sence the seed is not in the ground though sown till it begin to take root but yet according to the more general sence he is in all men for his illumination and operation cannot be seperated from him Ye say I falsly render the place James 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Innate Word But ye only say it without proof it is composed of en in and phyo nascor therefore in tâ—ue English it is innate is so used by Plutarch a Greek Author who saith There is a Faith innate emphutos in every reasonable Creature living and dwelling in the Soul and never leaving the Soul destitute of Guidance and it is used in the same signification by Clemens Alexandrinus writing to the Gentiles where speaking of the inward Witness which was in Unbelievers he calleth it Emphuton Martyra testem innatum fide dignum The innate Witness worthy of Faith and I suppose ye judge not your selves better or so well skilled in the Greek language as Plutarch and Clemens Alexandrinus who were Greek Authors and Grecians by Birth Ye say If the Light be connate with men what needed G. K. make such a splutter about Immediate Revelations It may be said to be both innate and connate with men not as ye imagine Accidents or Qualities to be in a subject but seeing the eternal Word and Wisdom hath created all Souls of men after his Image therefore in a special way of presence that eternâ—l Word and Wisdom is in all Souls of men by a measure of it planted or if ye will grafted in all men for grafted and innate may be of the same signification and this eternal Word and Wisdom hath its operation and influence on the Understanding of the Souls of men generally to enlighten them gradually first with the more common and plain things of Religion and then as the former are learned with the more special and peculiar Mysteries of the Christian Religion yet not without the use of the holy Scriptures in Gods ordinary way so distinctly and perfectly as Christians know them who have the use of the Scriptures and all internal divine Illumination is properly Revelation P. 102. Ye find great fault that I conclude That the inward Dispensation that is among the Gentiles that have not Christ outwardly preached viz. by the Ministry of men and the holy Scriptures hath its glory and great service to those that are faithful in it and ye say This is to talk at liberty my self and to deny all others a liberty to judge But herein ye wrong me I allow all spiritual men a liberty to judge I question not but to all such who have a spiritual discerning and ability to judge what I have affirmed of the glory and great serviceableness of the inward divine Dispensation in the Gentiles will be approved and my Reasons and Proofs both from Scripture and other Authors found vallid And though ye seek to untye that ye call a knot that I judge is indissolvable p. 91. I judge so still that ye shall never be able to untye it as ye persist in your Doctrine But yet ye pervert my words in that ye call the Knot for I did thus argue That seeing Infants by your confession might be saved by Christ and regenerated by the Spirit of Christ that worketh when and where and how he pleaseth Therefore might the honest and faithful Gentiles be saved by the same regenerating Spirit of Christ who worketh when and where and how he pleaseth and by faith in Christ But that ye may with some seeming show appear to loose the Knot ye word my Argument quite another way I Infants may be saved by the working of the Spirit in them why may not the Gentiles be so by giving obedience to the Light in them And thus ye would make me appear to the ignorant as if I did plead that the Gentiles were or could be saved without faith in Christ and the regenerating Spirit of Christ only by obedience to the general dictates of the Light within but I say though none are saved but who are obedient to the Light in them yet no Obedience can save without faith in Christ and the Spirit of Christ regenerating them that is altogether necessary to every mans eternal Salvation Whereas I produced divers very convincing Arguments to prove That the Light in men that did accuse or reprove for sin could not be some natural faculty of mans Soul these Arguments some of them ye pass over very slightly answering by your bare Affirmations without proof and some ye give no answer unto at all nor take any notice of see my Book p. 119 120 121. which I again recommend to the Readers serious consideration I argued That since ye confess that man is wholly defiled and darkned so that he iâ— called Darkness in Scripture therefore the Light in natural men could not be any part or faculty of their Souls for that were to say Men are not fallen totally nor totally defiled but in part And I further argued That since your Confession saith All Sin is a Transgression against the Righteous Law of God and since the Heathen are sinners this righteous Law of God must be in them against which they transgress and this righteous Law cannot be any part oâ— faculty of the Soul which ye confess is wholly unrighteous and dâ—filed for a thing cannot be wholly unrighteous and defiled yet in part righteous holy and clean To this I find not that ye say any thing Ye say I mistake when I think ye reckon it any distinct Faculty but the Mistake is yours not mine I did not think that ye do reckon it any distinct Faculty but on the contrary I blame you for saying It is nothing else but the natural Conscience or some natural Faculty of mans Soul so that ye are wonderfully careless of what ye say see my Book pag. 119. and your Book pag. 98. And yet ye seem to make it now Not the natural Vnderstanding but something there imprinted Well let it be something there imprinted this evinceth that it is properly Gods Word for I hope ye will not deny but that which God writeth or printeth with his own Hand or Finger is Gods Word and doth as well or rather more deserve to be accounted the Word of God as that printed in the Bible seeing God is the immediate Printer of this without the Ministry of men but the Print of the Bible is the work of Men though the Truth there witnessed is immediately of God and therefore by your Confession there is an inward written or printed Word of God in Heathens and generally in all men and that immediately without the use or help of the Scriptures commonly called the outward Word Hence it clearly followeth that the Word without is not the whole Word of God nor the only Rule in contradiction to you who affirm it And seeing by your Confession the Word of God is in the Gentiles or Heathen who have not the
of the Assembly is manifest from this thâ—t the far greatest part of them being Presbyterians and but few Independants in comparison of the â—ajor part the Presbyterian Church was then a National Church composed of the whole Body of the Nation both in England Scotland and Ireland as much as possible could be and the Presbyterian League and Covenant did not only take in all who were willing however many thousands of them were of a Scandalous Life but the Promoters of it forced them who were unwilling that either they must take the Covenant or suffer Banishment And it is manifest that the Presbyterian Church in England Scotland and Ireland was as National and consisting of as gross a mixture as the Episcopal or even as the Church of Rome it self as in respect of Scandalous Livers so that what Luther said of his followers in his day may be as much applyed to the Presbyterian Church whose Ministers did mostly compose that Assembly in the fore-cited Book called Mensalia cap. 22. â— 290 The manner of Life said Luther iâ— as Evil among us as among the Papists wherefore we strive not with them by reason of the manner of Life but for and about the Doctrine And it is manifest as the noon day that not only the far greatest part of the People composing the Presbyterian Church were of a dessolute and scandalous Life but too many of their Ministry and Elders which occasioned the breach betwixt the Independents and them that these called Independents thinking that the multitude of Presbyterian Professors were not duely qualified to be Church-Members as in respect of a strict life erected a new Model of Congregational Churches which are now again almost wholly degenerated if not altogether into a Presbyterian Laxeness and how can it be supposed that a National Church as such can have the multitude of its Professors to be free of a scandalous Life seeing no such instance can as yet be given for the Presbyterian National Church as well as the Episcopal and Church of Rome receiveth Men and Women to be Members of their Church either how soon born or by Infant Baptism and rarely if ever doth excommunicate any for their Vitious manner of living except in some extraordinary cases of Adultery Incest or Sodomy c. but if any dissent from them in Doctrine then nothing but dreadful Thunderings of Excommunication like the Popes Bulls against the primitive Protestants All which showeth that by Profession the Assâ—mbly understood much rather a meer verbal thing than the Practise of a holy Life or so much as the outward appearance thereof And ye may be ashamed to cite 2 Tim. 3.5 for that requireth us To turn away from s ch as having a foâ—m of Godliness dâ—ny the Power thereof and that is to be sure from all Hypocrites and such who have not real inward Piety and Holiness for who have not true piety deny the Power of Godliness And that either the Presbyterian or Independent Constitution of a Church require an uniform Practice of a Godly and Christian Life in all the necessary parts of it as of living Soberly Righteously and Godly and denying Ungodliness and worldly Lusts is no wise apparent from their Practise however it may be allowed that some external Practices in some things that Hypocrites may most easily perform yea and Scandalous Persons also may be and are required as particularly To present their Children to be sprinkled To break Bread twice or four times a year more or less c. together To come to Church as it is called once or twice a week To salute the Minister with a Haâ—l-Rabbi and a low Cringe in the streets and putting off the Hat and most especially as a most necessary practice To pay every one his share of the Preists Wages These and the like vâ—ry ordinary and superficial Practices are the moâ—t that I can find are required in your Church Members and what is there required of the Spirit of God or real inward Holiness in all this surely nothiâ—g by your own confession Nor ought ye to blame me for this Character of your Church Members seeing John Fox giveth me a President in his Book of Martyrs 1. volum Pag. 43. in the like cass where he dâ—fineth a Christian man after the Popes making by his practisiâ—g some outward things no wiâ—â— inâ—â—rring inward Holiness of Life and afteâ— concludeth with these expresâ— words Now look upon this Definition viz. that he hath given of a Member of the Popes Church and tell me good Reader what Faith or Spirit or what working of the holy Ghost in all this Doctrine is to be required Whereby it is most plain thâ—t John Fox a man of great Authority among Protestants agreeth with the People called Quakers against both Presbyterians and Independents in the true definition of a Member of the true Church visible viz. That every such Member should have the true Faith and Spirit and working of the holy Ghost which yet ye openly deny to qualifie them thereunto requiâ—ing only an outside Profession of words and at most some outward Practices that may be and are commonly practised by the greatest Hypocrites Pag. 132. Ye say I find fault with you for using an Hour-glass to know how the time spends and a Bell to gather your Assâ—mblies together But for the use of an Hour-glass simply to know the measure of Time I did find no fault with you but that ye commonly measure the Time of your preaching by the Hour-glass which showeth that none of you preach by the Spirit of God which is not limitted to any stinted measure of Time and the primitive Christian Preachers had no such thing as either Hour-Glass or Dial to measure the time of their Preaching nor are we against the civil use of Bells Clocks or Dials but the superstitions use of Bells hanging in high Steeples like the high places used by Idolators of Old and which ye follow the Papists in to call your Assembly together and the sound of which many ignorant and carnal People are vainly delighted with Hospimian de orig Templ saith Bells were not used for certain in the first five Centuries at most of Christianity when yet their Parishes or Church-Precincts were of a greater extent than the most diffused among us P. 133. Ye call the inward Gospel spiritual Bell ringing in the hearts of the faithful which is the living Word sounding in the hearts a Fancy more fabulous than any thing in Aesop Whereby ye show how carnal dark and ignorant ye are for hereby ye deny the inward Call Voice and Sound of Christ the Son of God in the hearts of the faithful which by a figure I call the Gospel Bell whereof Aarons Bells that did hang at his Garments were a Type and it is common in Scripture that the name of the Type is given to the thing typified by it But that Psal 89.15 intends the Silver Trumpets in the time of the Law ye barely alledge without
find Moon and Sun inwardly and spiritually understood in Scripture so I find seven Days and a Seventh Day inwardly and spiritually understood see Isa 30.26 but this to you is still a Mystery And whereas it is the outward and natural Sun that constitutes common and natural Days therefore did Origine Augustine and many others conclude That the seven Days mentioned Gen. 1.2 and Exod. 20. could not be common and natural Days for there was no Sun until the fourth Day nor Firmament until the second nor dry Land and Sea till the third P. 147. That God altered the Sabbath from the Seventh Day to the First ye meerly alledge without any proof as your common manner is I suppose ye are not so ignorant as not to know that Calvin the Father so called or Founder of the Presbyterian Church and the French Protestants generally and also the Dutch tho' they keep the First Day for worship after the manner of primitive Christians as we also do yet do not judge it to be the Sabbath or commanded by divine Institution we set apart that day worthily and commendably with other Protestants neither for any betterness in it simply as a Day nor as being commanded for a Sabbath but in honour of our Saviours Resurrection after the Example of the primitive Christians in the Apostles days mentioned in Scripture and that we see a great conveniency and service in it to keep a Day weekly unto the Lord and as said the Apostle He who keepeth a Day keepeth it unto the Lord and that Day rather than another because of Christs Resurrection on the first day of the week and the worthy Example of primitive Christians recorded in Scripture And thus I have gone through all the Heads contained in your Book relating to the Doctrinal part and have showed our agreement in every one of them with the holy Scriptures and also with famous Protestants and Antient Writers call'd Christian Fathers except in that one matter of Infant Baptism wherein if we differ from many of these called Antients in one thing ye differ in another for they generally judged it absolutely necessary to Salvation which ye as well as I judge an Error in them and these called Baptists commonly who may be judged as good Protestants as ye deny your Infant-Baptism as a humane Invention and yet ye have no other And if this doth not unchristian them so nor can it us and ye deny their baptizing into Water such who have been baptized when Infants why then may ye not allow the same Charity to us that ye viz. the more fober part both of Presbyterians and Baptists so called tho' the more Rigid sort call one another Hereticks allow one to another and that we allow to the sober and tender and honest hearted of you both yea and to such in all Professions where the Head and Foundation is held which is Christ we have that Charity that there is a sincere sort among all Professions who belong to God and Christ and tho' they have wrong Notions and Conceptions of some things belonging to Christian Doctrine and have not a form of sound words in delivering some matters of Faith which is a great hurt unto them yet they have some true inward sence of Christian Truth and Doctrine and their faith and sence may be partly sound where their words where by they express it may be very unsound for many have a right sence and feeling of things whereof they have not a right Elocution Utterance and form of Speech as in Naturals so in Spirituals as when Men taste Money and their taste of it is the same yet they differ in the Names they give it or in some subtile and curious Questions about the Nature of it or the nature and manner of tasting it that is not so very material So men may have some real sence and experience of the workings of the holy Spirit inward divine Revelations and Inspirations that work and beget in them some measure of true Faith Hope Love and other Christian Virtues and yet by the Prejudice of Education and wrong outward teaching or ill wording of things may give wrong Names to things yet God forbid we should unchristian them simply for a Mistake or defect in not giving proper words names to things and yet many things of Controversie among single hearted men lie but in words and such should have a regard to that which is good tender and sensible one in another where it is felt But where a persecuting and malitious Spirit and great hardness of Heart prevaileth in any these are not to be regarded as Christians whatever they profess So I would have you all to know all the sober and tender hearted People of New-England and else-where whether called Presbyterian Independent Baptist or Episcopal yea and others holding the Head and being sincere in the main That we can and do own that your sincerity altho' we cannot but differ from you in matters both of Doctrine and Practice wherein we find you to err from the path of Truth and so far as we have together attained and are agreed in all good things of Christian Doctrine or Practice let us walk by the same Rule and live in Charity one with another Pag. 148. In your Reflections on that I called A Call and Warning to the People of Boston c. first ye falsly charge me That I arrogate as much to my self as any of the Prophets of Old had of an immediate Mission from God But let that Paper be considered and it shall not be found that I arrogate or assume any thing equal to the Prophets of Old only I did and I do still affirm That I had the Word of the Lord to declare to the People of Boston c. and it was as a burden unto me until I had delivered it he who hath not Gods Word as it liveth and is the Word of Life in his heart is no true Minister of Christ but every Minister of Christ is not either Apostle or Prophet in that high and eminent sence that is frequent in Scripture Ye charge me with 1st Lying 2dly Slandering 3dly Railing 4thly False Doctrine 5thly Non-sence but all this ye alledge without proof as your manner is Sharp Speeches are not Railing always but commendable in some cases for both Christ and the Prophets and Apostles used them to men of your Generation your Speeches are more sharp against me my Friends than ours are against you and which are most deserving we freely leave it to the Lord and his Witness in mens Consciences Ye would six Non-sence on my words that I said Your Self-actings of all sorts in that ye call your Duties and Performances ye are to repent of c. Where it is clear by that ye call your Duties I did understand and so might ye your Preaching Praying Singing without the Spirit of God and them pag. 149. ye call Dirt and Dung and yet ye
but what the Arch-Angel gave to a Railing Accusation But if ye think it worthy of Imitation to follow the Example of the Arch-Angel now at last why did ye not so at first Why did not the answer of the Arch-Angel suffice you at first to have given me What is this but to abuse the Scripture first to use an extraordinary Licentiousness of Railing Accusations against me and then to conclude ye will bring no Railing Accusaâ—ion unless ye Repent you of your former Raiâ—ing and Reviling Speeches against me and my Friends I call them justly railing Speeches because they are false and grounded upon false Surmises Allegations that ye can never prove but what I have charged on yâ—u is true and I have proved it and can more abundantly do And whereas ye are big â—ith hope that ye have now furnished New-England with an Antidote against that fâ—lsly called by you The Contagion of Quaker sin If the cloud of Prejudice that are in many or most of the People were removed your Antidote would prove very mean and ineffectual It is the unhappiness of too many the â—rejudice of their Education and that they have suckt in false Principles almost with their Mothers Milk and a too great credulity to false Teachers all which in due time God wiâ—l remove and I believe That ye call you Antidote may prove to many an occasion to discover your Nakedness Ignorance and Unsoundness of Doctrine more than formerly Ye tell us of a sort of Quakerism not long since broached in Italy called Quierists but ye find fault with â—ome of the Quakers among you That they disturb the quiet oâ— all that are about them As for the Quietists so called in Italy they have not been so quiet but they have made a great noise in the World however that they either are or have called themselves Quakers doth not appear and their Principles and ours sufficiently differ But it will not prove that the Quakers are not a quiet and peaceable People that they witness against false Doctrine and Unchristian Practices for so did the quiet and peaceable Christians of old and so did the Apostles who yet were said to turn the World upside down by their false Accusers Ye seem to rejoyce and glory that the Religion of the Quakers hath got place but in some more obscure nooks and corners of New-England And what doth this prove against the truth of their Religion or what doth it give you of glorying more than that there was no room for Christ in the Inn after he was born and the Foxes i. e. the false Teachers have holes and the Fowles of the Air i. e. proud and airy men have nests but the Son of Man even Christ and his blessed Doctrine hath scarce where to lay his head It was not the better for the Gadareus rejoycing that Christ departed out of their Coasts In the close of your Preface ye presume to prophesie as if some Enthusiastical efflatus or breathing had got hold of you although ye are declared Enemies to the Spirit of Prophecy or divine Inspiration now remaining where ye say The day is at hand when our blessed Saviour will purifie his Temple and sweep Quakerism with other Defilement oâ—t of it c. But in opposition to this your false Prophecy I believe and am well perswaded that the holy Truth and Doctrine witnessed unto by â—he honest and sincere Quakers so call'd which ye call Quakerism the day hastneth that God will abundantly plant it both in New-England and in all other parts of the World for every plant of Gods planting will grow and fill the Earth with fruit in due time and what he hath not planted will be rooted up But how think ye shall Quakerism as ye call it be sweeped out of Gods Temple hath it then got place in Gods Temple in New-England what is that Temple is it your Presbyterian and Independent Churches or any part of them Or how can Quakerism which ye hold so poysonous that it destroyeth all men and maketh them who hold it to be No Temple or Church of God but Apostates and Infidels Denyers of God and Christ c. have any place in the Temple of God But this is none of the least of your many Contradictions CAP. I. PAge 1 ye alledge That by my over-liberal Concessions I have given cause to my Brethren â—alled Quakers to judge of me as the Papists judge of Bellarmine and Erasmus who professing to be Catholicks yet yeilded too much to the Protestants And p. 2. ye say It is apparent that he hath migâ—â—â—ly betrayed the cause he undertooâ— to patronize But all his is but your bare affirmation without any proof I have conceded to nothing but what both the holâ— Scriptures the Quakers Doctrine rightly duly understood wiâ—l bare me out in I should know the Quakers better than any of you and their tâ—ue Principles having been so long â—nd so much conversant with them and in unity with them but ye neither rightly know the Quakers Doctrine nor them and ye are not willing to learn but after the manner of all such as were declared Enemies to the Christian Religion ye charge false things upon them which they no wise hold as Celsus and other Heathen Philosophers used to charge the antient Christians to whose false Accusations Tertullian Justin Origen Arnobius and many others did solidly answer And so in your Imagination ye make a ridiculous thing and call it a Quaker and then fight against it being your own shadow yet this is not to justifie â—ny unsound words that possibly may have dropped from some ignorant unsound persons called Quakers for as ye judge not your selves obliged to own any unsound words or practices of any called Presbyterians or Independents no more are we to own any or every thing said or done by them who may be called Quakerâ— or may call themselves so but yet are not one with us in spirit and doctrine And seeing ye only mention G. F. but cite none of his words ye had as good done nothing I know not wherein I differ fâ—om G. F. in Doctrine and â— judge I know him much bettâ—r than ye If it were needful I could produce plain and evident Testimoâ—ies from my friends printed Books long before mine that my Doctrine is one with theirs But what doth it advantage you The design of my writing to you was to convince you of Error and that in a friendly way if ye could have received it and whatever be the Doctrine of the Quakers ye are concerned to answer to the things charged against you or confess your Error Pag. 4. Ye say of me as if Benhadad seems to be risen again citing 1 Kings 20.10 But as I am not Benhadad in the case so nor are ye the King of Israel P. 5. Ye call my Epistle to the People of N. England Paltry Stuff but ye only say it and that is all and this is most generally or rather
universally your way to say and dictate things Magisterially without proof and since it is so ye might have taken a more easy way and as effectual to have only said to every passage and argument in my Book as it is reported how one refuted Bellarmine saying only to every passage and period in his Book Thou lyest Bellarmine Ye say ye have turned your Minds to the Light oâ— Christ within you as well as ye can and it tells you that my assertions are bold presumtious and heretiâ—al But â—ake heed of such ignorant Blasphemy and cease your Mockage The Light of Christ within you that I directed you and all unto is that Light of divine Inspiration and Revelation which is common in some measure unto you and all men but this ye do not believe therefore ye have not turned your Minds unto it nor hearkened to the voice of it And whereas I said It is the same Spirit that giveth to all Readers a right understanding of Scripture ye ask Why then have not all the same understanding oâ— it but contradictory the answer is easie because all do not duly believe in it as my following words make clear Then ye accuse my following words as guilty of contradiction because I said If ye believe in Christ the Light c. and joyn your minds to his inward divine Illumination he will anoint the Eyes of your Understanding and then your Eyes shall be opened which ye put this silly and impertinent gloss upon Iâ— ye will see of your selves then â—e will give you ability to see and then ye scoffingly add This may be no Contradiction in a Quaker's Logick But his is not my Logick but your Perversion for as blind as ye are ye are not altogether blind as Christ said to the Pharisees John 9.41 I ye were blind ye should have no sin c. and if ye were faithful to what ye already see and know your Eyes should be further opened And this iâ— good sence and no Contradiction and what ye see or know of Truth in the least thing ye see it not of your selves but it is given you to see by that Light which ye blaspheme calling it Ignis Fatuus and a stinking vapour from Hell In pag. 6. ye alledge a most abominable Falshood upon me as that I said in my Epistle That the quickening in a man as it abides it is impossible it should perish This is an absolute piece of Forgery as much as ever Tho. Hicks coyned against W. Penn I use no such words and nothing but Malice can put such a gloss upon my words which are these p. 5. of my Epistle And every Soul that is thus quickned and made alive unto him as it doth hold fast this beginning viz. of the good Work of God in it c. and as it here abideth it is impossible that it can perish Where my words say the SOUL cannot perish that abideth faithful c. And this is good sence and well warranted by Scripture 2 Pet. 1.10 For if ye do these things ye shall never fall which according to your absurd Logick is as if he had said If ye never fall ye shall never fall or if Grace continue it cannot be lost this Non-fence and Absurdity ye charge upon me is yours and not mine Pag. 7. Because I said the holy Scriptures are a sufficient outward Rulâ— and Standard whereby to try all Doctrines of men ye most grosly as is your general manner pervert my words as if I did intimate as if God taught us one thing by his Word and another by his Spirit The contrary whereof I have sufficiently asserted in my Book for what the Scripture saith outwardly thâ— Spirit saith the same inwardly and the Testimony of these two to wit that of the Scripture without and that of Gods Spirit wiâ—hin cannot differ or disagree Next ye blame me for not making Practices as well as Doctrines lyable to this Test I Answ And so I do for all commanded Practices of a holy Life are contained under that head of Doctrines for things to be done as well as things to be believed are belonging to the Christian Doctrine as the ten Commandments and all other Moral and Evangelical Precepts and Dutites witnessed of in the holy Scriptures And why ye should blame me for calling the Scriptures an Outward Rule showeth your inclination more to Cavil than to Dispute as men of solid Reason Are not the Scriptures an outward thing and if an outward thing then an outward Rule seeing they are a Rule as is confessed â—y us both and Protestants commonly call the Scriptures the external or outward Word witness the Augustine Confession published by Protestants Article 5. And is not the External Word the External Rule and doth not the external or outward Word intimate that there is an inward Word that is the inward Rule and these two agree in one and can never differ as an inward Domâ—nstration of any natural Science doth agâ—ee with the outward set down in wâ—it or print on Paper And tho' I call the Scripture an outward Rule yet I denie not but it hath a real service in the hand and management of the Spirit to regulate our inward Apprehensions and Conceptions of all Christian Doctrine as well as our outward words and Actions and so it may be called an Organâ—â—al and Instrumental Rule in respect of the Spirit of God inwardly witnessing which is the principal Nor do I in the least retract what I have said as ye weakly alledge when â—â—ay There are many things wherein God doth reveal of his Counsel to his Children which are not in Scripture either expresly or consequentially wherein I give a five fold instance at least that though ye cannot disprove ye boldly but Ignorantly contradict contrary to the blessed and solid Experience of Thousands for these things instanced as for a man to know his inward state beâ—ore God c. and for a Minister to know his inward Call and a Christian to know both his call to pray in vocal Prayer or in Publick and returns oâ— his Prayer from God in secret they are no matters of Christian Doctrine belonging to the common Faith oâ— common Duty of all Christians but only are relative to a Christians private Condition and Consolation for no Doctrine or Precept in all the Scripture requireth me to believe or to know whether many or one by name besides my self be in a justified state c. but it belongs to me in particular therfore it is no part of the common Doctrine or Faith or Practice of the Christian Religion to believe for another or others but every one to believe for himself And that ye alledge p. 9. that Lucas should say Any Quaker if he â—as a mind to it may make as good a Book himself as the Book of the holy Scriptures is out a falâ—e alledgance from a Foâ—ger of Lyes against the Truth and is sufficiently refuted by N. Lucas's â—â—iâ—ted
Declaration solemnly denying That ever he so spoke or thought printed in the Appendix of G. W. to W. P's Book call'd Reason against Railing being an Answer to Tho. Hick's Forgeries against the Quakers see p. 11. of the said Appendix And whereas Henry Stout was referred unto as a witness against N. Lucas he And thus ye give away your cause fairly for that work of the Spirit is a real inward Evidence Word and Testimony or Witness of a Truth not contained in the Scripture neither expresly nor consequentially viz. That A. B. or J. C. hath the inâ—allible Marks of a justified man for whereas ye use to resolve your assurance into a practical Syllogism thus Every one that hath such infallible Marks of a jâ—stified man is justified But A. B. hath such infallible Marks Therefore A. B. is a jâ—stified Man The which Practical Syllogism having two Propositions the first is warranted by Scripture but the second is no where warrantâ—d by any place of Scripture viz. that A B. or J. A. or J. M. or S. W. or C. M. hath these infalliâ—le Marks This is the only work of the Spirit which ye confess is neither Scripture nor Scripture Consequence and yet discovereth a great Truth and very sweeâ— and precious to such who have it and though the Scripture be instrumental to warrant the first Proposition yet we find no Scripture to warrant the second viz. that A. B. or any of you have such infallible Marks or if ye have any such Scripture warrant produce it otherwise acknowledge your rash undertaking The second Instance that refers to an inward Call to the Ministry ye reject and say It runs upon the same foolâ—sh Notion with the former Ye say it indeed and that is all but say nothing to prove it to be so yea by your saying it ye show what sort of Ministers ye are to wit That ye are no Ministers of the Spirit of God which is inwaâ—d in all his true Ministers and as he is inward and inwardly in-dwelling so his Call and Motion is inwardly revealed And though ye make a great noise as if ye were mighty Defenders of the Christian and Protestant Doctrine against the Quakers in these and other things ye the Qâ—akers so called are the best Christians an Protestants in these very Doctrine â—or have not many Protestant Ministers who never had any outward Call from Pope or Clergy or People alledged the inward Call of God in their hearts to the work of the Ministry as well as the inward assistance â—f the Spirit of God in the exercise of it which yet hâ—th no Scripture to prove that such a particular man hath it Calvin in his Institutions saith expresly That God did raise up in his Day if not Prophets and Apostles yet Evangelists to reform the Church And Luther declaring his inward Call to the Ministry saith He was as it were tugg'd by his Hair to the Office of the Ministry see cap. 1. pag. 11. Mensal And surely this was an inward call had great inward sensible evidence And cap. 11. p. 19. of Gods Word he saith Sectaries and Seducers know to preach much of Christ but seeing they feel him not in their hearts they leave the right ground of the Ministry Again p. 3. c. 1. he citeth divers Scriptures to prove That God and the holy Spirit speaketh now in true Ministers of Christ as he did in the Prophets and Apostles as where Christ said It is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you and where Peter said Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost Both which place with others Luther applyeth to true Ministers in his day and yet when we commonly bring these places the common answer of Presbyterians and Independents is That these places of Scripture were fulfilled to the Prophets and Apostles but not to any men in our days And tho' ye upbraid the Quakers Doctrine with Novelty yet in the former instance concerning a mans being assured infallibly of his Election and eternal Salvation as the Testimony of the Scripture is for us so of Antiquity for Augustine saith expresly lib. 11. de Civit. dej c. 12. What man knoweth that he shall finally peâ—severe in the Action and Progress of Righteousness unless he be certain by some Revelation from him who doth not teach all of this thing by his just and secret judgment but deceiveth no man Where it is plain that according to Aâ—gustine who lived above 1200 years ago That all who begin in true Piety do not persevere and That no man can know that he shall persevere without divine inward Revelation In both which he contradicteth you and confirmeth the Doctrine of the People called Quakers And yet though Augustine be a Saint in your esteem the Quakers for holding the same thing must be Apostates and no charity allowed them to be Christians And as noted and well accounted Protestants say the same with us as Grotius and the Remonstrants generally who are all better Protestants in Doctrine than your selves whether ye wiâ—l acknowledge it or not I had not medled to cite any other Authors but Scriptures but that ye would needs be so impertinent as to state the Debate betwixt you and us as if the Quakers Doctrine were a meer Novelty and only neâ—ly started up to undermine the Protestant Doctrine Whereas we have more and better Protestants with us than ye have Ye had done better not to have brought the Controversie â—o this issue as if the Quakers were not P otestants when we can easily prove our Doctrine in all these twelve Particulars to be warranted by Protestants of better and more famous account than your selves In my Third Instance ye pervert my words after your wonted manner saying p. 14. That I hold men are to tarry for an inward call to pray or perform any Religious Duty But I did not say so but that every true Christian should know his inward Call to pray or give thanks from Psal 27.8 which ye wholly pass by unanswered Now to Know the inward call is one thing and to Tarry for it is another some inward calls are to be waited for as when a duty is not alwayes required of a man but only at certain times as vocal Prayer c. But all such Duties as are continually required of us to be done at all times as To believe in God To love God To fear him yea and continually to pray unto him with inward breathings and desires have a continual inward call and command that needeth to be known although it is given and no man should suppose it will be wanting to him to do every thing that is his continual Duty Pag. 16. Ye say Ye deny not but the Spirit of God doth still put an impulse on the Spirits of his People frequently but ye query Is it self-evident or must not the warrantableness of it be tryed by Scripture rules I Answ It is
Bread Rain and Dew only for the efficacy oâ— it and not for the extent and plenty of it but for this we have your bare authority contrary boâ—h to Scripture and Experience of thousands who witness the Word of God plentifully to dwell in them like to the drops of Rain and Dew for plenty of the divine droppings and showerings of it as well as for efficacy Ye grant The Scriptures are both by Metaphor and Metonyme called the Words and Word of God and in so doing ye give away your cause unto the Quakers for we say the same although the great out-cry hath been against us that we do not allow the Scriptures to be properly without all figure of metaphor or metonyme the words and word of God And since ye thus agree with us I see not how ye can call us Apostates for gain-saying you in this particular Pag. 21. Ye say I confound the Metonymie officientis with a Metonyme signi but I say ye prevaricate for I neither mention the one nor the other but the examples brought by me signifie both these kinds of Metonyme without confusion for Moses books are called Moses by the Metonyme Efficientis and Isaiah his book is called his vision by the Metonyme Signi CAP. II. I Shall briefly take notice of your Perversions and Omissions in this Chapter and so proceed to the end for it is but wasting time and paper both which are to be better bestowed than to follow you at large Ye disown the word Inspiration as given in our dayes Pag. 22. wherein as ye are singular so ye are inferior to the Church of England who for all your pretence to spirituality of Worship and Praying by the spirit yet are short of them for they in divers places of the Common Prayer pray for Inspiration and the Scots Confession of Faith in John Knox's dayes says expresly That Faith is the Inspiration of the holy Ghost And therefore your Ignorance and Prejudice doth here plainly appear and instead of defending the Protestant Religion ye but betray it and â—onounce it for sober Protestants both Episâ—opal and Presbyterian do own Inspiration which ye plainly deny Pag. 23. The Scriptures that both â—he Assembly and ye cite That divine Inâ—pirations and Revelations are ceased to wit of Antient Doctrine for we plead for no New Doctrines are wholly from your purpose as 2 Tim. 3.6 17. Heb. 1.1 2. Prov. 2.19 or any others for notwithstanding all these Scriptures divine Inspirations and new internal divine Revelations continued in the Church after all this in and with the Apostles But ye grosly preâ—â—ricate by your unfair way of answering That there was no New Revelation of any New Doctrine or New Doctrinal Truth And thus ye think to elude my Arguments before the Eyes of ignorant Readers But this mean Art of yours will not do for ye fight against your own Shadow and not against our Doctrine for we assent no New Revelation of any New Doctrine but of the Antient Doctrine abundantly delivered to the Prophets and Apostles but as their Faith could not save us so nor could their inward Inspiration and Revelation Pag. 27. Ye blame me for pleading for extraordinary Revelations such as the Apostles had which is a gross Perversion and plain Contradictory to my words for I told you that the distinction of Ordinary and Extraordinary Revelation may in a true fence well be admitted and the Prophets and Apostles had both ordinary and extraordinary we plead for the ordinary Revelations they had common to them with other Saints but not for the extraordinary they had whereas your Confession denyeth all sort of Revelation Again ye blame me for confounding Inspiration Revelation and Illumination but I say they are one and the same thing and it is great Non-sence to seperate or divide them and all the differences betwixt them that ye alledge are meerly begged and affirmed but not in the not least proved Ye should remember ye are not now in the pulpits where people take things on trust for your bare Authority but that your Book is gone abroad ye should bring better Proofs than bare Assertions 1st Ye say Illâ—mination is common to all Believers Inspiration is peculiar to some But this last is denyed not only by us but by the Church of England and the Scots Confession of Faith in John Knox's days and by the general sence of antient Writers especially Augustine who frequently mentioneth Inspiration in his Works 2dly Ye say Illumination ordinarily accompanies the diligent use of the means Inspirations ye say usually come upon men without using any means for them But this second distinction is also meerly begged Illuminations and Inspirations come â—t times with the outward means and at times without them and yet not without all means very frequently even outward for both the Prophets and Apostles used means to prepare them to receive divine Inspirations and Revelations and in the use of means received them frequently for Acts 10. while Peter went up upon the house top to pray about the sixth hour he had a divine Revelation and when Peter preached to Cornelius and others the holy Ghost fell upon them and as they ministred to the Lord and fasted to wit certain Prophets and Teachers Acts 13.2 the holy Ghost said Seperate me Paul and Barnabas c. It is great ignorance and want of Experience in divine Mysteries to think that divine Inspirations and Revelations are without all means or tend to make either outward or inward means void and useless for commonly and generally all ordinary divine Revelations come in the use of some means or another as hearing reading prayer meditation watching and silent inward waiting all which are means and most especially and alwayes in the exercise of true Obedience unto God Your 3d Distinction is to as little purpose viz. That Illumination becomes habitual but Inspiration is transient for if by Habitual ye understand permanent and abiding Illuminations and Inspirations may be and are permanent of some sorts and of other sorts transient or passing Your 4th Distinction is also vain and idle as that illumination encreaseth gradâ—ally but not so Inspiration for they may and do increase or decrease according to the various kinds of them and he who is faithful to God may expect his Inspirations daily to be increased continued with him Lastly Ye say Illumination is alwayes understood whenas Inspirations sometimes are not understood but no more is Illumination alwayes undâ—rstood yea how many have a divine Illumination and yet understand it not and ye your selves deny that Illumination hath a Self-evidence so thâ—n it would be objective Revelation and fit to be the Rule of Faith and Life which ye deny saying the Scripture is the ONLY Rule Pag. 28. The Saint Experience of inwaâ—d enjoyments of God and Châ—ist beyond all words warranted from 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Ye call a Rapsody in commendation oâ— our silent Meetings but this is a poor evasion and answet
of God and these times are frequent and at such times the need of Scripture words and of all words that consist of Letters do cease as when a man eateth Bread and drinketh Wine and hath his taste well he needeth no words to tell him of the taste of it he tasteth it without all words that the mouth can utter and even so the Children of God at times yea frequently taste of the goodness and sweetness of Christ by an inward sensible taste without all Scripture words and without all present remembring of them yet if at such times the Spirit of God bringeth them to their remembrance they have a service at least tâ—â—ncrease the doctrinal and discursive knowledge of God in them and further to open the Mysteries of the Christian Doctrine which is a great gift blessing of God in its place Pag. 34. Ye alledge I introduce an Hypothesis that is a Castle in the Air that they say there is no sensible or intuitive knowledge of God in this Life But I say many or most of you expresly deny it I mean most of these call'd Presbyterians and Independents as I have had to do with them before now who have told me There is no sensible knowledge of God at â—â—ll no sight nor feeling nor taste of him and they give a reason for it viz. That only bodily things could be seen felt tasted but God being a Spirit could neither be felt nor tasted tho' the Scriâ—ture use these words of seeing tasting a aâ—d feâ—ling they say they are as improper and metaphorical as when it is said in Scripture God hath Eyes Hands and Feet c. Again though ye seem to affirm it yet it is in contradiction to your selves for it is an absolute Contradiction to say A man hath a sight of God and taste and feeling of him and yet hath no immediate discovery and knowledge of him as much as to say I see and taste Wine and yet I have no immediate discovery or knowledge of it All sensible knowledge is immediate in regard of their Objects P. 34. Ye blame me that I say ye preach altogether an absent Christ but ye wrong and pervert my words as your manner is my wordâ— are p. 36. They preach altogether an absenâ— Christ as some of them say Christ is not really and properly in his People or if present a Christ altogether dumb and silent c. So ye see my words are not positive but dis-junctive or alternative But if I did say so it is according to your own Doctrine though ye seem to contradict again for do ye not generally accuse the Quakers for setting up a false Christ because they preach him present and in his Saints yea and in all men in some respect and as Pardon Tillinghast and Benj. Keech calâ— Christ in the heart a false Christ so John Owen whom ye esteem your reverend Brother in his Latine Treatise against us answered by Sam. Fisher saith If Christ be in every Quaker there are as many Christ as Quakers So you may see I do not wrong you and your Assembly ye so much honour say It is blasphemy to say the Saints are partakers of the Godhead And this is to exclude Christ with a witness And if some of you say God and Christ are in the Saints yet ye deny all immediate discovery sight and revelation of them objective or by way of object which is as gâ—eat Non-sence as to say A Man converseth with his Wife in one House eateth drinketh lodgeth with her and hath fellowship with her and yet she hath no immediate sight nor knowledge of him which she must needs have if she be not blind sensless and stupid and it is a most palpable Contradiction in you to say Men have aâ— intuitive and sensible knowledge of God that is distinct in specie from discursive knowlâ—dge and yet God and his Spirit in all his inward operations giveth no self-evidence thereof but is medium incognitum assentiendi i. e an unknown mean or Principle of assenting as the School-men phrase it particularly Robert Baron Professor of Divinity at Aberdeen in his Book called Apodixis Catholica de formali objecto fidei against Jesuit Turnbul more particularly cited in my Book of Immediâ—te Revelation Pag. 37. The different degrees of Revelation well warranted by Scripture ye blasphemously and ignorantly call Rabbinical Fopperies That there is not only a gradual but specifical difference of divine Revelations I never denyed CAP. III. I Intend throughout principally to notice your gross Perversions and other gross Abuses and Mistakes which will in effect sufficiently answer all ye have said and leave my Book and the evidence of Truth held forth in it remaining in its full force and strength against you and the rather that the principal Controversies viz. That oâ— the Scriptures and That of inward divine Revelation and Inspiration iâ— the more fully already here handled for indeed these two are the Basis and Pillars of the following Controversies Pag. 36. Ye pervert my words as if I did affirm That the Scriptures only were a Rule to try Doctrines betwixt men and men But I neither mean nor say any such thing I believe they are a Rule in the hand and management of the Spirit to regulate our inward apprehensions and thoughts concerning all Christian Doctrines and yet the Spirits inward Witness is the greater Rule Pag. 39. Ye say To call the Spirit the Rule â— Non-sence I say to call the Spirit not abstractly but conjunctly with his inward witnessing and speaking is good sence to all but such as you who have not sence to understand it Ignatius as I have said above a more worthy man and precious Martyr of Jesus Ep. 14. to Ephes called the holy Spirit one Rule CAP. IV. PAg. 41. Ye own That natural and acquired Gifts of Letter Learning without a divine Inspiration are sufficient to qualifie a Gospel Minister and that Grace and true Piety is only accidental which ye confess may look black at first view It is so far well that since this is your Doctrine that we have it under your hand and it deserveth to be engraven in Capital Letters on the Doors of your Meetiâ—g Houses that the People may generally know it for very many to whom I have told it could not believe it to be your Doctrine but however now it is a good proof th t yâ— print it as yours Another saying of yours equally famous and which deserveth the same equal inscription in Capital Letters is that ye say It is no absurdity tâ—at a man may be a true Minister and not a true Câ—ristian But how then can he beget any unto God If he who is no true Christian can beget a true Christian by his Ministry it will as easily follow That he who is no man may beget a man for as in spiritual generation a man is but the Instrument so in the natural when a man begets a man child God
true Bishop or Preacher do equally require him to be really holy and pious and virtuous as to seem or appear so to be 1 Tim. 3.1 Tit. 1.7 8. A Bishop must be blameless c. sober just holy temperate c. he doth not say let him be a Hypocrite only let him seem to be so but let him be so Pag. 48. Ye say Grace hath a spiritual sence and when the Spirit of God influenceth it it can feel it Ye need to explain this further how Grace feeleth the influence of the Spirit is Grace an intelligent perceiving intellectual being doth not the Soul feel it or is it only the Grace that is sensible of the Spirits influence and the Soul insensible and stupid If a Quaker had so expressed himself ye would have called it Non-sence My application of H b. 12.27 to things of mens makiâ—g though ye call it most gross it is but your bare affirmation for why may not things of mens making be comprehended under thiâ—g made as well as the things of the old Law which though first appointed of God yet seeing men did seek to hold them up beyond their due season they were nothing as such but beggerly Rudiments and things of mens making and Christ â—aid Every plant that is not of my heavenly Fathers planting must be pulcked up and every work oâ— man wroâ—ght and not in the Wisdom Spirit and Power of God shall be burnt up Pag. 49. Ye grosly and most falsly accuse thâ— Quakers That they confound the witness of Gods Spirit and their own Spirit This is utterly false Pag. 50. Ye say The Spirit when he witnesâ—th doth it infallibly yet he doth not make our Spirits infallible Here ye use a little fallacy but it is a very thin fig-leaf and will not cover your Nakedness for though he doth not make the spirits of his Children absolutely and in all respects infallible yet when he speaketh to the spirits and hearts of his Children infallibly and fitteth and prepareth them to hear it and understand it have they not so far iâ— that particular thiâ—g or things an infallible knowledge and assurance for even among men he who tells me an infallible truth as that the Sun is risen and I hear him tell it and my sense of heaâ—ing iâ— sound I can say I did infallibly hear him for to say the Spirit is only infallible to himself but giveth us no infallible knowledge and â—aith of what he saith is most abâ—urâ— for all that tâ—ue real Knowledge and Faith â—hat God giveth to men is infallible and to think otherwise reflects upon Gods goodness wisdom and veracity for why should the infallible God give men only a fallible knowledge Well then let it so remain that your Doctrine is All the Knowledge and Faith that ye have of God and Christ and Christian Doctrine is fallible and may deceive you and be only a fancy or dream How will this relish to sober Proâ—estants Is not this rather with a witness to betray the cause of the Protestants than to defend it But in contradiction again though ye say The Witness of your Spirit is falliblâ— and ye may be mistaken yet so far as the Spirit of god confirms you by his Witness ye are infallibly assured What greater Contradiction can there be in mens words first to say The Spirit of God witnessâ—th infallibly but your Spirits are not infallible Again ye say Ye are infallibly assâ—red so far aâ— the Spirit oâ— God coâ—fiâ—ms you by his Witness So in one thing and at one time and in one and the same respect ye â—re fallible and yet not fallible This Logick is fittest for Bedlam But ye tell not whether the Spirit of God at any time confirms you of any Truth by his inward infallible Witness for if ye grant this ye grant all that the Quakers desire in the case for that is divine inward Revelation and Inspiration and none of us pretend to an absolute Infallibility but only so far as the Spirit of God witnesseth to us and in us Pag. 58. Ye most grosly pervert my words and cite them falsly when ye say I make the Ministers more than meerly instrumental and that they can by their own virtue heal and convert a Soul Nothing can be more falsly alledged for when Grace Spirit and Life or living Virtue doth emanate through the Ministers to the Hearers they are but Instruments and instrumental Pipes and Conduits yet not dead but living Instruments and that Grace Spirit Life and Virtue is not their own as of themselves derived but is Gods and Christs and is only freely given them Pag. 52. That ye say The Spirit of God cometh in betwixt the Mouth of the Speaker and the Hearts of the Hearers is granted but so it cometh in betwixt the heart of the Speaker and the hearts of the Hearers and a good Minister out of the good Treasure in his heart bringeth forth good things and that is more than bare words 1 Pet. 4.11 Ye say Relates only to an outward ability or estate enabling them to give Alms. Which as it is meerly begged so is singularly strange and will be strange to the Ears of many who hear it Doth ever the Scripture call outward Riches the manifold Grace of God And doth not vers 11. say If any man speak So it relates to a Ministry of the Mouth and not of giving by the Hands Pag. 55. Ye grosly pervert to say I am for pulling down Preaching Praying Singing that are Gods Ordinances for neither I nor we are against but for all preaching Praying and singing that is rightly performed viz. by the help and ability of the Spirit of God and that is Inspiration and is confessed so to be by better Protestants then your selves yea the Church of England prayeth in the Common Prayer for Inspiration as above noted That men without the Spirit are under a command to pray is granted but yet Prayer without the Spirit is no Obedience to that command as men who have no Money nor Goods equivelent to Money may owe a debt to a man and yet if they go to pay him without money or moneys worth they do nothing in order to the payment they only but mock their Creditor and offend him even so all Prayer without the Spirit is a Mockery and the like of Singing That want of Grace dischargeth none from moral Obligations is granted but yet without Grace none can perform their Obligations Ye grosly deny that the Prayers of Abraham and the saints were universally by divine Inspiration contrary to the sence of many sober Presbyterians and Episcopals and that Abraham prayed for Ishmael by a natural affection sanctified doth not prove that he prayed not by divine Inspiration what is Inspiration but the breathing of the spirit into mens hearts both to enlighten and to sanctifie them and to quicken and warm them with warm and fervent Affections Christ ascribes the work of Regeneration in men to the
breathing or Inspiration of the Spirit as the Latine antient Christian writers did Translate these words John 3. Spiritus spirat ubi vult i. e. the spirit breatheth or Inspireth where it willeth for the greek doth wâ—ll bear it puenma is most frequently translated spirit in the nâ—w Testament and pueo signifieth to breathe or inspire hence theopneustos signifieth divinely inspired Pag. 56. Ye alledge that singing without Notes and Tones measured by art would be singing without singing that could be no melody that is without Tones measured by art and to say otherwise ye affirm is so foolish that it is not worth a Reply but the folly is your own the scripture speaketh of Melody in the heart and that is without all tones of art beside what art is there in the songs of Hannah Mary and Elizabeth ye are extreamly ignorant if ye know not that singing with Rhymes and like sounding Cadencies of words and Musical Notes of art as ut re mi fa sol la came not into custom among Christians a long time after the Apostles and these Notes of art Guido Aretinus found them out by which ye learn to sing that is not of along standing These and many other things are but late inventions introduced into Church-worship as Polidor Vergilus doth show no Rhâ—mes were sung that I can understand by the French Protestants in french till Beza composed them and Translated the Psalms into french meeter so they were sung at Geneva hence they were called Geneva Jigs the Hebrew Psalms of David have no like sounding Cadencies or Rhymes That Christ Condesended to sing with the Discples suppose after the costomary way used by the Jews at their feasts is no proof to continue that Custom more than to continue the Jewish Feast of the Passover and other Types ye greatly forget your selves in your way of reasonning from the time of the Law to the Gospel time Pag. 58. Ye would clear your running into a Circle that Ministers call the Church and the Church calls the Ministers but all in vain Ye pretend no answer for the Presbyterians who commonly derive their call by the Pope of Rome as J. Cotton did expresly say at Hampton in the hearing of some hundreds and not only I but your reverend brother as ye call him John Owâ—n hath sufficiently discovered the Nullity of that Call and that therefore Presbyterians while they lay the stress of their call on that rotten Foundation have neither Ministry nor Gospel nor Sacraments And for your call who are called Independents seeing your Church is not older than the Brownists of Amsterdam I mean your visible Church or show when it began what Ministers gathered your Church at first if ye say your Church was invisible beâ—ore let it be so but how could an invisible Church call a visible Ministry or how could a visible Church aâ—ise without any previous Ministry Ye do but triffle to make these things intelligible who seeth not but ye are reduced to this miserable pinâ—h out of pâ—ejudice against the inward Call of Gods Spirit by divine Inspiration which both Lutâ—er and other primitive Protestants did affiâ—m they had Pag. 59 60 61. Ye tug hard for a Maintenance to Ministers not voluntary but of debt and by bargain and that may be forced by the Magistrate if refused And is this also one of the Principles of the Protestant Religion Read Will. Thorp's Assertions and Arguments against Priests Wages and Maintenance save only what is voluntary in Fox's Book of Martyrs fol. 536 537. and ye will find that to force wages for preaching was a Popish Prinâ—iple and not a Protestant Also read what your Fathers the Brownists of Amsterdam say in their Apology against the Vniversity of Oxford in their Address to Q. Elizabeth 7 Position That the duo Maintenance of the Ministers should be of the free and voluntary Contribution of the Church And they expresly declare against the Maintenance that is exacted and which the People are constrain'd to yeild unto them Behold how far ye are degenerated from your fore-Fathers Your Argument from the Tythes under the Law serveth not your turn unless ye will bring in the Levitical Services also but even under the Law the Tythes though commanded the Magistrates were not to compel men to pay them as is most clear out of the old Testament and grant that the e is a justice or equity in it that faithful Ministers wants be supplied and so that the Poor's wants be supplied therefore the Hebrew word that signifieth Alms signifieth Rightâ—ousnâ—ss it will not therefore follow that the Magistrate may compel them there is a Justice the Transgression of which the Law punisheth and there is a Justice the Transgression of which the Gospel punisheth but as for Ministers to bargain with People What will you give me and I will preach unto you it is so sordidly Mercinary that yâ— may be ashamed to defâ—nd it but that is not enough People must be forced to pay you Wages that own you not to be Ministers of Christ as has been largely practised in New-England That ever the Apostles bargained with People or forced Wages of any or received any other than simply to supply thâ—i personal Necessities has no shadow of Proof in Scripture The Greek word translated Wages 2 Cor. 11.8 viz. opsonionâ— signifieth Meat or something to eat most properly translated by Pasor edulium and this answereth to Christ's words The labourer is worthy of his Meat This was no yearly stinted Sallary it was wholly Apocriphal and hath no foundation in the New-Testament and therefore is no Protestant Doctrine That Christ sent forth the Disciples to preach freely ye say was a special Precept but ye have nothing but your bare Authority for it the Scripture saith no such thing ye may as well say to preach the Gospel was a special Precept Ye profess to have a respect to the Waldenses who are generally well esteemed by Protestants as their Predecessors and faithful Witnesses to the Truth in their day and it was said of them and objected unto them That their Teachers were Weavers and Coblers whereto they replyed We are not ashamed of our Priests because they labour with their hands c. because both the Doctrine and Example of the Apostles lead us to such apprehensions Usher de Succes Eccles cap. 8. § 8. CAP. V. Pag. 64. Ye call my Declaration of our Faith touching the Father the Son and the holy Ghost and Christ his being both God man with other great and weighty Truths a new Quakers Creed insinuating that I am not so ignorant as to believe that that was their faith in those times but this ye meerly affirm without all shadow of proof Ye excuse the Assembly for not mentioning Light among Gods attributes as not being proper but metaphorical A poor Evasion And why not as proper for the Assembly to say God is Light as for John the Apostle think ye the
remote capacity of Holiness thâ—t is nothing else but a simple possibility of being made holy without having any inward Seed or Principle of Holiness lodged in the Soul I call not Holiness but because there is such a Seed and Principle of Holiness placed in all Children even Infants that is the purchase of Christ's Death and which God first promised to our first Parents and renewed to Noah saying And behold I establish my Covenant with thee and thy Seed after thee and yet again renewed to Abraham saying In thy Seed shall all Nations be blessed because of these three general Fathers which were as a holy Root the Branches are holy as I said not actually but in a capacity to become actually Holy through the holy Seed given unto them which before I called a near Capacity that iâ— more remote or near as that noble divine Seed and Principle is more or less clouded or vailed in them and ye show your selves more igâ—orant in Logick than ordinary School-Boyes who generally know that distinction betwixt a thing in actu primo and the same thing in actu secundo which is as much as to say in English betwixt a thing that is in a near capacity and readiness or tendency to be so and a â—hing that is actually and really or in fact so thus A field sown with Corn altho' the Seed is not sprung in it nor hath taken root if sown with Wheat we call it commonly Wheat if sown with Rye we call it Rye because the Seed of Wheat is sown in the one field and Rye in the other and if nothing hinder it may be expected that the one fiâ—lâ— shall bring good Wheat in due season and the other good Rye because the Seeds of Whâ—at and Rye are sown in these fields And how generally all Infants and Men because of Christ's Death and Purchase until they reject the Remedy are clean I proved from Acts 10.12 13 14 15. for by all manner oâ— four footed Beasts and wild Beasts and creeping things and Fowles of the Air all sorts of men are to be understood whom God hath after some sort cleaâ—sed by Christ's Death viz. by putting them in a near capacity to be cleansâ—d and sanctified by that divine Seed of Holiness put in them that is the purchase of Châ—ist who dyed for them But to this most weighty and demonstrative place of Scripture ye say nothing at all but pass it by with a dry foot as you phrase it lest if ye should have meddled with it your folly should have been manifest and this is your common way to pass by what ye cannot give some shadow of Answer unto and if ye give a shadow of Answer it is all Your easiest Answer is which ye have given upon this head viz. That our Doctrine in this iâ— a perâ—ect Arminian Principle and hath been enoâ—gh confuâ—ed by all that have written against them so ye might have spared your Paper and Pains with this one short answer to my whole Book That it hath been enough conâ—uted already by all that have written against us as T. Hicks J Faldo and J. Owen c. aâ—l which have been sufficiently answered But as for the Arminian Principle it is not our Principle nor do the Remonstrants or Jesâ—its hold the Doctrine of Universal Grace as we do as will be obviouâ— to any that will compare our Books and theirs for we say The divine Gospel Principle and Seed of Regeneration and Word of Faith is put by God as his free Gift in all men though it is not manifest or known to be such in aâ—l and this neither the Aâ—minians nor the Remonstrants nor Jesuits ever did affirm but aâ—e generally professed Adversaries to the inward Word and Spirit of God in men as much as your selves witness Bellarmine for the Jesuits who saith in his Treatise de Verbo externo That he is a mad-man who relieth upon the Testimony of a Spirit within him that is oft fallacious and ever uncertain And Arminius his followers are generally against the Doctrine of inward divine Inspiration and Revelation as is apparent from their printed Books It doth not follow as ye insinuate that the Condition of Pagans is better than that of Christians or thaâ— the Gospel opens a door to mans undoing which ye build on a false supposition That t e Pagans are incapable oâ— rejectiâ—g the Physitian who is neâ—er offered to them This ye assert without all proof and the contrary I have proved and is clear from Scripture that Faith is offered unto all men and the Gospel preached to every creature at one time or another before their end and all are called some at one hour and some at another Pag. 83. Ye most grosly traduce and abuse me by alledging and fathering upon me as mine which are not mine at all two assertions 1st That Grace is propagated by our natural Parents 2dly Tâ—at there is habitual Sanctification in all me by nature That both thâ—se are extream falsly alledged on me the Reader shall see by reading pâ—g 91 and 92. cited by them Yea on the contrary I say that Seed or Principle of Holiness put in Mâ—n and Infants is derived from Christ the second Adam and therefore not from the first Adam or our immediate Parents and I believe the Souls of all men have come from God by Creation and do not believe that the Souls of the Parents generate the Souls of the Children and if the Souls of the Children are not generated from the Souls of the Parents then surely the divine Seed and Principle is not derived by humane Generation as if the Soul of the Parent were the Author or Original of that divine Principle but on the contrary both the Soul and the dvine Seed and Principle in it come from God and Christ nor do my words give you the least occasion to think otherwise for although the Parents are not the Author of the divine Seed and Principle in the Souls of their Children yet according to Paul's Doctrine there is commonly a great diffrence betwixt the Children of Believers and Unbelievers the one he calleth Unclean and the other Clean or Holy and it is plain from Scripture that the Children of the faithfull Israelites were called the Holy Seed and had an excellency in them above the Children of the Moabites Amonites and Canaanites c. because the noble divine Seed and Principle was more clouded and vailed in these last and lay under more Rubbish and Impurity and therfore God forbid the People of Israel to joyn in Marriage with these unclean Nations lest their Seed should be defiled with them and a wrong mixture should happen as sometimes did and therefore the great Uncleanness of Parents commonly doth more vail and cloud the divine Principle and Seed in their Children than where that Uncleanness is not so great and that the Parents are true Believers And because I assert that there is a Seed of Holiness in all men
forth fruit but is thâ—t Talent that is taken away from the slâ—athful and evil Servant and given to him that had ten Talents accord ng to Christ's Doctrine which still I suppose iâ— a great Mystery unto you Pag. 89. Ye alledge I perversly interpret Christ to be the Word spoken oâ— Rom. 10.8 which is evident by the context to mean the Scriptures call'd the Word of Faith because it is an instrument of begetting it But this is your bare alledgance and your proof hath no weight nor solidity that because the Scriptuâ—e is the Instrumâ—nt whereby Faith is commonly wrought in men that therefore it is that Word of Faith Rom. 10. With as great probability ye may say the Scripture is the Spirit oâ— Faith but as the Spirit of God is called in Scripture the Spirit of Faith as being the Author and Object and Foundation of Faith so is Christ called the Word oâ— Faith aâ— bâ—ing the Author and Object and Foundation together with the holy Spirit of the same Faith and that â—hrist and not the Scripture is that Word oâ— Faith is clear from the câ—ntext v. 6 7 9. nor can it be the Scripture because little of the Scripture was writ when Moses spoke these words to the People oâ— Israel and the five Books of Moses were rather the Law than that Word of Faith and Moses told them this Word was nigh them in their hearts and moutâ—es as being of an internal or inward nature directing them to the heart where it was originally placed and not in the outward leaves of the Book or Scroles and he calleth it the Commandment in the Singular number to signifie the excellency of it that being one containeth all and that cannot be the Letter without Next what Moses said to Israel and Paul to the Romans may be said to every man in a day the Word is nigh thee in thy mouth viz. to eat it and in thy heart to believe in it that thou needest not to ascend nor descend nor go over the Seas to bring this Word and therfore it cannot b he Letter of Scriptuâ—â— which came over the seas from Judea to Rome and other places of the world Pag. 8â— â—d finâ— Ye most unchristianly and iâ—humanly wrest my woâ—ds to a â—uite contrary seâ—â—e saying â— interpâ—et that Word o Faith Rom. 10. â—oâ— Câ—rists coming in t e flesh both of Jewes and Gentiles â—nd to show your gross perveâ—sioâ— that seemeâ—h wilful in you I shall set down my words which are these Pag. 110. And because this great Mâ—stery viz. the Word of Faith which was in the Gentiles was much hid in the time of the Law and in all Ages of tâ—e world untill Christ came in the flesh both in Jewes and Gentiles as Paul called it the Mystery hid fâ—om Ages and Generations Where it is most clear to any that will not wilfully pervert the plain sence of my words that the words untill Christ came in the flesh doth not refer to his coming in the flesh in Jews and Gentiles as they wilfully pervert it but to his coming in the Body of his Flesh even in that prepared body that was born of the Virgin Mary c. in the fuâ—ness of time So that the words untill Christ came in the Flesh are insert only by way of Parenthesis although by some omissiâ—n either of the manuscript or print the sign or note of the Parenthesis was omitted that is no hing material for when men 〈◊〉 a Parenth◠〈…〉 no note 〈…〉 when ye must needs make the poor omission of a in my Book a ground to raise your chaâ—ge of Blasphemy or subverting the hopes of Salvation against me although in Contradiction to your selves ye clear me citing Pag. 59. that I did acknowledg that Christ came in the flesh but ye use a fig leaf cover saying ye know not when they own any thing And it was once the received Doctrine of the Quakers that there is no other Incarnation of Christ but only as he dwells in us But this is a most gross Calumny and falsehood which ye can never prove and because ye cannot prove it in the least therefore ye declare your selves to be of that Generation who make Lyeâ— your Refuge which God hath swept away and yet will more abundantly and ye will be seen what sort of men ye are that dare thus falsly accuse the Innocent The like poor shadow of advantage ye seek to catch at pag. 28. of your Book saying my Spirit mi-sinformed me when I cited Cant. 2.4 because of a mistake in the Manuscript or Print of the word and again for the word or in your so doing like thâ— Pharisees of old ye strain at a Gnat and swa low a Camel Pag. 90. Ye say The word Reprobate there used intends only that all Vnbelievers are at present unapproved by God and in a state of Perdition Ans be it so it no wise weakeneth my Argument for seeing all unbelievers by you are not finally reprobated but only at present unapproved and may pass from that state into a better viz. into a state of Faith that is approved this quite overthroweth your Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation that denyeth it possible that a Reprobate can be saved which here ye acknowledge And seeing these Unbelievers by your confession were not absolutely or finally reprobated but unapproved or disapproved what did so disapprove or judge them but Christ in them And therefore still it remaineth that Christ is in all but such who are finally Reprobates Ye say That Christ hath commanded that his Gospel be Preached to all Nations and he tells us that so it shall be before the end of the World is no proof of what it is brought for the many Generations past have no advantage by that being ended and gone before that time comes But this ye meerly begg and assert without all shadow of proof for that Christ told the Gospel shall be Preached to all the world before the end of the world is not surely to be understood that the preaching of it to all the world shall only be in the Last Age of the world yet to come but the Gospel that began to be preached from Adams fall immediately shall be preached to all men that ever lived in the World some time or other before the end of the world so that such who shall not live in the latter ages of the world have had it preached in the former Ages when they lived in the world and therefore the preaching the Gospel to all the World is the preaching of it to all Mankind that ever lived and shall live in the world in all Ages from the beginning to the end for all that part of mankind that is to live in the world in the Last Age or Ages of it yet to come are but a small or inconsiderable part of the world And though it may seem hard to demonstrate how this hath been and shall be effected in a general way and manner it
exprâ—sly affirmed pag. 112. Now let us hear your Answer ye say They had believed in a Christ to come though at present they knew not that â—e was come in the flâ—sh till it was further revâ—aled to them Aâ—sw At this rate ye make all the Jews throughout the whole World true Believers in Christ because they all profess to believe iâ— a Christ to come even as ye say Nathaniel and Cornelius believed in a Christ to come But as it was the true Faith to believe in Christ to come before he was come so it was not the true Faith but a great mistake or error at least though pardonable to believe in Christ to come in flesh when the true Christ was already come for their Faith could not be the true Faith which had not the true Object for to believe in a Christ yet to come in the flesh is a false Faith such as the faith is of those hardened Jews who generally believe not in Christ who is already come in the flesh but in a Christ or Messiah whom they imagine yet to come in the flesh And before that Peter preached to Cornelius Christ was crucified and raised again And seeing ye grant Cornelius had not faith in Christ crucified until Peter preached unto him and yet was in a good state ye quite give away your cause Beside that ye meerly alledge it without proof That Cornelius had any sort of Faith of a Christ to come in the flesh at that time for it only appeareth that he was a devout and religious Gentile but no Proselite to the Jewish Religion A Third Instance I gave you of Christs Apostles who had not the true knowledge and faith of Christs Death and Resurrection for some time for it is expresly said in Scripture when Christ told them he was to be put to Death and to rise again the third day They understood it not and yet who will say they were altogether in a state of Damnation Ye are so pinched here that your Cause is desperate and that makes you so angry and fretful Ye say Faith in God without Christ viz. come in the Flesh and crucified c. is not saving citing John 14.6 Acts 4.12 I have answered you it is not in that degree so as to perfect the work of Salvation but yet it hath a preparatory work and may begin it otherwise ye must say the Apostles that were ignorant that Christ should dye were not in any state of Salvation Pag. 95. Ye imagine that ye have got a wonderful advantage saying What then shall we say to his New Doctrine that they may receive it after death Ye further say We shall have a new Quakers Purgatory erected ere long But if ye were not very partial ye might see I did principally argue so with you ad hominem because of your Principle according to your own Doctrine in your Conf ssion of Faith that saith The Souls of the Righteous after Death Note after Death being then made perfect in Holiness are received into the highest Heavens These are the expresâ— words of your Catechism as I told you cap. 32 sect 1. and that ye say It is a bold Vntruth for they say no such thing there I Aâ—swer Let the Reader but be at the pains to read that place cited cap. 32. s 1. and he shall find it expresly so and therefore the bold Untruth is your own and not mine and if they contradict it in their shorter Catechism by saying at the instant oâ— death what is that to me they must answer for their own contradictions and not I for them And for my saying after Death it was by way of Hypothesis If I should say And whereas I brought you a Scripture out of Job cap. 33.22 23 24. to show the wonderful dealings workings of God with men on their death bed or at death without the outward Ministry of men to show unto them their Uprightness and the Ransom or Attonement see from v. 14. to v. 30. Even by his own speaking to them in a Dream in a Vision of the Night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumberings upon the Bed then he openeth the Ears of men and as it is on the Margin he revealeth or uncovereth Heb. and sealeth their Instruction What say ye to this weighty place of Scripture that deserveth so great consideration as holding forth the wonderful love of God towards men in general for the word Man indefinitely is to be understood universally or generally see v. 29. Lo all these things worketh God often times with man and his care over them that where outward helps and means of mens Ministry fail he supplyeth by his own speaking to them yea when deep sleep falleth upon men whether that sleep be understood natural or figurative is not very material to determine and all to keep back their Souls from the Pit and that they may be enlightned with the Light of the living Certainly this place of Scripture hath much in it yea very much more than ye or most are aware of to prove that Gods love and care is exceeding great towards Mankind and his patience and long-suffering is greatly extended towards them to keep back their Souls from the Pit which altogether doth overturn that most cruel and Cannibal-like Doctrine of yours that saith God damneth many Infants to Hâ—ll and universally all who have not have had Christ preached unto them by the Ministry oâ— men except in some singular cases of Abraham and some others that were Prophets But to this weighty place of Scripture ye say nothing at all but are as mute as a Fish it is a cunning way in you to pass by with a dry foot as ye phrase it that which most pincheth you lest by medling with it ye should not only wet your feet but be in danger to drown your sinking and desperate Cause All sober Protestants as well as others will condemn you for your great uncharity to Damn not only so many Millions of honest Gentiles but of poor Infants that ye say never sinned actually in thought word or deed but meerly for the sin of another that was forgiven to him and thousands more yea not only the Episcopal but many in the Church of Rome are not so uncharitable Your great Uncharitableness maketh you cruel and haâ—d-hearted and this begetteth in you a spirit of Persecution But is it not a great sin in you to be so uncharitable when ye have no ground but your own mistakes of some place of Scripture hard to be understood Oh! Repent of this your great sin not only of Unâ—haritableness towards so great a part of Mankind but of your evil and sinful thoughts of God Almighty rendring him so cruel and so short in his Mercy who hath declared himself to be good unto all and his tender Mercies to be over all his Works and that he is slow to Wrath long-suffering and with much long-suffering he endureth the Vessels of Wrath perfected for
points at Christ as both God and Man that most excellent middle that unites God and Men together for in all the Creation we see how the wonderful Wisdom of God and his wonderful Power hath united extreams by certain means or middles and these do plainly point unto us how as the highest and lowest Creatures are united by a certain medium or mediating nature partaking of both extreams so God the Creator and most high over all is united with men the noblest of his visible Creatures by him that is both God and Man made like to us in all things but without siâ— and therefore behoved to dye and rise again to lay a Foundation for our Faith and Hope that though we dye we shall also rise again Nor is this my single Perswasion but that of very judicious and wise Men long before me and Paulus Ricius a Jew by Birth but who became a Christian in his Treatise de Coelesti Agricultura lib. 1. from pag. 40 to 52. showeth how there are many excellent Symboles in the Creation that as Types and Examples hold forth that great Mystery of Christ God Man that were to be united in one and that this man could be but one only single man in the intire nature of Man of Soul and Body in all essential parts who should be both God and Man and for this he citeth a saying in Aristotle which is this lib. 10. Metaph. In quolibet genere rerum daturmum maximum et omnium ahorum summum i. e. in every kind of things there is one the greatest and highest of all others And who is this but the Man Christ Jesus who only among all men is both God and Man and the Head of all mâ—n And by exceâ—lent Symboles and Examples he showeth how this one man was to dye for all otheâ— men rise again And therefore however strange it may seem unto you not only many things in the Creation but the whole Creation it self is a Book full of Symboles Vails and Figures pointing at Christ even the Man Christ who was to suffer Death and rise again for the Salvation of men and yet I do most freely acknowledge that the Books of Moses and the Prophets did moâ—e fully and distinctly hold forth this great Mystery But seeing ye grant That the Vails and Types of the Ceremonial Law did suffice to the Jews and People of Israel so far as outward helps and means were requisit to shadow and hold â—orth Christ unto them the same may be said as concerning the Gentiles that in some sort sufficient as in respect of outward helps and means for that day and time until more knowledge should come into the World was the Book of the outward Creation together with that knowledge they had that they were to sacrifice unto God as is above said And as God gave to the Jews and People of Israel his good spirit to instruct them in the signification of the Mosaical and Ceremonial Law and the Types and Shadows thereof so no doubt he gave a measure of his good Spirit to instruct the Gentiles what these Types and Figures legible in the Book of the whole Creation did signifie for as the Book of Wisdom saith The incorruptible Spirit of God is in all that is confirmed by Scripture for God gave his Spirit unto and by his Spirit strove with the People of the old World and it is the Light of Christ the Word and of the Spirit that convinceth and reproveth of sin that lighteth every man that cometh into the World which however ye call it only natural and humane we have good cause to believe it is divine and supernatural yet lightning the dark nature of Man and as it is absurd for any to hold a Book to a mans face in the dark and bid him read therein when he hath no sufficient light to read with so it were absurd that God hath set so excellent a Book as the whole Creation before the Eyes of men universally I mean the Eyes of their understanding and not give them sufficient Light in some measure to enable them to understand what is writ therein and seeing that Book contains true and real Types and Symboles Figures and Shadows of Christ as he was to come in the flesh and suffer death and rise again it followeth God hath given all men so much inward Light as whereby they might read and understand what is written therein concerning the Man Christ altho the express Hebrew and Greek Names Messiah and Christ be not known to them in such an obscure way and manner as might serve to that time but the great Glory and Light of the Mystery of God manifest in flesh which is Jesus Christ come in the Flesh who is both God and Man and yet one Christ doth incomparably surpass not only what all Vails Types either of the Law or outward Creation can discover but all declaration of words and cannot be perfectly known but by a very high degree of divine Revelation and no doubt the full discovery of it is reserved to the Life to come where it shall be matter of eternal Admiration and Adoration to Saints and Angels And lest you should say This is some new Fancy of mine and some other late Writers or apostate Hereticks as ye use to say I shall recite a Testimony of a very antient Writer who is judged to be either Ambrose or Prosper above twelve hundred Years ago in that famous and noted Treatise De vocatione Gentium i. e. of the calling of the Gentiles much esteemed and cited by Protestants of great note and particularly by Vossius and Grotius learned and judicious Protestants In the said Treatise de vocatione Gentium lib. 2. cap. 1. ad fin he saith in express words citing Acts 14. And indeed he left not himself without a Witness giving Rains from Heaven and fruitfull Seasons filling Your hearts with Food and Gladness But what is this Testimony that was alwayes serviceable to the Lord and never was silent of his Goodness and Power but the very indeclarable Beauty of the whole World and the rich and orderly largition oâ— his indeclarable benefits by which cretain Tables oâ— his eternal Law were given to the hearts of men that the common and publick Doctrine of divine Institution might be read in the pages of the Elements and in the Volumns or Books of the Times therefore the Heavens and all heavenly things Sea and Land and all things in them by the â—armonious Consent of their kind and order did attest the Glory of God and by a perpetual preaching did speak the Majesty oâ— their Author But this is not all he further saith And yet the greatest number of men who were permitted to follow the ways of their own will did not understand and did not follow this Law and the Savour of Life which breathed or inspired unto Life Note is not this in some degree Evangelical was made unto them the savour of Death
the adopted because I said Christ hath left his spiritual goods as Justification Remission Adoption and Eternal Life to his Brethren by spiritual Regeneration and since ye deny this ye must allow That Christ giveth Remission Justification Adoption and Eternal Life to such who are not spiritually regenerated which is a Contradiction to your own Doctrine And your own Doctrine distinguisheth betwixt Regeneration and Adoption Ye grosly abuse me in saying I confound Justification and Sanctification alledging I fall into down-right Popery for on the contrary I assert Justification as it is opposed to Condemnation and according to the most proper and frequent use of the word is distinct from Sanctification as thus Justification is Gods act of his free Grace whereby he forgiveth the sins of all true Believers and Penitents and accepteth and owneth them to be righteous in Christ being cloathed with Christ and his Righteousness imputed freely unto them and whom he hath truly sanctified and begot into a true and real state of inward Holiness Righteousness so that true inward Righteousness and Holiness or Sanctification iâ— not the Foundation of Justification but a Condition Qualification required in order thereunto and I place inward Righteousness and Holiness no other way than Faith by which men are justified to wit as necessary Conditions and Instruments of Justification all true Believers are cloathed not only with Châ—ist imputed Righteousness in respect of whâ—t he hath done and suffered for them â—ut with Châ—ist himself in-dwelling living and ruling in their hâ—arts making them really holâ— and righteous and this is a double cloathing unto them or as the Scarlet that is of a double Die where-with all the true Childâ—en of Jerusalem from above the Mother of all the faithful are cloathed so that they are not afraid of the Snow according to Prove 31.21 But all such who think that the alone Righteousness of Christ without them while they are not inwardly cloathed with real inward Righteousness will cover them will be greatly disappointed True inward Sanctification and Justification though distinct yea are not divided nor is the one perfect without the other he who is imperfectly sanctified cannot while such be perfectly justified Sanctification is ingredient in the Object of Justification and so is distinct from it for it is only the holy Man whom God justifieth by his act of his free Grace and Favour And therefore Sanctification is in the priority of order tho' not of time before Justification as the Object is prior in order to the Act for as God condemneth none but him who is wicked so he justifieth none but who is hoâ—y and he justifiâ—th the Ungodly from their Ungodliness not in it viz. such who had been formerly ungodly being now sanctified he justifieth them and still Justification is as much the free Grace of God as our Sanctification yea both equally his free Gifts and Favour Note that Augustine cap. 26. de spir er lit doth acknowledge a twofold sense of the word Justified in Scripture 1. To make just by the inward effect of Righteousness wrought in men by the Spirit of God 2. To account reckon or repute to be just And many Protestant Writers of great note have acknowledged that twofold sense and for the first they cite Rev. 22.11 He that is just let him be just still or more justified Pag. 106. Ye say It is a great mistake in me to say that Faith is one hand to receive Christ and Love another and ye further say By Faith we receive Christ and by Love we serve him A very unlearned and foolish distinction do we not serve him both by Faith and Love Yea and we receive him by both Faith and Love and by both he dwelleth in our hearts And as ye bring no proof to contradict it so the truth of what I say is manifest for it is the Love of the Heart and Soul as well as Faith that qualifieth it to receive Christ yea Love doth most sweetly embrace Christ for it is the nature of Love to embrace its beloved Object the loving Parent embraceth the loving Child and the loving Child embraceth the loving Parent and one Friend embraceth another Friend and not only receiveth him into his House buâ— into his Heart and the â—â—ore one said The Soâ—l is more where it lovetâ— than where it breatheth and alâ— sensible Souls who know in experience whâ—t it is to love Christ wiâ—l contradict you and say with me That by and with their Love thâ—t he hath begot in thâ—m they receive Christ they embrace him and hold him as weâ—â— as by Faith It sâ—emeth too much it is your want of sâ—iritual experience in this Love that maketh you talk so widely Yea Faith as it is a fiducial act of the Soul and of the Will and not a bare assent of the Understanding hath Love and Desâ—â—e in it and belonging to the very natuâ—e and being of it as Augustine said What is it to believe in God by believing to love him and to go into him The virtue of divine Love doth wonderfully knit and unite the hearts of true Believers to Christ and one to another according to Col. 2.2 and this is felt by all that have any measure of the divine Love shed abroad in their hearts and if Love knit the heart to Christ by Love it receiveth him as that which knitteth the Graft to the Tree causeth the Graft to receive the Life and Substance of the Tree into it Ye say In my sixth Paragraph I give up the whole cause if I speak sincerely Answ I speak sincerely and accoâ—ding to the plain and genuine sence of all the words contained in it and yet I give up none of my Cause to you but still I differ from you considerably for I say in the same Paragâ—aâ—h Tâ—at real inward Holiness and Righteoâ—sâ—ess as well as Faith are the Instruments whereby â—en are jâ—stified yet they are not the Foundation and gâ—oâ—nd of Justification And as thiâ— clearâ—th us of â—opery so it doth not make us one with you unless ye and not I give up your Cause for ye say Only Faith and not real inward Holinâ—ss and Righteousness aâ—e tâ—e Instruments of Jâ—stification Pag. 107. That Paul and other Saints renounced inward Holiness and Righteoâ—sness after believing for being so much as Instruments of Justification ye can never prove though neither he nor they did build on them but on Christ the alone Foundation of Justification and of Sanctification and all other Blessings and Mercies and to be justified by Works is but a secondary Justification for inward Holiness and Righteousness planted and begot in the Soul is before Works of Righteousness as the Tree is good before it bear good Fruit and as some Worthy Protestants have said A good Tree maketh good Fruit but a Tree cannot bear good Fruit before it be good We are created by an inward Work of Christ's new creating unto good Works and therefore this new Creation
Covenants and do not show wherein Ye say The New-Covenant cannot be fallen from Again ye say It is a Contradiction that a man may be a Believer and yet but in Adam 's Covenant and fall away Whi h yet is your own Contradiction for ye have granted That the Faith that can be lost is not a false Faith and therefore if not false it is true in its manner But whether the Faith that can be lost and the Faith that persevereth and holdeth out to the end and is like to Gold and more precious than Gold differ in kind or degree is a Question too subtil and doth involve into Philosoâ—hical School-Subtilties for it is not altogether agreed among th m called Philosophers and School-men what maketh a specifical difference in all respects as whether Brass Silver and Gold differ in specie and kind or only in degree therefore such a dispute I waved and do still wave as not being so proper to be disputed in School Terms for it is best to keep to Scripture words which the holy Ghost hath dictated As Gold endureth all tryal of fire and is not consumed by it so the most precious Faith of Gods elect Saints and Children endureth all fiery Tryals of all sorts And becaus ye would appear to be such mighty Patrons Defenders of the Protestant Religion and Principles I shall cite the Testimony of Luther whom ye will not be so bold I suppose to deny but that he was a Protestant and a better man than any of you as concerning this matter and another Testimony of these who gave forth the Augustane Confession who were followers of Luther and are generally acknowledged Protestants In Luther's Mensalia cap. 13. p. 227. he saith expresly For Faith is either false or feigned or although it be upright yet it is extinguished when People witting and willfully do against Gods Command and the holy Spirit which is given to the faithful departeth and is lost through evil Works done against the Conscience as the example of David sufficiently witnesseth Thus Luther And the Augustane Confession given forth by Protestants says expresly Article 12. They condemn the Anabaptists who deny that they who are once justified can loose the holy Spirit So ye may see or if ye will shut your Eyes yet the Impartial Readers may see how it is a Doctrine of antient Protestants more antient than your New-England Model that they who are once justified may loose the holy Spirit and they who say they cannot are guilty of the Error of the Anabaptists and the Scripture Testimony is most plain that they may be Partakers of the holy Spirit and may afterwards fall away Heb. 6. So that hitherto ye have not showed any one Article of Faith wherein I or my Brethren differ either from Scripture or the best sort of Protestants for in all these matters we have both the Scipture and the best sort of Protestants on our side and therefore your Charge is false as if I or we did oppose the fundamental Articles of Salvation as ye alledge p. 127. ad fin Pag. 118. Ye falsly charge the Quakers that they boast of Perfection The honest and fober People called Qrs. hold forth the Doctrine of Pefection according to the Scripture as a state attainable by the Grace of God but boast not of their attainment they chuse rather to express any measure of Attainments they have by a good and innocent Life than by a talk of it Pag. 119. Ye falsly charge it upon me as a Cheat and Fraud That I infer it from your Dâ—ctrine that the good Works of Gods holy Spirit are defilâ—d in and by the Saints Answ I make no such â—â—ference but I did set down the express words of the Confession of the Assembly owned by you cap. 16. That the best Work of the Saints which proceed from the Spirit of God as they are wroâ—ght by them are defiled Let the Reader see the place and he will find the Cheat to be yours and not mine yea p. 119. forgetting your selves ye say expresly That the Works of the Saints which ye confess are wroâ—ght also by the holy Spirit are defiled by sin And whereas ye say The Wâ—rk is not totally perfect and totally sin yet ye teâ—â— not what part of it is not sin for the whole Work as done by you is sin which is still a Chimaera seeing that whole Work is done also by the Spirit Pag. 120. Ye blame me for alledging it to be â—our Doctrine That they must sin viz. Saints and Believers as long as they live as if there were a fatal necessity that God laid them under o so doing Answ But whether this be not the real and true sence of your Doctrine that saith No man is able by any Grace of God to keep the Commandments oâ— God but doth daily break them in Tâ—oâ—ght Word and Deed. Let Impartial Readers judge for whâ—t men cannâ—t do th y are under a necessity not to do and not to do is sin and ye say God hath decreed all this and if it be not a fatal Necessity in the sence of the Epicureans or others who held a fatal Necessity and denyed a divine Providence yet in another sence it may be called a fatal Necessity Pag. 121. Ye would cover the Impertinency of the Citation of Rom. 3.9 c. from the description of the natural state of man there given But this is but a fig-leaf for the Assembly brings that place of Scripture to prove universally That no man neither Saint nor any other can keep Gods Commandments c. And truly they are sad and miserable Saints who are in the case there described and yet as I said before too like to these in N. England whose feet were swift to shed Blood and their Throat an open Sepulchre Your answers to the places of Scripture I brought to prove the possibility of Perfection by the Grace of God are meer Assertions without any Reasons of the least seeming weight to prove them and therefore I refer both what I and Ye say to the Readers further Impartial Consideration Pag. 123. Ye say Nor was Noah so perfect but that afterwards he was drunken This is a weak Reason ye may at this rate deny that God created Adam free of all sin because after God made him he sinned We plead not for an impossibility of sinning but a possibility of not sinning by the Grace of God Ezek. 36.25 The making them clean from all their Filthyness belongs ye say to Justification Answ I doubt ye have forgot your selves sure I â—m it was the common Doctâ—ine of the Pâ—â—byterians That Justification took away the Gâ—ilt of Sin and Sanctifiâ—ation took away the Filtâ— oâ— it But now according to your New Model it seemeth Sanctification taketh no Filthilness of sin away at all and therefore aâ— in respect of Sanctification the whole filthiness of sin remains in the best Saints their heaâ—ts are as filthy inwardly as ever formerly for
continue to offer up this Dirt and Dung unto God but remember that God will cast the Dirt Dung of your Sacrifices on your faces and the Dung of your solemn Feasts according to Mal. 2.3 And surely seeing by your own confession your Prayers are Dirt and Dung they cannot be that pure Offering which God promised his People should offer up unto him Mal. 1.11 6thly Ye say Prophets do not use to call men to Repent of their holding the Truth as it is in Jesus and his Call is nothing else Ans I bid you not Repent for your holding the Truth in Jesus for that is false ye hold it not in Jesus but as ye hold many Errors in Doctrine so ye hold something of Truth in Unrighteousness according to Rom. 1.18 and I bid you Repent of your Hypocrisie Pride Vanity Blasphemy hard Speeches Cruelty c. 7thly Ye say Prophets had wont to show some proof of their Call but ye alledge I have shown none but ye have not told what proof they used to show or what proof John a great Prophet showed to the Pharisees for he wrought no Miracles their ordinary proof was Hear the Word of the Lord and Let the Lord be Witness and this is my proof who do not equal my self to any of those Prophets it sufficeth that I am one of the least of the Servants of Christ But it is hard to prove a thing to be White to a blind man or that I speak to a deaf man When ye can prove that ye have Ears to hear what God saith in his Servants or that your Earâ— are open to hear I can prove That God spoke by me unto you but ye shut your Ears against Gods Call as many did of Old and said The Lord hath not spoken when he did speak I say it with Sorrow if ye were not blind ye might see some of the Judgments of the Lord begun to be executed upon you which I was made with great sorrow to declare I did feel were to come upon the People both of Boston and New-England if they did not speedily Repent though Ye have not considered and laid it to heart yet some have and more I hope will for their Amendment but as for me I have not desired the Evil Day to come upon you but greatly desire if it be the good will of God that ye may find Mercy to Repent and so his Wrath that is began to kindle against you may be quenched And though I told you That whatever Doctrine cannot be proved from Scripture is to be rejected whatever pretence men may make to Immediate Revelation yet this doth not reach me for I bring no Doctrine but what I prove from Scripture but as for the Call that Gods Servants used to have they proved it not by Scripture but by the living Voice of God speaking in them to all who have an Ear open to hear but your Ear is shut as so was Pharoah's Ear against God's Call in Moses though accompanied in him with great Miracles and as some believed that saw no Miracles of old so many did not believe that did see them and so would it be now if Miracles were wrought In your Appendix which containeth a poor empty shadow of Answer to my Letter unto you I need not take notice of all your Impertinencies nor reply unto them as judging it loss of time and paper Ye say 1st Ye hope ye have now given a satisfactory Reason why ye called my Letter a Blasphemous and Heretical Paper But your hope will prove vain I freely leave it to all that are sober and able to judge in these matters 2dly Ye think ye have now found spiritual Weapons if the Word of God be the Sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 But the Word of God ye are ignorant of and also of the Scripture that testifie of it and ye have only wrested and abused some places of Scripture to defend your bad Cause as I have made sufficiently already appear 3dly Ye say your preaching is open and ye shut out none but those that will not come But this is a poor excuse do ye not deny to give us a fair hearing when if any come to answer to your false accusations and gain-say your false doctrine before they can speak one sentence they are carried away to the Goal 4thly Ye alledge when I came unto you your Liberties were taken away But this is a notorious Falsehood ye had all the Liberty that we or I had or could be desired None of your Meetings were disturbed by them in Authority nor no Prohibition to hinder you fairly to debate things of Religion only ye had not power to persecute as formerly and your Sun of Persecution was set 5thly Ye falsly alledge I boast of my great Conquest for I only publish your Cowardice And that ye say Ye suppose ye have made my Cake appear to be Dough it is but a supposition and hath nothing of truth in it 6thly Ye say Ought not the Shepherd to be aware when the Wolf comes to his Flock But suppose I were a Wolf as I thank God I am not when the Woâ—f cometh among your flock openly should the Shepherds abscond and not give the Wolf an open Assault Is this the way to defend your Flock unless ye did judge that by your open appearing in a publick Dispute ye would discover your weakness 7thly Ye say Ye knew I was a Quaker and therefore doubted my design But I told you plainly what my design was viz. To discover you to be Teachers of false Doctrine in many things 8thly Ye say I give no demonstration that I came in the Will of the Lord unto you But ye should say ye are blind and cannot see it as all false Teachers and Persecuters were who did not acknowledge that the true Servants of God who came unto them were sent of God 9thly Ye falsly and without all shadow of proof say It was of God doubtless to leave him in the hands of Satan to be thus acted I value not your false Judgment further than to pitty your great Blindness 10thly Ye say I have set you a President viz. To Lye and Rail but ye follow it not But let all sober and impartial Readers judge whether ye have not both Lyed and Railed most grosly and tho' I have used some sharp words towards you according to your desert as Gods Servants have done formerly against men of your Spirit yet my tender Conscience beareth me witness with the help of God that I have neither lyed nor railed upon you 11thly Ye say It hath been proved that I bring another Doctrine than that of Christ But ye say it and that is all And whereas I told you an Heretick tho' I am none should be twice admonished before he is rejected Ye answer Have I not been more than so But I say I never to this day received Admonition from any Church Presbyterian or other according to due Church