custom but were still subdivided into new Branches and several kinds the true Church increased in Vnity and Glory and if I be obliged to believe T. E's Inspiration because he Witnesseth he hath it I am equally concern'd to Credit the Proposals of a Donatist or a Messalian c. 2. The Church of Rome hath Plowed much with this Heifer several Religious Orders and Doctrinal points have been hereby entertained Dr. Stillingfleet's Collections concerning this are Copious but I shall Observe some few received by such as belonged to our Country Thomas Becket Divinâ Revelatione confortatus est In the Breviary of Sarum upon his day c. was Comforted or Strengthened by a Divine Revelation a Sign from Heaven being shewed unto him that he should return unto his Church with Glory and then by the Crown of Martyrdom go unto the Lord two Catholick Maids were cast into Ecstatical Raptures Jo. Gee Foot out of the Snare p. 59 and possessed with the Virgin Mary Michael the Arch-Angel John the Baptist c. and those Glorious guests did enter into them and inhabit them this is somewhat like the Light within but the next speaks home Edward Hanz said he was Corporally possessed with the Blessed Trinity Idem p. 60. 61. he received Oblations suffered others to kneel before him and said I God the Father I God the Son do give you my Blessing and do command you to adore me he relateth that he was in a Trance and his Soul did see very supernatural and admirable Joys Vnless God Almighty do take the Creature and speak in him and then it is Gods own Word and not the Word of the Party Here was Revelation Light and the Worship of it like the Hosanna to James Naylor The Virgin Mary appeared to Thomas Newton P. 63 64. about the Oath of Allegiance he was a very Holy man and had other Visions besides that and Mary Wiltshire saw a strange Vision many of their Revelations are put together called Admirable and Notable Prophecyes P. 109. uttered by 24 Roman Catholicks Printed 1615. and Mr. Burton in his Book of Melancholy gives the Reason whence they are so Subject to such Conceits Besides these we may take a Tryal of some few others St. Hildegard is learned whatever she wrote ex Revelatione Divinâ she did not speak or write ought that should be called into Question Trithemius she spoke Latin by the Spirit Her Writings were Publickly read and approved by Eugenius the third in the Council of Tryers which Eugenius seems also to be chosen Pope by Revelation The Cardinals being Divino nutu perciti made choice of the most Holy Eugenius Platina in ejus vita to take a tast of her Revelations In her Letter to Eugenius O mitis Pater c. O mild Father I a pityful poor form have written these things to thee in a true Vision in or by a Mystical breathing as God would teach me O bright Father In the Bibliotheca patrum Tom. 15. in thy name thou camest into our Land as God predestinated and thou sawest of the Writings of true Visions as the living Light taught me and thou heardest that Light with the Embraces of thy heart now is part of this writing finished but still the same Light hath not left me but burns in my Soul as I have had it from mine Infancy c Good Quaker like Language This Inspirado Lady in an Epistle to Pope Alexander determines for the Popes Supremacy tibi specialiter Idem verbum claves Regni coelestis concessit And to a certain Priest she determines for Transubstantiation In vera Visione vigilantibus oculis de Sacramento Dominici Corporis haec verba audivi vidi c. Another Holy Maid called Sister Katharine of Jesus had many Revelations and strong Exstacies Dr. Causabons Enthusiasm p. 162. 163. which held her 3 or 4 hours she thought her self sometimes to be in Heaven and often saw and sometimes suffered through fright the pains of Hell she saw the Soul of Christ in its purity which drew her into an operation of the Holy Trinity she said God doth put his Power in me God doth put his Wisdom in me and his Knowledge John Waldesso in his Divine Considerations Rutherfords Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist p. 191. saith a Christian having served himself with Holy Scriptures as with an Alphabet he afterwards leaves them to serve for the same effect to Beginners he attending to the inward Inspirations having for his proper Master the Spirit of God and serving himself with Holy Scriptures as with an Holy Conversation and which causeth Refreshment to him altogether putting from himself all these Writings which are written with an Humane Spirit The Alumbrado's before named held vocal Prayer and all other outward dutyes of Religion Superstitious or unprofitable Dr. Causabons Enthus p. 174. they thought those Quakings which they did find in themselves were a sufficient Token of Grace and ours have called it that Holy Duty of Quaking and Trembling and that they needed nothing else Fisher in 3d. Quib. p. 3. that had attained unto them they pretended that they might see God 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 Jesus 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 Session the 11. under Leo the 10. And the Councel of Laterane having prescribed Rules for the Preachers 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 stifle or defame that Evangelicall Doctrine which he saw appearing Adver Libertin 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 Winstanley 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 Anabaptistae fingunt expectandas esse novas Revelationes c. De numero Sacramentorum 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. 2. and galled the Church much totus eorum 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 eorum deformant altering their signification c. 7. when any place of Scripture was urged their Answer was nos Literae minimè obnoxios esse c. 9. 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 Dâ—vine 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 he called for Spiritualness Rutherford p. 15. Ex schlus Selburgio 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 Regni C. 1. which is now in the last times raised up by God according to his Promises in the most Holy Service 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 Deo ad veritatem è Gratiae Solio Epistola H. N. ex Charitate Jesu Christi in Angl. missa c. Majestatis Dei testificandam Electus ad Bonum nuntium de Regno Dei pura Charitate retectae facici Jesu Christi super terram annunciandum ac salutem in eadem manifestandam 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. Qu. 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 in these writings Signatura rerum p. 209 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 none can be able to expound them p. 223. 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 imprinting his Similitude in my Similitude p. 1. 2. 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 Theophilus had the Spirit Witnessing to the truth of the things Im. Rev. p. 209. 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 some 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 Some Principles of the Eâ—â—â—ct People of God called Quakers 〈◊〉 The Worlds Original is the many Languages whose Original is Babel which make Divines as they call them sit a top of Christ And the Whorâ— sits upon the Waters as it is spoken in the Revelation and John saith the Waters are Nations Mâ—lâ—itudes People and Tongues which 〈…〉 they call their Original To which Waâ—â—◠〈…〉 must be Preached before they can 〈…〉 〈…〉 are to be redeemed from Tongues and 〈…〉 shall cease saith the Apostle and so 〈◊〉 Worlds Original the beginning of which 〈◊〉 and which keeps in Babylon the Saints 〈…〉 â—â—deemed 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 〈◊〉 p. 70. The same Curious Writer hath a rare gift in proposing Queries 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 Answer in Writing the thing Queried G. F. They are the properest for his Spirit to undertake The trifling question put to Barnabas was more witty Clem. Recognit p. 5. Why a Gnat being so small a Creature hath six feet and wings besides whereas an Elephant so bulky an Animal hath onely four feet 4. In the late unhappy Times when Hell was broke loose our own Countrey affords Instances too many being as anciently credulous in believing pretended Inspirations so
also then in their production too fertile and the Quaker is Junior to the most of them and they are all able to produce as good Evidences and Deeds so that it seems strange the Quaker should ingross both the birth-right and the blessing too from all the rest 1. The Seekers or Religious Scepticks laid Claim to Inspirations I call them so because those various differing Sectaries may be best comprized under such a general name Edward Gangre second Part p. 2. They affirm and hold they have not onely had Revelations but they have seen Visions also The means of Gods revealing himself and his mind and will to his Servants in reference to their Salvation is immediately by himself without Scripture without Ordinances without Ministers or any other means but especially many in the Army about 1645. took themselves to be intimate with God Idem p. 5. Some Officers and Souldiers affirmed That they had had Revelations and seen Visions and took upon them to Prophesie A Lieutenant a great Devoto denyed the Trinity of Persons affirming them to be three Offices he denyed that Christs presence in Heaven could be proved by Scripture p. 7. and made a great question whether there was a Resurrection or no. Mrs. Attaway the Woman-Preacher then begun to exercise Boggis wish'd he had not known so much of the Bible which he said p. 163. was but only Paper And Clarkson the Seeker vilifies the Scripture Ordinances p. 165. c. would not have People to live upon black and white and said That they of themselves were not able to Reveal God T. E. is the Successor of such Blades as these 2. The Antinomians maintained their undutiful Notions by recourse to this Armour and the Quakers have borrowed much from them as Perfection Discerning who were Elected the Notions about Christs Person and Christ within humane Learning and the like but I shall onely consider their Inspirations a large account of which we find in one who diligently traversed their Writings Rutherford's Survey of Spiritual Anti-Christ p. 173 174 175. The Witness of the Spirit is meerly Immediate without respect to Sanctification or Acts thereof all Doctrines Revelations and Spirits must be tryed by Christ rather than by the Word A Christian is not to Pray nor to do any Spiritual Acts but when the Spirit moveth him thereunto That all other askings or seekings of God which are not thus in Spirit are but the askings of Creatures as Creatures p. 222. The Scriptures are not to be understood according to Grammatical construction but as the Spirit of God reveals them p. 229. The meer Commandments of Scripture are not a Law to Christians p. 305. but the Law written in our Hearts The Holy-Ghost comes in place of the Natural Faculties of the Soul and acteth us immediately to all internal and external acts Part 2d p. 195. c. And that American Jezebel Mrs. Hutchinson said That her particular Revelations about events to fall out are as Infallible as any parts of Scripture p. 211. and that she is bound as much to believe them as the Scripture for the same Holy Ghost is the Author of both 3. The Levellers do make out their Free-born Community with Arrows fetched from this Quiver Winstanley the great Master of the Craft is exact herein New Law of Righte p. 46. This Phrase Mine and Thine shall be swallowed up there shall be no need of Lawyers Prisons or Engines of Punishment no Beggar nor cause of complaining there shall be no Buying nor Selling no Fairs nor Markets but the whole Earth shall be a common Treasury for every man The Poor upon their Commons saying p. 47. This is Ours the Earth and Fruits are common Now this Platonick fancyful Model he raiseth upon Revelation As I was in a Trance divers matters were presented to my sight which here must not be related p. 57. likewise I heard these words Work together eat Bread together declare it all abroad Likewise I heard these words Whosoever it is that Labours in the Earth for any Person or Persons that lift up themselves as Lords or Rulers over others and that do not look upon themselves equal to others in the Creation The hand of the Lord shall be upon that Labourer I the Lord have spoken it and I will do it Declare this all abroad And this very Trumpet he saith is still sounding in his Ears p. 67. Work together c. Surely the Lord hath not revealed this in vain This Heavenly Voice was so delightful that he was filled with abundance of quiet Peace and secret Joy p. 58. and he obeyed the Command of the Spirit which bid him Declare it all abroad by word of mouth and Pen and he waited till God shewed him the place and manner how to work upon the Common Lands p. 64. I will then go forth and declare it in my Action to eat my Bread with the sweat of my brows looking upon the Land as freely mine as anothers I have now Peace in my Spirit c. And elsewhere up-the same Subject he opens freely Fire in the Bush the Preface This Declaration of the Word of Life was a free gift to me from the Father himself When I had writ it I delayed the sending it almost a fortnight then the Voice was ready go send it to the Churches which he did well I have obeyed the voice and have sent this to you but what was the substance of the voice That he relates the voice is gone out Freedom Freedom Freedom he that hath ears to hear let him hear And what was this Freedom Even a setting the Earth free a breaking down all Pin-folds and laying all open to the Common Now have not I an equal if not greater Reason to believe his so particular and exact Revelations concerning Equality rather than your general and withal mixed ones concerning other matters Nay have not you as much ground to believe his pretence in this as to take the very lineaments of your Profession from him and yet herein desert him when as he Challengeth Inspiration for this as fully as for any other Doctrine But that you dare pick and chuse mangle and alter your own Revelations as well as his may in its due place appear A Sober Answer p. 56. 4. The Ranters deluded themselves and others with this blind and Fox acknowledged the affinity of his and their Principles that black Divinity challenged 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
understood Keith is far more prudent I grant that the History p. 232. or Historical part of the Scriptures is not conveyed unto us nor unto any ordinarily by Immediate Revelation Winding sh 5. Now the Gospels are undoubtedly Historyes of Christ what he was said did and suffered Mr. Pen calls one of them Johns History and the rest deserve that name as much so that they receive not the Gospels by Immediate Revelation And the whole Bible is transmitted to us as matter of History wherein such Commands Promises c. are comprized And this concession of Keiths pulls down Ellwoods whole Fabrick T. Ellwood doth strangely interfere with himself p. 223. p. 221. p. 235. p. 211. p. 231. he makes Tongues necessary to Preach to all Nations and yet confesseth it might be done by an Interpreter oft takes Notice of our owning the assistance of the Spirit and yet cryes out not a word of the Spirit of God but Humane Learning all in all he makes knowledge to be both the cause and the effect being strangely blundered to make out their Apostolical Inspirations without the Testimonials thereof Miracles and Tongues Lastly he makes the Gospel in all Ages revealed in some degree or other p. 237. which he anon retracts p. 243. Revealed in the first ages of Christianity and then brings on a long night of thick darkness and a general Apostacy Others of them are not more Harmonious it was never his to wit Christs Faith to sue Naylors living Faith p. 7. contend c. Sheild of the Truth p. 3. we sue no man at the Law but are sued by them but Thomas Ellwood is differently minded in civil cases it is no injustice for a man to recover his due by Law going to War is by some Condemned p. 361. Bishops looking glass p. 203. Barclay in Q. no Popery p. 100. Tyran Hipo. detected p. 22. Wars belonged to the Jewish Administration which had its end Quakers deny that it is Lawful for Christians to fight and kill one another in fighting Others of them have both allowed and followed Wars and John Thompson owned by others as a Quaker was Master of a Ship fought stoutly and killed many of the Dutch one while they were against all forms Great Mystery p. 16. Christ is the end of outward forms Paul brought the Saints off from things that are seen and water is seen and its Baptism but now they are hugely formal True Christian Faith p. 187. 189. Godliness is not manifested without a form in thy Holy form of Godliness led into by the power Justification by that Righteousness which Christ fulfilled for us wholly without us was one while esteemed a Doctrine of Devils Q is Paganism 8. 9. 10 11. Prin. his satisfaction counted irreligious and irrational that he fulfilled the Law only as our pattern and that Justification is by works but the horridness thereof is now mollifyed The Spirit Pennington's naked truth p. 35. the Life the Blood of the Lord Jesus justifieth Justification and the things accompanying it are the benefits of Christs death The same person renounceth all merit and debt strictly taken defines justification as it hath respect to what Jesus did and suffered for us without us Uni grace p. 103. Q. no Popery p. 47. 51. c. The procuring cause being Christ alone who became the expiatory Sacrifice and Propitiation unto God for our Sins Shewen dawbs it over by affixing an ill Doctrine on us that Christs Sanctification without us True Christian Faith p. 69. is imputed to a man whilst unsanctified which is not so bad as his own being taken into the third Heaven when unregenerate Fox at sometimes calls the Scripture a Rule the Scriptures shall buffet you about Epis to G. W Divin of Christ Q. no Pope p. 24. in 3d. Quib. p. 36. and you shall be whipped about with the Rule Keith calls it a compleat external secondary Rule Mr. Pen saith the Scripture is much like to the shadow of the true Rule c. a very great Honour do they advance it to to be much like the Shadow but not the Substance nor the shadow T. Ellwood daubs will allow it to be profitable and so are Tullyes Offices p. 241. but not to be a perfect and sufficient Rule in order to Salvation and yet he hath nothing Revealed but what is in Scripture so that if this be not sufficient the Repitition thereof must be as defective and having no new Essentials of Religion lesser than Inspiration might convey the others but at the last their kindness allows the Scripture to be a Rule in Cursing and Railing let it suffice that we give no harder names than the Scripture by Rule allows Hicks 3d Dialogue p. 40. With full mouth they declaim against Judicial swearing and yet for interest they can take an Oath some of them would have no Creeds nor Catechisms others compose such things They are much intangled when to Date that Apostacy of Christianity which they fancy Some make it to come before miraculous gifts ceased just upon the Apostles death In Mr. Jenner p. 116. Fiery darts p. 26. So Joseph Frice Since the Apostles days there hath been a great Apostacy and a true Church of Christ could not be found during all which time the true Church hath been in a Wildernessed Estate Christ had not a Visible Church in the World saith Farnsworth G. W. and G. F. reply at Cambridge Gag for the Q. p. 5. Howgils Glory of the Church p. 6. and yet they quote broken sayings of the Ancients who were within the Apostacy others of them do qualify the severity of the former the Church of Christ was glorious the first hundred years after his Manifestation in the Flesh and Keith more enlargeth the purity of the Church the Testimony of Antiquity in the purest times especially the three or four first Centuryes Q. no Popery p. 69. Spirit of the Hat p. 9. which at length they retort home concerning the great Apostacy in this day among themselves In 3d. Quib p. 36. G. Whitehead durst one while write That which was spoken from the Spirit of truth in any is of as Great Authority as the Scriptures and Greater c. Which being odious to all good minds he declares confidently the contrary as if our observations were as stupid as his Conscience nor did we ever prefer our Books before the Bible but do prefer the Bible before all other Books extant in the World one while man must be thou'd because God is so Q. plainness p. 70 71. anon the Hat must not be put off to man The true Christians Faith p. 187. that must be reserved to God alone as a necessary piece of his Worship These and many such are the crooked ways and interfering paths wherein their private Spirit is bewildred Spirit of the Hat p. 25. 2. Having taken an
such things Away with your skimming-dish Hats and your unnecessary Buttons on your Cloaks and Coats and on the tops of your shoulders behind and on your sleeves Away with your long Slit-peaks behind on the skirts of your Wastcoats and short sleeves punishing your shoulders so as you cannot have the use of your arms Away with your short black aprons and some having none Away with your Vizards whereby you are not distinguished from bad Women and your bare-necks and your great needless flying Scarfs like Colours on your backs And so set not up nor put on that which you did once with the Light Condemn but in all things be plain that you may adorn the truth of the Gospel of Christ and Judg the World and keep in that which is comely and decent George Fox Wherein he supposeth that Bed-staffs Fire-shovels c. are none of Gods Creatures when Art hath passed over things they are no part of his Workmanship His injunctions for Habits are very Magisterial Tyran and Hyp. detect p. 11. A Maid having a slit in her Wastcoat skirt behind was commanded in Obedience to the injunction above to sew it up her reply was She saw no evil in it and James Claypool like a Primitive Quaker said She should first see the Evil of it in her self before she judged it and not saith he because we say it but for these words he was forced to acknowledg his Error Spirit of the Hat p. 42. though in private he confest it no Error but others obeyed this uninspired Injunction Fox gave out a paper Spirit of the Hat p. 42. that his Marriage was a figure of the Marriage between Christ and his Church and was above the state of Adam in his Innocency in the State of the second Adam who never fell but it was so ill resented that the Inspired mans Paper was called in again Tyran and Hypo. p. 18. and so was Eccles his explication of his Blasphemous words about Fox suppressed The Horrid words were these it was said of Christ that he was in the World Spirit of the Hat p. 27. and the World was made by him and the World knew him not so it may be said of this true Prophet Fox whom John said he was not and at another time Blessed be the man that came out of the North Tyran p. 19. Blessed be the Womb and Paps Jo. Coal Deifies him Dear Geo. Fox who art the Father of many Nations whose Life hath reached through us thy Children even to the Isles afar off viz. Barbadoes to the begetting of many again to a lively Hope for which Generations to come shall call thee Blessed whose Being and Habitation is in the Power of the Highest in which thou Rules and Gâ—verns in R ghteâ—usness and thy Kingdom is Establishâ—d in Peace and the Encrease thereof is without End A Letter of suâ—h Bâ—asphemy as isâ—â—â—â— be parallel'd unless it be in that of Joan. Baptist â—â—atum Spiritus In Fâ—wlis Histo â—f Poâ—â—â—h Trea. p. 37. presented to Pope Innocent the Tenth in allâ—sion to his 〈◊〉 Pamphilio but this Letter of Coal thâ— gâ—â—â—â—er in date is placed first in the Quakers Registry that may well be applyâ—d to them Rev. 13.1 upon his Heads the name of Blasphem and lest Fox should only be adored Tyran p. 53. Naylor is highly advanced by R.T. Preface to the possession of the living Faith I suppose Rebeckah Travers as one redeemed out of the earth in the Heavenly was his dwelling being Holy Harmless Vndefiled that he appeared in this great City in the power of an endless Life to gather us unto God and yet by good intentions or figurative expressions 't is frequent to defend such Abominations Tyran p. 45. the said R. Travers declared that if she had a motion from the Lord as she Believed yet if Fox did not own it to be so she should deny it a most insolent denying God and making another Master of her Revelations Newton did thus took the Oath of Allegiance notwithstanding his Vision but what Sin is it to deny or suppress ones own and submit to anothers Inspiration the Prophet that went to Bethel dyed for this for Revelations must be rescinded in the same way as conveyed what is inwardly injoyned must be as inwardly prohibited the Spirits of the Prophets being subject to the Prophets concerns but the time of speaking that the impulse was not so violent but it might be restrained till others had done speaking or if it should concern Tryal then the Prophets owned for such by Divine Attestations might approve and Recommend others but a denying my Motions at anothers pleasure is a contemning my Inspirer or believing my own Light how can I submit to another And when a Quaker changeth doth he believe himself to be more Iâ—fallible at one time than at another or to be more Infallible then another man and when one of their Revelation is Rescinded as that of Swintons it is not done by Command from God but by a Confession of their own Mistakes One Scripture Revelation no where offers to lessen or Invalidate another Scripture Revelation But the Quakers make sleight account of them so that it cannot be the same Spirit Thus Mr. Pen claims Revelation against the Sacraments testify's by the same Spirit Hicks 3. Dial. p. 65. by which Paul Renounced Circumcision that they are to be Rejected And others deny and sadly Juggle about them they are much fall'n away from their former Principles and Demeanors what security have we how far they will go or where they will stand and fix and in case of Difference between themselves or the Scriptures what must decide it or by what do they try the Motions of their Spirit or why may not their Immediate Revelations alter as well as their Doctrines what marks have we to know when they speak or Write by Inspiration when at their own Motion or what Reason have we to believe them when they will trust the Revelation of none of their Competitours Imme Rev. p. 223. when their Pretences differ we have no new Revelations saith T. E. we have saith Keith what Evil is this or rather is it not a blessed Dispensation Whether must carry it or must the latter be corrected by the former and if the Scripture be not the Judge by what must the Debate about Revelation be ended by the Spirit That is the thing in Question and you must first prove you have it before you can prove any thing by it Though we should think Immediate Teachings needful we cannot thence Infer them But if God had so conveyed himself he would have so ordered that all his Communications should have exactly agreed and have told us with whom we should find them Whether may not Quakerism be improved another come and Super-reform the Elders as they have done the Hat-men Mr. Jenner p. 86. The Quaker Woman at Dublin cryed up her span new light
which the rest had never seen nor heard of and cryed down their old light as darkness pretending to have hers Immediately And 't is hard to discover how upon their principles they can confute her Rationally sometimes they stop the Mouths of such Tyran 15. Silent meet a wounder p. 10. as offer to speak in the name of the Lord. So Ann Mud c. Was pulled away by violence they are very curious in the time when the Spirit seizeth on them the 22. day of the 7. Mouth the word of the Lord came unto W. B. another is more exact On the 31st day of the 10th Month 1655. about 4 a Clock in the Morning the Word of the Lord came to Burroughs c. the same could have gone on to Minutes Seconds c. Revelation also is challenged for bad Designs Hicks 1 Dial. p. 26. a Quaker Debtor replyed to his Creditor 't is revealed to me I ow thee nothing p. 27. Ellis Pseudo-christus p. 27 Studelys looking glass of Schism Messages have been pretended sent from God and the person hath been proved many miles distant when the dreamer came to declare it so Holbrow and Marshal were deluded Mary Gadbury pretended a Revelation to get some Cloath from Mrs. Woodward and such a Command must be embraced Schucker beheaded his brother Leonard by Inspiration and Enoch ap Evan upon partly such a pretence killed his Mother and his Brother Kays Answ to 18. Quae. p. 5. Q. Spi. Court p. 7. 21. And two Quakers near Stokely in York-shire their Conscience bidding them destroy Original Sin they Apprehending that their Mother was the fountain thereof Murdered her Fox challenged Inspiration for the Earths being flat Spirit of Hat 27. and that it was twelve a Clock all the World over and he kept part of his Commission concealed a long time Although I have not yet told it you I do now declare it I have power to bind and to loose whom I please At this rate he may keep an Instrument for Reconciling us to Rome dormant by him And Revelations have put them both upon hardships and going naked Idem p. 20. But all these contentions are nothing to such Inspirado's they are yet Whole and Sound in the true Church unity stands in Diversityes as if they had taken the word of the Valentinians Tertul. adve Valcutin Concerning in Faldo Q. no Christ p. 56. who take Diversity as a Charisma or gift nec unitatem sed diversitatem and Pennington licks all right the doing the same thing the thinking the same thing the speaking the same thing this doth not unite here in this state in this nature but the doing the thinking the speaking of it in the same life yea though the doings or thoughts or words be divers yet if they Proceed from the same Principle or nature there is a true unity felt therein where the life alone is Judge And by this salvo all these Contradictions hurt their unity no more than taking an Oath doth prejudice their not Swearing CHAP. VIII Concerning their Expository Revelations III. THe third which these Privado's of Heaven enjoy is They have Expository Revelations so T. E. p. 238. the Scriptures are understood only and alone by the openings and discoveries of that Holy Spirit by which they were at first revealed those Divine Mysteries are Mysteires indeed and remain so as a sealed book until Christ the Lamb doth open them p. 239. nor can the Doctrine of the Gospel or the Mysteries of Gods Kingdom be known to man but by the Revevelation of the Holy Spirit Revelation is necessary yea of necessity even to understand the Scriptures the true sence man can never attain unto until the Holy Spirit Reveal it to him to the like purpose he writes p. 251 253. and 255. that the Spirits helping to understand the Scriptures is by its teaching the true sence and meaning of them by opening discovering and making known the Mind and Will of God therein exprest This is Revelation But there is a great Craft in this procedure for he beginneth with Immediate Revelation but after he Ommitteth the Word Immediate and slideth into Revelation in General But what makes he Requisite on our Part to receive this boon from the Spirit 't is summ'd up into a narrower room than the Essentials by Keith viz. waiting p. 220. desiring and waiting p. 240 but especially humane Learning is disbanded from the least concern except Translating T. Es. Spirit cannot Translate a Greek Chapter but it can Infallibly Expound an English one that is it can do nothing discernible but it can do all things Indiscernible 〈◊〉 Law of 〈◊〉 This gaping way of Expâ—unding was taught by Winstanley all Exâ—â—sitions upon others words shall cease they shall 〈◊〉 with a quiet silence upon the Lord Till he break forth within their Hearts and give them words and Power to speak You must get into the Hâ—ly Silence 〈…〉 8.9.10 and then the Spirit will Instruct you But the Rule is Elder then the Quakers Hildegardis in that her Nonsensical Vision Related to Arnold Arch-Bishop of Colen determines qui autem Vult bene Vigilare hunc intellectum Percipiat Biblio pâ—trum Tom. 15. p. 622. c. He that will make or wait wâ—â—â— shall have the Vnderstanding of her Vision And the Libertines and Swenck field the Familists and all the herd not so much as Anna Trapnel but they all are against learning and for T. Es. easy way of Inspiration or Ministers to have no help but to speak all from the light within So that there is nothing of Studying Praying Reading Meditating or Confering Required on our Part but a Supine desiring and Expecting Reasoning is outdated by Yawning and brains are Superseded by Meer Attendance Quakerism Nuzzles up in sloth and Idleness they may Rest day and night and have the Law writ in their Hearts without Exercising themselves in it their terms are so easy they will have Proselytes Danger of Enthusiasm p 71. but saith one Jacobs Venison could not be right it came so soon to hand To which we may add he lyed in saying the Lord his God brought it to him when it was his Mothers Art This waiting Prostitutes and layeth the soul open to every Impression what starts up first is thought a Divine Irradition The Devil loves a house so garnished and Empty and whilest Saul was thus waiting he started up in the Room and likeness of Samuel their Inspirations are both Writing and Seal to themselves and being in such a passive stilness they Interpret each forward Fancy to be the Whispering of the Spirit that silent Attendance throws down the mounds and Fences of our Spirits and whilst we ly waiting we shall not want the Entertainment and Variety of Suggestions but be bewildred and run on from one Imagination to another But what need T. E. wait Dr Causabons Enthu p. 162 the Spirit of Truth dwells in them p. 228. and
second Immediate Teaching to give their meaning but our Diligence in the use of means blessed by Gods Ordinary Assistance do give us such an understanding of them as upon our Obedience thereto God will accept to our Salvation nor can we think it likely that the Extraordinary Visibles as Tongues c. should be all ceased and the Extraordinary invisibles c Immediate Teaching c. should still all continue The Unintelligibleness of the Scriptures the Letter as Different from the Spirit c. have been so much insisted on that I am forced to lay foundations and premise a few things which seem to command assent upon hearing 1. That God that Infinite Wisdom and Goodness is able to Express his mind so as his Words may be understood 2. His Willingness to do it appears by what he hath actually done having revealed much to men is Comprised in the Bible 3. His Truth and goodness will not allâ—w him to put a trick upon his Creatures to speak words of a different reserved or contrary sence from common acception usage of Speech or their Importance So that we cannot suppose that the Scripture the Instrument in order to our Salvation should be involved or designedly unintelligible but the plainer part should unfold the obscurer Haworths converted p. 22. In. univ gra and Jo. Crook confesseth The Scriptures are true as God means-them not as man by his conceâ—vings interprets them and Keith oft Refereth to the Truth Sincerity and Righteousness of God in his â—ffers 4. God having conveyed his mind by words the understanding of his words must be the best help to the understanding of his mind and if by words Inspired then by those Inspired ones written for writing neither destroys their sence nor Obligation 5 〈…〉 Holy Spirit doth not Improve in knowâ—◠〈…〉 was as able to conser true meaning one thousand six hundred years ago as he is at this â—ay 6 That the Sacred Pen-men were sober underâ—â—â—â—â—ng persons and even without supernatural assistance could Speak and Write Intelligibly 7. That the Supervening of the Spirit doth not make men Fools but betters and Improves them ascertaining the Truth giving clearer Perceptions of it and Ability fitly and aptly to Express it they not receiving words without Sence 8. That words spoke or heard may be Written being Written they may be preserved thousands of years and still be understood allowing for change of times Customs Idioms c. And that the Orignal Language be not Extinguished 9. That those to whom the Scriptures were spoke understood their Sence though they did not see the Persons oâ— Times in which accomplished the Law was so understood that the Tabernacle was built and the Common-Wealth ordered according to its Prescription so that the Writing was Intelligible Spiritual matters being therein veil'd but the literal Sence still abiding 10. That it is Reasonable to suppose the Book of God to be understood by such helps as other books are as the Phrase the Scope the Coherence c. And being a Publick lasting Revelation Reason inclines to Judge it should be more Intelligible than any Private one 11. That the Bible is as Intelligible as any Book of that Age Considering its greatness several Pen-men Variety of matter the Distance from us of the things therein Transacted the short way of Expressions used by those Easterns the Customs Proverbs c. therein Referred to especially the Sublimity of the Matter that therein God addresseth himself to men speaks in the Language of the Sons of men That the Heavenly light assumes a covering c. 12. That we may allow God to use ornaments and graces of Speech and Figurative Expressions as well as other Authors for the Scriptures give understanding Psal 19.7 Making wise unto salvation 13. Having abundantly Expresseth all the parts of duty we may allow him sometimes to dwell in the thick darkness and be content if some things exceed our reach as is done with the Phoenomina of Nature So the likeliest Instances may Satisfy in the Application of Prophecies where we mix Humility with Diligence God will pardon though we miss of the Prime Intendment and if not future Ages yet the next Word will read us such things as Ezekiels measures c. These and the like satisfy me of the no necessity of the second Expository Revelations for if God have made them dark it is to Conciliate our Reverence that we may know our Distance to whet our Industry c. But if one Scripture Revelation need another to Explain it that other will need a third to Expound it and that third a fourth and so forward For we cannot Reasonably think that the Spirit Improves in speaking plainly or that my single Inspiration should be more clear than the Publick Apostolical But this is the smallest part of the Trouble for if I need a fresh Inspiration to explain I need another to ascertain that to be a Right Exposition a third to attest the second to be Right and so in infinitum Nay there will be an endless Complication of them I shall need a Revelation to ascertain this to be the Scripture then I need an Expository Revelation to understand that Revelation and the Scripture then I need an assuring Revelation to confirm those Expositions then further Expositions to understand those Assurances and so on for ever Every Expository will need a further Expository and assuring Revelation and every assuring Revelation will need the like Assurance and Explaining So that if I do not stand to the certainly attested Revelations but call for more both to prove and Expound them I shall cut my self out work for ever and such piling one Inspiration upon another will multiply Difficultyes but Remove none But though these Expositions were not only necessary but actually conferr'd the former difficulty Returns viz. Certain Evidence that God by the Quakers only sends his Inspired Expositions into the World The Prophets suppose the Law to be Intelligible Rescuing it from Corrupt and false Glosses and Pressing to its Practice One Prophet though taking somewhat from another yet Imployed not his Prophetick Light in writing Coments upon the preceeding Luc. 24.27 But the Doctors c. pressed and opened to the People that which the Prophets received Immediately from God Christ Expounded Moses and the Proâ—â— shewed them fulfilled in himself and 〈◊〉 tâ—ose Divine Expositions are not Exâ—anâ— Pâ—tiâ—â—â— â—th There are hard things in Pauls Epistiâ—◠〈…〉 no Exposition of them nor 〈…〉 nameth which are they though wreâ—â—◠〈…〉 Damnation Hezekiah and Josiah c. 〈…〉 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 pha 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 Immediate 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 against 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 Inspired I shall sin in so tame an assenting to your naked Proposals and God who Commands us not to believe every Spirit but try them will never damn me for searching and Examining what is pretended to come from him He that Injoyns us to search his own Revelations will not be displeased if we use the severest Caution about others he who questions must needs be in a safer state than he who easily believes and he that compares and weighs will be freer from Errour
transforming Histories and Prophecies as those in Daniel the Revelations c. into internal things and making them vanish in frothy Allegoryes Phil. 3.21 Changing vile Bodies is when Oppression and Injustice shall cease 1 Cor. 2.15 New Law p. 42. p. 40. 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. Im. Rev. p. 11. New Law p. 22. p. 132. 134. 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. Heavens in which Paul on Earth saw and felt things unutterable John 14.2 the spreading Power of Christ in all is the Fathers House in which are many Mansions the New Covenant is Christs spreading himself in mankind Psal 24.1 the Earth is the Lords that is mans Humble Request to Lawyers c. p. 2. p. 6. p. 4. Univer Or. p. 55. p. 44. Noble Salutation p. 9. Saint Parad. p. 45. 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 Christ is the true Jew inwardly the Circumcision in the Spirit Im Rev. p. 71 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 Life 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 True Christian Faith p. 58. New Law p. 32. the finishing transgression 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 The Light interpreted these two Texts Rev. 9.4 Saint Parad. 126. 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 New 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 Univer Gra. p. 5. Nsw Law p. 43. p. 94. Fire in the Bush p. 11. and the Man of Sin are the first Adam 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 Im. Rev. p. 86. p. 194. True Christ p. 185. Im. Rev. p. 194. Truth lifting p. 50. Fire in the Bush p. 58. Antichrist is not a Person or persons particular but a Spirit the very Spirit of Satan the Sin against the Holy Ghost is Sinning against that Beloved Son 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 they fancy themselves to be like the Apostles they Witness the Spirit of God fallen upon them Some Princ. p. 48. Smiths Gospel tydings p. 36. 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 with excellency of Speech or Wisdom that is Ver. 1.4 5. 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 and concluding Reasons habent Mathematici c. the Mathematicians have their Demonstrations Grot. in Locum c. how much greater is that Demonstration by such and so great Miracles Dr. Ham. Not in Rhetorical Proofs or probable Arguments but in plain Demonstration So that it did not consist in inward but in outward Evidences and Proofs Gro◠Theo. cum in Loc. what those were we have recorded ver 1. declaring to you the Testimony of God that is the Gospel of Christ or his Death
but that which was delivered by the Apostles as certain eye and ear Witnesses of it and to confirm that certain Testimony of theirs God superadded the Demonstration or Evidence of the Spirit and Power which by an Hebraism may be conjoyned Evidencing the Spirit by Power Theo. in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Power of Miracles were an Evidence that the Spirit owned and confirmed their certain Testimony or we may take Spirit and Power as two distinct Proofs of their outward attestations 1. Spirit the Evidence of that consisted in shewing the Old Testament Prophecyes were fulfilled in Christ this Origen makes the demonstration of the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. 1. con Cels apud Dr. H. in Loc. c. Prophecyes that are able to give assurance of the things that belong to Christ and thus Rev. 19.10 the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy the Series of all the Prophecyes so wonderfully fulfilled are an Evidence for him or it may take in the New Testament Prophecyes which are an Evidence for Christ The Revelations were by him committed to an Angel and so to John or Spirit may refer to those visible Demonstrations when the Blessed Spirit visibly descended upon Christ and the Apostles and so are that Immediate Evidence the Spirit gave to Christ Dr. Ham. or that Record the Spirit bore so clearly explained in Dr. Patricks Witnesses to Christianity Power that hereby are meant Miracles is indisputable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen ubi Supra those Miraculous stupendious actions whose footsteps yet remain per figna virtutes c. by the Holy Spirit and by the Signs and Powers done by him we bring you Arguments or Evidences that we speak the truth Oecum in loc Ita. Grot. c. that by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant either sanationes healings in particular or Miracles in general will be evident by a little observing its use Mar. 9.39 no man which shall do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Miracle in my name spoke with reference to such as did cast out Devils in the Name of Christ and did not follow him Mat. 7.22 in thy name have done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many wondrous Works answerable to those preceeding Prophecying and casting out Devils Luke 10.13 if the mighty Works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been done in Tyre and Sydon 1 Cor. 12.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after that Miracles As Mat. 11.21.23 13.54 58 14.2 Mar. 6.2 5 14. 9.39 Luc. 5.17 6.19 19.37 Act. 2.22 8.13 passim in all which and many other places too long to be set down it signifieth Miraculous Works or that Divine Power which was the Evidence or Seal of the Holy Ghost The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not only set single but with others that do expound it Rom. 15.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through mighty Signs and Wonders by the Power of the Spirit of God that is those Signs wrought by the Power of the Spirit and Evidences of it Better Signs of his Divine Commission than the Bells and Pomegranates were to the High-Priest c. 2 Cor. 12.12 Truly the Signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all Patience in Signs and Wonders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in mighty Deeds These are the Signs of an Apostle and yet our new Apostles and their Successors do no such things and fully 1 Thes 1.5 Our Gospel came not to you in word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance that is in the Power of the Holy Ghost which is a plerophory or which gives much assurance by transposing the words of which many instances are in Grot. on John 35. But Quakers have words meerly without Signs or Wonders or certain Sensible Testimonies or Humane Learning One of them acknowledgeth they can give no outward Evidence seeing our Opposers require of us Q. no Popery p. 62. 63. to show or evidence unto them some Infallible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we have the Spirit of God I would have J. M. to know that the same difficulty recurreth as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Scriptures it being a thing which cannot be shown or made to appear by any Evidence unto the carnal mind which yet is evident unto the Spiritual that is like the old Hereticks they are the Spiritual others not of their mind are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Animal or Carnal but his Evidence for Inspiration is far inferiour to the Scriptures Authority And in that very Text Rev. 14.6 produced by T. Ellwood of the Preaching the Everlasting Gospel after the Apostacy there is no mention of Demonstration or Inspiration c. nor was there any need thereof the corrupt Church among much dross preserving those very Books whereby her Errors were detected and that was when all Learning began to revive true Religion and Learning moving in equal lines 2. But Quakers have the demonstration Qu. looking glass A true Narrative though they slight the Miracles thereby implyed some attempts have been made thereto by Charles Baylyes stroaking Richard Andersons Cursing the Womans pretending to raise the interred Corps which were reinterred when her folly had appeared In Mr. Jenner p. 93. Nicholas Kate of Harwell said That when the fulness of time was come Sober Answer to Speed p. 76. New Law p. 37. he should work Miracles which yet is not come to pass but the fulness of time with such bears a strange date the fulness of time is when the first man hath filled the Creation full of his filthiness and all places stink with unrighteousness but visible Miracles failing they turn it another way they work Invisible Miracles or Miracles in Spirit so did Ignatius Loyola and doubtless to reach to the Soul to quicken it to cure its Diseases Pennington's naked truth p. 28. is greater than the outward and was signifyed by the outward They work Miracles in a Spiritual way T. Ellwood makes Tongues to be be but mediums to convey their Message to others p. 231. 3d. Qâ—il p. 75. as if he durst out-face the Apostle who declares them to be a Sign to such as Believed not 1 Cor. 14.22 Keith prettily daubs it over that they witness the Power working Miraculously in their Hearts Im. Rev. 〈◊〉 200. raising to Life the dead Souls c. and these are the greatest Miracles of which the outward were but a figure William Shewen almost bids defiance to them we read not of very many converted by outward Miracles which are not of absolute necessity in the Church True Christians Faith p. 150. 157. but the inward are the greater Miracles which Christ promised that those who believed in him should do So that they do no Wonders Title of a Book Truth exal p. 11. yet have Silent meetings which are a Wonder to the World and do Preach the Gospel
him TH. Ellwood representing the Holy Scriptures dark and unintelligible attempts to prove his Immediate Teachings from those dark texts which he saith cannot be understood without Immediate Inspiration and which we deny the having of 't is a manner of proceeding that makes the Scriptures confute themselves and supposeth men fools who must admit that which cannot be understood Yet so far to be understood as to be a proof against it self and no further other proofs of Inspiration are only in this case proper but seeing he hath no Evidences else let us try those Expositions his Spirit gives of some places This Prophecy he confesseth begun to be fulfilled at Pentecost but denyeth that it is yet ended Joel 2.28 p. 270. but Joel foretells not the reacting of old Prophecyes only that after its cessation for many years there should be another more plentifull Effusion of the Spirit then had been before St. Peter an Inspired Interpreter refers it to that very thing the Descent of the Spirit Act. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is that c. in the present tense and dare Thomas Ellwood sence it otherwise Well may they controll Expositions of men when they contradict that of the Spirit if it belong to all than the Papacy had it and Thomas Ellwood will lose his share we being flesh and he Spirit but the Apostle makes that very days Wonder to be the fulfilling of it which he uttered upon receit of the Gift of Tongues before other Miracles were wrought why is not the Spirit as Visible now as in that Chamber in Sion why do Quakers deny Prophecyes Visions Dreams strictly taken and insist for Revelation not there named Joel hath afterwards which Peter adapting to the Jewish State calleth the last days the Scripture sence thereof will clear it that last days refer to some determinate period of time reason will tell us for that last days should signify all time is not possible for the now last are before the succeeding last and each taking his own for the last days nothing could be certain thus H. Nicholas applyed the last days to his Prophecy upon an hundred and twenty years agon New Law p. 11. Glory of Church 8. The Leveller took latter times to support his own fancy Howgil in 1661. called those the last days So did Truth Exalted in 1658. p. 1. but latter days is an Old Testament phrase Gen. 49. 1. Num. 24.14 Isa 2.2 Referring oft to the last days of the Jewish Government within which Christ was to appear but to inlarge last days to all the periods of Christianity is very improper and will leave nothing determinate Thus Heb. 1.2 God hath in these last days c. i. e. not in our last which may not be the last by many hundreds but in those last a while before the throwing down of the Jewish inclosure St. Peters last days 2 Pet. 3.3 are followed v. 13. with looking for a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness that refers not to the day of Judgment when we look for no new Earth but to the state of Christianity the Jewish last days being out a new Holy State of Christianity should commence this is that World to come Heb. 2.5 which is not put in Subjection to Angels as the Jewish World was Christ the Everlasting Father Isa 9.6 is the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this Future 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Period Age World or State which is to be Everlasting never antiquated by any supervening Dispensation These two States of Moses and Christ are conjoyned 1 Cor. 10.11 the ends of the World are come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Apostles the extreams of those two periods met the ends of those two States concentred and concurred So Heb. 9.26 he hath once in the end of the World not of this World Christ is not to die again but at the end of the Jewish World he dyed at the close or shutting up of that State and St. John surviving them all calls it the last hour all flesh refers to Gentiles as well as Jews some of all Ages some of all Sexes c. at the return of the Spirit of Prophecy should be so Inspired If T. Ellwood inlarge this to all he must confute St. Peters Present Tense he must produce visible Proofs of the Spirit as the Apostles did and lastly both as to this and other Texts shew his party to be wholly intrusted with the Revelations therein supposed Ephes 1.17 The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation or the Wisdom and Revelation of the Spirit but Immediate p. 227. instant conferring is not named or if it was it had been sutable to that first Plantation or if you have it at present then we desire Evidences of such before we give Credit but the word either implyes ability of Exposition of the figures of the Old Testament Dr. Ham. Grot. or the foretelling Future things which man cannot find out but the Spirit still reveals to us gradually in Blessing the used means inlightning our minds c. Rom. 8.9 p. 232. All true Believers received and must receive the Spirit but it doth not require of Immediate instant Inspiration but the Spirit of Sanctification and Adoption v. 10 13. c. 2 Cor. 4.6 God hath shined in our hearts but it doth not say Immediately p. 232. the Gospel which is outwardly proposed is a Glorious Light when it is inwardly entertained but it was by the Ministry of Paul they received that Light Grot. v. 7. that Treasure being brought them in earthen vessels in the face of Jesus that is by Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a Person it is id omne quod sensibus exterioribus percepitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophil p. 233. Gal. 1.16 Thomas Ellwood crowds together several things which are not in that Text but the Apostle shews how he received the Gospel not of man by certain ear Testimony as St. Luke and St. Mark did but from Jesus Christ himself who called him and taught him Act. 9. 22. and 26. In me is either unto me or by me or if in me yet not so as to destroy Christs outward calling and commissionating him p. 233. Ephes 3.3 7. He sets this in the Margin without the Words which concern only the Revelation of that Mystery viz. the taking in the Gentiles to be Fellow heirs v. 6. which Revelation is oft referred to and implyed in Scripture p. 237. 2 Pet. 1.21 Here he makes a wide inference because Prophecy came not by the Will of man c. Therefore the Scriptures must be understood only by the Revealings of the Spirit the Immediate influx of Prophetick light into anothers Soul is of a different nature from my sensing or understanding that Light which he received for if the Prophets could not conceive or write intelligibly what the Spirit spoke no more can Thomas Ellwood for the Spirit was as able to speak
then as now and if he must interpret what he before spoke than he must be fetched in to interpret that Interpretation and so on for ever Rev. 3.7 p. 238. He brings in Christ the Lamb with the Key of David opening c. begging the Question that opening signifieth Expounding whereas it denoteth Christs power in governing the Church taking in and shutting out Isa 22 20. Mat. 16.19 Aretas in loc clavem potestatem vocat for he who hath the keys hath the House committed to him T. E. by this spoils his very pretensions of the Spirits opening for this Lamb is not the Holy Ghost but the Lamb that taketh away our Sins Mat. 11.27 p. 239. he must prove the Spirit to be the Son that all Revelation is Immediate or that Text makes against him Father Son and Holy Ghost are all said to reveal and yet those Works are not to be confounded 1 Cor. 2.11 p. 239. 266. Though no man know c. yet the Spirit hath communicated some part of that knowledge v. 12. and if those cannot be understood we have no assurance that the next will be clearer but v. 13. The Apostle declares that they spoke those things which the Spirit gave them and in the Spirits words that is purposely to be understood what those things were which the Spirit taught appears by the Coherence v. 9. viz. a conviction of the Infinite Joys of Heaven Theoph. in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the Spirit teacheth such things as belong to Christs Dispensation his dying for us making us the Sons of God setting us at the right hand of his Father in himself Rev. 13.3 4. p. 243. He states the Apostacy differently both from himself and his partners and should I refer that Text to Heathen Idolatry and not to lapsed Christianity I see not how Thomas Ellwoods Spirit could confute me Jude v. 9. 1 Thes 4.8 These Texts he applyeth severely to such as look upon the Quakers light to be Fantastical but he should first prove that God speaks by them before he make us Sin in rejecting them In Epictet l. 1. c. 22. Arrian gives a good Rule That differences arise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Application of Rules to particular cases Winstanley lays a Curse on such as will not come into the Levellers Community the hand of the Lord shall be upon that Person whosoever he be and yet no rich Quaker will think himself obliged by it New Law p. 75. 2 Tim. 3.16 the Scripture is profitable for Doctrine i. e. to Teach true Doctrine for Reproof to discover and reprove false Doctrine p. 251. Theop. Oecum in locum for Correction to Correct and amend our Evil manners for Instruction in Righteousness to direct and lead into good life and manners that the man of God may be perfect c. to furnish Timothy a Bishop and Pastor for his Office much more to instruct the People in their Duty And therefore the Apostle comforts Timothy That though he Die yet he hath the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. which can benefit thee in my absence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are thy Counsellors instead of me Mark 13.11 That Promise belongs to the times of Persecution and should not be inlarged to all Cases p. 256. Theoph. on Mat. 10.19 gives a good Exposition of it when we speak among the Faithful we ought to premeditate and be ready for a defence as St. Peter saith but when we speak before Multitudes and Kings who rage then God doth promise his Strength that we should not fear p. 263. Act. 2.4 The Spirits giving utterance was by his Wonderful descent when the Apostles opened in such Tongues and Wisdom and Quakers have no Tongues but what they learn Rhetorical and Poetical Enthusiasms have raised men above the Quakers by Keiths Concession serious matters require premeditated Discourses and vehement Speeches more become Juglers than Wisemen as Seneca at large observeth In Epist 40. p. 263. 1 Tim. 4.13 15. The directions given to Timothy about reading are inconsistent with Instant Inspiration but if Tymothy who had an Extraordinary Gift must Meditate c. much more must others Revelation is not capable of Rules and Instructions though ordered as for time yet it cannot be for matter And of Inspirations and infusions that come instantly and unexpectedly there can be no knowledge Thomas Ellwood talks much about Letter Sence and Spirit p. 249. which both reflects upon Gods manner of expressing his mind as if it was not open true and cordial and also casts dirt upon the Scriptures the Opposition between the Gospel and the Law or the Remnant Print and mark of Circumcision is wrested to the apparent sence of Sacred Writ and a supposedly concealed sence and this Method both Familists Libertines and others have formerly pursued a Quaker can but write words or letters but in his sence he cannot write i. e. express or give the Holy Ghost and Moses besides the outward had a Ministration in the Spirit all these Texts come not near his Design Univer Gra. p. 29. much less That Quakers are instructed with that Dispensation if it was real CHAP. XIV That Thomas Ellwoods ways of Expounding do destroy the Scripture OUR Author having represented the Bible dark to prepare the way for his suppletory Spirit as if this affront was not sufficient he doth dispersedly insinuate several things which in effect do discharge all or most of the written word 1. He declines what is urged from the Law saying p. 134. that it was to them of Old time under the Law which was a State of weakness and Childhood and so of Contention and Strife c. whereas Christ proposeth Childhood as freest from Contention Mar. 9.35 and thus the Anabastists called Concionatores looked upon the Old Testament as abrogated 2. He makes nothing of Christs Example in Preaching upon a Text Luc. 4.17 by this Art p. 200. that it was in the time of the Law and suitable to that Ministration when reading and expounding the Law and the Prophets was a part of the Jewish Service but it is not a sufficient Warrant for the like practice in the time of the Gospel a Rule that enervates Christs Example and Doctrine because done and spoke before the Law was antiquated He makes nothing of what Christ spoke to the Pharisees that about chusing the lowest room Luke 14.8 was spoke to the 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