David even when he was guilty mark that of adultery and murder such sins as for which the Scripture when he lay impenitent under them denotes and excepts him as a man not upright a despiser of God and his Commandemenes A doer of evil in his sight 2 Sam 12. whom God also had not mercy on but did both condemn and severely judge with no lesse then Hellish horrors for his filth blood-guiltinesse till he had repented for it and was throwly purged from it Psalm 51. was not in a condemned but in a justified estate So that the sum of T.D. and those Doctors Doctrine that side with him therein is this viz to begin the dance right David while he commited adultery and murder not repenting was guilty before God and consequently not just nor justified but condemned for whom God holds not guiltlesse but guilty they are not justified accepted acquitted absolved approved but which is all one accused reproved condemned in his sight Yet to go round again David while he committed adultery and murder not yet repenting was not guilty before God but held guiltlesse not condemned nor reprobated or reproved but cleared acquitted absolved excused approved For between the two slates of guilty and not guilty non datur medium Contradictions Confusions and Rounds about Liberty of Conscience II. As to the Doctrine for Liberty of Conscience and against persecution for cause of Conscience in matters of Religion One while they tell the world the doctrine and practice of rigid imposing upon any sub penâ or persecuting any tender Consciences for beleeving and living according to their conviction or denying to beleeve or live contrary thereunto is a Bloody Tenet a way to make more hypocrites that for fear will conform to what they beleeve not to be truth then true Christians an evident note of a false Church and Antichristian Ministry that is degenerate and apostatized from the true pure Primitive Church of Christ which never did compel any by force and violence to be Christians but rather suffered all sorts of sorrowes and bare all manner of abuses from the whole world of false Worshippers whether Heathens or Nominal Christians barely for confessing to the truth of Christ and testifying against the evil lives of all Christs enemies whether such as hated the very outward name of Christ or such as named his Name and yet departed not from iniquity and were every where cursed yet blessed the cursers of them prayed for such as persecuted them intreated those that desamed and ill-intreated them and were patient silent when reviled and buffeted beaten banished as Vagabonds because for truths sake they often left their own Homes and had no certain dwelling place as seditious tumultuous disturbers of the peace because they peaceably went into Synagogues to reason and preach the Gospel of peace as turners of the world upside down because they sought to change men from their evill manners foolish customs vain inventions and wicked wayes that were abominable to God and to bring them to repentance from their dead works and worships in which their souls could never live to worship the living God who is a Spirit and not tyed to places in Spirit and in truth in the inner parts and to turn all men from the darknesse wherein they lived in the world without to the Light of Christ within themselves and from the power of Satan unto God Sometimes I say our great Gamaliels not only grant these things but also give them out for truth to the Civill Powers of the Earth most especially then and that with no small greedinesse when the Clergy of one kind feel themselves begin to be griped under the greedy clutches of the Clergy of another colour when they are likely to be imposed upon by others and to be clapped down under hatches by the Clerical cruelties of each other respectively As for example where ever the Papal or Roman or else the Presbiterian Primacy keeps the Keys spreads their Black Eagles clams over all others hath the power of permitting or poenal imposing there the Prelatick Pastoralty pleads his priviledge to have the liberty of his Liturgy he behaving himselfe no otherwise then peaceably among them Where the Episcopal Priesthood holds his Hierarchy and is Supream there as the Papal would willingly have his liberty and I blame none neither Iews Turks nor Heathens for desiring the like to walk every one in the Name of his God Mich 4. Soth that Right-rigid Scottish Presbiterian Race and that Mongrill seed of loose IndependentPresbiters are more loud for liberty then any other sort of Sectaries so called whatsoever who do all no lesse rationally then they they demeaning themselves peaceably as the very Principle of the Quakers binds them to do to all men require each the peaceable enjoyment of his Religion Church-Ministry fellowship faith and way of Worship under them When the Rabbies are ready to be Ridden one by another witnesse the Outcries once of New-England against Old when under the heat of far lesse Persecution from the Bishops then they have acted since themselves Old England it self was too hot to hold them also the present pleadings not only for their Directorian Liberties but Turpe et miserabile their very Livings Tythes Preferments and their Places now the Common Prayer Book Priesthood whom they unhorsed hath his foot in the Stirrup again and may not unlikely push the Presbiter besides the Saddle then Oh then what Hue and Cry against the bloody Tenet of Persecution and grievous groans for this desire of all Nations and People Liberty of Conscience Liberty of Conscience do we dayly hear from Smectimnuus his own as well as others mouthes Otherwhiles again yea ever when the Clergy of any one colour hath by either craft or conquest catcht the Keyes of the Kingdome and atchieved the Holy chaire they straightway clap their cruell clawes upon them to the keeping down by force of Armes more then Arguments all Liberty for any consciences but their own Then to go round again come let us sing a new Song Behold cry the Counsellers of Egypt the People of the children of Israell are more c. Exod. 1.9 10 11. As Pharoah said unto his people Behold the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier then we Come on let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to passe that when there falls out any war they joyn also unto our enemies and fight against us and so get them up out of the Land Therefore they did set over them Taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens and they built for Pharoah Treasure cities Pithom and Raamses Then they set Taskmasters Then say the Sanballats and Tobiasses the Ammonites and Ashdodite as they Neh. 4.1 2 7 8 11. But it came to passe that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall he was wroth and took great indignation and mocked the Iews And he spake before his brethren and the
Ebriaris sic titubâsque ' grotas Haud dubes nunc nunc dubitas ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã O Sacerdos ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Quî sit ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Quod scis hoc nescis quast in Orbe Rotas Vertis Hûc Illûc modo circa Rotas Fluctuas curris modo retro Rotas Undique Rotas Usque dum rotas rotulasque Rotas Nectis in Rotis rotaÌtimque Rotas Tota dum TENET toÌtätimque Totas OPERA ROTAS ROTAS OPERA TENET AREPO SATOR Dixi haud magis malus Piscator ac Tu ac Tui O Sacerdos estis pâssimi Pisces qui ni Regeneremini Rejiciemini in aeternum In Vi Via Vita Virtute ac Veritate Domini si Salvabimini Salvetotâ Sam Fisher. FINIS Christ's Light SPRINGING Arising up shining forth and displaying it self thorow the whole World from under that Priestly Darkness wherewith it hath been clouded and overcast by the space of one Thousand two Hundred Sixty years in this our Antichristian-Christian World Sect. 1. OUr Testimony and that Truth to which We bear Testimony who by those to whom Wo is forasmuch as they Tremble not at the Word of God are scornfully stiled Quakers is no different thing nor another but plainly One and altogether the same which all the Holy Men and Prophets of God hâve have held forth as also Christ himself and all his Apostles and Ministers as many as have spoken as they were moved of God from the beginning of the world to this very day 2. For even as They whose Testimony who even few or none either believed or received so We who are of her children of all and only whom Wisdom is justified give Testimony to Wisdom it self not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world who come to nought but to that hidden Wisdom which none of the Princes of this world knew for had they known they would not Crucifie the Lord of Glory the Wisdom of God is a Mystery even the Light of the Lord God and Jesus Christ who are Light and in whom is no darkness at all yea to that glorious Light that is now arising to enlighten that Holy City New Ierusalem where now there is to be no more night into which nothing shall in any wise enter that defileth 3. Concerning which Light Christ himself said to Paul being now truly converted to it which he persecuted before throw the blindness of his mind I now send thee to the Nations to open their eyes and to turn them from the darkness to the Light from the Power of Satan unto God that they may receive Remission of sins an inheritance among those that are sanctified by faith that is in me 4. Neither was this the business and Ministry which Paul onely received of God that he might fulfil it but Iohn alâo testines that this was the Message which he together with the rest of Christ Ministers had received from Châist himself to declare which was also fâom the beginning not any new thing however it might seem new as being clouded till the darkness was past and the true Light shined again out of the darkness that sometime clouded it but the old thing which was from the beginning namely that God is Light and in him is no darkness at all and that If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie do not the truth but if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have mutual fellowship with him and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin moreover that who saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now 5. Concerning which Light of God of which the Scripture every where speaketh and from which inlightning the Penmen thereof the Scripture it self was given forth which also was which also shined in the heart of man long befere the Scriptures were we together with the Scripture the writers thereof do testify this self same thing namely that a certain measure certain beams were of old and now are given of God in the conscience of every of them to the sons of men who although God made them after his own Image upright blameless have yet sought out to themselves both various and vain inventions and corrupted their wayes and erred and as to any help they can have from themselves are in a manner wholly perished from the true God from the true knowledge of him whom truly to know is Life Eternal and from all Communion with him to shine in their dark heart as a Light in a dark place to bring them back through the condâmnation of their evill deeds word and thoughts and of that whole Chaos of confusion and corruption that came in by the fall which condemnation this Light will bring on all that take good heed to it and through the mortification of that old man and body as well as of death as sin with all its earthly members and in a word of all whatever in man is contrary to the Image and Will of God and turn them back unto God unto that primitive state of purity righteousness and innocency from which they departed to worship Images in their own imaginations to know and to worship the true God who is a Spirit truly in Spirit in Truth with which worship onely the Lord is worshipped according to his will and lastly to enjoy such Spiritual Peace Communion with him as none are by any means possible as is aforesaid capable of while they are alienated from him by the darkness of iniquity while they remain in their Transgression incorrigible and unconverted 6. For both Iews and Gentiles as it is written are concluded all under sin there is not one Righteous no not one there is none that under standeth there is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one their throat is an open Sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of Asps is under their lips their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their feet is swift to shed blood wasting and misery is in their wayes and the way of peace they have not known there is no fear of God before their eyes so that every mouth is stopped and the whole world become guilty before God for al have sinned and fâll short of the glory of God 7. This is the state of all maâkând seperated by the fall from the Light into the darkness among whom even all of what oever Sex Nation Language Condition or Age at least that is capable to discern between good and evil I say all may say within themselves we are lost we are gone down headlong into the utmost darkness into extream damnation from God Neither is their any other way to life exhibited but by Iesus Christ the Light of
thereunto that he is comparatively to such â one but as the âeast of the field that perisheth yet in the Fall he hath all that is Essential to him as a man and flowing ex principirs naturae But and this may be an Addition to the other Arguments in the Book if it be not touch't upon therein already Gods Law or Light in the consciences of all men which we call them to though given of God in some not the same measure at first to All so that universally every Individual or hath or hath had somthing of it yet through mans not using it well may he yet remaining Essentially a man be totally taken from him as the Talent from the sâothfull and darkness come upon him and be left to walk in utter darkness and to stumble in that dismall night of which its said then and of that time he that walketh in it knows not whether he goes and to stumble not only because he hates the Light as he did before while yet he had it but because now he hath it ãâã and because now there is no light left in him Of which Light and of its universality and sufficiency to save such as seek God in it and how it 's a supernatural spirituall gift and grace of God to all men where it is and not the naturall faculty of mans understanding only as our Opponents pittifulây praââe to prove it is is most plainây proved in the 4th Exeâcitation from p. 49 to p. 194. and made more apparent in the Appendix also And when we assert the Ministry of Christ to be an infallible Ministry and the Spirit of God by which his Ministers are ever guided in the work of his Ministry for they are out of his Ministry or Service and in the Devils at that time who ever are at any time guided by any other is an infallible Spirit for God hath no fallible Spirit that we know of and that all the directions leadings and guidances of that Spirit are infallible which Spirit hath no fallible guidance as J. O. little lesse then seems to intimate he has that we know of and consequently that All who are led by that Light or Spirit are so far infallibly led and that all and only they are the Sons of God that are led by that Spirit of God and that God hath Children at this day in the world and so consequently that at this day his Ministers and Children who are all âaught of God are infallibly taught as they attend to that Anointing that 's given to be their Teacher that leads into all truth which Spirit of Christ also whoever hath not as his teacher is none of Christ's Then they bely us as saying of our selves that we as of our selves as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as J.O. flouts are infallible Whereas we say no such thing at all of our selves nor of any men but that All men as in themselves and in the Fall are no more then fallible But because men in the Fall are fallible liable of themselves to erre still as they are erred already to their own ruine Therefore God in his love hath sent his Son a Light into the Nations So to be his Salvation to the ends of the earth to lighten them that sit in darkness and to guide their feet in the way of peace out of the crooked paths they are in in which who walks can never know peace and that the Light and Spirit of him who is the Light of the world the Lord that Spirit which is Truth it self and no Lye is lent as the Letter speaks of it to every man even that True Light that enlightneth every man that comes into the world given to lead him back infallibly unto God from whom it comes who can be known out of that no more then the Sun can be seen by any other Light then what shines from it self in which Light wherein he looks after the Lost whoever look after him are not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and shall find that Salvation of which he says Look ye unto me and be ye saved All ye ends of the earth Of the Infallibility of which Light and Spirit and of its guidance of all Christ's Ministers and Children and of all men also so far only and no further then as they are led by it as of old so at this day there is much said in answer to those Ignes fatuos that fain the contrary in the 4 Exercitation from p. 1. to p. 47. And because we call on men as the Scripture does to perfect holiness in Gods fear and to cleanse themselves from all uncleannesse of Flesh and Spirit then which there is no more as a thing attainable by Christs grace and Power only improved as a thing not only Possible to be done here as God requires who calls not for Impossibilities from his People on pain of Eternall Punishment if they Perform it not but also needfull and necessary to be done here if they mean to do it at all sith as Themselves say with Vs against the Pope there 's no Purgatory in the World to come They commonly accuse Vs of saying in A Self-Vaunting Proud Disdainfull Vain-glorious Boasting Way over all other men of our selves that we are perfect and as J. O. impudently intimates that we impudently Glory in it that we are free from not only Hypocrisyes Fraud Wickedness Lyes which it seems he can't Glory yet that by the Grace of God he is yet free from but even from all other even the very least evils and so would have us have Punitiones Incarrationes Punishments Prisons c. for so saying Whereas we use not to bear Testimony to our selves but to the Truth of Carist and though by the Grace of God only We are what We are and His Grace to whom alone therefore We give the Glory and not to our selves who have nothing but what we have received and Glory not as some do in Sin and Shame nor boast as they do in evill doing of anything that 's Good As if we had not received it is not in vain so but that our walking is such that they can't accuse some of us Justly of the least Evills yet we Testify the Truth rather as a Doctrine to all Teaching not what our selves are what ere we are so much as what both We and All men should be and also may be by the Grace of God who is not wanting to us if we be not wanting to our selves and must be also viz. Deniers of all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and Godly Righteous Sober Livers in this present world or else it had been better men had never been born seeing for them that loose their day for it here it 's too late to begin that life in the world to come where there is no Purgatory nor place for Repentance though it shall be then sought carefully with Teares Pro. 1. Math. 25. Luke 13. In this Doctrine
in one Field i. e. the World or Civil States thereof untill the Harvest and to let Religion alone which is that alone that Crushes them to Pieces while they Meddle much to Make it and Cumber themselves more with it then God Requires to Stand or Fall as True or False by its own Power and Evidence which is that of the Spirit without the Interposition of any External Arm of Flesh sâretcht out in Persecution of any to Establish it For not by Might nor Power but by My Spirit saith the Lord and leave All People who if his Word Alone may not Winn them have leave so to do from God Himself so they 'l take from Him what comes on 't at last to Walk Every One in the Name of his God and Leave Gods Own People who have no leave from Him to do otherwise to walk in the Name of the Lord their God from henceforth and for ever If ye go about to make Religion a meeâ Engine whereby in Pollicy to Establish your selves and make it not rather your own Main Design to Establish It and that ye can never do Positively by making Lawes for the bringing of All to such or such a Particular Form of it but Permissively only by suffering all People to be of what Faith toward God they find Evidence for in the Light of God within themselves while they Live in Peace and Faithfulnesse in their Civil Dealings and Demeanour one by another which is the Pleasure of the Lord concerning You in that Particular your Work of Settlement shall never Prosper long as theirs hath not done who have lately gone before You for the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it O my Bowells my Bowells How have I been Pained at my Heart to see each of those Three Several Churches of Christians that Sit still under the Shadow of their Selfish Shepheards under the Cloudy Conceits of their Several Clergies so called viz. Papal Prelatick Presbyterial each of which will be National or Not at All Wearying themselves and their Poor Christ'n Creatures with no other then the Greatnesse of their own Way and each as it were no lesse then Moâe Ruentem Sua Suis ut Ipsa Roma Viribus Ruit That they All and All others also walking in Love and Peace might stand so long as they are able by Arguments without Armes to uphold them or any Armour to Shield them but only the Armour of Light by the Evidence of their Own Words without the Edge of either the Civil Shepheards or the Souldiers Swords Swaying to any side any more then to see that the Civil Peace be Preserved by them all is my Desire It would then in Coolnesse soon be seen clearly whose God it is that is the Lord and by each Single Searcher that the Lord alone is God and such as are for him would also follow him and such as seeing no other God then Baal are for him would also follow him and each man be well Contented to Live and Dye in the Service of and Receive his Reward from his Own God And they whose Dagon cannot Stand but Fall before the Ark of the Living God would be seen to be but of that Wretched Race And if yet any are so Devoted to their Own False God though they see He cannot stand in the Presence of the True God that they 'l Set Him up Again rather then they 'l Own the True One let the Philistines Erect their Dagons after they are down as oft as they will even till they fall again and Break to Pieces they shall have Liberty withall my heart to Set them up for themselves to Worship but shall never Set them Up again any more for me who know that what ever is pure Religion in the Sight of that Generation who are Pure in their Own Eyes and yet are neither Washed from their Filthinesse nor have Faith they shall be while they Live in this World whether they Own or Own not a Purgatory in that to Come Yet that pure Religion that is Undefiled before God is to Visit the Fatherless and Widow in their Aflictions and to keep a Mans Self Unspotted of the World Those Men who abide Stedfast Unmovable abounding in such works of God as the Light Leads to Find their Labour not in Vain in the Lord But whoever seem to be Religious and are Unbridled and not Ruled and Ordered by Gods Own Spirit in their Spirits Speeches and Conversations and much of that sort of Religion there is among Christians as was once among Jewes and is in all men whom God made Upright but that they seek out many Inventions which the Scripture calls Vain Oblation Isa. 1.13 Vain Conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 Vain Customes Jer. 10.3 Vain Worship Matth. 15. Vain Faith 1 Cor. 15. Jam. 2. Vain Shew Psal. 39.4 Vain Thoughts Jer. 4.14 These mens Religion is all but Vain As it 's all but Novel and Narrow to the Oldest which is most True and most Catholike or Universal As true as is that there are many Religions in the World so 't is that each Religion Pleads it Self to be the Truest and from no lesse then it 's own greater Antiquity and Universality then all the Rest and I as truly know both That Church and it's Religion to be both the Eldest and the Largest which is by blind Men judged to be the Least Last and Newest as I willingly yeild the Eldest and Largest to be the Truest And if that of the Quakers so called which is counted to be the most Small and Upstart be not the most Catholike and Antient that is in the World however now Disguised by the Serpents Subtilty under the Newest of those Nicknames which the World never wanted in any Age wherewith to Render the Right Religion Odious I here professe my Readiness to Renounce it But if it be And there needs not much to do to prove it so to be Sith to Tremble at Gods Word and Walk in his Light and in an Innocent Honest Humble Harmless Holy Life the very End of all Outward Observations in which Gods Kingdom nor Stands nor comes but in Power and a more Hidden and Inward Righteousness Peace and Joy Required once by God and now by men practiced pretendedly to the self same End and to do as we would have others to do to us which saith Christ is the Law and the Prophets the Sum and Substance of all their Doctrine the Hight of which is that Love that Loves Enemies does Good against Evil and Works no Ill to the Neighbour and so Fulfills the Royal Law which is the whole of the Quakers work as to God and of their Message from him to the World is no other then the same that was Universal as to time from the beginning even from Abel Enoch Noah who walk't with God in this Life by the Light which only leads to it long before any at all of that Letter which came from the Light and leads to it ever was to Walk
for thy Credits sake concerning our mouths being stopt our being silenced our having nothing to say our sitting down as astonish'd and p. 8. 13. 18. as if it had been with T.D. as 't was with Christ when the Scribes were silenced by him So that from that time forward none durst ask him any more Questions being so astonisht at his Vnderstanding and Answers Matth. 22.46 Whereas I who was as likely to have seen it as T.D. discern'd no such thing among any of us as being silenced and having our mouths stopt from having any thing to say save only that we were often silenced and stopt from uttering that we ever had to say by the wicked ragings of thy turbulent spirited people who were ever foaming out their own shame and casting up mire and dirt in a restle's manner till we were silent when uttering any thing whereby they perceived thee likely to be hampered Nor know I any of us that were astonished at any thing that was seen in T.Ds. Disputes more then ordinary save the bruitish stupidity of some of his Dâctrinal Assertionâ which though he sayes he blushes not at himself in his Epistle to the second Pamphlet but is so far from being asham'd of that as he two or three times own'd them audaciously before so he there professes if all the World could hear his voice he would confess as his Faith to this day Yet I know some asham'd and astonisht at his un-Saint-like sottishness therein more especially those two or three which I shall name only here being elâewhere to examine them viz. his holding it with T.R. that 't is a Doctrine of Devils to preach a possibility of mens freedome from sin in this life p. 47. 2 His saying that David when he was guilty of Adultery and Murder was not in a condemned state but in a justified estate 3 That Pauls own righteousness and so all the Saints righteousnesses inherent are Christs and no other then what they receive from him and he works in them and serve though not for Iustification and right to the Inheritance yet for Sanctification and to make meet for possession of it and yet are no other then dung and filthy rags p. 15.22 As for any Astonishment unless it were at the grossness of these other of thy absurd Doctrines and thy own impudent persistance in them I know none in any of us But 't is like T.D. thou wast concern'd on the account of thy prayer thus to relate our mouths to be stopped Thou tellst the world p. 1. That after a brief Account of the occasion of the Dispute and after a short prayer thou mad'st for a blessing on the Meeting which as short as it was will be long enough ere it be heard considering first that God hears not sinners and secondly that the things askt were not according to the Will of God for as one of the two grand Petitions of it was That we poor wretches might be made to acknowledge the Light in us to be darkness which we never have done nor shall do I trust any more then its utterly unfit we should for we know its the Eternal Light of the Lord Iesus Christ and the only true Light that leads to Eternal Life so the other was that our mouths might be so stopt that we might not say any thing Which two Petitions as we did not joyn with thee in thy putting up so since thou sawst thou purst up in vain there being no answer to them from God 't was as vain for thee in the Account of thy Prayer to set them down whereupon or else upon some other occasion thou forbearst it which that it might not seem altogether unanswered as I hear say it was we have now and then such a showre as this sprinkled up and down here and there in thy Account of the Dispute that we were silent had nothing to say sate down astonisht and had our mouths stopt And as I said above if there were all we said that thou sent down though as it stands in that cursory way thou renderst it in it stands strong enough against thy pitteous Pot-gun Pellets and poor Replyes it might also seem true that as thou prayedst and mad'st intercession against us so it fell out indeed viz. that we were sometimes silent having well nigh nothing to say for of about twenty houres conference that was held between us three and T.D. in those three daies nine or ten whereof may well be supposed to be ours thou ãâã down to us as much as may be spoken over in about half one half hour or in half a quarter and yet entitlest this thy diminutive doings A true Account of those Discourses A true Relation of what passed and yet in all this thou art so far from blushing or being asham'd that though G.W. truly and justly charg'd it on thee in his book how thou wrongedst us by laying down things in our names which we never spake and diminishing from our words and making false âoâstructions In the Epistle of this Second part to the same tune thou impudently declarest that howbeit thou art come upon the Stage once more not without a blush yet 't is not as one ashamed of thy Doctrines nor yet as one conscious to thy self of wronging the Qua. in thy Relation of the Disputes between thee and them either by laying down things in their Names they never spâke âr diminishing from their words or making false constructions of them which is enough well nigh to make a modest man blush to hear thee say in Answer to G.Ws. Charge and yet not blush at it since its most notoriously evident to all that will see when they may thou hast both added to and altered by false construction and diminisht from our words to the absolute abusing of us to the World 1 Altered thou hast and faultred fonly in that very thing wherein G.W. instances as concerning Justification by the Righteousness of Christ and his Spirits working in us which the Spirit calls Ours which thou constâuest and so represent'st it to the world as if I had said we are justified by such Works of Ours as are filthy rags as we confess all Our Righteousnesses wrought one of Christ are but not any of those of the Church which Christ works in them as he did in Paul after his Conversion which thou mayst blush at thy blasphemy in calling filthy rags as if Christ vvrought a righteousness in his people which is no better then an unclean thing âung and filthy rags of vvhich more anon Whereas I said only by those good vvorks vvhich are vvrought by him in us and vve vvork in his Povver and Spirit Did I say T.D. vve stand just before God by any unclean thing by dung and filthy rags ãâ¦ã indeed the Righteousness of Christ vvhich is imparted to the Saints and Inherent in them by vvhich they stand pure in Gods sight truly and not suppositively only dung an unclean thing and
because the Priests are generally vile and naught do endeavour to bring people who are begâiled into the false and bad opinion of them that they are good and men of God Ministers of Christ and such like when it s nothing less to that good true and right opinion of them that they are but Ministers of mens making and men of Sin and not of God But ââth the Qua. are excepting such as are so named for comming among them who are no more of them nor owned by them then all they are Israel that are called Israel an Innocent Honest Trueâ Iust Righteous Pure Peaceable people and thou say'st its a Bad Opinion of them to think of them as ill as thou would'st have men in that as Caiphas the Priest of old not of himself but as he was ordered unawars to speak more truth of Christ then he himself was aware of thou hast said truly and judg'd thy self as an unjust and evill doer in begetting in peoples minds Bad Opinions of Good men and justified the Qua. as a generation of Iust Ones against thy will T. D. Thou say'st thou shalt blow away the dust the Qua. raise with their Feet Rep. Throwing Dust in the Aire casting mists and thereby blinding men from seeing the Light and Gospell that 's the work of Demetrius the Silver Smith and his Companions who by the craft of holding up false Worships had their wealth and not of Paul the Qua. who are men of like occupation with him these make no Trade of Preaching much less of hiding the Gospell as ye do but seek to publish it freely and what in them lyes to make it without charge T. D. Thou shuttest up thy Epistles to thy Reader with thy short Prayers to this purpose that thâse men the Qua. may proceed no further but that their folly may be manifested to all men 2 Tim. 3.9 And that we henceforth be no more Children tossed too and fro with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive but speaking the Truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ is the earnest Prayer of Thy Servant for Iesus sake T. D. That thou maist not know the depths of Satan as they speak Rev. 2.24 But maist hold fast that Doctrine which thou hast already v. 25. is the Prayer of Thy Servant in the work of the Gospel T. D. Rep. Thou art very full of these ejaculatory supplications but thy ejaculations against the Qua. be ever too short to enter into the Eares of the Lord of Hosts to obtain ought of that thou desirest thou maist save thy breath and keep thy Darts to thy self they do but reflect back upon thee dream what thou wilt in the darke as to thy audience and acceptance we know as well as he who e eyes Christ opened heretofore Ioh. 9.24 to 32. that God heares not sinners much less such as thou art who not only beleivest thou maist but even must sin also while thou livest and so regard'st iniquity as to plead against those as broaching of the Devils Doctrine who plead a perfect purging and freedom from it in this world Wert thou a Worshipper of God and doer of his will which none doth while he sins though thou dreamest men may be in a justified Estate while Committing of Adultery and Murder he would heare thee for his spirit would then guide thee to aske according to his will and such things only as are well pleasing in his sight and to make intercession for his Saints and not against them as thou often dost and thou should'st know also as they do that thou hast the things thou desirest of him 1 Ioh. 5.14 15. but poore wretched man that thou art it s now quite otherwise thy sins lye at the doore and shut out thy Cains Sacrifices from comming up as incense in the sight of God so that thou fallest and loosest daily more and more for all thy Prayers the Qua. both have and will proceed yet further and by the Wisdome of God in them will both the Lyars the Lyâns mouths be stop't at laââ and thine and thy fellows folly be manifested to all men as that of old Iannes and Iambâs was who in their corrupt minds withstood and resisted Mâses and the Truth 2 Tim. 3.9 and while thy self and all that heed the wind of thy Doctrine unless ye take more heed to the light within shall be henceforth as ye have been hitherto as Children tossed too and fro and driven like the Weathercock which way so ere the wind blowes and turned about as the Priest and his Parish ever hath been into what posture mould or mouldy Religion soever the times happen to settle in the Qua. who are stated on that Corner Stone ye builders refuse on the suââ ãâã the Rââââf agâs Christ the Light of the world and Life of all that hear his Voyce will stand upright and not fall nor be wiâdâd about any more by the âlight of the Shepheards that have driven them from Mountain to Hill in the dark and gloomy day nor catcht by the cunning Craftiness whereby the Clergy lye in wait to deceive but know not so as to own or approvâ yet so as to â Scâân and disprove the depths of Satan as they speak and when thou and thine shall be forced to let go what ye have and holdâ and hold forth for the Doctrine of God by tradition from men the Qua. shall hold fast what Doctrine they have already learnt from God himself and shall not in that thy Complementall form of words who as the old Servus Servorum Dâi doth when that he may be Dâmârus Dâmiâorum is that he more desires subscribest thy self thy Servaut in the work of the Gospel for Iâsus sake while thou art indeed one of those Master Ministers that serve for filthy Lucres sake against both Iâsus and his Gospel but denying your usurped Mastership be made able Ministers of the Gospel or New Testament not of your dead Letter but of the Life and Spirit and speaking the truth in Love and not lies in Envy and Hypocrisie as ye do grow up into him in all things even into his likeness and the Image measure and Stature of the fullness of him who is the Head even Christ into whose likeness though ye live like the Devill here ye look to grow in the world to come only and not before Thus far as to thy petty pair of painted Prologues and as really piteâs as seemingly pious Apologies or Epistolary Prefaces to thy two Paultry Pieces CHAP. II. Now as to thy two more Notorious Narratives whereby as by the Epistles on the one so thy two Butterflies are on the other side as with so many wings born up and furnished to fly apace through the world that is in love with lyes I shall need to say the less to them by how much some of the many lves
that are laid down theâein are already laid open to the view of all in his Reply thereunto stiled the Devil ãâã i gâd by L.H. who together with my self and others by name as well as all the people called Qua. are most Egregiously abused and belied therein Nevertheless since thou art so impudently obstinate in that course of prating printing out of lyes as to this day rather to justifie thy self then which would farr more become thee to judge thy self as an evill doer in so doing that all such as have not devoâed themselves to be deluded by thy deceitfull doings rather then to know the truth concerning the Qua. in such matters wherein thou as falsly as fâwly accusest them may beware of beleiving thee any more as many do by implicit Faith I shall give the world a further tast of that Light Treacherous and lying Spirit which speaks in thee as it did in the false Prophets of old who blinded the peoples eyes with their many mis-reports from receiving the truth the true Prophets told them which lying Spirit proves them sufficiently in whom it is how ere they may stile themselves so as thou T. D. dost to be no true Ministers of the Gospell Report said the old lyars of Ieremie and we will Report it raise but a lye and wee 'l send it abroad farr and neer So T. D. fee p. 1. of his second Narrative appeares to have certain Emissaries and Earewigs that go out and gather what unsavoury materiall's they can rake out of the Excrements of the Qua. and such dunghilly stuff and lyes and bad Constructions of good actions c as are either made by himself or made ready to his hand by his Agents he layes by him and trussing his tales together into two Tractacles or nasty Narratives as Antickly Annexes them as Appendicular at the fagg-end of his other fancies Bagg and Baggage fit for nothing more indeed then to sollow in the Reare of such pittifull Polemicalls as the two pieces are they are annexed to T. D. Thou stil'st the materialls of thy two Narratives Remarkable passages and matters of undoubted Credit Rep. Remarkable they are indeed and so much the more by how much they are for the most part either apparently foolish or flatly false and where true as some few of them are either miserably mis-represented wrested and perverted to wicked ends or untruly used as premises from whence to inferr thy most abominably false Conclusions and to confirm other men in bad opinions of the Qua whereupon for the truths sake which thouseekest thereby to bring into contempt I shall here Remarke the most Remarkable of them and the rather first because in thy second title page thou so malepertly Challengest any to disprove thee in the words of Iob saying if it be not so now who will make me a Lyar and make my speech nothing worth 2. Because even in this very ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or nick of time wherein my Enervation or discovery of the Nakedness of thy two Narratives is but now newly come under my hand and pen in order to its passage through the press whereat I write this I am presented with a third printed Toy of thine T.D. to the same Tone stiled the Lye Returned to Luke Hâward or a Vindication of Thomas Danson Minister of Sandâiâh from the Imputation of belying the Quakers wherein thou sayst L. H. in his called the Devils Bow unstringed is impudent in denying severall matters of fact charg'd upon himself and others of his perswasion in thy two Naratives and in representing thee the Publisher thereof as a Forger of Lyes in which shuffling Trifle or sorry shift of halfe a sheet for 't is nor more nor better of meer wast paper as closely as thou conceivest thou hast lapt and laid thy self up as in a bed of Lavender and in thy Vipeâous hissings and Lyings against the Light Lyest hid velut Anguis in herba among such silly Seers as See with thy eyes yet thy new Bed of Lyes is too short for thee to Lye long at ease upon and that half sheet of thine is a covering too narrow for thee to wrap thy self in from the wrath of God as well as too ragged and tottered and torn and thin if 't were a whole one to shelter thy shame from the sight of such as see by the Light of Christ who view thee in all thy venomous ventings of thy malice through the thickest Vail thou seekest to shrowd thy self under nor will thy certificates obtained procured by thy self published under the hands of thy pair of Iohns viz. Io. Laigneile and Io. Davis of Dover one of which I love so well as to tell him that if as the Proverb is he play not Iack on both sides 't will be the better for him nor of thy pair of Unminister like Mr. Williams Russelâ and Wingfield who will never Win the Field with lyes against the Children of the Truth nor oft' other Thomas viz. thy part-Taker Tâomas Morris who is as very an Infidell toward Christ Disciples till he see and feel our Testimonies to be undeniably true as thy self and all the three other Thomasses that are so ready to sweare what ere thou sayst nor the self contradicting Testimony of thy Trustee Mr. Vinter Minister of Couewold nor any other of thy despicable disproofs so moderate the matter but that thou wilt appear to be a Foster-Father to those Forgers of Lyes who have brought thee into the praemunire of publishing to thy own shame what their heads have hatched and their pates prepared for thy pen and put upon thee to pâint and publsh in thy folly to all the world as will by and by appear in the examination of each of thy Lyes as thy Lye laid down in thy last Narrative T. D. As to thy Tale of L. Hs. Sending his Horse and Man for me to be aâ a dâscouâse appointed between him and W. Russell a Priest and that his man was seen to come out of Dover on his Horse overnight and myself sâân to Ride into the Town the next morning upon the same Horse which story thou tellest for truth with such Confidence too that besides that forementioned common Epethite thou givest to all thy lyes viz they are of undoubted Credit thou here addest that it was manifest I was seât for on purpose and that in denying it we Lyâ and have not so much morall honesty as to speak Truth in matters of Fact and such like Rep. I here as L. H. hath also done declare against that manifold piece of Naâraâive so Pâmpuâly predicated as a most Aârand manifest Lye in every inch of it as having no truth in it from the Head to the Tâyl that I can find fâom one end thereof even to the other for neither did L. H. send his Horse or Man at all for me o're night nor did I âide into Dâver on L. Hs. Horse next morning but on a Black Hââse plain enough if
these Lyaâs had not been blind to be diâcerned from L. Hs. White one and that in the afternoon too neither was the discourse between or appointed between L. H. and W. R. but E. B. and W. R. nor did E.B. send for me but a letter to me only not knowing of my comming but desiring my answer only neither did I know at all that any discourâe at all was to be till I came into the Town nor was there such a word spoken by L. H. in my heaâing that he would now leave the discourse to me nor did L. H. so much as by desire engage me in that diâcourse though some few things I said in it any more then he engaged me to come to those disputes at Sandwich which saving thy lyes in that particular ore and ore againe repeated was just no way at all though hearing of a dispute to be there I was there with other friends By all which Remarkable Passages whether thou hast not marked out thy self and thy Talâ-bearers more then the Qua. to be men that have not somuch morall honesty or to speak truth in matters of fact let all true men Iudge nor is all that in thy last half sheet of any Validity to disprove this which I say and averr to be the truth as in the sight of God who will Judge between you Lyaââ and us who as little Conâcience as thou sayst we make of Lying have herein said the very Truth and shall be beleived against thy Tattle notwithstanding the sleeveless Testimonyes of Wâlliam Russell and Thâmas Morris whose Certificate which thou âettest to put an end to the contest conclude nothing to the contradicting of what 's here said by me And thus into the pit of thy own digging for us art thou fallen thy self and in the same Labo iâuh of lyes wherein he lay turking for the Innocent hath the Lyar lost and left him elf not a little in the Lurch T. D. Thou tellest a Tale that a dying Qua. at Dover said He expâcted Salvation onely by his good works and not from Christ in witness of which thou bringest Io. Davis Minister of Dover Rep. Thou hadst abused Io. Davis as grosly as thou dost thy self but that I see by his Vnderhand Testimony inserted in thy half sheet and his non-complaining of thee he is willing enough to be so abused by thee and so I am the less willing to vindicate him sith volenti non fiâ iâiââia by offering in thy Narrative to Summon him in Print as a witness of that which he himself had no otherwise than by hear-say from another for hereby thou expoâest I. Da. together with thy self to the iust censure of Ignoramus whilst it s well known to all save such as either are or else in enmity to the Truth are free to be counted Idiots that as in fâo Dei verae Ecclesiae he is no true Minister or Witness of the Word of God who stealing his Testimony and the words he speaks out of the writings of the true Prophets declares what himself never saw felt nor handled of the word of life so vel in foro hominum even before men in their earthly Courts of Iudicature that man would be deservedly cast forth with shame as no lawfull Witness against a living man there pâesent much less against a dead man not capable to speak for himself who should testifie it as an undoubted truth that he spake Treason and from thence accuse all that mans Kindred also to be Traytors and yet confess he was no Eaâewitness of his words but only heard a Third man say somewhat to such a purpose And how Iohn Davis can be such a competent witness to the world of the words spoken by the dying Quaker as thou set'st him down for or any more then a presumptuous Intruder into or Talker of what he hath not heard but only heard of my eyes which are not so dim but that I can Divine the Divines to be in the dark to Divine lyes to each other do not fee howbeit let every one see not with my eyes but with his own as to the case in hand But I. D when he was backbiting the Qua. to thee in that Tale and tickling and scratching thy Itching ears which as false tongues do love lying words and feed on meer Fables more then truth thought perhaps as little as thou did'st of the likeliness of the Quakers Printing to be brought so openly on the Stage about it as now he is and that with so much the more shame by how much he seemes to have play'd Bâ-peep between both partyes and by that his second hand Testimony to have âerved two contrary turns at once viz. L. Hs. and thine too or else its like he would have kept his heaâ say to himself but now he is justly left of the Lord to manifest himself to be one that would fain seem to hold with the Hare though he runs with the Hâund open mouth at her to devoure her having since he seemed to side with L. H. against thee in his last testimony obtained by thee and obtruded upon the world made himself obvious to the view of all to be a Sidesman with thee in thy viperous spirit against us and one who would Balaam-like Divine us into the denomination of Papists if he could tell how but as such Concurrârs as shew their teeth much Seldome bite very deep so 't is now the curst Cow's have short Hornes and your uncertain Certificate can stand but for a Cypher at most that signifies nothing but that ye would âay something in disparagement of the Qua. if ye could tell what Something it seems was affirmed by some body yea by the Qua. Brother who as their own-Brethren usually do Isa. 66. for Christs name sake hated thoâe that hear Gods word and tremble at it and are therefore in scorn called Qua. to such an effect as if the dying Qua. had said he look'd for Saâvation by his own works and not by Christ wherein if he doth not as many in Dâveâ and Sandwich have done as bad puâposely bely his Decreased Brother for the sake of his own malice to the Qua. yet I know he did at best as much mistake him as T. D. mistakes either blindly or maliciously mis eprâsents me to the world as a looker for Iustification without Christ by my own works which I have long since denyed as dung for those that Christ works in me for howbeit I shall not here meddle point blank to prove a Negative yet thus much I can say in disproof of your hasty Affirmaâve I my self who know his principles to have been no other then to expect Salvation by Christs works in him only and not his own was with that said dying Qua. in the time of that sickness whereof he died and in as deep dâscourse with him I believe as that his meer fleshly Brother was who hath so abused him yet I heard him utter as nothing at all
publick then the Market place what is above Printed may for more I have by me suffice to let the world know if yet thou have such Relations under the Ministers hand what kind of Creatures thy Credible Witnesses are and how unworthy thy very worthy and Reverend men are to be call'd Ministers of the Gospel and to have their words taken in matters of Doctrine and Soul conceânment who are found saying lyes to thee in secret of the Qua. and unsaying them to their faces and not having so much morall honesty as to speak truth in matters of Fact nor yet so much trustiness neither to their own Father of lyes as to keep his and their own Councill without be wraying it when they have done as this Cavehold Reverend Clergy man seems to have done by that Testimony of his I have here inserted and that contrary one to himself which thou say'st thou hast under his own hand and this may suffice also to let all men see who are not wilfully blinded what fruits follow the most solemn Fasts of this Generation of Blind guides when they gather together after their devouring of Widows Houses and spâyling of poor Pâoples Goods for Tyths for a pretence to make long Prayers So that I shall do no more as to that last piece of Patch of T. D's putting forth having returned the âye upon him again which he thinks he has returned to L. H then having pluckt its wings turn the Sting that stands at the tayl of that Bawbling Butterfly back upon himself and in short shut up this my return as to that in the very last words mutatis mutandis additis addendis wherein thou T.D. concludest that thy as Impudent as Impotent Rejoynder to L.H. viz. So that upon the Whole the Publisher hereof S.F. doubts not but that the Wise will be able to discern between truth and falshood and will in their own thoughts be as farr from acquitting T.D. and his Companions whom L.H. Charges with Lying as they would a Thief at the Bar meerly because he pleads not guilty to his Indictment which is an usual thing let the evidence be what it will And he doubts not but if they should revile in Print again he may be excused if he make no other return then Inhonestum est honestam matronam cum meâetrice litigare i.e. It is unseemly for an honest Matron to stand brawling with a Whore London 2. d. 2. m. 1660. Sam. Fisher. And whether the Qua. or the Parish Priests are respectively the Loyall Spouse the Lambs Wife Rev. 21. or that great Whore which makes the Earth Drunk with the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornications Rev. 17. if the Night is not yet spent farr enough for all to see yet Dies Declarabit though this is your hour and the power of Darkness the day is at hand that will declarâ it to all that yet know it not And now as to thy Generall false charge of the Qua. as complying with the Papists and Antichristian Faction which is not thine alone but that of Will. Prinn I. O. I. Tomb's R. Baxteâ also and of the Priest of Kendall W. Brownsword answered in that particular by E. Bur. I. Story and in a manner of the whole Covent of co-contenders against the Quakers Rep. I should blush and be Ashamed were I in thy case to make such a confident Narrative of it and such an undoubted Profession of my faith thereof as thou dost of thine and produce no more then two such pitiful proofs for it as thou dost and to send it abroad in Print on two such lame legs as can help it are the stile Little more then a bare Repetition of thy Reasons after thee is enough to a Right Reader to Render the urger of them Reasonless and Ridiculous enough in all Reason T. D. I am out of doubt sayst thou they are Acted by the Antichristian Faction Rep. Why so T. D. A Gentleman of good credit assured me that be met with an English Iesuit in London the first Lords day in June last one who was bred in Cambridge and had been formerly of his acquaintance who after some shyness to be known at length confessed that he came over to propagate the Romish Faith and told him that there was a good honest people called Quakers whom we jeer'd at that did their work at the second hand and he boasted much of the numbers that turned Catholicks immediatly or mediatly by becoming Quakers Rep. Both thou and thy men of credit will come to be out of credit ere long if thou crack thy own and their credit but a little longer so much as thou hast done hitherto But 1. Suppose it true that he assured thee so 2. Suppose that true he assur'd thee of what then The Papists dote as our Priests often do in other cases that that will make for them which to any but such as discern not the signs of this season doth undoubtedly work toward their utter ruin therefore doubtlesly the Qua. either are or will turn Papists Object But many by becoming Qua. turn Catholicks Rep. The Qua. are of the Catholick Church if thou wilt know as thou dost what Catholick is but so are not the Papists that are of no Church but that of Rome the Church of Rome is but a Particular Church as that of England or another National one may be but the Catholick Church is general and universal a Church that was before Rome was a Church or a City either as some Qua. have oft asserted to Friars and Iesuits to the stopping of their mouths a Church that had its Being though the world sees it not nor knows it from Abel to this day to which General Assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven and to the spirits of Iust men made perfect the Qua. are come as the Saints were of old Heb. 12. and so while Romanists are but as ye are a Bastard brood the Qua. are the truest Catholick Church that is in the world T. D. Anotheâ Gentleman that came this Spring from St. Omars did avouth that he saw the Iesuits there about four a Clock every evening throw off their Gowns and put on aprons and betake themselves to the exercise of Handy-craft callings some plaid the Shoomakers others saâe at the Loom others kill'd and dress'd sheep and they did not stick to boast that under the disguise of such callings working as Iouânymen and changing place as they listed they served the Romish Church And the Head of the Colledge told him that England never was in so fair a way of return to the Romish Sea since it broke off as now And what hopes the Papists can have unless from the encrease of Qua. I leave Reader to thy determination Rep. What news is this to any but Nevices that Iesuits in craft use handicraft callings that under that disguise they may serve Rome but what follows hence T. D. Nempe similium similis ratio the
it were not a little more strange then true for one here is though it be not yours is a very fair In-let to and by my conâent might without much scruple usher in that old Antichristian Ministry and its pertenances here again as that which may stand welny with as much safety to peoples souls and give as good security and infallible assurance of its guiding and conducting them infallibly to salvation as your own can doe since that at the worst is little worse then fallible and your own by your own consent at the best is little better for it s much at one to me and other poor people of it what Mnistry stands here in England if in a case of such main moment and eternall concernment there stands none that by the Spirit of God are made in their ministrations infallible if there be no guides to be had save such as are fain to confesse they are but fallibly guided themselves or if in this case there be no other as the Proverb is then Hobsons Choice to be made which is chuse whether you will have this or none One blind guide being to me little better then another if others would be rul'd by me I would chuse none of that sort at all but cleave to the light and Spirit it selfe which is infallible and leads all that follow it into all truth for if the blinde lead the blind whether Papists or Protestants they must all at last into the ditch and if England must have an outward ministry and by no meanes will be made to own that ministry of the Qua. now among them which is of God seeing it is so that none of all those other she takes hold on in this day of her breaches saying thou hast cloathing be thou our Ruler in things of God Let this ruine be made up under thy hand that answer her any other then so as Isa. 2.6.7 I will not be an healer for in my house is neither bread nor cloathing I am not guided infallibly my selfe I am a deceivable erring man I dare not say my ministry is unerring make me not a Ruler of the people seeing I say there 's none to guide her assuredly among all her own Sons she haâh brought forth Isa. 15.18 Neither any that taketh her by the hand infallibly to direct her among all the Sons she hath brought up with great care cost and charge at her own Universities here at home but they are all at a losse within themselves mâping up and down in a mist their Divinest Doctors confessing and declaring that to be justly come upon them which God aid should Isa. 29.9 to 15. viz. that its night to them they can't infallibly divine the vision of all is become as a book sealed to them they can't read c. Though I advise her not to give way to any of those guides yet she could have neither more nor lesse said to her if she should send for some of her own native Sons to come home and guide her that are brought up in the English Colledge at the Popes own charge at Rome it selfe But if she be resolved no more to be foold with a fallible ministry but will have one that is infallible as I would or none at all then if she mean never to bear the Popes Bag and Baggage in truth as she talks she will not let her take the infallible Spirit within for her guide and no man without but such as are guided infallibly by it which guides none fallibly that unfainedly follow it as thousands of Quakers do and if any seem to do it and do not they in so doing undo themselves but I know no other men call'd Ministers in all the world beside the Qua. that so much as pretend to infallibility but he that sâts in the infallible chaire 7 Neither is our Doctrine of the light and spirits being the rule of the true faith and good life and not the externall Text or letter of the Scripture onely any fair In-let for the Pâpish Bag and Baggage for howbeit they take not the Text thereof to be their onely truest Touchstone most certain Standard and measure of Truth and Doctrines as we doe not yet that they take for their sure and certain Rule which we say with you is a manifold more fallible matter yea by an hundred degrees more fallible then the most falsified Coppy of the Scripture that ever yet came forth is something that stands more at Staves end and at a far wider distance from that aforesaid Rule of ours then from yours who for your Rule and Standaâd doe own no other then the Scripture by how much two things whereof the one is fallible the other infallible are further off each other by far then two things are both which are at most no more then fallible for the Light and Spirit of Christ which we onely do and all Christians ought to own for their standing Rule and trusty Teacher are iâfallible and will hereafter in the proper place for that be proud to be to But your professed Standard which is no other then that outward Text and the Papists which is no other then Tradition taken from that dark and worse then dubious Oracle viz. the erring miâd and mouth of their great Grand Ghostly Father excepting ever that this is far more fallible then the former i.e. then the letter are both but fallible Your Doctrine then who teach the meer Text which is but fallible as must anon be shew'd to be the most true Touchstone comes neerer to the Papists Doctrine who teach another thing to be the most true Touchstone which what ere you say of the infallibility of yours and they of the infallibility of theirs is at best but fallible and at worst but more fallible then yours is then ours possibly can do which is on all hands own'd to be infallible And howbeit the Scripture which lyes in the midway between us and Papists so that till they March so far towards us as to own it better then they do they and we are never likely to meet in one unlesse they can come ab extremâ ad extremum from their ill extream to our true extream and misse the mâdium as they cannot howbeit I âaâ the Scripture and its honest owners are really neerer and dearer to us then they and their most trusty traditions are which they take from their sore aid Oââcle yet is there not so vast a disproportion and diâagreement betwen âuch owners as ye are of the Scripture for the only Rule and such as own that Treasury of Traditions that lyes lockt up in the Pope Breast as the only Rule as is between these Tradition-Trusterâ and us who own as our only Rule the true light of Christ and the holy Spirit the inconsistency being not so much between your meer fallible lâtter and their more fallible chaire as it is between the most assuredly infallâble holy spirit and their most assuredly fallible though supposed
from the sight of how 't is at home he might see us perfectly clear and himself onely deeply guilty in part yea wholly of the self same Errour for verily we say of all Our own good works done by us out of him and not by him in us which onely are usually by God and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã also properly Term'd Our own they are as man himself in the fall who does them is altogether become unprofitable either to iustifie sanctifie save entitle to or fit us for Gods Kingdom yea what God himself doth Isa. 57. we do and will declare of Our own Righteousness that it cannot profit us of our Companies we are gone to and Congregatings with them c. in our own wills and thoughts these cannot deliver us the wind will take all these away and as it hath done some already so will all those that truth therein we say as Eph. 2. by Grace we are saved justified not in as you look to be but from our sins in which we were once dead together with you in which we sometime walked with you who cannot believe that ye can he perfectly purged from them while you live but that ye must live in some and some in you till you die after the course of this world the Prince of the air the spirit that still lives in you children of disobedience and in the rich mercy and great love of God wherewith he hath loved us made accepted in his beloved quicknâd raised up and made to sit together not in fleshly lusts and eartly Pallaces with painted Professors of him but in Heavenly places in Christ Iesus and all this through Faith not of our selves for its the gift of God nor yet of self works so as that any of us can boast for we are not our own but his workmanship in all this created in Christ Iesus whose new Creatures we are unto the good works we now do in the Light and Movings of his Spirit in a cross to the will of our flesh till it and the lust thereof be wholly crucified and we to the woâld and the world to us which God hath of old ordained in order to the Eternal Life he hath that way ordained us to that we should walk in them yea Tit. 3. we were formerly for all our forms of Religion which yet were to the full as powerful as the best of your or the most Reformed Formalists empty Profession without the Possession of that Godliness ye prate of foolâsh disobedient serving diverse lusts and pleasures as ye still do and yet vainly hope to do well enough living in every malice hateful and hating But since the Goodness and Love of God our Saviour to mankind in Christ the Light appeared to us we are from these sins justified and loved for which judgment without mercy wrath without remedy will come on you that judge your selves justified in them yet not by any works in the Righteousnes that we have wrought but according to his own mercy he haâh saved us which saves to the uttermost and not by the halves as ye dream he does who Reckon without your Host who will Reckon otherwise with you when he comes nigh to you to Judgement and ye come to Account by the Light that all the sins past and to come of you Elect and peculiarly priviledged unsanctified Saints are Remitted while they are as hourly they are yea and long too before they are committed and that you while as unjust and guilty as David in his very acts of Adultery and Murder are yet acquitted accounted just and held guiltless by him who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity and not abhor it and call that good that does evil and who will by no means clear the guilty in his guilt nor accept the filthy in his filth I say according to his mercy he hath saved us by the washing Mark of Regeneration and the Renewing of the Holy Spirit which he hath shed on us abundantly by Iesus Christ our Saviour to this end Mark that we being justified by his Grace viz. shed on us freely by Christ not inhaerent in him onely as the Subject might be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life This and not thine T.D. is the faithful Word and these are the Truths about our Iustification or Salvation that they of old were enjoined stedfastly to Teach that those that believed in God might be careful to maintain good works of this sort as useful good and profitable unto men counting all their own which yet T.D. sayes are necessary to sanctifie and make meet as dung loss imperfect impertinent unprofitable and useless as filthy Rags Yea Finally as Paul said of his own Worships Works Righteousness and Services while he was a proud puft up Pharisee as most of our Formal Scribes and Modern Ministers are for he calls not that his own as T.D. does but Christs which he was after clothed in and by Faith had received from him and by him was enabled to perform and abound in so say the Qua. of theirs and I of mine If any man think he hath whereof to glory in the flâsh of flâshây wisdom self-righteousness outward performances Well-worships inward workings of the mind in earnest Imaginations and of mans will in zealous hastings willings runnings strivings after God and Righteousness and Good in which yet the Kingdom comes not nor the Righteousness of it I could say more then I am here minded to do but since I came in the Light to feel the Circumcision of the heart to the Lord by himself not made by the hands of man and to witness the worth of the true Worship of God in Spirit and Truth in the inner part which his own witness within onely leads to what good works of mine I once counted gain I am now made by Christ to count loss for those of Christ yea for the excellency of the true knowledge of Christ to be my Lord whom I once so called but did not all that he said for whom I have lost all that and what more he hath yet called me to suffer the loss of and do esteem all but as dung that I may win hâm and be found in him not clothed with the old Righteousness of my own which was once Pauls and called by me and T.D. both but as filthy Rags so I know no Righteousness of Christ is called by any besides T.D. but with that Righteousness which is by Faith in his Light in which onely he is known Revealed and Received from him and in the way of that Faith by which God purifies the heart which overcomes the world in it and works by that Love that fulfils the Law in working no ill to the Neighbour wrought in me by him even that Righteousness which through Faith in the Light is of God not as our devising Diviners both Devise and Divine to the making of the wicked ones seem just and good before God when they are nothing
count upon it that God impures it so as to compute him or any Righteous Holy Good c. upon that mere account of his own so counting en't and confident believing it so to be before he find and feel that by his Faith in Christs Light which such Fanciers as I.O. T. D. and most Divines and their Disciples are far from Faith in while they fight against it as fiction it be revealed and ârought in himself and imported to him to making of him Righteous as Christ is and to the purifying of him in fiertâ till he come in facto esse to be pure as Christ is pure 1 Iohn 3. To walk as he walked and as he is in whom is no sin and in whose mouth was found no guile even so to be in this world and so are his Sants that stand with him on Mount Sion redeemed from the earth without fault before the Throne Rev. 14.1 and layes claim to the blessedness in Truth Psal. 32.1 2. Psal. 119.1 2 3 I say if any man thus believe Trust and Hope as aforesaid his hope is but vain and not that of theirs 1 Iohn 3.1 2 3 4. nor the sure and stedfast Anchor of them Heb. 6.18 19 20. that enters into that within the vail whether the Fore-runner is entred making the way for such onely as follow him in the daily Cross to the Carnal mind yea his belief is but blind his faith meer fancy he feeds but upon ashâs a deceived heart hath turned him aside his trust is in lying words he leans upon nought but lyes a meer lye is in his right hand Christ is not his nor his Righteousness his as yet neither is he Christs while he lives in his lusts and his lusts in him while alive to the world and the world to him for as it is in the Verse next after that I last argued from Gal. 5.23 24. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof upon that Cross of the Lord Jesus then which Paul glorified in nothing more as true Saints now do while the world is ashamed thereof that is the light by which Christ condemns all sin in their flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in them as truly as in himself and they walk no more after the flesh but the Spirit by which also Paul was crucified to the world and the world also unto him And now whereas T.D. and those Divines from whom he must come to be divided before ever he know his part in the undivided Christ do uno ore confesse so far unto this truth as to tell it further then they are aware against their wills while they tell us that the good works and fruits of the Spirit and Christ righteousness within the Saints and the obedience which by him they are enabled to perform are not onely that which makes men meet to enter but are also all the righteous mens evidence for heaven both in faro ecclesia conscientie for I know no man among them that sayes any other then thus that no men can know one another nor any men themselves to be Christs and heirs of heaven and to have right to enter there and that the faith in Christ which they professe whereby they say they stand entitled to the righteousnesse of Christ without them is true living saving justifying faith and not fancy dead unprofitable and good for nothing ' but as it is accompanyed with the other fruits of the Spirit and good works which serve âay they to justifie every one that is justified without them say they in the sight of God in his own sight and conscience and in the sight of men I shall take all our Doctors at their words so far as they do yield as Pharaoh did to Isâael by a little and little at once in order to the winding of them in at last whether they will or no to yield us the whole Question in every inch of it wherein they stick for we shall not ere we have done leave them so much as a hoof thereof behind and while it is in and upon me say something more to these two grants of good works giving 1 st meetnâsse for entrance 2 evidence of our TâSe to the inâ heritance and the truth of that faith which though it never be alone say they yet along gives on our part true Tâle to it As then to the 1st I muâe what great difference there is but that they who where they should not make two into one as T. D. does Pauls own righteousnesse and that of Christ in him love as much when they need not to make one into two between the matter of merit and the matter of meetness that our Divines can digest it exceeding well to have it said the fruits of the Spirit and Christs good works and righteousnesse within his Saints onely makes them meet to inherit but can't digest it at any hand to have it said that these of Christ and his Spirit in them do meriâ the inheritance or make worthy of it Doth not the âame that makes meet and fit for merit or make worthy of it and enright to it in some âort and in Scripture sense at least The whole course of which tells you not onely as you tell one another often but that you often untell it again when you tell that of necessity men must sin while they live âhat no sinners nor unriâhteous ones of any sort have in any wise any right to inheritance in the kingdome or are either meet or worthy to be any where but without the holy City together as fearfull unbeleiving dogs and abominable in the lake of fire but tells you also verbatim in many places of all their and onely their right and worthynesse to enter who by Christs power do the samâ will of God he did and have and work the same righteousnesse that he did in himselfe within themselves 1 Thess. 1. They that sufâer'd for the kingdome were worthy of it 21. Math. 8. Not onely they that came ãâã when bidden to the the marriage were unworthy but such also as took themâelves to be entitled upon bare bidding and so as you do ran in all the hast and thrust themselves in as those that had the onely right and who but they the worthy guests that thought there was no need I speake after the manner of men of the âlâves and Ribbons I mean the Wedding Robes of Christ righteousnesse to cloth their own persons as if what he only wore ãâ¦ã Theirs too so far as to enright them âhithâr were for all their more bast then good speed thrust out at last as uâworthy to be there where had they been âs well suiâed as they were willing to have the good ãâã might there upon deservedly enough since the invitation was free and though a gift yet what more free the gift Have stayd there among the rest as worthy And the few names in Sardis that had not
this T. D. confesses it p. 17. ' t is true quoth he that the same Spirit is in Christ and in his Saints but then he hath a double bolt for all this wherewith to shut us out from justification by that Spirit in Christ as in us 1. The Spirit in us doth not conform us to the Law fully quoth he notwitstanding your vain assertion of perfection Rep. I never said that the Spirit of Christ in you did conform you fully to the Law if when thou sayst conform us thou meanst your selves for ye are farenough from perfection to whom it seemes A vainâassertion A Doctrine of Devils to talk of or reach it and how should the Spirit conform you to the Law who though you have it striving in you and reproving you of sin yet do in the stiffnesse and uncircumcis'dnesse of your hearts and eares alwayes quench grieve resist it refuse to be led by it and will not walk after it but after the flesh But the Saints and such onely are all those that walk after it and not after the flesh it eitheir conforms them to the Law and that fully too or else what doth it conform them to Partly the Law and partly the Lust Partly to it selfe and partly to the flesh Doth it lead any into any sin which is transgression of the Law Or onely out of all sin all such as give up to be guided by it If any be at all deform'd it is because they conform to the flesh and follow it and stop the Spirit but if any conform to the Spirit and follow it it will conform them fully to the Law and not to the forms fashions foolish fellowships and lusts of the world but transform them from all these by the renewing of their minds and lead them to perfect holynesse in the fear of God thy vain assertion to the contrary in any wise norwithstanding Thus the 1 st bolt is broken but 2ly quoth he if the Spirit did conform us to the Law fully yet were not that conformity the merit of justification Rep. Oh strange that T.D. should deem there 's strength in this to stand out against us by which is far weaker then the former Doth the Spirit working holinesse in our natures and persons not merit justification which is non-condemnation are Christ and his Spirits works of lesse or worse merit in one time place and person then another I judg'd they had been every where and alwayes alike and of like good desert from the dignity of the person doing them or else T.D. lyes p. 15. of his 1. Pamp and especially that their good works which are the fulfilling of the Law deserve non-condemnation 1 justification or else T.D. lyes again in that same page but sith the Spirit of life and works of holinesse in our nature and persons conforming them fully to the Law do not as T.D. p. 15. said before they did from the dignity of Christs person deserve non-condemnation for their conformity to it or transgression of it merits one thing or other good or evill and we use to say no truly good work deserves evill more then an evill work merits good we will take it for granted that T.D. thinks the Spirits conforming us to the Law deserves condemnation and so let it stand that all people may understand the Blasphemy and Folly of it Thus T.D. pulls hard to have his own again but what he can't win by force of false position hee l see if he can beg it back from us in these following fawning Questions I would fain know what or whether precedent holynesse in the Saints merits subsequent holynesse or whether the exercise of what they have is the meritorious cause of what they have not or of perfection especially if the Law of sin intends the corruption of nature as the Law of the spirit of the life does holynesse of nature I would be instructed how a nature in part corrupted can deserve totall freedome and I am sure the first work of the Spirit renewes our nature but in part Rep. If I should grant T.D. in the negative all he asks as he thinks I will my negative or denying or saying Nâ were such answer to his Questions as he desires but if I should say yea to all his Queâyes it dashes him down and denyes all he would have and yet I must say yea to most of them if I say the truth Therefore T.D. I say yea to some and nay to some To the 1st I answer yea that precedent holynesse in the Saints merits subsequent holynesse and to the ad I answer yea the exercise of what the Saints have is a meritorious cause of what yet they have not And sith thou askest what precedent holynesse the Saints exercising of when they have it deserves subsequent holynesse or what they have not I answer all that is the fruit of the Spirit in them and the gift of God to them whether Active or Passive if to merit be to be worthy of a thing by right of promise at least 'T was given to the Saints both to believe and suffer Phil. 1. Yet they were worthy of the Kingdome for which they suffered by beleiving the Testimony of it and suffering for it 2 Thess. 2. 'T was the gift of God by promise to such as fight and ouercome to walk with Christ in white and the gift of God to the Saints that they could sight and by his strength overcome yet they shall walk with me in white faith Christ for they are worthy 'T was Gods gift to do his Commandements yet for all that the doing thereof deserves that they yet have not and without the doing of which they should not enter by Right gives right to enter the Citty and eat of the Tree of life Rev. 22.14 Five Talents and two and one were Gods gift yet as he that did not encrease and improve what he had merited at least the losse of it so they that exercised the 2 and the 5 merited the doubling of theirs and by promise had Right using what they had and being faithfull in few littles to many and to more abundance and to the joy of the Lord Much more I might say but T.D. denyes in this the Doctrine of his fellow Divines who tell that the improvement of ãâã grace as they call it deserves not the gift of speciall but the improvement of special grace deserves more of that still So that though they deny a meritorious transition a genere ad genus from exercising of one kind of grace say they men deserve not another kind as he that improves riches deserves not righteousnesse Yet a desert say they there is by the exercise of some grace of one kind of more of the same kind as he that is holy deserves more holynesse and he that sowes to the Spirit of life shall have life everlasting as he that sowes to the flesh reaps a crop as all persons are to do suitable to their seed of more
true that as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses by imitating what he did by the finger of God and acting outwardly so as he as far as they could till they were forced to confesse they could now fainedly follow no further and in a seeming shew did the same by their Enchantments So 't is now the Saints pray so do the Sinners the Saints fast so do the Sinners the Saints preach of a Gospel a Kingdom to come so do the Serpents the Saints meet so do the Hypocrites the Saints Worship so do the Idolaters the Saints in the Power and Spirit of God professe to be Godly and Holy so do the zealous Sorceters in words who bewitch the people that they cannot believe and obey the Truth and their several seduced Societies which have ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Form of Godlinesse denying the power thereof c. And as it is true that as the Quakers Tremble at Gods Word so that the power of Gods voice which shaketh the Cedars of Lebanon when heard as well as the lower shrubs ofââtimes greatly affecteth the outward man so the Devil may cause some of his deluded ones to seem only to do the like But what of all this Scillicet because there is something done in Deceit therefore nothing now done in Truth some Quaking is of the Devil therefore none of God himself This is the sum of I. O's sayings of all the Quakers in grosse if not learn henceforth I.O. to take forth the prelious from the vile as Gods Prophets do who are as his mouth Ier. and not to jumble these together in one as hitherto thou hast done till then I tell thee from the Quakers so called that faining and being driven by the Devil thou fatherest on us we are far from and deny it as one of the many Lyes the Devil drives thee to defame us with who are in the Truth which the Devil abode not in whose Works with himself and his Lyes and that Deceit which is of him and dwells in thee we deny and defie also for ever And now whereas thou talkest of only Liberty and Glory and Fellowship with the Father in these dayes of the New Testament and such Quaking Trembling Terrour Dread c. as greatly affects the outward man as a matter belonging to them of old only to the Iewish Paedagogy c. as if the Word must come to you now in a smoother manner then to Gods Servants and Prophets heretofore Herein thou talkest as if the time of all such Trouble Terrour Dread and Trembling at hearing of the Word of God as usually affected the outward man and was in the Prophets was all perfectly past and men should see no more of that in the world among the Servants of the Lord from that time and forward wherein Christ after the flesh was outwardly incarnated Crucified and Risen again from the dead and all the Appearances of the Lord to his Apostles Prophets Messengers Ministers and Servants whom he sends forth on his Errand into the world now a dayes are only in liberty glory dreaming pleasantly in thy dark mind of ease rest peace and familiarity with the dreadful God before thy time damning down the rough severe troublesome terrible trembling spirit doctrine and Ministry of the Quakers to thee ward and thy serpentine generation of Vipers that would fain flee the wrong way when ye are warned thereof from the newes of a wrath yet to come to your lifelesse Formes and fig-leaves and false biding-places sandy sickle foundations literal lurking-holes fained pretences bare Bible bulwarls selfish Fastings Prayers Praisings Preachings misty empty pithlesse and poor Professions as a Doctrine of Devils as a ministration wherein either fictitiously or rather really they are acted surpriz'd by the Devil with trembling in their holy services Ex. 1 S.I. as they said of Iohn that came Fasting and Reproving Iudging and Threatning laying an Axe to the root of their fair leafy tree and flourishing formal prosessings of the old Prophets Words and Writings and pretences to Abraham as his Children and Moses as his Disciples and the Scripture as the Scribes and Openers of it and telling of wrath to come upon them and unquenchable fire to burn them up as Chass this man hath a Devil away with him give us a Ministry that will speak comfortably to Ierusalem Seers that will see better things for Sion that shall answer the Messengers of the Nations that enquire of them the Lord hath founded Sion 't is Babylon that is to be confounded O ye Quakers ye Seers flee ye far away hence to Rome to Papists Iesuites Iewes Turks Heathens among whom many Quakers have been but few or none of our Chimney-corner Church-men that I know of but come not hence with your Plumb-line thundring words of Iudgement laid to the line and Righteousnesse to the Plummet and laying waste the High Places of Israel and the Sanctuaries of Israel with the Sword of the Lord this our Land of Israel ought not to bear these words 't is disturbance tumultuousnesse and Conspiracy against the Pious Magistracy and the Godly Ministry in the midst of it Prophesie no more such rough things at Bethel they are not right things here Prophesie to us Placentia Prophesie smooth things alias Deceits we are the Preists of Bethel the house of God Amos 7.7 c. we are the Ministry of the reformed Churches we are the Well heads and feed at the Fountains from whence Souls draw all their Refreshment we are the Doctors Deans Principals Provosts Presidents Wardens Masters of Magdalene Christ-Church Iesus Trinity Emmanuel and such like Christian Colledges and Halls the Religious Nursing Fathers to the Nursing Mothers themselves that are alias ought to be the very Nurseries of Learning and true Religion If ye come to us with a Word from the Lord come not in your wonted trembling postures and obstreperous horrible vociferation wherewith ye dreadfully found it out throw our Streets Cities and Temples know the Lord as if we were without God in the World Prophesie no more ye Fanaticks to us in your pretended movings by the Spirit if ye do ye must bear and take the shame of the Stocks or the Cage or the Whipping-Post and a Passe to the place from whence ye came or the pulling off your Robe with the Garment or the stopping of your Mouth with stones and the Pumps and Mire and Dirt or such like Mic. 2.6 7 8. But vers 11. if a man walk in a Spirit of Falshood do Lye will Prophesie to us of wine strong drink Ease Pleasure Peace with God in our sins impossibility of being purged from them till we die and of Salvation and Iustification of us by the Example of David while under the guilt of Murder and Adultery and of Profits and Preferments and more Maintenance for a Godly Ministry that suppose Gain to be Godliness let him come he is a Gospel Minister he shall even be the Prophet among our
my businesse with I.O. lyes into that Name of his Word and into the Authority of the Foundation of Faith the infallible Rule of Interpretation of itself of Tryal and Examination of Spirits Doctrines c. of the Supream Iudge also by which all Controversies of Religion are to be determined the only pure Authentical Standard unto which the Church is finally to Appeal in whose Sentence it is to Rest into which all Faith is finally to be Resolved so if such Synods of men either Antient or Modern as have shouldred out all those at once from sharing with the other Writings in what they can lay just claim to had been as Spiritually discerning as they were Spiritually blind shallow and undiscerning they would have seen cause to have joyned some at least of those Apocryhal Scriptures to an Equal Participation of that Plea of divine Original and inspiration with the rest as without Cause they justled them all out from it by their joynt Consent And though it be the declared Faith of that Assembly of Divines that both Houses of Parliament advised with 1648. and of the Congregational Churches in England whose Confession is put out this instant 1659. as to that Article about the Scriptures word for word in the same words with the other That the Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of divine Inspiration are no part of the Canon of the Scriptures and therefore are of no Authority in the Church of God nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of then other humane Writings yet this I declare to the whole World as my Faith concerning them that though I own neither them nor the best bare Wriing or outward Text or Letter of the other Scripture at so high a Rate as I.O. does who makes the naked Letter in all things equivolent to the holy matter yet whatever is truly to be praedicated of the one or can solidly be pleaded on the behalf of the one which ye call your Canon as to the divinity of their Original the same may be pleaded on the behalf of not a few of the other And as they all that in general are stilled Apocryphal can plead their Authority from long before the Apostles dayes and also the special Care and Providence of God which is an Argument of such weight with I.O. and T.D. pag. 27. as swayes them not a little into their frivolous Faith about the rest in the preservation of them to this very day So that all of them have been kept by the Church that kept the rest bound up and Translated into various Languages and as publickly allowed to be publickly Read as the rest and highly esteemed by Austin and other Fathers ye Divines cannot easily be ignorant And as for sundry of them ye are ignorant with a witnesse if ye see them to be as ye say they are not of divine Inspiration or see them not to be of as divine an Original as some or even any of the other which ye own so to be As for that Fourth Book of Esdras which is but the Second as it stands in the Apocrypha besides that it s acknowledged by Clem Alexandrinus Faber and many more men of Renown among you and by many Holy men in these latter times as well learned as your selves at least in the Wisdom of Gods Spirit to be written by his immediate Inspiration so is it such a plain Prophecy consistent of many Particular Praedictions of things to be fulfilled in these last Ages as the like to it or a least clearer is hardly to be found in all the Scripture besides it insomuch that he who reads it in the 11 12 13 16 Chapters of it and some other places and sees not the beams of a divine Majesty in it and sees not the Matters now managing upon the Stage in the World that are there foretold in it reads not in the Light of that Holy Spirit that moved in the Writing both of that and all other Holy Scripture and may come before he is well aware to feel ere long the dint of that divine displeasure that is denounced against the Sinners of the latter Ages and thereby come to be convinced of the Divinity and Truth of that Scripture which our Divines that usually see altogether by the lump and are loath to see any Truth Sigillatim till they are all made to see it whether they will or no will hardly yield to if they be their Old-wonted-selves till very Necessity forces and frights them into the Faith of it And the same may be said as to the divine Original of Ieremiahs Epistle which was written and sent to them that were to go Captive into Babylon and of Ecclesiasticus and the Wisdom of Solomon which favours so much of the Wisdom of the Spirit that he is yet in that Wisdom only which is from beneath which is Earthly Animal Deceitful who doth not acknowledge the finger of God writing those deep and precious Truths and Praedictions in the heart of him whose hand was the Committer of them to outward Writing which whether it were not Solomon after whom it was so Entituled Nil ultra quaero he uttered 3000 Proverbs whereof scarce 300 are extant in that Book of his Proverbs some of which as standing inserted there in the Hebrew Text are not the Original Copy but a Transcript only at best out of that or some Second hand Copies taken and Copied cut long after Solomons dayes by the men of Hezekiah 8 or 9 Generations from him Prov. 25 1. The 30 Chapter of which Book also are the Words of one Aguâ the son of Iaketh but sure I am that Book of Wisdom was inspired or breathed into the Penman that expired or breathed it out from no lesse then that Wisdom which is from above The main Argument that ever I have seen against the divine Original of these Books are First Their being not written in the Hebrew Tongue which what a poor pedling piece of Disproof it is he is no wiser then he should be that does not see for what warrant is there that all that was not Pen'd in the Hebrew Tongue is no Scripture of divine Inspiration Or if there be is it not as conclusive against much of the Scripture which I.O. counts Canonical the whole of wch he reckons at random was wrote in the Hebrew Tongue since its evident that much of that Book of Hester 9 Chapters and 3 Verses of which are set among the Canonical Scripture and oh the Wisdom the other 6 Chapters and 10 Verses of the 10 Chapter by you self-will'd Choppers and Changers because written in Greek are reckoned and rank'd with the Apocryphal was written not in the Hebrew but in the Caldee as much of Ezra Nehemiah and Daniel also were And besides if being written Originally in the Hebrew will avail toward the evincing of them to be Canonical this will help some of your Apocrypha into your Canon since that of Tobit or Tobias is not
guide and a Light to Davids Paths was not the outward Letter only of Moses Law for Moses Scriptures and Writings and Davids too did only Testifie of it Deut 30. 14. 18. Rom. 10.8 Psal. 119. 9105 But the Word that was nigh in the Heart which David had and hid also within him that he might not sin against God Psal. 119. 11. yea no lesse then a Canon that had its compleat Consignation and Bounding for all Truth which was the same then as it is now substanâially to be Tryed by when no more then Moses Five were extant so long before it was enlarged into such a Volume as now the Bible is by adding to the Old Word were the Letter that Word of God that 's the standing Measure I know not what to make of all these Additions to the Word if the Letter be the Word which have been made from Moses downward to this day but matter of Plagues Woes and Reproofs to the Adders of their Writings to the First Writings but this I can say to the Excuse of such as call Moses Five only a compleat Canon and in compleat Authority as a Standard and a Rule and the Word of God and such like full well may Five or any one Book of Moses or any one Chapter or one Verse never so small in either his or any other Prophets Scripture be so when if wee l believe I. O. when he Lyes every Tittle and Iota of any of these outward Writings is not only Part of the Word but The Word of the Great God as Pag. 168.169 Yea every Apex of it equally Divine and as immediately from God as the Voice wherewith or whereby he spake to or in the Prophets and is therefore accompanied with the same Authority i.e. as the whole is both in it self and unto us Pag. 27. so then every Tittle is no lesse then a compleatly constituted Canon and the whole is no more then so And further as to the New Testament as ye call the Letter of it as there is not the least Evidence that any such thing as the specifying of what and whose Scriptures or Writings the Canon should consist of and what not so can any of you that stand up so stifly for your fancied stable Standard shew us where any Order is given out by Christ or his Apostles to such as should succeed them to take Care to gather up their Writings and Judge and try which of them they thought fit and which not to own as their Rule and Iudge and accordingly digrading the rest to Canonize such as liked them best to submit themselves to the Tryal and Iurisdiction of into the high Names and Authority of the Word of God the Iudge the Rule the standing Canon both to them and all the world and all after Ages of it to the Worlds end Doth 2 Tim 3.13.14 twice at least cited by I O. for fear of failing viz. Ex. 3. S 26.31 prove it And doth 2 Tim. 2.2 which is without either heed or wit urged and by heedlesse I. O. as well as others quoted though mis-quoted in the Margin of Pag. 166. to that purpose prove in the least any such matter If it do then say I am a Dunce if not then see whether they are fit to be Doctors or Teachers in Divinity that by reason of the beam in their eyes cannot behold but divine so darkly besides a businesse that is as clearly contrary to what their brain conceives about it as if it were written with a Sun beam For the words of Paul to Timothy are these viz. The things that thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be Able to Teach others also And in the other place these But Evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived and so they do at this day for all their scufling for the Scripture but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Whence it is by many that would look upon themselves as wronged if not looked upon as learned as hastily concluded as the places are hand-over head alledged That Paul bids Timothy take the Scripture first committed to him by himself and commit it downwards to faithful men that must commit and continue it downwards still to others and so successively to the worlds end as a Common Continual Permanent perpetually remaining Canon and only Standard for all Nations and Spirits Gods and Mans and Doctrines true and false to stand or fall by from thenceforth even for ever Which what a crooked Consequence it is who but Ignoramus can be ignorant whenas if the Scripture had been the subject spoken of there by Paul either it had extended no further then to his own Scripture to Timothy which is but a petty Portion and poor Pittance of Pauls Epistles or if to all the rest of his Epistles then it had been conclusive of that to Laodicea and his first to Corinth and Ephesus which have no being in your Bibles which you say Contains all your Canon and are by T. D. excluded from any Claim to it but in very deed there 's no such thing at all as the Scripture or outward Text there either talkt on or intended but the things Timothy had learn't and heard from Paul by word of mouth as well as writing which though I own to be Truths and Doctrines and things which are evermore according to the Scripture the Spirit from which that was never contradicting it self yet were another thing then the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is the Writing or Scripture it self Paul sayes not those Scriptures which thou hadst of me c. commit to faithful men to make a Standard of but those Doctrines Truths which thou hast heard of me commit and those Truths were concerning the Light which Paul was sent to turn men to and not the Letter for he sayes God made him and the rest Ministers not of the Letter but of the Spirit Act. 26.18 2 Cor. 3.6 And the Gift of God within Timothy which he bids him stir up 2 Tim. 1.5 Neither did Paul go up and down testifying to the Scriptures as a Standard and telling men which should be the Touchstone and which Scriptures not but the things which were Witnessed to there testifying no other things Quod Essentiam to be believed or done then what were written in and spoken by the Law and the Prophets Acts 24. 14. 26. 22. And those things Timothy heard learned and was assured of from Pauls both Words and Writings As also the things the Thessalonians 2 Thess. 2.15 had delivered to them partly by Pauls Preachings and partly by his Epistles and were accordingly to stand fast and continue in but they were not the bare Bible it self or Writings or Scriptures themselves which were not then by Paul or any bundled up and carried about in a Book to take a Text and Talk out of
opened by the shining out of that Light in it that lyes yet smoothered and then thy misery will be so great upon thee that as I told thee above what thou sayest of the Pope for his misuse of Scripture will be verified not on him only in so much the greater measure by how much his Vilislations and Violations of it may be greater then thine but in some measure also upon thy self so that as thou together with me sayst Papae so say I Et Tibi Tempus erit quo magno optaveris Emptam Scripturam intactam It will once repent thee not a little in thy own Spirit that ever thou appearedst in publick in such a proud and peevish Prate against its purest Friends so pretensively only but not properly for and so piteously and unpolishedly about the Scriptures Now as to thy Vindication or Plea it self for the present Integrity and Indentity of the Text of your Copies with those Original Copies that were first given out which thou positively hadst before Asserted thou failest and fallest short so in thy Confidence of what thou hadst so peremptorily propounded for Truth in ipso limine at the very threshold and entrance thereinto as to stile it no other then an Account of thy Apprehensions a delivery of thy Thoughts and a runing the Hazard of giving out thy Thoughts and of what thy own Thoughts suggested to thee pag. 146 147 149. 163 and a discovery of thy Thoughts 151. As also thy First Treatise wherein thou talkst of the samenesse of the Letter in every Tittle and Iota to what it was at first so Authoritatively so Positively so Impositively so seemingly Infallibly and Uncontroulably a publication of thy Thoughts Though I had thought a Minister of Christ or Doctor in that thing cal'd Divinity especially about the Foundation of all his Faith and in that Chapter where he layes the Basis of his Businesse and of hâs building should have bâ thought himself better before-hand and have saâe down and counted his cost and cast it in his mind before he Printed his Propositions out in such peremptory terms as thou dost in this case of non-Alteration of one jot or Tittle of the first divinely inspired Scripture pag. 13 14 28 whether it would hold it out in such a height for certain or no without parching it up with So I think and such loose Conjectures and Imaginaâions as are attended with such great uncertainty that himself confesses as thou dost pag. 297. They ought not to be admitted to any Plea or Place one way or other in so wâighty a cause and Propound things that are false as boldly as undoubted Truths and then puâs off such as expect hiâ pâoof with weak Conjectures and his Conceits âeât men mock him saying This man began to build but was not able to finish Yet now I bethink my self thou pretendest to be no divinely Inspired Prophet nor one that owns any such to be now a dayes but one of those Other men thou speakest of pag. 9. The Pigment and Imagination of whose hearts are the fountain of all that they speak and so no better can be expected from them 2. Thou grantest that ye have not the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã pag. 13 Nay It is granted sayest thou pag. 163. that the Individual ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of Moses the Prophets and the Apostles are in all probability and as to all that we know utterly perished and lost out of the world As also the Copies of Ezra the Reports mentioned by some to the contrary are open fictions The individual Ink and Parchment the Roâes or Books that they wrote could not without a Miracle have been preserved from mouldring into Dust before this time Nor doth it seem improbable that God was willing by their losse to Reduce us to a neerer Consideration of his Care and Providence in the Preservation of every Tittle contained in them Had those individual Writings been preserved men would have been ready to adore them as the Jewes do their ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in their Synagogues Reply How like a Child dost thou talk in that groundlesse guesse of thine that God was willing to let the losse of the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã be for such an end as in thy foolish vain mind thou imaginest and fondly fanciest What a bawbling and blerting dost thou make of thy boyish bolts out of the Cross bow of thy crooked Conceit both here and else-where up and down thy Book Who told thee that trifling Tale which thou tellest for probable Truth that God let all the first Writings be lost for this end to reduce men in the latter Ages to a neerer Consideration of his Care in Preserving every Tittle till now that was contained in them When yet we know as I told thee above and prove by and from that little of the first Scripture that hath happened to come to our hands which ten parts to one of the World never saw neither that not Tittles only but many whole Books of the first divinely inspired Scripture that belonged to the Bulk of Holy mens Writings by the Spirit are not preserved but perished for ought thou knowest both the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of them also Did God himself tell thee this to tell for Tsruth or did the Serpent suggest it to thy Thoughts that suggests a legion more oâ the like lying vanities Even he surely insinuated this into thy Imagination that crowded those other crude Conceptions and Conjectures which thou hast and holdest out to such Tom of Bediams as will take them for Truth from thee So in pag. 12 14 34. where perking up into Gods privy Councel as if thou wer't one that fate in his Bosom from which thou art yet as far being from the Light as the Rich Gâutton was from Abrahams where poor Lazarus saâe whom he dispised saving that the gulf was fix't against his passage whereas there 's hope concerning thy coming thither if yet in time thou tern and take hold on Truth and intruding thy seâf into what thou hast not seen vainly pufâ up in thy fleshly mind thou proudly falst a Pratinâ ãâã Propounding for Truth what swims and floats in the Cock-boat of thy Fancy viz pag. â2 That the Writing was the product of Gods Eternal Councel for the preservation of the Doctrine after a sufficient discovery of the Insuffiency of all other means for that end and purpose Reply Into which piece of Gods Eternal Councel I trow who or what Spirit or Scripture or Key of any kind did ever let in I. O. who Proposes it so peremptorily in his Preachings as if God had discovered something by experience after a while that he was not so well acquainted with before namely that manifesting his mind by Dreams Visions Voices Word of Mouth was after his tryal thereof sufficiently âound by the Lord to be an insufficient means to save his Word from loosing which means he intended once to that end and
again when they have done yet was it a gift obtained in the way of such active obedience to God as by the said Law or light of God in the heart men stand obliged to and to be coveted and desired and was given in a certain way that ye are so far out of that ye hate it of holy waiting on God and learning of him alone in silence in all subjection in order thereunto for which work there are now as there were of old but those are not Oxford and Cambridge Vniversities as it were Schools and Nurseries of young Prophets at Iericho and Bethel alias by interpretation the House of God where Truth and true Wisdom and true Religion was and is learnt as truly and fully as it is falsly taught or rather fully and universally forgotten at our now Vniversities or Nursing-mothers of that Wisdom and Religion from beneath which is but earthly sensual or animal and deceitful See 2 K. 2.7.15 2 King 6.1 2 K. 9.1 yea in order to Gods manifestation of himself to men in such wise as he will not to World that lyes in wickedness it 's required that men keep his commandments so far as they are made known already in the light in the conscience Ioh. 14 and seperate themselves from the sensual ones that have not the spirit and not together with them from the truth Prov. 18.1 2. and that they come out of all that defileth and become holy for no defiled thing falls into Wisdom but in all ages this as well as any of old though ye own none to be now in rerum natura entring into holy souls she maketh them friends of God and Prophets Wisd. 7.23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. But the reason why so few Priests are ever made true Prophets is because for the most part they are more prophane then other people from of old and much more now insomuch that as heretofore I mind at present but two of all that numerous Tribe Race and Party of Priests that the Jewish Church was fill'd with that became Prophets viz. Ieremiah and Ezekiel Ier. 1. 1. Ezek. 1.3 So now velduo vel nemo of all sorts of persons few or none of our Academical Levitical Race of Rabbiâs arrive to so much honour and happiness as to become obedient to the Faith yet so far many of them came in the primitives times notwithstanding I can't find that ever any of them commenced Prophets Evangelists or Apostles much less are many to be found so highly graduated as to become such in the true Church or School of Christ at this day they are not upon the Tower upon their Watch toward the Light They hearken not with Habbakkuk to what God saith in them Hab. 2.1 They stand not in the Lords counsel nor receive the word from his own mouth but as the false Prophets of old Ier. 23. in which respect they were false Prophets that profited not at all and such as God was against though speaking true words they steal the word they speak out of the true Prophets Writings whom God sent and spake to when he neither sent nor ever said the same unto them and so run crying Thus saith the Lord as ours do hear the Word of the Lord as you shall find it in such a Text such a Chapter such a Verse when they never heard God's voice at any time themselves nor saw his shape They hate and fight against Gods own counsel the Light in the Conscience which would lead them to purity in their own persons and so never come to see much less to shew his Secret which is onely with them that fear him Psal. 25. whose sear which is the beginning of Wisdom is to depart from the evil which the light discovers and so as none can bring a clean thing out of an unclean so none can receive much of a clean thing into an unclean But as Isaiah who was of unclean lips had his lips first toucht and his iniquity taken away before he was sent of Gods errand Isa. 6. And Ieremiah was sanctified to the work of Prophesie Ier. 1. So there must be more Holiness of Truth found among their Holinesses the Pope and all the Priests and Praters for pay thorowout all Christendom before they know how to prophesie themselves or tell truly as much as they are found from the Text of their Transcripts tatling to the World of what they know not how and in what manner Gods Prophets prophesie Thou addest I.O. pag. 6. That in writing they were not enabled by any habitual light knowledge or conviction of Truth to declare Gods mind and will but onely acted as they were immediately moved by him their hand in what they wrote was no more at their own disposal then the Pen in the hand of an expert Writer And p. 23. That no rational Apprehensions had any place in their Writing And p. 25. That this was the first spring of the Scripture and beginning of its emanation from the Counsel of God it was brought by the Power of the Holy Ghost into its Organs and Instruments us'd for the Declaration of it and that it was not left to their understandings wisdoms minds memories to order dispose and give it out But that they were born acted moved to write all and nothing but that to every tittle that was so brought to them And that they invented not words themselves but the words were immediately supplyed to them and that in writing they were but passive instruments for the reception and representation of words And that every Apex of the written Word i.e. Writing secundum te was as immediately from God to the writers as his voice in the Prophets p. 26 27. And p. 7. That they were but as an Instrument of Musick giving a sound according to the hand onely of him that strikes it Rep. These things are false being written by thee of all the Writings and first Writers of the Scripture universally as they are without exception and distinction for so indistinct and confused art thou in thy delivery of thy mind about the Bible that though it be a Bulk of Heterogeneous Writings compiled together by men taking what they could find of the several sorts of Writings that are therein and trussing them all up into one Touch-stone crouding them into a Canon or Standard for the trial of all Spirits Doctrines Truths and by them alone Yet thou speak'st so Homogeneously of it as if whatever can be predicated of any may be as properly predicated of it all yea whatever thou sayest falsly of the Writing thou denominatest the self-same of it all and every Apex and Tittle yea every Tittle and Iota with thee is no less then the Word of the great God wherein the âternal concernment of souls lyes p. 168 169. And so every part of it a Rule and the perfect Rule for so 't was with thee when there were none but Moses five Books and 't is but so with thee now so much
God by the writers of the Scripture to the Pedagogie of the Old Testament and times before Christ such as greatly affected the outward man with trembling and astonishment for which thou citest both Habakkuk and Daniel as it the times since Christ knew no such matter as true Trembling or any such Quaking as may affect the outward man but what is fained and from Satan and the force and power of the evil Spirit imitating in his filthy Tripodes and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that Dread and Terrour which is by the Power of God upon his people of which said fictitious sort thou falsely and foolishly fainest all that outward Trembling that is found among the Qua. to be at this day pag. 8. Ex. 1. S. 1. I say hadst thou been as well read and skilled in Scripture as by thy scribling pro Scripturis thou wouldest fain seem to be surely thou wouldest have found that Paul and John both were found in as great Tremblings and Astonishments Dread and Terrour to the great affecting of the outward man under the Appearances of the Lord to them in Visions and Revelations of his minde and will to them which they wrote as either Daniel Habakkuk or the rest of the Prophets before Christ that wrote them insomuch that they scarce knew sometimes where they were whether in or out of the body but were as dead with fear Act. 9 6.26.14 1 Cor. 2.3 2 Cor. 12.2 3. Rev. 1.17 But alas J.O. is so taken up and hurried in his thoughts in a hideous talking for the Scriptures that he hath little time to give any very great good heed to the Scriptures themselves he so talks for J.O. Thou addest pag. 6 7. That as far as their own personal concernments as Saints and beleevers did lye in the things they wrote they studied the writings and Prophesies of one another Dan. 9.2 and made a diligent enquiry thereby in order to the investigation of the things which the Spirit that spake in themselves did signifie 1 Pet. 1.10.10 without which though their Visions were express yet they understood them not and that they attained a saving useful habitual knowledge of the truths delivered by themselves and others by the illumination of the Holy Ghost through the study of the Word i.e. Scripture with thee still even as ye do Psal. 119 104. but as to the receiving of the Word from God as God Spoke in them they obtained nothing by study or meditation by enquiry or reading Am. 7.15 Rep. Here is such a parcel of uncouth prate about the Prophets and their Prophesie of Scriptures and the Scriptures of their Prophesies as favours of nothing but that illiterateness and ignorance of the true wayes of coming to the saving knowledge and understanding of the minde and will of God that abounds in Vniversities the supposed Nurseries as well of spiritual learning as any other well nigh as much as in any places of the so called Christian world besides What dreaming what darkness and confusion is here As if the Writers of the Scriptures because they were moved by the holy Spirit to write what they did therefore wrote they did not know what themselves nor in any wise sawingly understood every one his own piece of writing or Scripture pag. 5. whether of Histories or Prophesies or Proverbs or Psalms or Instructions or Doctrines or Laws or Promises or what ever tru he recorded delivered made known given out revealed by themselves revealed to them first from God as to their own concernment therein as Saints or beleevers by the Revelation thereof to them from God which as I said above is the only way of coming to the saving knowledge of any truth and not that of reading it as truth in anothers writings without running out to study and read the writings of some other men in order to their attaining any habitual saving useful intelligence of their own as if Isaiah that Evangelical Prophet did not savingly understand the Gospel Doctrines and Promises and Instructions and his own Recorded History of Senacherib and Hezekiah and other saving truths delivered and written by himself as they were revealed to him by the Lord nor by the voice Spirit and light of God himself manifesting them within him nor as he received the word so revealed and manifested in order to which receiving the word thou assertest also they obtained nothing by study or meditation enquiry or reading but onely as he made diligent enquiry study and search after the things the Spirit signified by him in the writings and Scriptures of some other Prophets I wonder what other parts of Scripture of the other Prophets he studied so to get that saving knowledge by since unless it were the Psalmes the last book of which is judged to have been compiled together by the Maccabees long after his dayes excepting also the three i.e. Hos a Amos and Micah that were co aetaneous with him all other Prophets that are ranked after him in your Bibles though not in the same order of time wherein they wrote wrote long after him and as if Ezekiel Jeremiah Daniel or the rest knew not savingly what they wrote themselves no more then we do as to themselves or any personal interest they had in the truths of their own writings but as they got an useful saving knowledges thereof out of each others writings in proof of which if a man would wrest them as thou doest to thine by the head and shoulders to such a purpose he might almost as easily evince the Pope to be head of Christs Church as draw any such matter as this thou concludest from Scripture That of 1 Pet. 1.10 11. Ministers no more matter of evidence to thy imagination in this particular that the Prophets searched other Prophets writings to finde out each the meaning of his own then Peters being at Rome if ever he were there doth to his being the Popes Predecessor there in the holy Chair 'T is true the Prophets are there said to enquire and search diligently after the salvation and the grace that comes unto the Saints at the revelation of Christ but is there no searching and enquiring after the salvation and the fulness of the grace of God but iâ the letter is not the most succesful searching after these matters made in the light it self that teaches and shews it and brings the salvation nigh to all that wait for it therein which light or grace hath appeared to all men Tit. 2.11 12. and is tâeâe any way whereby God gives the knowledge of his own glory but the light from himself which the letter speaks of wherewith God who commands the light to shine out of darkness shines into the hearts of the Saints in order thereunto 2 Cor. 4.5 6. And are not all things that are manifested manifested in the light and is there any thing that doth make manifest but the said light and Spirit which the letter speaks of and which was before the letter was Eph. 5.13
Inhabitants of that earthly Jerusalem which is from beneath the fleshly Church of Jews and Christians according to the meer Letter which is in bondage with her children Isa. 8.14 28.16 1 Pet. 2. And that it is Christ Iesus alone and not the Scriptures that is there call'd the Foundation is most evident not onely from the Text it self wherein Jesus Christ himself is instanced in as such for the same that is call'd the Foundation is there also call'd the Corner-stone but also from other Scriptures whereby the truth hereof is yet more illustrated viz. Isa. 28.18 where speaking both in the foregoing and following Verses of the false Foundations short beds narrow coverings and lying refuges that the Drunkards of Ephraim that erred from the simple plain truth thorow the Wine of their own Wisdom and were out of the way and stumbled in Wisdom and Iudgement thorow the strong Drink of their own devised Doctrines so that they could not discern nor learn the Lords Doctrine that was divined to them thorow the stammering lips of such as ministred Precept upon Precept Line upon Line here a little and there a little among them he summons all to fix their Faith on the one onely true and firm Foundation saying Behold I lay in Sion for a Foundation a Stone a tryed Stone a precious Corner-stone a sure Foundation he that believeth shall not make haste Where it 's very observable as it is in Eph. 2.20 That the self-same that is called the Corner-stone is also ca'led the sure Foundation Likewise 1 Cor 11. where it's expresly said That other Foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is JESUS CHRIST Now if no man can lay any other Foundation of the Church which is God's Building then Christ whom the Apostle sayes ver 10. He himself laid as a wise Master-Builder according to the Grace of God given unto him Then all things else besides Christ the Word of God the Light of the World and that measure of Light that shines from him which is not divided from him any more then that of the Sun from it but one with him whatsoever men go about to lay as the Foundation of the Church and her Faith Hope and Obedience are not truly really and properly so but imaginarily supposively fictitiously so and but falsly so called meerly seigned found out and founded onely in the Fancies of foolish blind Babel-builders which Founders and their fictitious Foundations must be confounded For the layers of a false Foundation and such are all they that with I.O. lay the Letter or Traditions with the Papists and Iesuits he justles with or any other then Christ the Light must come to confusion as wel as the meer Formalists their Wood Hey Stubble Trash Imitations empty forms and such like Superstitions and all sorts of Superstructions of the Babilonish Builders upon the true Whereupon as much as J.O. blesses himself in his holding the Foundation and feeds himself with hopes of salvation so long as he is found holding that though he build Hay and Stubble upon it and his Works come to be consumed saying p. 160. It will be well for us if we be found holding the Foundation if we build hay and stubble upon it though our Work perish we shall be saved Yet alas poor deluded man J.O. thou mistakest thy self exceedingly it would be well for thee indeed if thou held'st the Foundation Christ the Head the Light of men thy person might then be saved though thy Work of wood hay stubble will assuredly perish in the fire But thou art far from being found holding that Foundation then which there is no other and found laying another even thy uncertain Transcripts of the Greek and Hebrew Texts and an outward fallible Letter and its Points and Syllables and Tittles and Iota's one jot or tittle of which if it fail thou confessest all thy Faith and Fabrick of Religion falls to the ground confessing also that 't was not impossible for the chiefest Transcribers thereof to mistake in any thing yea that they did fail in their Work so rasing thy false feigned and fallible Foundation to the ground and pulling down thy House with thy own hands like the foolish woman And as for the true Foundation Christ the Light and Spirit which are infallible stable firm fixt sure and certain as every true laid Foundation ought to be and is though thy flexible Letter is not so which is of it self an Argument of its not being the Churches Foundation of Faith and Obedience This true one I say is by thee trampled on and flouted at under the Names of Nescio quod Lumen quem Deum seu ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Deo quopiam melius merae Tenebrae aecitas fines salutares quod attines non sufficiens ad salutem Christus Fanaticorum imaginarius fictitius qualitas nescio quae divina seu anima Mundi omnibus misia quae ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã sit i.e. vere nihil Ex. 4. S. 15.17.21 Doctorem infallibilem nihil habens commune cum Scripturis Ex. 3. S. 22. I know not what Light what God or cornucopia better then any God infallible Doctor inconsonant utterly with the Scripture imaginary Christ of the Qua. I know not what Divine Quality or Soul of the World made up of all things that is all things and truly nothing Moreover if none can lay other Foundation then Christ then Paul himself by these words Ephes. 2.20 Ye are built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets cannot rationally be concluded as he is both senselesly and reasonlesly conceived by I.O. to intend any other Foundation then Christ himself neither can he be understood by any that have common understanding to intend himself and other Prophets and Apostles or his own and their meer outward Writings for then there are two whereof they must have one Foundation of Faith and Obedience and we another they Christ the Light and we them and their Letter which is an absurdity utterly unbecoming men call'd Christs Ministers to imagine seeing the Foundation quicquid id est of the Church and her faith hope and obedience from the beginning of the world to this day is but one and not many yea as the Faith is one and the Baptism one and the Temple and building one and the Body one and the Spirit one and the Lord and God and Father of all saints is one so the Foundation is but one what ever it is Eph. 4 5 6. Or else secondly if there be but one foundation for us and them to stand upon and that be the Apostles and Prophets themselves or thei Writings then Incidit in Scyllam c. the Apostles and Prophets must be supposed to be built not upon Christ but upon themselves their own Writings as to their faith and saving knowledge of the truth or at least on the Writings one of another which is an Imagination as if not more absolutely absurd than the former yet of the two I.O. having
contradicts himself ye are for all your siding to vindicate the same Points of false Doctrine against the Qua. so frequently sound contradicting each other that in order to the consutation of you both a man may finde contradiction enough either in each of your Writings within themselves or in the Writing of one of you unto the other and so 't is in this case for I.O. owns no other Principle or Foundation of discovery of Divine Truth then the Scriptures for the Faith to stand on p. 18. But thou ownest the Spirit to be the Principle of obedience 2. If the phrase denotes the Principle only and not the Rule as it does not for it denotes both yet the other places mentioned do denote more expresly the Light and Spirit and not the Letter to be the Rule which said Light and Spirit that is the Power of God to say the truth is both the Principle upon which all true Faith is founded and is to stand 1 Cor 2.5 in the movings of which obedience is to be acted and also the Rule according to which as it moves leads guides directs impowers and no otherwise all things that are at all are to be both done and believed And no less do all those phrases however denote viz Rom. 8. 1.4.5.13 Who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit then a being taught led guided ruled directed by as well as moved acted and enabled from the Spirit so or so to believe or do for it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which Praeposition though join'd with the Genitive signifies contra against as Gal. 5. The flesh lusteth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã against the Spirit yet with the accusative is secundum after according to so that the Light and Spirit of Christ within is not onely the Foundation upon which the Principle from which but also that in which the Standard Measure Guide and Rule of direction by after or according to which the Saints are to walk believe and do whatever they do in order to their pleasing of God and standing uncondemned in his sight And no less then so doth Phil. 3.16 import where Paul to the Saints at Philippi with the Bishop and Deacons according to their several statures and degrees of growth in the Light and Spirit of Christ wishes all that were perfect as every one is that is faithful to his own measure to be so minded as himself yet leaving every one to believe and judge by his own measure of Light not binding any one to his till God himself should reveal things as he knew them to those that were yet otherwise minded Neverthelesse quoth he whereunto we have already attained let us walk or steere our course by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Which same Rule or same thing that he wills all though their measures of Light may be different to mind and walk by He that shall dream it to be the Letter of the Scripture without and not the inward Light Grace and Spirit of Christ a measure and manifestation of which is according to the measure of the gift of Christ distributing to every one severally as he will to some more some less some one some two yet to every one one talent at least given to every man to profit withall to improve trade with and thrive by Matth. 25.15 Rom. 12.3.6 1 Cor. 12. 7.11 Eph. 4.7 8. compared with Psal. 68.18 Gifts to the Rebellious also 1 Pet. 4.10 11. I shall deem him to be more deservedly denominated a Doter then a Doctor in Divinity or a true Teacher of the things of God and the Gospel seeing the so-call'd Scripture-Rule or Canon so much counted on as that no other neither inward light nor Word nor Revelations of the Spirit Post completum ejus Canonem as J.O. sayes are at all to be admitted to the Name Title Honour and Authority of a Rule to the Church according to J. O's and T. D's Principles was not yet bounded nor compleated nor come to its full Coronation Canonization Consecration and Consignation by any Clerical Convocation of Divines as it did afterwards while Paul wrote thus to the Philippians there being more of his own and other holy men's Writings penned after this besides the Revelation of John which J.O. on his own head p. 18. calls the Close of the immediate Revelation of Gods will in that way of Writing And whether the Philippians had seen any Scripture at all much lesse any of the Books ye call the New-Testament more then this that Paul now wrote when he wrote this to them unless it may be conjectured from Ph. 3.1 that he himself wrote to them before to the same purpose as now and therefore sayes to write the same things to you is safe for you is questionable and more then J.O. and T.D. with both their heads laid together are able to prove therefore the same Rule he bids them all walk by according to their respective measures and the same thing he bids them mind was not the Scripture but the Light and Spirit which having reveal'd something to them would as they walked perfectly by the Rule thereof reveal all things to them in due time that he knew and they were ignorant of For though the Rule appointed design'd and authoriz'd by God for all men to mind as one man and to walk by from the beginning of the World to this day is but one i. e. the Light Word and Spirit in the heart and conscience yet the Degrees in which it is dispenced are different and every one that is found faithful in the improvement of what is committed to him be it little or more is crowned with the just account of Faithfulness V prightnesse and Perfection and title to the joy and right to have more committed to him Yea as if any man walk up to what he hath already attained to the understanding of the same shall have more abundance If any will do his will saith Christ i.e. so far as he knows the same shall know of the Doctrines that are taught whether they are of God or whether the Teachers thereof speak of themselve Joh. 7.15.16 Such shall discern and distinguish and see and grow into the Spirit of Iudgement and of a sound mind and into a cleare sight of the mind of God who manifests himself to such as he does not to the world who receive not the Spirit of Truth which he gives to all in some measure to convince them of sin righteousnesse and judgement and so to guide them out of sin but that some resist him but to such as own truth as receive him and love and come to the Light which âevil ones hate loving flesh and darknesse more then it because it reproves their ill deeds that their deeds may be manifested more and more and come to be wrought in God he leads into all truth while such proud Pharisaical Praters as Vniversity-bred Schollars stubborn Students and rebellious Rabbies Scripture-searching
must take account of you by and by for besides such inspiration to make a Rule is necessary Gods appointment of a writing to that end saith he God thought that sufficient which we have therefore we can look upon no more with such regard at we do upon that See T. D's first Pamphlet p. 26 27.43,44 and of his second Pamphlet p. 17 18. The difference quoth he is in Gods arbitrary dispensation so do I give this reason of our true assertion that howbeit the Scripture is profitable and may be useful and called as by it self yet it no where is a Rule as it agree's with the light and spirit where it is not adulterated by mans mistransciptions mistranslations misconstructions Yet the Canon or most perfect and only standing Rule it is not because God did never Authorize or appoint it so to be but to retort back to T.D. in his own vain phrase thought the measure of his light and spirit every one hath from himself sufficient to make a standard of besides whose inspiration of the said Scripture to make a Rule is necessary Gods appointment of a Writing to such an end the difference lyes in God arbitrary dispensation as well as in the excellent preheminence of the Spirit and Light above the Letter who would have that to be the Rule Canon Standard Touchstone which was so from the beginning of the world two thousand years afore the letter was even to this day even the Spirit then which there can be no other designed by him to that end if I. O's words be true Ex. 4. s. 22. who saith Vnicus est ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã divinus the Divine Canon or Rule is but one not more then which also there is no other mentioned in the Scripture by that name of the Rule but the Light and Spirit as I have shewed above out of those places where the Rule is spoken of and if there be let I.O. or T.D. assign where and hereupon as he saith in the other case so conclude I here in this we can look upon none but the Light and Spirit upon no letter with such regard as the only Rule as we do upon that So then notwithstanding T. D's impertinent unimportant utterly untrue Reply to this Argument That we are to walk by is our Rule but the Spirit is that the Scripture sayes we are to walk by Gal. 5.16 therefore the Spirit is the Rule which Reply runs viz. that phrase denotes the principle not the Rule of our obedience in that place the Argument stands firm over the head of it for though it betoken the principle also yet not only nor exclusively of the Rule but rather the Rule more evidently and much more eminently than the other yea that the Spirit is the principle of all true obedience is professed positively by us who own nothing to be truly done in way of true obedience unto God nor the letter but what is done from the principle power motion assistance and ability of the Spirit of God or that is done without the Spirits in-dwelling yet in that place considered together with the rest above cited it is most clear that the Apostle speaks of the Spirit principally as of the Rule by which we are to walk and the word walk imports no less than the act of proceeding or going on and not the principle original or primum mobile as I may say from which we are to begin to act and move in way of obedience unto God But as unanswerable as T. D's answer is to our Argument yet it serves us very well to prove him a self-contradicter as he and I.O. also are in multitudes of more matters besides and in that it is as answerable as may to his wonted self for let but any reasonable Reader observe as it follows p. 29. of his first Pamphlet what T.D. sayes next of all to this passage of the Spirits being the principle that is the original or beginning of our obedience from which as being the primum movens and Auxilians beforehand moving and assisting we are after to obey and he shall see how he overthrows it himself in his own most immediately ensuing speech for howbeit he sayes the Spirit is the principle of our obedience which is as much as to say that in which we first walk whose assistance must be antecedent to our true walking according to the letter which is not denied by us yet when we say the same with him he unsayes his own saying again rather then he will side with us for whereas I said as his own self there relates that the Spirit is antecedent to the letter so that none tan walk in the letter till they walk in the spirit he replies thus viz. The spirit is subsequent to the letter in respect of the assistance and ability which he gives to obedience and whereas you affirm quoth he That none can walk in the letter till they walk in the spirit if walking in the spirit be meant of special assistance which is as much as to say if by that phrase of walking in the Spirit you mean the Spirits being the prinriple of our obedience t is false for many walk in many things according to the letter without the spirits in dwelling as Paul while a Pharisee was touching the righteousness of the Law blameless Psa. 3.6 in which beside the rounds he runs in and the contradiction to himself above T.D. sayes false for though none walk according to the letter in truth and as to the spiritual obedience it calls for without the Spirits in-being and assistance and power as the Principle from which they must so walk for howbeit Paul walked according to the righteousness of the Law interpreted in sensu Pharisaico according to the Pharisees outside glosses on it who saw not into the marrow mystery and spirituality of it and was zealous of God as to the literal observation of many things yet till the Law which is the light and spiritual came to him who was in his carnal condition and shewed him sin in the lust of which Christ expounds the Law Matth. 5 he kept not the Tetter as to the spiritual import and true intent and utmost meaning of the spirit and minde Christ exprest therein to the spiritual understanding though not to the natural but abstained only from outward grosse acts of sin and in his blind zeal persecuted the Church as ye in your wild-braind zial do at this day The Spirit is the principle from which we are to walke and with ut which we cannot walke according to the letter yet to go round again many walk according to the letter without the Spirits in-dwelling So pervenire ad summum nisi ex principiis nemo potest Pervenire ad summm sine principiis aliquis potest This is the summe of T.Ds. Doctrine Besides if the Spirit be the principle only that men begin to beleeve and obey from and not the Rule according to which they go on in
and sure then either the greatest miracle that ever was or immediate voice that ever God himself spake by from heaven and to be the sole Rule and determiner of all Doctrines whether they be Truths or but cunningly devised fables which two Texts together with Isa. 8.20 how little they evince any such matter and what is meant in them by Moses and the Prophets and by that sure World of Prophesie which thou and thy fellows foolishly affirm to be the Scriptures I shall God willing take occasion to examine anon Three of thy main inartificial Arguments as thou truly callest them p. 50 51 52 56. or Testimonies to thy untruth being by the head and shoulders without either sense or reason wrested from them Again it is true the Bereans did search the Scriptures whether the things were so as the Apostles spake who spake nothing but summarily substantially the same which Moses and the Prophets did say should come but what though they did so of their own accord and their searching was succesful and useful also to the fortifying of the faith they had in the World of Truth which they received readily not as the word of man but of God not as fables but as truth it coming to them as to the Thessalonians not in word only but in power and the holy Spirit and in much assurance 1 Thes. 1.5 must it needs follow therefore that the Scriptures were their only Rule of determining the Doctrines whether they were truths or fables the Word of God or the word of man and that their faith and owning that truth was à priori first originally and immediately founded as thou preachest all faith and repentance must be page 58.64 on the Scriptures so that if they had not first searched the Scriptures and there found a congruity of the things with the old Writing they neither would nor could have beleeved or received the truth thus thou and most of thy faternity foolishly fancy but look again and ye will finde it far otherwise for howbeit they searched the Scriptures and did commendably and nobly therein and were commended as more noble in that then they of Thessalonica who yet are commended as noble excellent and exemplary as the other in receiving the Word in much affliction with joy as Gods and not mans word though it seems not so serious in searching the Scriptures as these 1 Thess. 1.5 6 7 8. and were not a little confirmed in their faith begotten before yet they first received the Word with all readiness of minde as hundreds do at ths day as preacht to them by word of mouth from the Apostles the witness of God being reached and answering to the truth of it in their hearts in which they were noble as Thessalonica was yet more noble by how much they were unwearied and uncessans in seeking to be more and more gradually and groundedly growing in fuller assurance of the truth as many are at this day who first beleeving and receiving the Word with joy and readiness do not sleight as ye suppose but à posteriori being in the faith Timothy more seriously and singly then your selves see into the Scriptures that being already brought into the things the Scriptures write of through patience and comfort thereof have hope according to that other Scripture of thy coating Rom. 15.4 as yourselves cannot have any more then the Scribes who stand studying and sraping with your own Animal understandings before ye are ceme to walk in the Light and Spirit they witness too and came from But what 's all this more then just nothing at all to prove the Scripture to be the only standing Rule of Faith and Life which is asserted of it to the evincing it to be the Word Nay if your eyes were in your head ye might see of your selves O ye Studentall more than truly Prudential searchers of the Scriptures that the Word the Apostles preached and the Scripture which we confess truly testifies thereof are two distinct things and in no wise one and same individual as ye would make them if ye look no farther then the present Text in hand for in that he sayes they received THE WORD with all readiness of minde and searched the SCRIPTVRE whether the things were so it imports to any but the blind searchers of the Scripture that the word they received was one thing and the Scripture they searched about the truth of it was another Again it is true and not to be denied but Apollo an eloquent Iew was from his being well versed therein before he came to own the Light mighty in the Scripture and learned in the Letter so as mightily to confound the Gospel gain saying Iews thereby when once he came to obey it himself though yet there was a tradesman and his wife further grounded in the Gospel and learned in the light than himself who was beyond them in the Letter of whom he was not ashamed as our Vniversities Literatists are at this day to learn of women that know more of Gospel mysteries than they do to stoop to be instructed in the way of God more perfectly but how little this proves the Scripture to be the only standing Rule for which end I.O. cites it he that is blinde cannot see but others cannot chuse when as he that was so well skilled in the Scripture had that been the only Rule that he could have instructed Aquila and Priscilla about the Letter with which suo sejugulaus gladio he slew the Letter-learned Iews as it were with their own sword was not so clear in his understanding of the Truth Way Gospel Spirit Word and Light of God which is indeed the only standing inalterable Rule for ever as it ever was but that he had need to be Regulated and Rectified therein by such as in meer Scripture all knowledge were as inferiour as they were superior to him in spiritual understanding Moreover what makes it to the proof of the Scripture to be the only standing Rule exclusively of the Light and Spirit that Paul sayes to write the same things to the Philippians by which its questionable whether he ãâ¦ã something to them before which is lost and not bound up in your Bibles nor canoniz'd into your Canon was safe for them As much as if he had said nothing at all for nothing at all is that to I. O's purpose nor yet that of Iohn saying These things I write unto you that your joy may be full which J O. cites to the same end And true it is Christ expounded the Scriptures to his Disciples as he did also his own Parables that he uttered by word of mouth amongst them and the mixt multitude togeâher and opened their understandings also as he does theirs that walk in his light that they might understand them but where is the immediate cogent consequence from hence to the conscience of any that the Letter or Scripture is the onely most perfect standing Rule of all Faith Truth holy life
since it is in being and where it hath a being for the Light tries searches shines shews reveals judges determines as well without the Letter as with it and did dive into the heart where the Letter never was and direct there before the external literal directory was all and yet uses aâ its pleasure the Letter as its instrument and as a knife to kill which knife yet as an instrument cannot quicken but the Letter doth not enter quâ talis into the heart at all and what ere it doth it doth in subserviency to the Light which is its Author whose instrument it is to use but not the Light its instrument at all Moreover the end of the Letter is but to turn men from the darkness and power of Satan wherein they dwel to the Light within them that shines in the darknes that is also within them which Light is the power of God this Act. 26. is said to be the end of Pauls Ministration which was performed partly by writing and partly by word of mouth that so by beleeving in the light and living in it they might not abide in the darkness but have the light of life but the end of the Light and Spirit within is not to bring to the Letter by the Letter we may have the life for the searchers into the Letter and lookers thereinto for the eternal life which is Christ whom the Letter testifies of never found the life they lookt for there because they heard not Gods voice nor cared for his word abiding in them nor came to Christ the Light and Spirit that they might have the life for the letter killeth but the Light and Spirit gives the life 2 Cor. 3. And howbeit I deny not the Scripture to be perfect praesertim respectu finis especially in relation to that end as J O. sayes for which it was decreed of God yet that that end was to be the only guide and rule of men in their way to life I deny asserting the Light and Spirit still as that which is designed and ordered of God as to that end and was so from the beginning before any Letter without was at all And though I own the Scripture still as useful profitable effectual sufficient and perfectly successful where used by the man of God in the wisdome of God for the many excellent ends and uses formerly spoken to from 2 Tim. 2.15 as being written by inspiration of God yet I still deny that to be thereupon the standing Rule as the Light and Spirit is because no where so denominated nor designed to be by God in all the Scripture as I have shewed suffiâiently above in answer to all the Texts whence thou mistakest it so to be and because Damnati lingua vocem habet vim non habet a Hereticks words are never heeded I must here make use again of T.D. to defeat I.O. who sayes p. 27 28.43 of his first Pamph. p. 17 18. of his second That all that was written by holy men and preserved for our use is not therefore our standing Rule because God did not intend them nor give order for them to be so and beside such inspiration and usefulness to make a Rule is necessary Gods appointment of a writing to that end which appointment the Letter never had from God what ever it had from men the difference lyes in Gods arbiârary dispensation who assured his Church what was sufficient as to her standing Rule before the Letter was viz. his his Light and Spirit in which regard though we highly respect the Letter yet we can look upon it as p. 44. first Pamph. T.D. sayes of some useful things of God with reference to othersome no more with such regard as the only standing Rule as we do upon the other And though with thee I.O. we assert and deny not but that by the efficacy of the Light and Spirit the Letter is more savingly understood for the Spirit well knows its own yea by the Light and Spirit only is the Letter understood and read to profit and not by that twinckling twilight of thy fidling fancy for that Ignis fatuus finds little as to the inside of the letter but fuell to feed thee in fierce and fiery twittle twattles about the outside sense of it and the truth of Transcripts and Translations pidling points Tittles Iota's yea who hath known the minde of the Lord or the things of the Spirit declared in the Letter but the Spirit and they that live after the Light thereof and no more after the flesh to whom only the Spirit only doth reveal them yet Monstrum horrendum cui lumen ademptum what Scriptureless lightless spiritless speeches are these of J.O. who depresses all inward light whatsoever even that within the living Word of God within so much below the meer Letter formally considered as an outward writing and abstract from these as to assert them from which the Letter had all the being it hath and that thousands of years after all these antient Rules and Lights that are to day and yesterday and for ever the same without the least shadow of alteration had been famous in the world among all the Worthies from Abel to Moses to have all their being from God to us ward meerly for the sake of the Letter which was but of yesterday and as well every day as every way mutable and that so easily that 't is done in a time in but the turning of a hand yea by the Transposing of Letters Heb. Points and like as himself asserteth as many various lections may be in its several copies welnigh as lines and to represent all these which gave the Letter the being of a certain sub sub unto themselves as subservient unto it as if they were of and for no other use nor end in the world but to teach men to come not to God himself for life but to the Letter and to read the Book call'd the Bible which doth but imminde men that forget them to minde the Light and Spirit I shall therefore only take this Tale of J.O. mutatis mutandis transform it by a transposition of the two subjects thereof viz. the Light and Letter which I.O. hath mis used and mis-placed each into its proper place use and order and so quite quit it here Nullius literae externae cujuscunque tandem c. in plain English thus Of no external letter whatsoever although the holy Scripture it self which J.O. calls saving is this the use and end that we should attend to it as to the guide of our way and Rule but to this end only is it graciously granted of God that by means thereof we may perceive to our salvation that Rule i.e. the Spirit Light and Word of God ad intra and the minde of God revealed therein In this Translation is no truth hid that shall not be revealed nor covered that shall not be known So having turned J.Os. Babel with the bottome upwards I shall
that shall say the Horn-book is per saltum perfect to this end that without need of reading or learning any other books a person may by it alone become capable immediately of Commenâing Dr. in Divinity shall by my consent be counted as ridiculous silly and senseless as such as side with J. O s. sayings are who say of the Scripture or Letter alone exclusively of the Spirit and Light within it calls to walk in that by it men may have the Life it gives the Life it is the only most perfect standing Rule of faith and life yea is so perfect and absoluââ in all respects that there is no need of any other Revelation by the Spirit or Light within to instruct us in the knowledge of God and our duty to this end that we may obtaine eternal life yea all these means of knewing God and his will are uncertain dangerous unprofitable in no wise necessary and therefore to be rejected and detested as Fanatick figment For the foresaid honâurer of the Horn-book in his Hyperbolical adoration of it would be as contrary to common sense and reason as I.O. and T.D. in their absolute admirations of the Scripture and abominations of the Spirit and Light within for its sake are both to sense and reason and the common Testimony of the Scripture it self also which testifies every where concerning the Old Testament or Letter which I confess to be profitable perfect and absolutely able to the ends and uses of Gods appointment as a Typical testimony of those things which were to be spoken after that is weake imperfect and unprofitable as to that end for which I O. asserts it per salium to be so absolutely able powerful and perfect to that is to say to salvation and eternal life for it faith that it is the Light and Spirit that give the life and the liberty from the lust and sin to which the mother that is under the Old Testament or Letter of the Law is yet in bondage with her children and that the Old Testament or Letter lyes only in eatings and drinkings and diverse Baptisms and carnal Ordinance imposed only till the time of Reformation Heb. 9 10 in weakè and beggerly rudiments or elements of the world unto which who having once begun in the Spirit are tuâned aside to are foolish and bewitched and disobedient to the Truth and do but think in vain to be made perfect by the flesh and desire again to be in bondage and know not yet Christ formed in them but know him only outwardly and after the flesh Gal. 1.3.4.9 19. 2 Cor. 5.16 18. are Iews outwardly only not truly nor inwardly nor circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands which is that of the heart in the Spirit not of letter whose praise is not of men but of God but Concis'd and conformâd according to the outward bodily exercises found in the letter loving the praise of men more than the praise of God and according to the law of a carnal Commandement not the inward worship of God in Spirit nor after the power of that endless life the light leads to That the law of the Letter which had but the shadow of good things and not the very image of the things themselves could never make the corners thereunto perfâct as pertaining to the conscience Heb 9.9.10.11 That the Old Testament was faulty and failing and defective whereupon Gâd made a new one that could bring to life as it could not for if there had been a Law which could have given life verily righteousness should have come by it Gal. 3.21 for if it had been faultless or perfect or could have made perfect or given life there had been no occasion for the second Heb. 8.7 8. That there is a disanulling of the Commandement going before which was attendance to an outward letter because of the weakness and unprofitablness thereof because it could make nothing perfect but only was the ushering in of a better Hope even of the Light and Spirit by which we may draw nigh to God who is Light Heb. 7.16 18 19. and with whom no Letter lauder that lives beside the light the mystery of the Letter also can have any fellowship at al. And lastly as to thy saying that every Testament if it be but mans is perfect so that when once confirmed none may disanul or addâ to it I answer no perfect Testament is to be dianulled when confirmed and in full force as it is only by the death of the Testator but that shews thy assertion to be false who sayeâ that every Testament is perfect inasmuch as the Old Testament or Letter was disanulled which secundum te could not have been if it had been perfect and so omnibus numeris absolute as thou sayest in regard of the weakness unprofitableness of it to bring to life and for the the faultiness and imperfection of the first God himself whose Testament it was dedicated with the blood of Bulls Goats Lambs and Calves for the time then being only ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as intended for a while only 't was called a Ceremony takes it away that he might establish the second Heb. 7.18 19.8 7 8 9. that is perfect to the giving of the life which is ignorantly asserted by thee of the Letter for the Letter that was perfect to its own end as a shadow was altogether imperfect thereunto And that nothing is to be added to any Testament once come in full force and vertue by the death of the Testator as all Testaments do then and never till then for Heb. 9.16 17. where a Testament is there must of necessity also be the death of the Testator for a Testament is of force after men be dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the Testator liveth This I freely grant as a truth but utterly overturns all thou contendest for which that is the Books of the Apostles and Evangelists which were all written after Christ the Testators death ' are the New Testament which how they can possibly be if thy own Position be true as it is that to a Testament if but mans when confirmed as it only and alwayes is by the Testators death much more God's New Testament after once confirmed by the Death of Christ the Testator as it was before one letter of that Scripture thou callest the New Testament as written nothing must be added thereto let all who are not void of judgement judge For if the writings of the Apostles and Evangelâsts which were all added and penned after Christs death the Testator of it by whose death it came into full force and strength be the New Testament an outward literal Declaration of which New Testament I know it is as the Writings of Moses and the Prophets also are both which are but the Letter ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Old Testament that in an external way declares the New with this difference only that the writing before Christ declared
same spirit of falshood viz. in vindication of the Scriptures to be powerful to salvation to beget faith to bee living sharp spirit searching discerning thoughts a Light and Lamp and so consâquently the only perfect standing Rule of faith and life exclusively of another Revelation by the Spirit Word or Light within these are aââ true of the Word and Doctrine of Christ the Spirit and Light within the Qua. call to and the Letter points at in all these Texts of thy traducing but mâthinks thou shouldest be ashamed to expound any one of those of the Letter and Scripture itself As to that of Paul to Timothy Take heed to thy self and to the Doctrine continue in them in so doing thou shalt save thy self and them that hear thee What 's this in proof of the Scriptures being powerful to save the soul which is the end of thy alledging it he bids him continue in the things he had learned as also 2 Tim. 3.14 and had been assured of knowing of whom he learnt them which if it were from Paul as a means under God as it rather seems to be from Christ himself whose Disciple he was as he could not be but as he laarnt of him before he became acquainted with Paul Act. 16.1 2. the promise is entailed unto his continuance in the things and not ascribed to any power or efficacy of the Scriptures to save though yet we know Timothy was well skilled in the Scriptures also as is owned above And as to that of James with which thou joynest this in proof of the outward Letters power to save to which also p. 83 84 85. thou jumblest together a number more then are in this Catalogue underhand and which I shall take in here that speak of the Word with one consent to one and the same purpose but not to thine which is to prove the Scripture to be so as most effectual powerful and able to save souls yea the very power of God to salvation viz. Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 1 Cor. 2.5 1 Thess. 1.5 Psal. 110.2 Act. 20.31 Joh. 6.68 Gal. 2.8 Col. 1.6 and more out of the Coâânths miscoâed from which Texâs thou powerest out thy blinde opinion of the Bible and concerning the Scripture thereof in this particular in such wise saying it is absolutely called the power of God Vis virtus Dei the Power of God the Gospel the Power of God and faith which is built on that Word without other helps or advantages is said to stand in the Power of God the Word that comes not as a naked word but in power and in the holy Ghost and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã giving all manner of assurance and full perswasion of it self even by its power and efficacy It is termed the Rod of power or strength denoting its Authority and Efficacy that which is thus the Power and Authority of God able to make it self known so to be It is not only said to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Power the power of God in it self but also ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã able and powerful in respect of us ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the sacred Letters ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which are able to make wise to salvation they are powerful and effectual to that purpose it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã potens servare animaâ nostras the Word that hath power in it to save the able powerful word that Paul commends the Ephesians ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã it is living and effectual By vârtue of this power it brought forth fruit in all the world without sword without for the most part miracles without humane wisdome or Oratory without any inducements or motives but what were meerly and solely taken from it self consiâting in things that eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor could enter into the heart of man to conceive hath eâerted this power and efficacy so the conquest of the world causing men of all sorts in all times and places so to fall down before its divine Authority as immediately to renounce all that was dear to them in the world and to undergo what ever was dreadful terrible and destructive to nature in all its dearest concernments and such like Reply All this I know to be true of the Word Light and Spiâit of God in the hearts of men which the Letter points to and the Apostles preached as that which men should beleeve in it is absolutely the Gospel the power of God to salvation but the Letter not so the faith that is built on that word without other helps or advantages from the Letter stands in the Power of God as Abraham Noahs Enoch Abels and all the holy men did that lived by faith in the Word 't was Gods power mighty and effectual to save them before any outward Letter was written and without the help and advantage thereof but the outward Letter is profitable to nothing at all without the help and advantage of the Light and Spirit within but is a dead letter of no efficacy for the good of souls and this the same J.O. who sayes the Scripture without other helps and advantages is so absolute and perfect that we may obtain eternal life that there 's no need of any other Revelation by the Spirit or Light within but those are all dangerous uncertain unprofitable in no wise necessary fanatick figment desestable c. Ex. 17. s. 28. to the wonted contradiction of himself in all tâat and what is underhand confesses with us in totidem verbis of that Scripture which he calls the Word p. 236. saying that without the adminisâration of the Spirit accompanying mens possession of it it is a dead letter of no efficacy to the good of souls The word Light and Spirit of God and Christ within nigh in the heart but not the Letter without is the Gospel which Paul bare testimony to and was sent to turn men to by his Ministry and was not ashamed of saying its the power of God to salvation to every on that beleeves in it and comes in the outward Ministry of it by word of mouth and writing and is witnessed so to do at this day as of old it did to many not in word only but power and the holy Spirit giving all manner of assurance and full perswasion of it self to such as through prejudice put it not away from them and thereby judge themselves unworthy of that eternal life which it is the word of that it is not the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God that is both light and living and Spirit and life it self even the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ the Image of God which is not Letter 2 Cor. 3. thining unto them both in and also out of the darkness that is mens hearts where the God of this world blindes not the minds so that men will not beleeve it to the giving them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. This and not the Letter
is the Rod of power which God promiâed to send out of Sion even the Rod and sharp Sword of his mouâh and breath of his lips wherewith he will now smite the Nations and slay the wicked and reprove with equity on the behalf of the meek of the earth whom the proud oppress even the word of his mouth which he will put into the mouths of his sucklings and their seed and seeds seed out of which he ordains strength to the perfecting his own praise against the persecutor This and not the weak dead letter Bible or Scripture thou so labourest bablest and scriblest for is that Power and Authority of God Able as the outward Writing is not to make it self known so to be for the letter is as lifeless helpless powerless as any other Book Writing or dumb Idols that men adore and receive aâ ye with the Iews of whom thou speak'st p. 237. do the Bible at this day with the honour and veneration due to God that cannot stir from the place where it s set as neither can the Scripture from where it s laid no more than the Turkish Alcoran yeâ as Jeremiah in his Epistle saiâh of the weakness and vanity of all the Idols of the heathen whom they make powerful Gods of Thâse Gods quoth he cannot save themselves from rust and moths though they be covered with purple they wipe them because of the dust of the Temple when there is much upon them men put the Scepter in their hands as if they were the Iudge of the Country and Daggers and Axes but they cannot deliver themselves from Theeves nor of themselves put to death one that offends them as a useless vessel worth nothing when broken so it is with their Gods they are as the beams of their Temples upon their bodies and heads StrâBats Swallows Birds and Cats they are things in which is no breath yet they set and sell and buy them at a high price they are carried having no feet âo walk with if they fall to the ground they cannot rise up again of themselves the same together with what follows caeteris paribus Baruch 6. may be said of the adored Best Copies of the Great Bibles that lye in the great old mouldy Popish Parish Mass-houses now called the Protestant Churches where the Bells hang the Ministers of the Letter not the Spirit the elder sort of which are Priests by Ordinatioââ fit in their Temples and roar and cry the Word of God the Law the Light the way to life the Gospel the power of God to salvation as the Iews do when their Copy is carried about but these Gods of those Idol Shepherds that leave their poor flock at any time for another that hath a better fleece can do nothing at all cannot withstand any King or enemies are not able to escape either from Theeves or Robbers nor when fire falleth on the houses where they are to help or save themselves or flye away how then shall we think they the Books called Bibles the Scriptures are so powerful and effectual not only in themselves but also in respect of us as without any other helps or advantages to shew themselves to be the great Authority and Power of God vis virtus Dei to our salvation as I.O. dreams If he say he means not the Text but the Word it talks on let him say so then when he writes again and then we will take it for granted he gives the cause in question to the Qua. whom he quarrels with for denying the Bible Letter Scripture outward Writing to be the living effectual able powerful word of God that gives life and saves and such like and so we shall meddle no more with him as to that matter but so long as he will needs damn down the Qua. as denyers of Scriptures and the Word of God too because they deny the Letter or Text to be properly the truth or Word of God it doth but declare and talk on we must thereby understand him to intend the Letter which he talks for Moreover as to the Light of God and Word nigh in the heart which the Apostles preached to turn men to and taught them as the Scripture also doth in its Testimony there to to attend to as the Rule of faith and life this is that Word of the truth of the Gospel which is V is virtus Dei the Power of God by the vertue of which Power it brought forth fruit in the Collossians and in all the World where it so came when it came unto them in the Ministry thereof which was the means by which they heard of it first and then came themselves to hear it and to know the grace of God in truth even that grace that bringeth the salvation and appeareth to all men effectually instructing as well without as with the outward Letter of it all that leârn at it to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world which is the Light of God in the conscience called the goodness of God or grace given to lead them to repentance who despising the riches of it are not led by it to repent and so treasure up wrath to themselves c. Tit. 2 11 12. Rom. 2.4 5. This is it which brought forth fruit in the world without Sword Miracles humane wisdome oratory or any inducements or motives but what are meerly and solely taken from it self consisting in things which eye hath not seen ear heard nor the heart of the animal natural man or of any but the spiritual man that by the Spirit which only searcheth and revealeth them discerneth the deep things of God can discern or conceive This is that that hath exerted its power and efficacy to the conquest of the world so far as it hath been capâivated in the high proud thoughts of it to the true obedience of Christ causing men of all sorts times and places so to fall down before its Divine Authority as to renounce all that its dear undergââ all that it dreadful and destructive to nature in its dearest concernment As for the Letter the Scripture which thou speakest of in a sense abstract from all other helps and advantages as that which without need of any other Revelation by the spirit and light within for these thou call'st superfluous mediums doth plead for reception not onely in comparison with but also opposition to all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of God his mind and will founded thereon and calls for attendance and submission with supreme and uncontroulable Authority 57 58. as that which hath brought forth so much fruit and exerted so much power What power hath it put forth to conquer the world into such submission to the truth as it is in Iesus as Christ requires or as the Letter it self either calls for what fruits of righteousnesse hath it brought forth in the world cal'd Christian to the glory of God for all its being
conceived in thy brain to be the power of God both in it self and in respect of you Look upon all litteral Professârs that run a whoring from God the Lord the Spirit and the Light that shines in them there shewing moral good and evil and spiritual good and spiritual wickedness also for the fruites of the spirit and works of the flesh and the lusts thereof envy hatred lasciviousness c. are manifest and what ever manifests them and all things in the conscience is the light within which is the Armour against the one and the enabler to the other and not the Letter wihout which only sayes so of the Light and see what works most abound in the most Reformed Nations and Churches of it that are turned aside from the truth it self to a meer talking of the Text that talks of it are they not the same that are to be found among Papists that live by no other professed Rule but tradition and Popish putasion yea set aside that grosser sort of superstition and thicker cloud of superfluous Ceremonies in matter of outward observations in Religion in which the Kingdome of God which stands in inward Righteousnââs of the heart expressing it self outwardly in the life comes not as to Moralities Mercy Iudgement Equity Honesty Innocency Love Purity Humility Faith and Fear of God unfained which are the end of carnal Commandements contained in Ordinances and bodily exercises that else are profitable to little which said Moralities as little as thou makest of Moral obedience Moral good is that which the light in all mens hearts may avail to lead them to p. 42 43 45. as if these were some pedling trivial matters that God regards not which yet indeed being done in the Light out of which God who is Light accepts of nothing nor hath pleasure or delight in any of your litteral performances are nâ less then Spiritualities fruits of the Spirit and of the Spirics only and not the Letter bringing forth for the Letter never yet brought forth the Spirits fruits in its Ministers and children who for all their searchings and lookings into and labouring for the letter sow to the flesh still as the Scribes and Pharisees did of old that trusted in Moses and the Prophets Writings and of the flesh reap corruption whilest the Ministers not of the Letter but the Spirit the children of the Light sow to the Spirit and of it and the Light reap the life it self and these are the weightier matters of the Law I say as to the foresaid Moral matters saving the grosser dimnest of their devotions are not the same that is to say as good fruits found among poor Papists as amongst you and as bad among you as with them and as unsound yea V in tu cârtis Iudaeis âppederâ wilt thou judge and disdain the concised Letter-lauding âew O thou meerly Rantized Scripture-profissing-Christian when they who make their boast of the antient Ceremonies and Letter of the Law do not more through breaking the Law in the Morals and Spirituals of it then ye who boast of the later Letter and Ceremonies thereof through breaking the weightier Moral and Spiritual matters of it do dishonour God Is not your Vine aâ the vine of Sodome to the Lord notwihstanding your solemn meetings and Sabbaths and Fasts and fained forms and many things that God never required at all as much as theirs who were punctualin performance of the very things that God himself required and are not your goodly Grapes of Injustice Cruelty Whippings imprisonings Persecutings of tender conscences for telââng truth for not paying Tythes c. and all other iniquity dissoluteness and propaneness that overflows in Vniversities Cities Countries as the Grapes of Gommorrah as theirs were and as clusters of Gall and Wormwood yea shall not the Gentile the Heaâhen as ye call them the uncircumcistân the unchristned people as to the Letter that by the remants of the pure nature for the corâupt nature only breakes the Law do the things contained in the Law and shewed them in the Light within them by which they are a Law to themselves and go accused or excused in their own conscences before God judge as well thee who by the Letter and Baptism transgressest it as the Iews who by the Letter and Circumcision do transgress the Law and Rebel against the Light is not as much of the true Righteousness found among many Heathens as among most litteral Christians who ever name the Name of Christ but never depart from iniquity What geat efficacy and power then hath the Letter alone of it self without any other helps advantages or any other Revelation by the Spirit and Light within put forth and exerted to the conquering of the world and the bringing forth of fruit in all the world when as it is evident that it never yet subjected any one whether Minister or Professor of it to the perfect obedence of it self in the main matters of it as the Light and Spirit hath done done the children of it As for our Parochial and Academical livers by the Letter temporally I mean for otherwise they live neither by the Letter nor the Light but beside both both they and their Bible-blessing Beleevers are far from answering the call of their very literal Rule which is all they own under that name and notion that they are not come by it into the faith that ever they shall conform to it or be perfected in holiness or cleansed from sin by it either in this world or that to come for whereas much of it is written in way of warning not to sin 2 Ioh. 2.1 and is profitable and powerful as they say themselves from 2 Tim. 3.16 which speaks of Timothy men of God only and also not exclusively of all other helps and advantages from the Spirit and Light as I.O. but as in conjunction with faith which is in the Light as is shewed above to make men wise to salvation and perfect in good works they are so far from beleeving it possible in this world not to sin and be perfected in holiness or good works that they deny it as little better than plain Popery to affirm any works done though by Christs own power in us to be truly or perfectly good or any better than dung and filthy Rags witness T.D. who as above said p. 13â of his 1 Pamp. sayes the Righteousness wrought in Paul after his onversion was Christs and yet renounced by him as dung damn it down ââ Doctrine of Devils to teach men that they may be fully free from sin here witness T. Rumsey whose blinde judgement therein T.D. justifiâr in p. 41. of his â Pamph. and that its most false to say the Scripture either doth or can obtain its end fully towards us while we are in this world and yet that it is of no use to us in the world to come also so denying again what other whiles they affirm of the power and perfection of the Scripture
the light of God the wisdome saving truth immediate witness clearest way of Revelation soul-cleansing Law sure foundation most perfect Rule immoveable stedfast Standard of Gods setting up but it self is nos all nor any of this nor doth it at all any where avouch it self to be any of it at all The Scripture points to that which is the Power of God by the being of which in and upon his people who only own and joyn to it they are made a willing people in the day thereof when such as turn from and against the light which is the power and labour in the weak naked Letter labour in vain and are left unwilling to leave their lusts and lives for Christ as his Maryrs or outward witnesses did in all Ages But the Letter it self is not Power of God that sustained them in the suffering and inabled them to forgo what was dear to them and to undergo what was dreadful and destructive to nature in its dearest concernments The Letter tells us that the Saints did so and tells us and all Saints that we should do for Christ but the Power by which this is done is another matter then a Letter ad extra even the inward light Word and Spirit that thou doest despite to even that in the conscience that made them indure as seeing him who is invisible and discovered the darkââss upon the discovery of which they rather chose death then to own it as Light and Truth not only in ages as high as Moses who by faith in the Light chose affliction rather then sin and feared not the wrath of Pharaoh but also from him downward as low as Maries dayes in which some died for denying the darknâss of the Popes Dâctrines of Transubstantiation c. which the Light in their consciences told them were too gross to be of God who yet by their confession could not dispute against it with Vniversity Sottish Sophisters Doctor Dunces out of Letter nor so much as read a letter therein and also as low as these dayes wherein by the Power of God many are born up to bear the Trials of the cruel Academical mockings scoffings scourgings inâlictings stonings bonds imprisonments abuses to death witness one of the first of the Lords two Hand-maids that were sent to warn the Vniversity of their universal abomiâations at Oxford in the time of I.Os. Vice chancellorship there who perhaps may not be so learned literally though mystically and spiritually more in the Letter as obtuse aÌcuti âomunâioneâ many of those dull-beaded nimble disputers out of it are in their bald fashion of Syllogistical form Neither did the Letter either of the Old Testament which is the Letter without of what things soever written or the outward Letter of the New ever conquer the world in which thou sayest it brought forth so much fruit further then into a meer empty fruitless form of Godliness without the power thereof insomuch that though as to the Primitive Christian Churches while they kept in the Light which the Apostles Ministry whether by word of mouth or Writing Letter Scripture was to turn them to walk by and beleeve in and in the Spirit in which they began till fooâishly being bewitched from obeying the truth it self they turned aside to the outward Text that tells it and so thought to be made perfect by the flesh and the fleshly bodily exercises they found in the Letter which once used were as low weak beggeâly elements for a time the power of God and godliness was much âelt among them and abode with and upon them to the prevailing against the Powers of the earth and the overcomming the world it self and Satan the Prince of it by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of his Testimony not loving their lives to the death and much fruit of the Spirit and of righteousness was brought forth to the glory and praise of God But when Synods and Councels doting Doctors infatuated Ghostly-Fathers and such as admired their persons as they the persons of the Apostles and primitive Disciples began to bundle together what they could get of the Wâitings of such as were coaetaneous with Christ and the Apostles and without any such order from either Christ or the Apostles to canonize what in their conceits might be useful to others as they had found them t is like to be to themselves into a Rule or Canon and stated them into a common Standard for all to have their sole recourse to in soul-cases and matters of Christian faith and holy life and so to adore the dead letters of those holy living men and to run a whoring after some remnants of Writings that dropt from them then in the whole world now called Christendome instead of an Apostolical Spouse of Christ as Christians were at first presented a chaste Virgin to himself by them there stands up an Apostatical Strumpet that had the Letter and good words written there but neither the life of God nor the Word of life therein testified to that according to the nature of Error which is ever multiplying degenerated more and more into the dark till at last being gone from the Word Spirit Light and Life within to the outward Letter that relates of it they ran into the Wildernes of their own numberless senses upon it so that they lost the Letter also and fell from it into Tradition and a thousand Old Wives Fables and though it is good and acknowledged so to be so far as it is that the Protestants have marched from Rome under the conduct of the Leâter yet for all they are come back from the blinde screel scrawls of the Popish Scribes for their smoaky imaginations to a pretensive profession of and prate prâ Scripturis for the Scriptures unless they march on according to the conduct of the Scriptures till they come into the Light and Spirit which they point to and by a dotage upon the Scriptures ye would run from they are not so much as come yet to the Scriptures nor to conform to that counsel of the Prophets and Apostles given in it but are yet erring from the Scriptures even in and by their very eager Scriblings for it as the only most perfect Rule and from the only Rule of faith and way to Life the Letter is as loud for but that they are dull of hearing as they in their naked Writings are loud for the naked Letter it self And so it comes to pass that as Israel was of old who was as laborious in the Letter busie about the Bible and strict for his Scripture-standard as our Israel for the self-same which yet they confess too is abolished as to the Litteral observation of it with the Appendix of a few of Stories and Letters and Revelations of those holy men next to Christs time who by the Spirit wrote much more then is there own'd as their Standard I say as the old Israel proved as to God an empty vine Hos. 10.1 bringing forth
hearts of men though witnessed to without in the Ministry of Prophets and Apostles preaching and writing of it as that in which they were to beleeve in which beleeving according to the Voyces and Scriptures of holy men calling them thereto and beleeved by them they thenceforth and not before were said to beleeve on the Name of God through which beleeving in it they had life but what 's this to evince the Writing to be that Word âhus spoken thus written of which was another thing which was as truly beâeeved in to life before it was written of as after Oh quoth J.O. as were the persons speaking of old so are the Writings now True whence in his own words I argue back ad hominem on him thus As were the persons speaking the Word of God old so are the Writings now Buâ not the persons preaching no nor yet their preachings and speakings were the Woââ of God they preached and spake of but only means by which men were brought to beleeve in the Word of God What 's Paul what 's Apollos but Ministers by whom ye beleeved 1 Cor. 4.5 Therefore the Writings now are not the Word of God written of but only an outward means by which men are brought to beleeve in another thing then the âritings for life even in the Word of faith nigh in their own hearts which the Prophets and Apostles preached and wrote of that iâ order to life men should beleeve in it I.O. And now as to that Text Heb. 4.12 which thou citest also p. 85. reciting the words of it which are these The Word of God is quick and powerful or as thou there ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã living and effectual sharper than any two-edged swârd piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Rep. I cannot but stand almost astonished at thy stupidity in expounding that Text of Scripture of the Text of Scripture and of that terme there the Word of God of the Book called the Bible which the business of thy Book is mostly about sith the efficacy and power of the Word here spoken of is far beyond that of the Letter or Scripture it self the inefficacy and weakness of which I have shewed above specially abstract from the Spirit and Light within in which way thou asserts the sufficiency of it witness thy own words above rehearsed as to any such mighty matters as are here mentioned Is the Letter the Scripture sharper then any two-edged sword to divide asundâr soul and spirit c. a diver into a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart what thinkest thou by the two-edged sharp sword that goes out of his mouth that rides the white horse with his vesture dipt in blood and the Armies in heaven following not in Lawn Sleeves Sarcenet Scarffs Sattanical Goâns Canonical Coats Scarlet Formalities White Surplices Velvet Plush black Gippoes and such like Scholastick Superfluities but in fine linnen white and clean i.e. The righteousness of the Saints Rev. 2.12.19 11 12 13 14 15 22. Is it the Letter or is it the Sword of the Spirit a prime part of that Armour of God Armour of Light intimated Rom. 13.12 Eph. 6.11.17 which is the Word of God and the sharp soul-searching heart-piercing living life-giving Word that is here spoken of for it s the Spirit that quickneth the Letter killeth and is dead the Sword of the Spirit is the Spirit or words of Christs mouth which he speaks which are Spirit and life not Leâser which Word of Christ is the Word of God also as Christ himself the Lord that Spirit is 2 Cor. 3. which was in the beginning before Letter was and was with God and was God for the three that bear witness in heaven the Father Word and Spiriâ are one and all three Spirit and Light and the Letter is none of them all and these without the Letter are effectual and werâ so before it though T.D. sayes the Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter p. 42. of his 1. Pamph. but the Letter and its revelation is not sufficient and omnibus numeris absolute c. as J.O. darkly divines to effect and perfect all things as to Gods glory and our salvation of it self so that there 's no need at all of any other witness or revelation by the Spirit and Light within T.D. indeed if any save such as are bewitcht and befooled already would be such fools as to follow his foolish fancy would and what Parish Preachers do not the like make men beleeve by his non-sensical blinde wayes of proving it as if it were so at leaât and that is a little more moderate then I.Os. boundless elevation of the Letter which hee makes little less than All in All that the Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter in proof of which his false Assertion âe urges Rom. 10.17 the same Text that I.O. wrests the same way Faith which is the Spirits work quoth he in the forenamed page comes by hearing hearing by the word of God which terme the Word of God there T.D. and I.O. and their Adjutants generally take to be the Scripture Text though if any measure of right reason did Rule in them they might see in the same Chapter that the Word of faith by which it comes is that they preached to be brought nigh in mens hearts and moâths by God himself that there they might both hear and do it Deut. 30.13 but so far is his Position from having any truth in it as much as he stands up agâinst R.H. who justly withstands him in it that if his own eyes were but half open he could not but see the flat falsehood of it yea it is so palpable that before all the world I will here lay down the very contrary as the truth viz The Spirit was wont to be effectual without the Letter And why he should lose any of his Authority power and efficacy by mens writings as they were moved by him he is either wiser then I that can tell or else very fond in asserting what he can tell no reason for And that the Spirit or Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God whether we understand it of Christ himself that Spirit 2 Cor. 3. that quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 who is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 or the Spirit of God and Christ which is so called also Eph. 6.17 was wont to be effectual without the Letter of old before there was any Letter for him to work by is so clear that t were to light a candle to see the Sun by to go about to prove it yea as I.O. sayes in a case that is clear I mean clear contrary to what he asserts in it Ex. 3. s. 31. so say I in this ad Solem caecutiââ necesse est c. he must be so blinde as not to see the Sun
when it shines upon him that is ignorant of it or assents not to it since as R.H. told him then it was so so I tell him here over again in R.H. his words with the addition of the long tract of time wherein t was wont to be so The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God which was effectual two thousand years before the Letter was And this I the rather assert against T.D. here in this place because he is so ignorant as to tax R.H. there for usual speaking non-sense and for understânding non-sense as well or better then good sense in that when T.D. said The Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter R H. repeats him saying thus The Sword of the Spirit is ineffectual without the Letter which in effect is all one if T.Ds. eyes were well open to see clearly what the Spirit is and what the Letter and then replies thus The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God which was effectual before the Letter was Now I demand of thee T.D. 1. where is any non-sense R.H. spake whose words I here speak after him that I may clear them from thy unjust cenââre of non-sense And if R.H. understood any non-sense as thou sayest he did then that must import that thy self with whom he was then in discourse hadst spoken some for he could not understand that non-sense from thee which thou never speakest Out of thy own mouth then at least thou art condemned for speaking some non-sense if a man were minded to prosecute thee for it for habemus Retââ conficentem we have it from thy self if it were so but though thou tacitly taxest thy self with non-sense yet I shall do thee that Right this once as to clear and exuse thee from thy own false self-accusation for in truth both what thou spakest and what R.H. spake was all good sense as to the intelligibleness of the phrases unless thou account every sentence to be non-sense that is false as to the matter propounded in it as in a sense thou mayest there being no sense nor reason for it that any man should affirm and tell an untruth and then I confess thou spakest non-sense and R.H. good sense Sith his saying was true and thine was false For the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and the Spirit it self and not the Letter as thou who art somewhat low and implicite not very loud me thinks nor express as if thou durst not for shame speak out thy minde about it seemest to make it was wont to be effectual without and was effectual before the Letter was But here 's indeed the very knot of the business thou deemest R.H. to utter non-sense in not being so non-sensical as with T.D. I.O. and their Chronies to interpret the Sword of the Spirit there called the Word of God of the outward Letter or Scripture that is the thing will not down with T.D. without straining at it as a peece of non-sense to assert the Sword of the Spirit not to be the Letter witness T.Ds. words of R H. T.D. As for what he says that the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God if he meant like a man in his oppositions he must mean Christ who but once is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 And Christ cannot be intended Eph. 6.17 because he is not the Sword of the Spirit but the Spirit his Sword rather for by the Spirit he works in the hearts of men and therefore Gen. 6.3 he sayes My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man which is meant of the Holy Ghost as will appear by comparing it with Act. 7.51 where Stephen tells the Jews Ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Christ by the common operations of his Spirit strives with men and by the special operations thereof preâails with them Rep. In this parcel is more truth granted to the Qua. then T.D. himself understands so to be or will ever stand under the force of when made use of by them against himself for he sayes the Spirit is Christs Sword by which according to Gân 6.3 Act. 7.51 he works operates in men mark his words and is said to strive with them that alwayes resist him even in themselves I could never yet get it granted from T.D. or any other contenders against the truth in this point that Christ had a Spirit of his in men by the operations of which he is said in those two Texts to strive with them n themselves for howbeit its the common Doctrine laid down positively by themselves unawares many times yet when they meet with Qua. in verbal discourses who urge these two self same Texts and that in 1 Pet. 3.18 19 20. By the which Spirit Christ preached to Spirits in prison which were disobedient in the dayes of Noah c. And that Ioh. 16.8 9 10 11. concerning the Spirits convincing the world of sin c. in themselves and that Ioh. 3.19 20 21. of Christ the light coming into the world i.e. the word which is in mens hearts there condemning the evil deeds even in the dark cells of wicked mens own consciences which Light is sent not to condemn but unless men love the darkness more then it in order to their salvation and that they might be saved by beleeving in it vers 17 18. And that Text also Ioh. 1.9 concerning the truâ Light which is Christ enlightning every man in the world all which places and many more are parallel together in this point among all the several sorts of shifts whereby to shuffle of the sound Doctrine of the Qua. this is most commonly made use of viz. that the strivings and shinings of Christ by his Light and Spirit with and unto the Sons of men which they dare not deny neither to be universal and yet do own ten parts to one of the world too to be at this day without any true outward Gospel Ministry or Traditions by by men or Letter of Scripture O Rotas where 's the beginning and end of these mens Rounds are not by any Light or Spirit of his that is in them for that measure of his Light and Spirit within wee call men to they name natural imaginary figment Fanaticisme Enthusiasme and ironically that infallible Doctor Qualitas nescio quae divina seu anima mundi omnibus mista ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã merae tenebrae caecitas nesâio quid niâil nothing and much more as I.O. pleases but by a Letter and Ministers of the Letter without them only he strives and shines by his Spirit say they and reproves and conviâces the world that resist but t was of old by the outward Ministry of Noah only a Preacher of Righteousness t is since by the Scripture and Ministers of it that preach outwardly out of it though perhaps not one of an hundred in the world ever read it or heard it preacht on but not by any measure of his Spirit or immediate workings of any Light or
it self and the very Devil for he that owns the Letter aright must own come to beleeve in follow the Light that shines from Christ and shews the good and the evil in his own by the fall darkned heart defiled blinded and benighted conscience sith the Letter testistes of and calleth men to this Light As he cannot be said to fulfill and live according to the Letter that lives besides the Light it calls to so cannot he be said not to fulfill or to live beside the Letter who lives according to the Light it came from But not upon this account can he bee said to rebel against the Light who rejects the Letter because the letter and light are one and the self-same thing viz the Letter the light and the Light the letter as I.O. dreams for howbeit that be his sense yet assuredly neither is the Letter the light nor the Light the letter but they are two distinct things that are no more Synonamous or one in name then they are in their essential properties and proper natures and that however in some generals they may be one and so omnia ' quia entia sunt quid unum is in reality not at all And lastly in what sense soever such as reject the Letter may be called Lights Rebels which is in no wise in respect of the letter and lights being individually the same yet as is said above they are in no wise so called in that of Job and if the Light had been as much heeded by I.O. as the Letter is lookt in by him without the Light which only leads into the true meaning of it yea if common reason had but ruled him hee would have seen by the word Light the Letter is not intended for to let pass other considerations that might be as cogent in this case when ever or by whomsoever that History or Book of Job was written whether in his dayes or after by himself or any other yet that Chapter being a part of Jobs speech to his friends it must be spoken in his dayes whom Jerom on Genesis Augustine Ambrose Philo Plato and most antient Fathers and Writers Luther on Gen. 36. observe to have lived long before Moses whom ye judge the first Scripture-writer carried Israel out of Egypt and so consequently before any of your Scripture or Letter which ye now call the Light was written and that Job should denominate the wicked of his dayes under the name of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Lights Rebels rebellious against the letter long before any letter was written unless his own book which yet if in his days must be written after that was spoken is such a trim peece of Teachment and credible conceit as I could say more to had I to do with another man but to him I shall say no more but that which is his usual saying of what is at no hand to be beleeved p. 244. Credat Apella Thus much of the first of I.Os. Texts Now as to the next that follow viz. Psal. 19.8 Psal. 119.105.130 Prov 6.23 I have said so much to some of them already above as may stand as a sufficient answer to the rest viz. that by Word Words Law Commandements Statutes Iudgements Testimonies Precepts c. In all those Scriptuâes is intended not the Scriptures themselves in which these things are declared of but the Word Law Commandement written in the heart and the Iudgements ministred by the light on the evil deeds in the conscience declaâed of only in the letter which letter bears no other respect or proportion toward that Word or Law which is the light then the lantborn doth to the light that is contained in it and displayes it self somwhat diaily thorow it or the Glas-window doth to the Sun that shines shews it self throw it yet more obscurely then when it s immediately lookt upon in its native luââre for there 's a time wherein we see the Sun through a glass darkly and Christ through the vail that is to say his fleâh and the light and things of the Spirit in the shadow of the Scripture or letter wherewith it is overcast where the Sun shines more immediately to the eye and the vail of his flesh and letter and carnal Ordinance is rent a more new and living way is consecrated thereby into the Holy of holies it self where more immediately or face to face then before whilst in a Glass beholding the glory of God there is a more perfect transformation into the image of his glory which is fulness of grace and truth a glory that the world owns not but the Saints saw in Christ Joh. â 14. even by the Spirit of the Lord or the Lord that Spirit 2 Cor. 3. ult so I shall need to say no more to to those Texts in this place nor yet to that Psal. 43.3 which is of the same nature whereby the Light and Truth that David if it were his Psalm desires God to send out could not be intended the Letter and Text for so much of that as he made use of for his own condition was sent out before which was but little more then the five books of Moses perhaps Joshua Judges Ruth and Job and t is but folly to fancy that he prayed that more Letter might be given out to guide him who had so much of the light and spirit that by it hee wrote much of the Letter himself or if he did pray for more letter to guide him then was I know no more was granted him unless what Psalms hee wrote himself which the Spirit mov'd him to write for the good of others for that of Samuel the Seer is mostly of him and those of Nathan and Gad were so also See 1 Chron. 29.29 And if Nathan and Gad wrote any to bee Davids guide they are none nor of yours being not in you Bibles and so that light and letter he prayed for is not the letter yee have and talk for nor doth the Letter and Text lead any to the holy hill of God and his Tabernacle but to the light and truth it came from which is it only and not the letter as ye have it that came immediately from God so only leads immedlately unto him As to Isa. 9 2. to which though thou writing them in the rank wherein they stand in thy Concordance severest them by the interposition of a text in Hosea between them yet I must joyn Mat. 4.16 sith they both in the self-same termes relate to the self-same thing and time I marvel not a little but that God is now proceeding according to his promise Isa. 2.9 to do that marvellous thing even that marvellous work wonder and turning the wisdom of the wise into foolishness and bringing to naught the understanding of the prudent I should much more marvel then I do to see a professed Doctor in Divinity residing at the well head of learning and Religion dwell so deeply in the darkness and in the Region and shadow of death as to
and truly partaking of the Divine nature and begotten by the light and living Word of Truth from death and darkness into a real union with it self by receiving with meekness ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the innate ingrafted word âam 1.21 by which they become incorporated and as it were transubstantiated into one seed with it self having the Image and glory of God seen upon them and shining in and through them before the world men before whom let your light shine faith Christ Mat. 5.16 Is. 60.1 2 3 c. 2 Cor. 2. ult I say if such men may be stiled the Light of the world as Iohn Baptist was stiled by Christ a burning and shining light Joh. 35 36 then whom yet Christ had a greater witnesâ Wil I.O. therefore prefer the deaâ copies of the writings of those living men who wrote from the life light and Spirit of God moving before or at least into an equality with the holy men who under God were the Authors of those writings as they were at first which now are but the fallible âandyworks of by his own confession but meer fallible Transcribers or if he will will any wise men of God become so foolish with him I trow not in as much as the work-man is more glorious than the work that issues either originally from or but subordinately through his own hands the Writer more honourable than his meer writing as Heb. 3.3 4. Hee who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house for as every outward Writing or Letter yee now have the use of was written by some man as every such house is built by some man but he of whom are all things and he that originally built all things is God indeed Yet me thinks I sent not only I.O. but T.D. also who is so a kân to him that in most matters here hee prosecues the same point unless where he contradicts him and hobbles upon the same notions enthroning the Scriptures or outward Letter very high above the Church whose children it immediately was pend by the hands of and whose meer outward Engine the outward letter is insomuch that I.O. makes it not only dearer to God then the whole world besides p. 171. but also p. 76. the very Darling of God so that his Church whose servant the Letter is and for whose sake written is made by him but some subservant to hold out the honour of the Letter that it may bee the more conspicuous rather then to let her own light image grace glory which is that of God Isa. 10.1 2. shine out before man the duty t is quoth he almost the whole of the Church to hold up that some time and when wee say the Church is a Pillar and Ground of truth from 1 Tim. 3.15 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which words Pillar and Ground should not bee taken for the supporter or foundation nor inholder of truth in sensu Architectonico which T.D. denies âe not dispute See p. 356. See p. 355. but grant him his sensum forensem or foreign sense of it in which I.O. also who sayes absurdly however that these words Pillar and Ground may in good coherence of speech refer to the words following viz. the mystery of godliness as well as to the Church will take it in and let them have it yet what follows that the Church is but the Ground and Pillar to set the Letter upon which I.O. calls the light and truth there and to hold forth only the outward literal publication as T.D. pleads p. 18 19. of his 2. Pamph. or the seat or place of residence for the Scripture as upon the Exchange in London are pillars and places upon which hang Tables and Proclamations in no wise surely for though the Pillars of the Exchange are for support as well as shew and so T.Ds. Simile doth not quadrare nor run on all four to bee sure yet to give them the sense of a pillar to hold up or hold out only yet that which the Church is the Pillar to hold up that is hold forth is the Truth whether by or without the Scripture of it between which Truth and the book they both sometimes do distinguish which truth or light is the Foundation or Pillar in sensu Architectonico on which the Church is built and not it on the Church as the letter is which under God the Church that gives no being to the truth or light nor kindles one beam thereof as I.O. sayes but only bears witness to it gives being to and so is in sensu Architonico the Pillar or Foundation of though in sensu forensi of the light and truth only for the Church is more honourable then the letter as the Builder or that which supports the house is more honourable then the house that receives being under God and preservation from it and its Prophets but its less honourable then the light and truth it lives by and hath its being from as a Church in respect of which light and truth t is confest it is not a pillar and ground in sensu Architectonico as it is of the letter but in sensu forensi only that is the seat place or pillar from whence it is held out and shines or as the Church is called Reâ 1.20 Zach. 4.2 a golden Candlestick that serves to hold out in life and doctrine voice and writing the eternal Word of grace light truth and word of life conveyed in measure to her from the two Olive trees or anointed ones or sons of Oyl the living Word and Spirit that empty themselves into the golden Candlesticks feeding them therewith and from thence shining as God witnesses to the world which two witnesses shining and prophesying to the Church or Candlesticks and through them to the world in power and much patience and sufferings stand before the God of the whole earth Zach. 3. Rev. 11. And if the Saints born of the incorruptible seed the Word of God which liveth and abideth ever may bee stiled the Seed of God Will I.O. thence conclude that a corruptible Letter copied out by corrupt mens hands as the Scripture is at this day may be so stiled also The Word of God took upon him the nature and seed of Abraham but never took upon him however he is written of in it the proper nature of a dead Letter that was written with ink and pen by mens hands There was no time wherein the Word and Light by which all was made was made or born into the true nature of such a Letter but there is a time of its being made flesh and dwelling as their food in the Saints Joh. 1.14 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã natus est ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Word was born flesh and dwelt in us Ioh. 6.51 to 64. the bread I give is my flesh c. howbeit all flesh is not the same flesh there is a flesh of Christ that if eaten with a carnal mouth would as so have profited nothing vers 63.
prove that general ignorant audacious Assertion of thine Doth any one of them respectively prove the particulars thereof that it is particularly alleadged to Doth Gal. 1.8 because it is said If we or any man or Angel from heaven bring any other Gospel then what we have preached to you twice over let him be accursed prove him cursed that writes more Scriptures of the same Gospel by the same Spirit if so was not Iohn hereupon accursed that wrote more Scriptures of it after Paul was dead by a new Revelation not the same and was not Paul if he wrote any Epistle after to Galatia cursed out of his own mouth by saying though wee bring any other Gospel let us be accursed if that were his meaning ' that no more Scripture must be written is every new Revelation and new writing by way of Revelation of the old Gospel a new Gospel or doth Rev. 22.18 prove there must be no more Scripture nor Revelation within nor new outward Scripture and Revelation of the Gospel by motion from the Spirit after by Iohn because he saith If any shall adde to the words of this Booke God will adde the plagues of it to him Said he therein any more then what was said long before Deut. 4.2.12 ulz. Prov. 30.6 Adde thou not to his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar were all those adders to Gods Word or words and reprobate and liars as they must be if the Scriptures bee Gods Word and the adding of more Scripture be additament to his Word that added all that Scripture which was written after Deuteronomy and the Proverbs and if the Scripture were the Word of God is not taking away his name out of the Book of Life threatned to him that takes away from the words of that Book as well as plagues to him that addes and so ye in that ye discanonize most of what was writ there by the Prophets are discarded from the comforts of the Scripture by the places of you own quotation Doth Col. 2.18 twice over cited and allowed two votes in this Section vote either of those particulars it is cited for Doth the Spirit there condemn Angelorum alloquia alias called by thee Colloquia Angelica s. 28. all conference with Angels or only that worshipping of Angels forbid more expresly as I hinted to thee before in Rev. 19.10.22.9 where I also told thee of the lawfulness of talking with Angels or receiving of Revelation of the truth from Angels unless thou wilt Tax such as received the Law which was given by the disposition of Angels and Daniel and Mary and Zachary Cornelius and Paul and Iohn that wrote the Revelation and Christ himself who all were spoke to and ministred to by Angels were these all guilty of sin and condemnation Look again I.O. on the words in English which thou Greekest out perhaps to the further hoodwinking of Idiots that ken not Greek lest they should finde out thy folly who settest it for a Cypher if rendred in plain Latine which to give thee the reading as they stand in your Translations run thus Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility or worshipping of Angels Is the talking of Angels to men here deeply damned by the Spirit of God as thou dreamest And 2. what 's that Text to prove there must be on pain of cursing no additament of more Scripture or Writing to that Scripture that is in your Bibles with pretence of immediate Revelation of the same Doctrine Truth or Gospel there taught from the same inward Light and holy Spirit which is the second purpose for which it s cited a second time And again as to Heb. 1.2.4 cited Heb. 1.1 3. for thus thou citest that twice to the 2. same purposes with Col. 2. what hath that in it to the evincing the Spirits damning of either all talk with Angels or addition of more Scripture thereof from the Revelation motion or inspiration of the same holy Spirit to that Scripture of the Truth that is now truss'd up as the close of the whole Councel of God that ever must be declared in writing or counted upon as part of your Canon according to the Clergies Councel who first caused that consignation of it by Book-binders within the bounds of your Bibles thus run the words God who at sundry times and in diverse maners spake in times past the Fathers to the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us in his Son who is better then the Angels c. Must not his eyes be out that sees any such things hinted at here as those above the proof of which I.O. intends by this quotation Because Angels are here named inferiour unto Christ therefore Anathematized is he that hears or heeds any thing that shall be spoken to him by an Angel though he reveal the same Truth and not another seeing that truth is already written in the Scripture yea cursed be hee from henceforth even for ever there 's one of I.Os. Concâusions who consequently concludes Iohn accursed that wrote the Revelation from thenceforth even after this of Paul to the Colossians and the Hebrews were written from whence forward I.O. drives his execration downward to this day sith the said Iohn had his Revelation immediately from an Angel by whom Christ who had it from the Father sent and signified it to his servant Iohn Rev. â 1 And because Christ is better then the Angels and God in these last dayes speaks in and by him his only begotten Son the light of the world the great Shepherd and Over-seer of the soul whose own voice his Sheep hear warning all to hear him to hear his voice in all things what ever he sayes on pain of being cut off from among his people therefore the Scripture must have no more writing though of the same truth that is there added to it on pain of damnation for ever there 's the t'other of I.Os. Conclusions from Heb. 1. from which Conclusion I can much more clearly conclude that a cloud of darkness is drawn over I.Os. understanding and that a beam is in his eye then draw such an untruth as that no more Scripture since Iohns time was to be written by the holy Spirits moving and added to that from that Text which tells the truth if I.O. would once heed it viz. that the hour now is wherein God speaks to the Sons of men in and by his own Son whom he hath given to be a Light and Leader to all people wherein the dead must hear his voice before ever they live to God who since God speaks by him and hee by his own light Spirit Voice in I.Os. conscience why doth not I.O. heed him then but scoffe at him in his inward Light and Spirit the Qua. call to as at Christum quendam Imaginarium infallibilem Doctorem nescio quod lumen scu verbum internum nescio quem Deum seu ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Deoforsan quopiam
melius c. for woe unto him that ever he was born if he repent not of it but run from him to the Letter which doth but testifie of him and call to him in the reading and searching of which if he think he hears Christs voice and Gods voice truly then the Scribes that read the Scripture as much as hee could not be truly reprov'd Ioh. 5. as not hearing it as they are by Christ And 2. I shall think hee is not only without his sense of spiritual hearing but as 't is shewed above of others in the like case not so well as he ought to be in his natural wits and understanding And as to that 2 Pet. 1.19 which I insisted so lately and so largely upon above if there were the weight of one half grain in it towards the turning of the scales to his purpose I would weigh it once again but he that shall say these words We have a more sure word of Prophesie to which yee do well if yee take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place till the day dawn and day star arise in your hearts hath ought in it if the Letter of Scripture were there meant as I have shewed it is not to prove there must bee no more Scripture written as from the Spirit after that verse was written on pain of damnation as I.O. doth for that 's his drift in quoting it doth no more condemne the Qua. by that Text of Peter then he damn Iohn himself whose Revelation was written as by the Spirit no little while after that As to that 1 Cor. 4.5 spoken to once before where I met with it Ex. 3. s. 28. yet twice here cited by I.O. to the self-same purpose as before from which because Paul there sayes hee would have none think of him and Apollos above what he wrote of himself and him as no more however Idolized by the Church then meer Ministers by whom they beleeved I.O. concludes there must be no addition of more Scripture to his Canon Rep. If any man be minded to look so long till hee finde a pin in a pack of wool which he may sooner do if lost there then finde I.Os. conclusion coming from the Text aforesaid let him look till he is weary for mee who will meddle no more with that And the same summarily and in short say I of 2 Pet. 2.18 another Text of I.Os. urging For when they speak great swelling words of vanity they allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonness those that were clean escaped from them who live in errour Rep. He that will spend so much time as to study on that Text till hee can duely draw either of these Doctrines from it viz that the holy Spirit downrightly damns 1. All addings whatsoever of more Scripture or writing as from the Spirit to that Scripture now in the Bible which our Clergy calls their Canon And 2. All the wayes and means of knowing God and of communion with him even that internal Spirit and light in the conscience to use I Os. phrase boasted of by the Qua. as in some measure communicated to all men shall most assuredly have his labour for his pains The same may be said of 1 Ioh. 5.1 Beloved beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they he of God or no for many false Prophets are gone out into the world Rep. What damnation is thundred out here at all to the Adding of any thing or Revelation that is true to the outward Writing or Scripture where the Scripture is neither talked on nor intended he talks of Spirits there and not Letters much more what follows thence to the condemnation of the inward light and spirit the Qua. talk of call to live and walk and hold communion with God in now according to the counsel of the Scriptures as Abel Noah and all holy men of God did from the beginning before the Scripture was Is this to adde to the Scripture and to fall under condemnation from that Scripture and from that Text too as Adders to the Scripture to hold forth preach publish in the movings of the Spirit and therein also to commit to writing the holy Truths revealed in the Light and Spirit of God they obey and walk in and to call men by Voice Scripture or Writing as they are moved to live and beleeve in the Light to walk not after flesh but the holy Spirit of God in them which reproves them of sin and lusts against their flesh as they did of old who wrote in the same Light and Spirit of God that outward Scripture ye more scrible for then walk by so long as ye walk not by the Light and Spirit as it bids you doth not the Scripture call to beleeve and walk in the Light and Spirit and not in the darkness and in the flesh and where is that Spirit and Light is it not within in the heart where the flesh and darkness dwells which lust against it And for as much as thou sayest here the Spirit damns all wayes and means of knowing God and communion with him beside the Scripture O thou Elymas Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right wayes of the Lord Doth not the Scripture and Spirit of God by it rather down rightly damn all them out of al' communion with God let them jactitare joy and boast never so much of their having the Scriptures that walk not in the said Light the Qua. testifie to which thy self only contrarily both to the Scriptures and sound reason and Gods Spirit also damnest down as Diabolical to the Pit of hell who yet sometimes again confessest it to be of God and Gods voice in nature by which he reveals his minde to men and that infallibly without the least contribution of strength or assistance from without and therefore surely without a Letter ad exera p 42 43 44 45 46. yea and rejectest with abhorrency and detestation Ex. 3. s. 28 Doth not the Spirit by the Scripture condemn them for Lyars and such are all the formal Professors of the Letter that have got the good words to talk on for hire and make a trade of whose portion is the Lake while they are not under the power of the Light but hate it and the holders of it out that pretend to communion with God out of the Light and own 's it any other way or means of fellowship with God but the light saying 1 Iob. 1 4 5 6 7. God is light and in him is no darkness at all if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship together and the blood of his Son cleanseth us from all sin dost not thou then instead of light walk in obscurity instead of brightness in darkness it self dost thou not grope for the wall yet like the blind as if thou hadst no
is not shewed by any thing but it self and rectum is ever mensura sui obliqui that which is infallibly right is the Rule and measure of manifestation of it self and of all the wrong and not retro any wrong darke crooked doubtful or fallible thing the Rule of that so the Spirit and Light of God by and from which and that but remotely too through mens hands the Letter had at first and now through fallible mens hands hath all its being is the Rule of trial for it self and of the Letter and of all false Spirits Prophets Doctrines c. yea it self and all things are made manifest by the Light whether approveable or reprovable works of flesh or fruits of the Spirit as the Letter sayes of it Gal. 5. Eph. 5. yea what ever doth make manifest as the Letter never doth or can without the Light and the Light doth often and did thousands of years without the Letter and before it was it is the Light And if any other should yet of all men I.O. cannot charge this on me as an Idem per Idem to say by the Spirit of God and the Light alone we must Try the true Light and Spirit and the false Spirits and pretences to the names of Light also for I say no more in it then the truth of the true light and spirit which himself sayes most falsely of the Letter when p. 51. he asserts it to be the Rule and Standard the Touchstone of all speakings whatsoever that that must speak alone for itself which must try the speaking of all but it self yea it s own also I.Os. 6. Argument to prove the Scripture and nothing else the only most perfect Rule and Standard is this viz. Ea omnia quae examinari probari debent c. All those things which ought to be examined and tried yea which we are commanded to try tanquam ad lydium lapidem as 't were by some infallible Touchstone by the Scripture whether they are true and agreeable to divine verity or not with free liberty yea absâlute necessity of rejecting them if not consentaneous to Scriptures those neither apart nor joyntly considered can be the Rules or Directories of Gods worship our faith and obedience nor are upon their own account at all to be credited But all Revelations Visions Spirits Dreams Enthusiasms we are commanded so to try examine and prove Therefore those are no Rules that are of themselves to be credited Rep. That Argument the minor of which is most false and supposes that infallible Spirit of God to bee now subjected as some underling to a fallible Letter now transcribed by weak men is founded on this Text 1 Iob. 4.1 and two more only beside those above spoken to viz. 1 Cor. 14.21 and 1 Thess. 5.21 The first of which I know nor why I.O. cites it it proving nothing to his purpose because Paul there quotes a Text out of the Law or Letter saying In the Law it s written with men of other tongues and lips will I speak to this people i.e. to the Drunkards of Ephraim yet they will not hear which first part hath not a tittle for him but the latter part of it much more against him then he is ware of being not wise enough well to weigh it And the second Text with the two verses before viz. Quench not the Spirit despise not Prophesyings prove all things rather against him that the Spirit which is there mentioned and not the Letter at all is that by which all things are to be proved What is said above to that Text in Iohn shall as well it may stand as answer to the said sixth Argument with this only addition that if we must go to the Scripture for the trial of all spirits even Gods as well as others then le ts go no further at first however then that in hand which tells us that the true Church who is written to in that verse wherein nor in any about it there 's not the least hint about the Letter had a secret taken whereby to know the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of errour versâ 6. which the world and its Priests and people have not vers 2â Every Spirit quoth he that confesseth Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh is of God and every Spirit that confesseth not this is not of God and this is the Spirit of Antichrist whereof ye have heard it should come and even now is iâ already in the world Riddle me I. O. if it be within thy reach and from thence tell me which are the true which the false Spirits which Christs and Gods which Antichrists they that confess Christ Jesus to be come in the flesh as the âuardo or they that deny the Saviour the Anointed to be come in the flesh as from the Pope to the least outside or nominal Christian and meer literal beleiver and professor among the most reformed Protestants save they who beleeve and live in the internal light and Spirit with one accord all do Looking at talking of belâeving the History of expecting justification sanctification righteousness salvation all from Christ only as he was made a man of outwaâd flesh and blood without them And if I. O. say in vindication of himself in this that that is the confession of Jesus Christ to be come in flesh which every spirit that makes is of God to beleeve the story of the Incarnation Life Suffering Death Resurrection c that is all truly related in the Letter without as 't was done in a figure of what was to be further and more spiritually and mystically transacted in his true body the Church whereof he is the head with a confident application of him and of the benefit of all the righteousness he did in that person by every man to himself as by way of computation and imputation before he hath it indeed imparted or conveyed into himself for this is T.Ds. and the whole brood of the back side beleevers and the Bastard Christians saith and confession of Christ to be come in the fleâh on the account of which they hope they are of God and shall be saved though they are far from witnessing or confessing the same Christ who is the Wisdome Righteousness Light Power Salvation and Image of God to be begotten conceived formed born brought serth incarnated risen from the dead living and dwelling within themselves where he hath lyen slain as an innocent Lamb from the foundation of the world in their hearts which therefore is to perish with the lust thereof which inward witness of the Words incarnation and dwelling in themselves they that were of God of old had Iob. 1.14 The Word was made flesh and dwels in us and we saw his glory and all now have who are of God and have not the vain hope of the hypocrite only which is as the giving up the Ghost when God comes to take aâây his soul Job but that hope 1 Iob. 3.3 which is
an Anchor to the soul sâre and stedfast entring into that within the vail Heb 6.18 19 20. which is Christ himself in us the hope of glory Col 1.27 known by them to be in all them who are not Reprobates 2 Cor. 13 ãâã and still in that transgression and in that condemnation which hath past already upon them and is not now to them that are in Christ walking no more after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 I say if I.O. judge with T.D. and others that that faith and confession ad extra only is the faith and confession of Christs Incarnation Resurrection c. which proves them to be of God who have it and them to be Antichristian spirits who have it not Let him tell me whether there be any Antichrists in Christendome yea or nay I have hitherto taken it that our Divines say the Antichrists properly are no where else and that there are many more Antichrists then true Christians naturâ non nomine in the world called Christian but seriously I know not where to finde them if I.Os. trial judgement and discerning of Spirits by the very Scriptures themselves bee not very dark and undiscerning and confused nor what Spirits or Prophets throughout all Christendome are not of God since Papists and Protestants of all sorts Prelatical Presbyterian Independent Baptists Seekers Kanters and all other that I know of as well as Qua. who only of all the rest witness that true inward saving good confession of the Lord Iesus with the mouth and beleeving in the heart that God raised him from the dead as feeling him living there within themseâves to which the promise of salvation is made Rom. 10.9 and which every Spirit that witnessesh is of God 1 Joh. 4.2 do together with the Qua. who own and deny not that as there bee some that falsely lay of them all confess and really beleeve the truth of the outward History of Christs coming in the flesh of that person that was born at Bethlem that lived and dyed and rose again at Jerusalem according to the true Relation of the outward Scriptures and do also apply him and all his by that faith they have in the story of that person and in the person at a distance from them though never feeling the power of his Light Righteousness and holy life within themselves but I wot whether I.O. will own all these Spirits Prophets and Professors to be cordial beleevers or all such confessors of that outward Incarnation and Resurrection of Christ from the dead to be all of God or not and in a present state of salvation thereupon and not one of the outwardly beleeving Christ-confessing Spirits Prophets Priests and Professors abovesaid whereof the most are very prophane false deceitful Liars Swearers Couzeners Cheaters Drunkards Riotous Gluttâns Belly-gods Wantâns Whoremongers Idolaters Covetous Proud persecutors of Christ every way abominable and unchristian in their lives few or none of which beleeve so much as that they must necessarily or can possibly be purged perfectly from their sins till they dyâ to be at all Antichristian If he say nay these all shall not be saved then the said outward faith in and confession of Christ as without them is not saving If hee say yea then first where is his personal election 2 What need any personal sanctification of us as to our salvation what was personally in that man only that dyed and rose at Ierusalem is enough for us so that none needs reside in us let us eat and drink when we dye we shal be saved and live for ever Moreover what hath been said above may stand as a sufficient answer over the head of I Os. fourth Agument which as most of them are one with another in many matters in proof of which he cites over and over again the same Texts so that one cannot well make a full end with one Argument without some transition into another is very much coincident with this The summe of which fourth is this viz. If it be often commanded by God that we attend diligently to the Scriptures left we be turned aside from the truth and right knowledge of himself by seducing spirits vain Revelations false teachers c. then the Scripture is the most perfect Rule c. but the first true therefore the other Ex. 3 f.31 The Texts that prove the minor of this Argument quoth he are so clear and plain that ad solem caecutiat necesse est c. he must needs be blinde toward the Sun it self who Assents not to them in some of which also quoth he the certitude of the sacred Word that is the Scripture still with I.O. is preferred before the certitude as to the Churches use even of true Revelations and miraculous Rep Yet two of them viz 2 Tim. 3.13 14 15 16. 2 Pet. 1.19 many times a peece over repeated and supposed to supply almost every turn of I.O. how they serve not his turn at all is abundantly above discovered whereupon I here quit them Another is so much misquoted viz. 2 Ioh. 11.5 6 10. that as plain and clear as the Sun as it is he must be better skill'd then I that knows where to finde it at all Two more there are that make as much to I.Os. purpose as any two well-nigh can do that speak contrary to it and those are Ioh. 5.47 2 Thess. 2.2 The words of the first which with those of 46. vers are Christs to the Scribes are these Had ye beleeved Moses yee would have beleeved me for he wrote of me but if ye beleeve not his writings how shall ye beleeve my words Christ by true Revelations of it from the Father to him truly revealed the Fathers will to the Scribes which they received not from him but hated him for Ioh. 8.40 12.49 50.14.31 saying of Christ Wee are none of his we are Moses Disciples we know God spake to Moses as for this fellow we know not whence he is Joh. 5 45 46 47. Christ tells them in effect that for all their prate and pretence to Moses as their Tutor he rather was their Accuser in whom they trusted sith they in truth beleeved not Moses for a minori ad majus did you indeed beleeve Moses ye would much more beleeve me quoth he for he wrote of me he sent directed and pointed you to me for so he did Deut. 18.15 saying of Christ A Prophet will God raise to you c. him shall ye hear in all he sayes who hears him not shall be cut off from his people Act. 3.22 23.7.47 But if you beleeve not his writings wherein ye are bid to hear me as the greater of the two as the Son in the house where he was but the servant then ye cannot beleeve my words The summe in short is this hee that heeds Moses writings must hear me for Moses bids them do so he that beleeves what I say doth what Moses sayes he that beleeves either beleeves both he
that beleeves not both beleeves neither But what of that what follows hence this quoth I O. for that is the very end hee infers this Text for and the very conclusion he infers from it viz. that Moses writings of Christ are more sure and of greater certainty as to the Churches use then Christs own words from his own mouth or then Christs Revelations of Gods minds to men as revealed to him from the mouth of God from the very bosome of the Father Siccine Itane is it so I O. indeed what the ouââard remotely transcribed Copies of the writings of the Old servant that put a vail over his face too and spake so darkly in types and figures and shews and shadows that 't was hard to behold stedfastly to what end he spake more plain and stedfast and sure and certain then the immediate Voice Words Revelations of the Son himself whom Moses called to hear as coming and speaking more distinctly out of the very bosome of the Father O the dotage of our Vniversity Doctors the dimness of our Divines who profess to dive daily and deeply into the Scriptures that make the dark Writings and dead Letter and servant more clear and worthy and useful to the Church then the express Voice and Words of the Son which are Spirit and life it self I shall set but one Scripture to face this fancy of I.O. and so leave and let it stand to the shame of it self and its Father Heb. 3. vers 1. to the 8. See and read it Thus of the first The words of the second are these Be not soon shaken in minde nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of the Lord is at hand Rep. The business I.O. cites this in proof of is for this and that next before are of those that are subscribed to that purpose that the certainty of the Scripture is preferred before the certainty of true Revelations and Miracles but which way so much can be drawn unless it be as I.O. draws iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with Cart Ropes from that Text is more then I can tell Paul Silas and Timothy had told them it seems of the coming of the day of God both by Spirit Word and Letter they whose great hope lay in the comming of that day like such as look and long for what they love and are apt to thinke and hope it to be as they would have it did hope it to be nearer hand then it was and fearing left finding it further off then they thought they might bee troubled and shaken in minde and failing in their faith of it he gives them to understand the worst of it that the best might the better help it self that they should not mistake them in their Doctrine about that day as if they had said it was immediately to shine out upon them and so waver in their mindes flag in their faith and be troubled with doubts as if it would never come to them because not so soon as they wisht it might for there was a long night to interpose it self first he wills them withall to remember v. 5. that he told them no less in the Spirit by Word of his mouth as now he doth over again by Letter or Writing when was present with them howbeit as that 's never long that comes at last so that day would come at last to their salvation and destruction of the man of sin who caused the night with the brightness of it Here 's the short and the long of the business of that verse and those about it from which I who can see the Sun can see no such Doctrine follow as I.O. dreamingly draws from it nor one dram of Reason nor the least grain of Assent to his Asasâinated Assertion that the Scripture is of more certitude as to the Churches use then any true Revelations Other Arguments I.O. urges why the Light and Spirit cannot bee the Rule c. Therefore the Scripture must be it J.O. That to which we are never no where sent of God that we might learn the knowledge of himself and his will and take direction in our duty that cannot be the Rule Canon Principle or directory of our Faith Learning Knowledge and obedience But we are never no wheresent of God to any inward Light or internal Private spirit c. Therefore c. Les the Fanaticks produce but one place of Scripture wherein we or any are sent to their Rules or directions of faith and obedience and we will not say but they have cause to triumph in earnest but if they speak of their own they are Lyars they bear witness to themselves and their witness is not true Reply As for thy word Private Spirit we deny all leading by any Private Light and Spirit It is the Common Light and Publick Spirit of God which is one and the same in all though not in the same measure and not any thing of our own that we testifie to and profess to follow as our guide It is the gift of Gods grace in us that appears to all bringing salvation which teaches all that are led by it and learn at it to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live godly righteously and soberly here that we intend nor do we so much as pretend to any other inwardlight but that of God in the conscience which though thou foolishly stile it Natural yet thy self be ârest such an ample testimony to sometimes that we need use no other then thy own words to prove it to be infallibly of God and from him an infallible guide and that we are sent of God to this inward Light Word or Spirit in answer to thy challenge to produce one Scripture I say what need wee produce one Thy own pen if thou l't beleeve it points out almost iânumerable places yea all in which the Word of God is said to be preacht publisht multiplied received where the Word nigh in the heart is meant and the outward Scripture that is the declaration of it considered formaliter or as written not at all intended yet for fear thou shouldest not beleeve thy own pen when such Truths drop from it as make against thee and indeed it hath let fall so many untruths pro and cons and fellaries from it that it little deserves to be beleeved by thy self but rather suspected when it writes the truth I am free here to produce some out of many more that might bee produced wherein men are sent in the Scripture if that be of God by whom thou sâyest they nunquam nusquam never no where are so sent to the rules and directions we call to which are not any mans own private spirit or fained light or Enthusiasms or dreams as thou dreamest and to the abusing of us to the world out of thy own narrow private light-loathing spirit divinest they are but the Word Light and Spirit of God which is
turn away much people saying God is not worshipped in Temples made with hands but within onely in Spirit and Truth talking as if they would teach us as if they heard Gods voice and not we who search the Scriptures and expound the Law and have the Key of knowledge have been train'd up in the Scriptures in reading the holy letters but these we take notice of them that they are ignorant unlearned men yet they say we are unstable and unlearned and wrest Scriptures to own destruction but whence hath this man letters having never learnt at Universities as we have done away with them and their Scripture no more holy Scripture now the Canon is compleated the Standard sealed no immediate motion now no such mission as the Prophets had now no speaking by divine inspiration now no Divine authority in any mans writings now though they write not others but the same Divine truths as of old no extraordinary infallible âuidance of men by the infallible Spirit of God now and suchlike Thus they said then and thus our wise Ignorants at Athens say now of the same Spirit that then spake in Paul pressing others now to write or speak to them of their woâshâpping an unknown God seeing their Universities given wholly to Idolatry and thus I.O. one of the sore men against the truth What will these Bablets say and in a manner so they say all But slay friend Gods arm is not shortned neither is the mouth of God more made up now then formerly from making out and manifesting his own mind immediately from himselfe in the minds and consciences of men and women so as that men may without manifest imprudence not to say impudence imagine so ignorantly as in effect I.O. doth that God spake his last to the Sons of men and all that ever he meant from his own mouth to make known of his will to any man when Iohn had at the command of Christ written that pretious Revelatio âwhich God gave unto Christ to shew to his servants who was pleased to signifie it unto them by the hand of his servant Iohn and when once in after ages a Syned of some honest men who we know not upon some some mistakes and sailings which weâ I.O. confesses Tr. 2. c 2. S. 4.5 They were lyable to establish so much as they could get together which was but little 't is like of that much that was written of the transcribed Copies of the holy mens Histories and Apostles Epistles and letters to particular Churches and private persons and canoniz'd it together with the writings of Moses and the Prophets into such a standing Rule of faith and manners for all ages to come that whatever should from thenceforth be found as not a little was even of the Apostles own and some of Christs own writings and whatever should be written after that with pretence as much hath been since then not in pretence onely but in truth of motion from the same holy spirit should be shut out for ever from standing in their Canon sith it came not in at that time to their hands and be ever of so low esteem as not to be own'd among the rest under so much as the name of holy Scriptures with them but as to all ends uses and purposes for which all holy Scripture is written be utterly raced out of the Record cancel'd made void and of none effect while those few they Authoriz'd because of their Stamp of the onely Standard upon them must be had in as high if not an higher Esteem Honour and Authority then the Light it selfe from which directing holy men in the writing thereof they had all the being they have at all as holy Scriptures Let not I.O. in any wise say so for there are yet though himselfe is none of them 7000 of the people of Christ in England that bow not the knee to Baal many of whom as they are under the new Testament i.e. the Spirit and not under the old i.e. the letter where thou yet art have even both men and women the promises thereof made good unto them concerning the gift of the holy Spirit of the Lord and power to prophecy which of old also the true had Mic. 2. and of judgment and of might to declare unto the rebellious house of Iacob and Israel even the Heads and Princes thereof if they abhor judgement and pervert all equity and the Priests and Prophets thereof that Preach for hire and Divine for money and build Sion with blood and Ierusalem with iniquity and yet leane on the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evill shall come upon us their sins and their transgression And to use thy own words I.O. p. 331.332 to thy self who are much in the dark as thou utterest them to such as are further in the dark behind thy self much more to the same purpose will same of them be found to say when men of outward wisdome and learning who are as they think able to instruct them shall condescend personally so to do Yea of myself I will not speak who by the grace of God am what I am and if the least measure of that grace be imparted to me among other of his servants that I should Preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ it is to one that for ought I know is of all the rest least worthy or rather most unworthy of it but I am bold to say so much and no more then what will stand as truth against thine or any others gain sayings that there are some who do not more professe themselves to be then they are indeed inspired by the holy Spirit whose messages and ministrations whether by voice or writing are so immediate from the mouth of the Lord that your not receiving nor submitting to them on that account but rejecting and denyall thereof with such rigour as ye do doth justify your predecessors in all ages who rejected and slew those that spake to them in the name of the Lord and speakes out in plain terms your imagination to be this that you may with safety to your selves reject them whom God sends yea to go on yet for a while much what in thy own words Tr. 1. C. 3. S. 9 10.11 12 There are some whether they work miracles yea or nay as thou confessest most of the Prophets did not that 's nothing to thee who pretend not to this inspiration falsely but both can and do to youward insist upon this that being ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã divinely inspired their doctrine is to be recieved by you as from God and in their so doing it will be found in due time to be your sin even unbeliefe and rebellion against God not to submit to what they speake in his name as that of his word they receive from his mouth and this is not onely pleaded and insisted on by some but also whether their Testimony be received or not received by you preachers and the
any more accounted on And though this seem such a mervailous matter I.O. in thy eyes and utterly beyond that diminitive belief and that little faith thou hast which if we may believe thy self is for ought thou knowest just none at And what Testimony soever the spirit of God beaves of the Scripture or of the Word of God or of the Gospel or of any anything else to us so as on pain of Gods d spleasure to bind us to the belief thereof it beares it in the hearts of men also as well as in the Scripture though thou say falsly that all it now testifies it testifies in the Scripture and by that onely to the heart and not in the heart immediately by it self or else it requires not the belief of it thou concludest thus viz. And if this be not a âââteme and foundation of faith and sure enough it is not so if the spirit speak not the same within that it doth without in the Letter then I publickly professe that for ought I know I have no faith at all He that doth not know that he hath any faith may thereby know assuredly that he hath not any all yet must it therefore be such a mervailous thing in the eyes of God and of his people who are not so incredulous of the Scripture as thou art that God should speak with his own mouth to his own people and vouchsase them so much mercy as to heare the joyfull sound of his his own voice and reveale his mind and will to them by his own spirit indeed sometimes he is pleased to speak in one to another as he did much in the Prophets to the Fathers in Paul to the Churches 2 Corin. 13.3 in one Prophet in his Church or two or three to all the rest as he was pleased to move and inspire them by his spirit 1 Cor. 14.24 25 29 30 31. and reveale any thing to them and by his Spirit press them in their spirits and give them utterance to utter it to others yet if any spake as they ought they were to speake as the Oracles of God and to minister not onely as of the ability that God gave and not man bought at University but also as of that which came to them as the Word of God uttered by his own voice in their hearts from his mouth out of the holy Oracle of God 1 Pet. 4.11 when he so speaks his voice is known and owned by his own who own not the voice of strangers when their tongues run before their wits out of their time to tell talk in words of the self-fame truth which but by bare hearesay they know not and at this day he speaks out in his servants to people and to you Scribes that search the Scriptures who call on you to heare what hee saith in you though as your forefathers John the fifth you have not at any time in your selves heard his voice which if it were the Letter you have often heard that read nor yet heeded such as spake to you from him in whom he speaks But doth all this exclude God from speaking when and what he pleases to any or every man immediately within his heart Was there ever any age wherein he debarred himself from this unlesse in the case of aforesaid wherein he was pleased to hold his peace because men would not hear him but stopt the eare like the deaf adder to what he said because being evil doers they did not like it In which case terras Astraea reliquit is there not a time wherein his very Adversaries that will not hear his voice in order to their own peace shall heare it whether they will or no to their own terrour will not he that fits in heaven as far off as you think that is utter his own voice as the roaring of a lion so loud within their consciences that they shall hear him speake to them in his wrath vex them in his sore displeasure who have vexed his spirit And do not the people of God though you do not hear what God the Lord himself will speak And will he not Psal. 85.8 speak peace to his people and to his Saints And are not such as have ears to hear bid to hear what the Spirit saith not in the Scripture onely for that properly is not a voice though figuratively it may be called so no more than my Letter to a friend in which he may read my minde is truly and properly my voice and our controversie with I. O. is much about proper names but in the heart where to them that hear he speaks the same that by his motion is written in the Scripture And do not Christs people hear his voice who though they may read the Letter too yet in that act can no more properly be said to heare his voice than he properly to hear his Masters voice that is an hundred mile off while he is but reading something or other that was written not by his Master neither but by some other by his approbation or appointment And are we not commanded to hear the welbeloved son of God And is it not dangerous to turn away the eare from him that speaks still from heaven more then to turn away from Moses or the Prophets in whom he spake and who spake but from or by him here on earth And is not Christ theâ Light of the world that great Prophet who preacheth himself the Gospel in every Creature whose voice whoever heareth not in all things whatever he saith must be cut off from his people And is there not much more in the Scripture itself which sends men not to itself so much as to the hearing of God Christ and the Spirit declared to the same purpose Why then should it be thought an incredible thing with thee I. O. or any else that God should speak to men and manifest himself and what is to be known of him and of his mind to their salvation if they heed it to them now in their own hearts and consciences Doth not God himself speak are yea twice though man perceiveth it not Iob 33.14 Rom. 1 19â or that Christ should manifest himself in a more speciall manner and measure then to the world who observe not when he speaks nor âwhat he commands to his servants that love him and keep his commands or that he should come into them Rev. 3.20 sup abide and be familiar with them and not by the Scripture so much for the world hath that declaration that know him not but by his Spirit of truth which the world receives not but resists though it strives in them and not without onely by the ministration of holy men conviaceth them and preacheth to them as in Noahs dayes not by Noah onely but in their consciences should dwell in them and not in writings and proverbs onely shew them plainly of the Father John 14.17 to 26. John 16.25 Or that any of his people that give
eare to what he saith and âtar him should have his secrets revealed in them which God did then to his own people reveal to them within by his own Spirit in them which knew and made them know all things that were hid from meer ãâã men though never so wise even the deep things of God or that any man now that lives not in the flesh as ye do but in the Spirit should say he is moved to speak or prophesie or reprove or warn or councel or exhort and teach or is inspired to write by the holy Spirit or that any who learns at the mouth of God as ye do not out of which cometh knowledge and understanding and not any way else and ministers as he is moved of what he hath learnt there should say he ministers no more then what he hath heard immediately from God himself or that any that have the spirit of God for their guide as ye have not who walk not after the Spirit but after the Flesh in your conversations and after your own conjectures about a Letter liable to be changed or corrupted in your Congregations should say they are guided by an infallible Spirit Is the Spirit of God the light of Christ fallible as the Letter is Are they not infallible certain unchangeable incorruptible so that such as are led thereby cannot erre nor be deceived Do they lead into any iniquity or uncertainty those that walk after them Is it not they that leave the paths these lead in and walk after the flesh and live by their own thoughts and opinions of the Letter that is to be altered with ease at Criticks wills whom thou I.O. teachest too to alter it in their Religions who run into by wayes for such the flesh leads to and into a wood of uncertainties which the baâe Letter as it is now leads them into that look to it onely and besides the light that gave it forth And are any the Sons of God save such as led by the Spirit of God And doth not that Spirit of God witness to the spirits of such within them that they are his children Yet what a marvellous monstrous business what a mighty dirty what a deal of Do dost thou I.O. make in the 8 9 10 11 12. Sect. of the 3. ch of Tr. 1. about this ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or inspiration of God also elsewhere about the motion of the holy Spirit T.I.C.I. S. 21.22 and elsewhere viz. T. 2. C. 2. S. 4 5. T. 1. C. 5. S. 1. about both Infallibility and Divine Inspiration and the infallible spirit and the guidance and infallible direction of the spirit Repl. Thou writest of these things as if they were as indeed they are not onely far off from thee but also far above out of thy sight and not only so but measuring all by thy self and others corn by thy own narrow bushell and as thou falsely sayest of the Qua. Ep. p. 29. Measuring other men by thy own ignorance and what thou knowest not thy self thinking its bid from others also thou removest them far away from all others also for many ages together and from this very age wherein thy fallible erring self hast yet thy being as if because thy motions and inspirations and spiritualities are fallible and carnall and thy own spirit hypocriticall and imaginary there were now none of that kind of spiritualnesse nor infallible inspiration either in writings or speakings or walkings or actings any such direction and guidance of that true holy spirit of God as was of old as if because thy self and they that are after thy likenesse neither hear at any time the voice of God nor see his shape nor have any such familiarity with his Spirit as you have with that in you which lusteth another way nor such as his Ministers and Prophets had in former ages therefore none in these days witnesse any nearer communion and communication therewith then your selves do or at least none such as his messengers of old did but all were left to gripe for the wall with you add for the doore like the blind Sodomites your figure that ran in wrath upon Righteous Lot as if they had no eyes as if the Spirit of the Lord were streitned from its immediate illumination of any because it is so to you that strive against it And there were no such men because ye are not those men as perfectly learn without book what lessons by word of mouth God teacheth out of the sealed Book of âhis own councels to them that are willing to be taught by him as all his children are Isa. 54. 14. Ioh. 6.45 Ier. 31.33 34. concerning the knowledge of himself and of his will As if there were none at all now nor ever to be any more while the world stands because your selves are not so any such as were heretofor ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã men of God inspired by the Spirit of God infallibly guided moved acted or led in their preachings writings doings by the infallible guidance and direction of that holy Spirit As if to be thus were to be more then mer and so indeed it is then such men as you who being in the fall and out of that Wisdome and Image wherein ye were created must for all that wisdom ye are since then entred far into know your selves to be but the beasts that perish Ps. 49.20 Eccl. 3.18 but not a jot more then to be men indeed What mean'st thou else by those the like phrases in the places above pâââted at wherein with limitation and restrictively to the Primitive times and exclusively of all after ages thou writest thus of these things viz. They were born acted carried out by the Holy Ghost to speake deliver and write all that and nothing but that to every tittle that was brought to them c. Suppose a man were ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã divinely inspired and should so professe himself in the name of the Lord as did the Prophets of old Amos 7. supposing I say he were so indeed c. Repl. As if thou didst suppose that if any man in these dayes should professe himself to be sent of God as Amos was he must undoubtedly be a Deluder As if because ye witnesse no stronger motions from people to people place to place in your ministrations then the assurance of some bigger benefice better booty or sweeter subsistence which is the primum mobile in most nationall mens minds in their movings and removings to and fro and no more immediate mission from God then what is mediante Magistratu c. by the Magistrates and Patrones of the place or at the best the bare benevolence or good wil of the people whose ill will if ye have ye will obtrude your selves up-them too if the living like you and you can but procure the patent it must needs be supposed and taken for granted thereupon that such a sending as that Amos had is but falsly pretended
to So speaking of the Hebrew points They were sayest thou compleated by the men of the great Synagogue Ezra his Companions guided therein by the infallible direction of the Spirit of God So speaking of the first transcribed Copies of the Scriptures of the New Testament thou sayest There were Copies quickly given out to faithfull men whilst the infallible Spirit yet continued his guidance in an extraordinary manner and of the first Transcribers thou saist in the next Section that they were not all or any of them infallible and Divinely inspired Repl. Now I say not that either all or any of these Transcribers were infallibly or Divinely inspired nor canst thou say they were not for neither thee nor I know who they were and they might or might not for ought either of us know for the infallible spirit continued his guidance no doubt to such as took him and not a fallibly transcribed Letter to be their guide both then and long after that and also doth now in that manner which thou callest extraordinary though it was but his ordinary guidance to such as give up to him and to any but such as thee who being not guided by him thy selfe conceivest it some strange and extraordinary businesse for any now adayes to professe themselves so to be but with I.O. the extraordinary guidance of the Spirit of God is his immediate and infallible guidance his ordinary is his mediate fallible guidance Oh prime Doctrine for a Doctor surely if the Spirit of God have any fallible guidance at all and thou be led at all by him he vouchsafed thee but his cheaper ordinary remote and far off and fallible guidance in this piece but it s his infallible guidance and direction which thou callest extraordinary he now guides by for the Spirit hath by indirect and false directions nor fallible guidances that I know of I say I meddle not to affirme one thing or other of all these Transcribers what they were it makes no matter and is neither here nor there to me whether they were infallibly guided or divinely inspired yea or nay but this I would fain know what thou meanest by some of thy expressions and wherefore thou talkest as thou dost and what reason thou hast so reasonlesly to restrain and streighten the spirit of the Lord which to do is none of the Lords doings Mic. 26.7 8 9 100 11. and to pound him up into such a small point and pittance of time as the primitive ages as ye call it of the Gospel and to lock him up into that little narrow nick so that he must either then speak all he hath to say to the world and his owne people in it or else for ever after hold his peace and must inspire all he means to inspire and lead and guide all he means to lead and guide by his own immediate extraordinary and infallible direction then or not at all there being now another ordinary fallible Ruler Rule Guide Leader and Commander of the people viz. some of the Stories Letters and Epistles that were written lately by his motion and direction to be by fallible men transcribed and ere long by a Synod of who knows whom to be authorized as the onely and most perfect Rule Directory infallible Canon chief Leader and Commander that must be wholly substituted in his room and take his place to which himself if ever he speak more must as well as all false spirits submit himself to be tryed and be accountable so that if he offer to lead guide move inspire any to write and speak or prophesie extraordinarily immediately infallibly or any otherwise then ordinarily and fallibly or immediately or infallibly speak to any from thenceforth so as to send them who were mad indeed as the world counts them if they should go unsent on such rugged service which false Prophets Ministers of the Letter and of mens making who love their ease and to sleep in a whole skin will be sure to keep far enough from to reprove as immediately from himself and to warn the wicked world when it lies in wickednesse or call men to repentance or do as he has done by Gods permission in that age or if he send any of his messengers as he did Paul and others to exhort teach reason dispute in Towns Cities Vniversities Streets Markets or to enter never so peaceably into the Synagogues and Temples to talk and make disturbance among the Priests and their people there after once the Old Testament Iewish Church is down and the Old Testament Christian Church in many outward things after its likenesse is so well founded and established in its stead that the Priests and Ministers thereof are warm and begin to fit at ease in their functions of Tithes outward benefits and blessings earthly honours Divine and Ghostly Titles of Rabbi Doctour Lord Arch-Bâshop Arch-Deacon Reverent Clergy Orthodox Divine and a mint more of such like Clericall Calleries and spirituall Renowneries Parochiall Provinciall Diocesian Dâgnities Arch-Advancements and Advantages then both the said Spirit of God and all his Emissaries Messengers and Messages then and from henceforth shall be both rejected and condemned under their severall respective names of Schâsme Schismaticall Schismaticks Hereticall Heresie Hereticks lying Spirit Delusion Deluders Fanaticall Fanaticisme Fanaticks Enthusiasticall Enthusiasme Enthusiasts Dreames Dreamers Fictions Figments Quakers and whatever other ignominious termes any ungodly Scoffers can invent and shall please themselves to reproach them by and moreover the said Messengers shall be had and held as Disturbers of the publick peace and be proceeded against as Rogues Vagrants Vagabonds that as the first Apostles had not for the Gospels sake though else they had and were as sufficient in the outward as other men 1 Cor. 4.9 10 11 12 13. have no certain dwelling place and be as they often are in the same cause sent away with a passe banisht whipt ston'd set in the stocks imprisoned Bocaâdoed and what way the Magistrates shall please at the suggestion or direction of the Ministers or the Mayoâs by the advice of the Vicechancelours who are supream directive though the other corrective as the Constable is over the Bâsholder which at his appointment is to correct the Beggars be defamed shamefully abused and intreated and made a spectacle to the World and to Angels and to Men. Now I. O. what meanest thou or what ground hast thou thus to forbid the Spirit of the living God Hath God prohibited him hath he any where limited himself from speaking immediately infallibây to the Councel Guidance Comfort Assistance of his people in these latter dayes especially without book any more than in former ages before the letter was and in the first age wherein the Gospel began to flourish if men had not sneapt it and the glorious light thereof to shine out as the Sun in its brightnesse but that the Devil and his Imps besmoak'd the Sun and Aire whom in his just judgement God suffered so to do
they shall be blessed that sow beside all waters and the soul of the diligent shall thrive and be fat but the soul of the vile person and niggard and of the sluggard shall desire but have nothing yea their Vintage shall faile and their gathering shall not come and their fruitful field shall be turned into a forrest they shall be stript and made bare and sit with sackcloth on their loins and lament for the tears for the pleasant fields and the fruitfull vine and their pallaces shall be forsaken their tents and towers shall be for dâns and that which now is the pasture of wild asses Iob 11.12 Isa. 29.18 24. shall be no more enjoyed by them for ever Isa. 32. Wherefore then âayest thou I. O. with Restriction of the Spirits guidance to those first generations thus viz. While the infallible spirit continued his extraordinary guidance and thus viz. guided therein by the infallible direction of the spirit of God and by way of exclusion of after-ages and more expresly of this age thus viz. They were born acted carried out by the Holy Ghost to speake deliver and write c. and suppose a man were ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1. inspired of God and should professe himself so and were so indeed as the Prophes of old Am. 7. Let me expostulate the case with thee a little about these expressions whereby thou seemest to shut all the past primitive times from any participation of the movings and actings of the Spirit as those that have neither part nor portion in that matter of his infallible guidance and direction First then not denying what Christ himself foretold Iohn â4 28 30. Iohn 16.16 viz. That he would go away for a while and his Disciples should not see him and the Prince of this world which hath nothing in him should come and interpose himself to the great interception of that primitive Communion the Saints then had with him and his Spirit so that he would not have very much talk with them thereafter let me ask thee this much Did he say he would leave them for ever and never have any talk or words with them more then what they should find of his written in the Scriptures of such as should write some few things and a little of that much which they knew of his minde Did he say he should not speake at all not so much as by his Spirt Nay rather did he not say that so soon as his fleshly pretence was withdrawn he would send the holy Spirit himselfe the comforter to supply the room of that personall and bodily appearance wherein he then stood among them which they were so in love with and so loath to part with that they were ready well-nigh to dote so upon it as to let sorrow fill their hearts to think they should be utterly without his tuition as sheep without a shepherd if that should vanish and be removed In the departure and absence of which notwithstanding he told them it would be never the worse but much the better and more expedient for them For if I goe away saith he the Comforter cannot come but if I go I will send him unto you which Comforter was himselfe in Spirit the presence of which in the heart gives nearer acquaintance and fellowship with Christ and the Father then his abode among them their sight of him in the flesh could possibly do for the sight of him in the flesh the world may have and had which is to little effect if the other be wanting but his presence in the Spirit is that which is of Power and Efficacy though yet in two different wayes viz. of bare conviction or condemnation to the one and refreshment and consolation to the other both to the World and to the Saints though there be no sight of him as in the flesh any more by either I will send the Holy spirit the comforter to you saith he and he shall convince or reprove the world also Doth Christ therefore say he will leave them comfortlesse i.e. Orphans Iohn 14.17 18. deprived utterly of his presence because he said he i.e. in flesh would go away Nay saith he I will come to you i.e. in Spirit the Spirit of truth which dwelleth in you and shall be in you and though the world seeth me no more when I am gone because though the Spirit of Truth be sent into them and is nigh to men even striving preaching reproving in them yet they recieve him not neither see him nor know him yet ye see me and because I live ye shall live also and doth he not say that this spirit of truth should lead and guide them into all truth and bring all things to their remembrance whatever he spakâ while he was seen in the flesh Which the letter doth not for there were many more things that Iesus spake and did that are not written there so many that if they should be written every one it might be supposed the world could not contain what should be written John 14.26 13 21 25. And howbeit he intimates a more sparing Communion in Spirit with his Dâsciples and Church which would be permitted to come to passe by the coming in of the Prince of this world wherein there should not be so much talk as there should be before and would be again after that gloomy day was once over wherein the manifestations of him though as infallible in that small measure wherein they should be made for gradus non variant naturam rei yet as to the measure would not be so great as at other times of which going away and withdrawing even in the spirit also he seemes to speak when he saith A little while and ye shall not see me in which Eclipse the chidren of the night must have a revelling night of rejoycing over the Word and Spirit and Saints sitting in sackcloth and an hour of laughter and merriment at the power of ãâã its prevailing Iohn 16. to 22. yet doth he say that Eclipse should be âoâaâl Was there not some few in every age in whom the Spirit bare a testimony and by whom to the blind world also of little truth And did he not say the Spirit should be in them and abide with them i.e. in the same manner of infallibility in manifestation of whatever he makes known though not in the same measure of manifestation of the truth even for ever Iohn 14.16 And did he not say that the Spirit of truth should testifie of him when he came and so consequently his testimony must be with his Disciples and Church for ever Iohn 15.26 Which testimony is not that of the letter which men wrote at his motion as thou falsely supposest for that is mans mediate testimony and not immediately the Spirits any more then the testimony that men bear by word of mouth as they are moved of which in the very next verse i. e. Iohn 15.27 Christ calls their testimony and not the
Spirits and ye also shall beare witnesse saith he putting a difference between his Disciples testimony by the Spirit and that of the Spirit by it self for that of the Spirit is the Word it self that is testified to by inspired men whether in writing or speaking and not the writing or the speaking it selfe The Word I say put by the Spirit into mens mindes and into their mouthes which Word is promised to abide with his for ever and so saith I. O. many times over in his Book repeating that Scripture and putting almost the whole stresse of his ill cause upon it and bringing it in the folly and blindnesse of his minde to prove the letter by the promise of God himself of necessity to remaine inviolated inalterable and uncorrupted for ever whereas the Spirit speaks it not of the letter at all but of the Word which should be put into his peoples mouth Isa. 59.21 The Word which I put into thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouth nor the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever which strengthens what I have now in hand to prove i.e. the continuance of the Spirits immediate movings of God people under the Gospel more or lesse even for ever And doth not Christ also say Mat. 28.20 to his Disciples and in them to his Church which is a successive body and not simultaneous nor appearing wholly in this world at nor altogether at one time Lo I am with you alwayes even to the end of the world and if there have been a time of more darknesse then ordinary even to his own by reason of Christs absence and the Devils presence in the world yet more or lesse to his own which are those that own him and heed his voice he hath ever appeared but however as his promise was to be with his more or lesse to the end so at the end his promise is to be by his Spirit more with them then ever I will saith he speaking of his returne after the mournfull time of his absence who is the Bridegroom from the Bride see you againe and your heart shall rejoyce as a woman when her houre of travel is over having no more remembrance of her sorrow because a man child is borne unto her and into the world and your joy shall no man take away so that in these dayes we may expect more then ever was enjoyed before the glory of the second Temple being to be greater then that of the first which was trodden down more pourings out of the Spirit then the primitive ages had these being the dayes wherein refreshment is to break forth from the face of the Father wherein he will send Act. 3.19 20 21 22 23 to his Church Iesus his Son who hath withdrawn and retired and been retained in the heavens till these times who so readeth this let him understand which are the times of the restitution of all things that ever haue been out of order and of his people since they ran astray from God which have been spoken of by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began Why then sayest thou while the infallible spirit continued his guidance as if after he should come he was to go suddenly quite away again of whom Christ while present in flesh saith he was after his passing hence to come and to continue in and with his people Mat. 28. throughout all ages in all which ages he had people and a seed as in Eliahs time Rom. 9.27 29. and a remnant though small and unseen Rom. 11.4 left trodden under foot by the outward Israel that held the outward Court which were as the sand of the Sea for multitude even to the end Iohn 14.25 26. What did the promise of Christ fail to his own because of the worlds unbelief and did he leave them to be guided by the Prince of this world that was to come and by his blind guides to guide and govern the world and have his kingdome in it a while and was his own seed which never consents to any iniquity but condemnes it given up by God because the seed of evil doers was to be guided by the spirit of the God of this world that totally blinded some from looking at the light and by the man of Sinne and Son of Perdition to be strongly deluded to damnation by the mystery of his iniquity who was Permitted indeed to withhold and hinder and let not a little till he should be taken away but after That wicked should be revealed in his time was not the Lord to be revealed again in his time which is the principall and most proper and seasonable opportunity for Christ to appeare in his Spirit and shew himself in 1 Tim. 16.15 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in its proper times And was he not to conjure the other lying spirit with the spirit of his mouth which is not the letter that declares of the Word but the living Word it self which opens the Letter also the sword of his mouth put then into the mouth of his seed as aforesaid yea into the mouths of very Babes to the stilling of the enemy and avenger and to destroy it with the brightnesse of his coming What Spirit was to take the guidance of his people if his own infallible spirit were not to continue with them for ever or would he deprive them of the presence of his infallible spirit in their hearts and place it without in the fallible Letter so that if ever they would see or speak with his spirit they must look for him and hear what he testifieth there onely so I. O. talkes T. 1. c. 5. and must go forth and talk with him there onely i.e. without but not within he being gone forth from his dwelling in the hearts of his people now to dwell in the Letter onely and minded there and no where else to be spoken with And why sayest thou while the infallible spirit of God continued his guidance in an extraordinary manner And again T. 2. C. 5. S. 1. the infallible direction of the spirit of God Hath God any other then that infallible spirit and if he meant to direct his people at all by his spirit in the dismal times that were to come must it it not be by that infallible spirit continuing his infallible which thou callest extraordinary guidance and direction or else by none at all Or hath God two spirits to direct his own by at sundry times one extraordinary and infallible the other fallible and ordinary and hath that nfallible spirit of his two kinds of guidances and directions one extraordinary and infallible the other fallible and ordinary which extraordinary and infallible spirit and his extraordinary and fallible guidance was to continue with them but a while it being for high and holy and extraordinary dayes and times the ordinary and fallible for more ordinary and lower dayes and times as that the presence of which may as well serve the
Prophet Doth not the difference that is serve us against thee whilst it s no other then thus that of the two the spiritual man is the greater for if every Prophet is not a spiritual man yet all spiritual men are Prophets or more then Prophets And that there are spiritual men in these dayes thou wilt prove thy self to be what thou art but a meer animal and fleshly man in denying for as there are millions even many more then a good many spiritual men in Title so assuredly as few as they are there are a good many so in truth and so many as are so are more then Prophets or inspired ones that are but barely mov'd to speak or act by the Spirit for all holy men of God spake and wrote of old and speak and write now as they are acted or moved of the holy Spirit but all that speak as the Spirit of God may move act and give them utterance are not holy men of God for Prophesie is but a gift that wicked men though seldome yet sometimes may have who never come into that more excellent and spiritual way which is to last when all Prophesie is ceased of living in love and other fruits of the Spirit witness Balaam the Prophet that lov'd the wages of unrighteousness and taught Balaak King of Moab to cast a stumbling block before Israel and to eat things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication whose way you follow who neither live the life nor will unless ye repent for all your hopes so to do die the death of the righteous and that you will see when you fall into his Trance with your eyes open as you will at last so as to see him even that Star of Iacob as he did afar off not nigh but with a gulf betwixt and Lazarus in his bosome though you are yet in a Tâance of your own with your eyes shut and not come so far into the bare sight of Truth as Balaam was who for all his wickedness was moved of the Lord and overpowred by the Word of God put into his mouth to speak many precious Truths and full sore against his will which would have been at work another way for hire and have cursed and divin'd against them for money to bless Israel altogether Numb 24. Witness also Caiphas the High-Priest who gave the Iews wicked counsel against Iesus and yet prophesied that Iesus should dye for that Nation and gather into one all the children of God that were scattered abroad which not knowing well the true meaning of his own words he spake not of himself as ye do of your selves not understanding well what you say uttering in words many eminent truths out of the Prophets and of the Prophets which not knowing the Prophets voices ye fulfill to your own ruine but by way of Prophesie as the Spirit made use of his mouth to utter it Iohn 11.47 51 52. And was not Saul also among the Prophets so that evil men may be moved and inspired by the Spirit and obey also so as to Prophesie as they are moved led or acted by the Spirit who never obey the Spirits motions of them to better and greater matters that spiritual men obey him in yea fleshly selfish men may be moved and made of the Lord which is more then ye yet are Prophets of True things but what holy and spiritual man is not a Prophet or not inspired or not truly moved of the Lord or however fallible in himself as other men is not anamartetos or infallible as led by the Spirit wherefore then makest thou this matter Theopneustian or divine inspiration or moving of the Spirit such a singular thing as peculiar onely to the dayes of old nay verily though all men are not so far inspired and moved of the Spirit as to be made Prophets yet if by the Term Theopneustia thou mean bare inspiration and motion of the Spirit and speak of that thing it selfe and not of such or such a degree or measure of it canst thou tell me the man or woman vpon earth letting onely Infants and meer Fanaticks aside who are not or have not at some time or other been moved by and with good motions to better things then they follow inspired by the Holy Spirit Who is there âaving him who walks no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and so is not excepted from but more highly accepted into this Theopneusty or inspiration in all the world of either Heathens by name or meer nominall Christians that are as reall Heathens as the other who cannot truly say Video meliora prâbâque deterior a sequor And what is that in them who have no outward Scripture that makes them say and gives them to see that they behold and approve of better things while they practise worse Is it not the same light and Spirit within by which Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison when once the long suffering of God waited while the Ark was preparing Is it not the spirit of Truth that guides the followers of it into all truth and strives with men though the stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and cares alwayes resist and strive against it and lusts in them against the lustings of their flesh to filth and envy c Is it not that which convinceth and reproveth the world of sin because they believe not in Christ and of righteousnesse and judgement so that they know righteousnesse and the righteousnesse and truth of the judgement of God that who do such things as they do are worthy of death though yet they enter not into the narrow path of righteousness and life nor repent to the acknowledgement of the Truth And though the earth by reason of the transgression till God create the Heaven and Earth again anew as he did in the beginning be without form and void and darknesse be upon the face of the deep yet in order to its coming into order again by the new Creation Doth not the Spirit of God move upon the face of the waters where the Whore sitteth peoples multitudes tongues and nations And doth not God say Let there be light and there is light shining in the daâknessâ though the darknesse comprehends it not And doth he not separate these clearly in mens consciences the inner world from each other calling the light day and the darknesse night And do not many of you men called Ministers use to teach your unconverted people to take the advantage of the Spirits moving upon their hearts and not to quench them but to step in while it moves least like those that lay diseased at the Pool of Bethesda waiting for the moving of the waters by the Angel that came down which in the Antitype is not the letter but the Spirit not waiting for the movings or neglecting to observe and obey and close with the Spirits motions before the motions of sin in the flesh step in and cool and quench them they lie
unhealed and be left unsaved for ever and at last no more moved by the Lord and his Spirit because he often would have led drawn guided and gathered them unto himself but only that they would not Will you neither believe the Qua. nor your selves neither that there are times and opportunities wherein evil men of the world who never are led into higher things by the Spirit because they refuse to follow it where it strives are moved theopneusto breath'd and blown upon and inspiâed with good motions from the Spirit and hear the sound of it as of the wind though not heeding it never come to be born nor begotten by it unto God nor to know either whence it cometh or whether it goeth or the hidden life of those that are not so full of Taâtle about Regeneration as ye are who are born no higher then of flesh and blood and the will of man to your fancied faith but born from above of the Spirit and of God in very deed Doth God then more or less move all men by his Spirit and doth he not move his own people in these dayes by his Spirit Doth he inspire evil ones sometimes so far though we find few or none of that Gang now so far in sight as they were unless they see and say they do not as to make Prophets of Balaams Sauls and Caiphasses and will he now have none in his own Church of the Seed of David himself And doth he do greater things for them and draw them up into his own image a state that must stand when all Prophesie shall have an end and will he not do that lesser and lower thing for them by his Spirit i.e. to use several of them as his Prophets and if he have Prophets whom he divinely inspires will he do any thing of moment in these last most extraordinary times and not reveal his secrets to his servants the Prophets And will he reveal his mind to his Prophets as he did to Amos and others and will not they go forth and prophesie When the Lord hath spoken who can but prophesie When he gives the word himself as he doth in these dayes into the mouths of Babes how great must be the company of those that publish it yet such as I.O. who of the two are better acquainted with the Liberal Arts then the Liberal Hearts would shut these dayes to which the promise of Prophesie Inspiration Revelation Vision Infallible manifestation as to the measure of it is mostly made from sharing at all in these things with the Primitive times which had but the earnest first fruits sprinklings and droppings of that which in fulness was to fall down and be poured forth in these last Generations and because these Seers see not and these Prophets prophesie not themselves the Sun being set upon them and they being benighted in that massy Chaos of their own self-devis'd divinity that they cannot divine where they are nor infallibly what they have to do they say to the Lords own Seers see not and to his Prophets Prophesie not unless you will prophesie smooth things and deceits as we do and cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us and because they cannot let their word be as the word of all the Prophets who with one voice flattered Ahab to his own ruine but must speak what God bids them which is never good but evil of an evil Generation therefore they hate them care not for enquiring of them but represent them to Princes and People as odiâus as they are able as Fanaticks and fools so that as 't was of old so 't is now the Prophet is a fool the spiritual man is mad and become hatred in their houses of God and as haughty Haman did who lookt for more cap and congee then honest Mordecai could honestly give him incensing the powers of the earth against them Esth. 3.18 As a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the Provinces of the Realm whose Laws are as Gods are from meer mans divers from all people who keep not the Laws which yet they keep better in case of Tythes and some other things by far then the Nations own Lawyers Priests and People so that it cannot be for the Kings profit to suffer them though they are for all they carry neither sword nor spear the very Chariots of England and the horsemen thereof and therefore as modestly as he desiring if it may please the Powers that the heads of them may hang high enough for examples sake and the rest of the Race some way or other be destroyed and if not banisht at least for all their womanish complainings thereof punish'd and imprison'd which they by their tumultuousness pull voluntarily on themselves as such whose lyes deceits wickednesses hypocrisie are testimony enough of their non-perfection to us quoth I. O. who rakes in what reports the rude multitude raises on them prints them out makes such ill use to himself of the ill doings of some that fall from the light whose miscarriages are less own'd by them that stand in it then by any as to saddle the wrong horse and among many others as unreasonable as himself in that for the sakes of such as turn from it to speak write and act no little evil against the Truth it self And whether I. O. who keeps such a scraping of their Divine Inspiration in honour of the old Prophets who are long since in their Sepulchres and Tombs which the old Scribes garnisht and of the Apostles Paul Peter c. to whom the latter Scribes together with their pictures upon them have devoted high pillars at Rome and beautiful Temples and Colledges c. call'd after their names throughout Christendome who were as all persecutors still are the Seed and Children of such as flew them and thinks if he had been in the dayes of those his Fathers he would not have been a partaker with them in their blood who yet is now helping to fill up the measure of the Chief Priests who were ever the chief persecutors of Gods People that wrath may come upon them at last unto the uttermost would not indeed have done the same things to them had he been coataneous with them that he hath done to their Seed and Successors in faith life light doctrine motion mission and conversation in these daies I for my own part know so well that I need none to tell me but as for I. O's part who yet knows neither himself nor others nor the Ancient nor the modern Prophets and Apostles nor the false in these dayes from the true nor any thing yet as he ought to know it I wish him singly to consult with that of God in his Conscience to which I appeal which will give him to know it as truly as I do So then it s not for want of Prophets that our great Professors are so unprofiting nor of men divinely inspired to call them to
if they leave the plain paths of uprightness to walk in the wayes of darkness and come not to the light that shines in their consciences sciences and the Law of God which is not far off but nigh in their hearts that they may know and do it but hate and abhor it and persecute the Ministers and children of it and make to themselves crooked paths whatsoever walketh therein shall not know peace yea Iudgement shall be far from them and Iustice never overtake them and they shall wait for light but behold obscurity and for brightness but shall walk in darkness and groap for the wall like the blind as if they had no eyes and stumble at noon-day as in the night aâd be in desolate places as dead men and roar like Bears and mourn sore like Drues and look for Salvation but none shal come because their transgressions are multiplied before the Lord and their own sins testifie against them and their transgressions are still with them and as for their iniquities by the light within they know them transgressing and lying against the Lord and departing away from God while they pretend to draw nigh unto him speaking still oppression and revolt conceiving and uttering from their heart words of falshood turning Iudgement away backward and causing Iustice to stand afar off causing truth to fail in their streets and shutting out of Equity that it cannot enter making a prey of him that departeth from iniquity and mocking the Lord and making him believe as far as they can with their flattering words and sained turnings unto him that they love his truth his light and his life yet in truth saying in their hearts to God depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes There are such who blow the Trumpet as of old the Prophets did to the same tune and the like to this that is above whose Trumpet gives as certain a sound as theirs did also and not such an uncertain fallible one as that of the Priests And these Theopneustoi or divinely inspired persons in their writings speakings call for attendance reception and submission not with that Supreme Authority I confess which I. O. as falsly as foolishly both supposes and saves T. 1. C 3. S. 8. Antient divinely inspired Scripture calls for which is quoth he not only in comparison with but also in opposition unto all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of God his Mind and Wâll c. For by his leave or besides it either the Light and infallible Spirit it came forth from may not only well compare with its fallible and falsified self as people now have it transcribed translated twisted and twined which way any unrighteous writers either of it or on it any men-pleasing Praters Tythe-taking Talkers or time-serving Turn-coats are pleas'd to take it and turn it and wrest it to their own present ends and future ruine but alâo may well and doe challenge attendance to themselves with far more supream and uncontroulable authority then it can yea as the sââe and only meanes of coming to the knowledge of God his Mind and Will whom and which all the Scribes and Scripture-searchers in the world nor have nor can know without the light and Spirit any more then the old ones did Ioh. 5. Matth. 22. Or then anyone can see the outward Sun by any light but that which shines from itself Matth. 11.27 1 Cor. 2.10 11 16. And so in opposition to all outward Scripture it self as that which may define God and declare of him and of his mind and will and yet gives not the knowledge of either the knowledge of whose things if we believe I. O. T. 1. c. 1. s. 16 depends wholly and solely on his own pure divine revelation thereof by himself which revelation is so far exprest indeed in the Scripture as that there it is written of but is expresly made onely in the heart where it pleases the Son to reveal the Father and the Father to reveal the Son in men Gal. 1.15 16. Eph. 1. Col. 1.23 I say then not with that Supream Authority which is peculiar onely to the Light Spirit and Word within though ignorantly attributed yea and appropriated too by I O. to the outward writing yet with the same uncontroulable Authority as the letter doth they call for attendance even from their Theopneustia or divine inspiration which To Theion or Power of God that accompanieth them in their ministration is enough to convict I. O. and all the Wolves of these times that bark and howl against the Light and mis-judgâ the many messages that come to them from the Lord as rejecters of such as God sends and justifiers of them who flew such of old as spake to them in the name of the Lord. Nevertheless as I. O. saith too truly T. 1. c. 3. s. 9. It alwayes so fell out that scarce any Prophet that spake in the name of God had any approbation from the Church in whose dayes be spake so it falls out now to the true Prophets among all the false Churches of these latter dayes from whom they find lesse Approbation and the same Reprobation as the former did from those evill Generations wherein they spake Ier. 47.3 Matth. 5.12 21.33 to 38. 23.29 Luke 17.25 26 27 28. Iohn 9.29 Acts 7.52 24.5 And this comes to passe by reason of the same innumerable prejudices that attend these their givings out of truth either in speech or writing as did the other whose writings are not freed as I. O. fancies from the prejudices that at first attended them but attended with more then at the first writing thereof thorough the infinite alterations mis-transcriptions mis-translations mis-constructions and mistakes of all sorts they have since been liable to by the fallibility and infinite variety of Scribes thorough whose hands they have passed Which said innumerable prejudices that now attend the modern Prophets as did the first arise from the same Root with those that attended them in their respective Ages viz. 1. Partly the supposed interests of them that write and speak by way of Prophecy or immediate motion 2. Partly the personall infââmities homely appearances stemmering lips uneloquent rude crude indigested unsound non-sensicall sound of words as they seem to unintelligently understanding I. O. Ep. ad lectorem Ex. 3. s. 17. and formes of speech which the Babes vf Christ seem to him to babble in when they drop their doctrine as the dew at the Command of God to the Drunkards of Ephraim not all as once but as it were guttaâim Precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little Ezek. 21.2 Amos 7.16 Isai. 28.9 10 11 13.2 Partly the mean out-side of most of these inwardly glorious sons and daughters of the King Psal. 45.13 whose cloathing ad extra is not as their own within and the worlds without and its Ministers often is of wrought gold nor yet is it so much of Plush Jippoes Hose behang'd before
at knees with Rings or Ribbons and Aprons of Points and costly if not golden Buttons and such like Garments gay and gorgeous attire neither is it so much of that fine linnen their Bishop-like Boot-tâps and double Cuffs are cut out of as of that which is the Righteousness of the Saints by reason of which these as internally golden as externally earthen vessels that bear Gods Name and bring his heavenly Treasure are ill treated turned out and trampled on by both themselves and the people of those guilded high super-celestial earthly minded empty Carks that ever sound the loudest among their shallow waters which make such a noise together with them that the still small voice wherein God is can come at no audience 1 King 19.12 13. Ecclus. 9.14 15 16 17 18. These not bearing such a broad bulk as the other nor bringing so much of that all sorts of externall excellencie and ornament as the other doe which commends their persons though never the more to God nor good men yet to men that have not Christs mind but being many of them as Christ was of low outward birth and education and till he was sent to preach a Carpenter by occupation Mark 6.3 Amos's that by the Priests good will should never come so near the Kings Chappels and Princes Courts as of late some have been admitted to do by such Rulers as will never repent of the admittance of them into their presence if they repent from what wayes soever the light within them manifests to be evill as they are advised to do by such of the Lights Children as the Lord at any time sends unto them Amos 7.10 11 12 13 14 15. Aquila's and Priscilla's Phebe's Prophecyers by the Spirit of both Sexer Sons and Daughters Servants and Handmaids as to the lower sort of literature unlearned Iames's Peter's Iohn's few of the Priesthoods function as Ieremie and Ezekiel once were for as many Priests as were obedient to the faith at first I find few or none of them that came forth to be Prophets and few Lawyers or Learned ones of any sort unless in some handicraft employments one able Paul well skill'd in the Law brought up at the feet of Gamaliel an indifferent honest Doctor at the Law very dark and doubting yet more moderate then his fellows Acts 5.34 38 39. 22.3 which Paul was a kind of Pursievant to the chief Priests till he became a Preacher of what he ignorantly persecuted before Acts 9.1 2 c. and then turned Tentmaker for his living Acts 38.3 Likewise Zenas another Lawyer at least a Disciple And Luke an honest Physitian that wrote some of the Acts of Christ and of some of the Apostles of Paul especially whom he travelled much with one Apâââos eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures Acts 18.24 Col. 4.14 Tit. 2.12 One Mathew an Officer in the Custome-hense and the rest for the most part of the inferiour sort as they are at this day few or no Rulers of the Pharisees some rich wise mâghty noble not many the rest mostly Tradesmân some such as I. O. speaks of in a place fore-cited Baâbers Porters perhaps some Alehouse-keepers why not the Calling being as honest in it self as that of Gaâus the Churches Host or any other Inne-keeper though often much abused as what Trade is not when evill men manage it Carpenters Shoemakers Taylors Tentmakers Tributegarberers but no Tithmongers that I yet know of Shop-keepers as Lydia an honest Purple-seller that lived at Philippi and kept shop or market at Thiaâyâa Shepherds Heardsmen Husbandmen Farmers Fishermen out of all or most of which sorts Christ makes some Fishers of men in these dayes while the Popish Parish Priests and other flaunting unclean spirited spirituall men fishall their dayes and get nothing but unclean croking Frogs like themselves Rev. 16.13 14. Howbeit it is but few that receive the true Faith because such as broach it bring little or nothing with it of that outward pomp that people look for at the Kingdâmes coming And so Sinihil attuleris ibis Homere Fâras 4. Partly both Priestâ and Peoples iâcâgitancy âscitancy non observation of it that the Kingdome comes not with so much outward observaâion and sumptuâus shows as they seek after and as the Kingdomes of this world come with but with all its glory which the Saints see in Christ and the Spouse when the world doth nor Psal. 45.13 Iohn 1. lyes more inward then men are ware of viz. in righteousness peace with God and joy in the holy Spirit a little thing a grain of Mustard-seed at first though to be at last the greatest among the Hearbs and so they dâspise the day of small things though it tend to the greatest good and truest glory They consider not no not when they read the very writing which is their own Rule as the Iews did not when Moses was read the vail being over his face and their hearts what the Scripture itself saith but in their lâftiness and lordly minds which fly up above the Light overlook the lowly mind of Christ in the very Scriptures they to themselves seem to be so much skilled in they heed it not when in it God declares that out of the mouth of Babes he will perfect his own pâaisâ Psal. 8.2 Matth. 21.16 that 't is not by such a fierce people as are for five and faggot as Papists are and carnall weapons Prisons and other punishments as I. O. is to defend Truth by nor by a people of a deeper speech then can well be understood by plain honest hearts as the Scribes and Disputers of this world but by stammering lips and another tongue then that they think of in which all are Riddles and Parables to them he will speak to people and especially to such as hearing will not hear and seeing will not see when things are plain that hearing they may not hear yea that such may go and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken Isai. 28.9 to 14. Isai. 33.18 19. 1 Cor. 14.21 and that it is that foolishnesse of preaching as it is called by such as perish that God is pleased to save such by as will bâlieve that he will destroy the wisdome of the wise and bring to nought the understanding of the prudent and turn wise men backward and make their knowledge foolish and frustrate the tokens of the Lyars and lead Councellours away spoiled and make the Iudges fools and remove away the speech of the trusty and take away the understanding of the aged and take away the heart of the chief of the earth and cause them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way and make them greap without light and stagger like a drunken man and befool the Princes of Zoan and caâââ the counsel of the wise Councellors of Pharoah to become bruitish and decâive the Princes of Noph that have seduced and been the stay of the Tribes thereof and mingle a perverse spirit among them
ministry of the heavens and the firmament which is so to every individual man that there 's neither speech nor language male nor female where their voice is not heard the found is gone out into all the world and their words even Christs and the Spirits within for the outward words and writings of men preaching the Gospel thereby have never yet extended nor reached so largely as to all men to the ends of the earth Yet all have not obeyed the Gospel saith he no not Israel it self without of whose having the outward Letter of the Statutes and Iudgements which thou as sillily callest against thy self too as G.W. truly tells thee in another case callest in both thy Pamphlets the Supernatural Light or knowledge of the Gospel thou keepest such a scraping as if that fleshly natural seed of Abraham and their natural fleshly wayes of knowing what they know which was little of the mystery 2 Cor. 3. by that natural reading and poring upon the Letter as ye also do were the most supernatural men and means as to the saving knowledge of the Gospel in all the world whereas the Iews were as meer Animal and Naturall as your selves who savingly know nothing by the Letter I say that Israel it self obeyed not and why not because as husie as they were with you in their Bible they regarded not but rebelled against the strivings of the Lord himself with them by his Light and Spirit within therefore saith Paul ver 21. as the reason render'd by God himself Isa. 65.2 All day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gain-saying people Also that they have the Light in them who yet neither believe in it nor are the children of it but yet abiding in darkness is as clear from Chrihs own words Iob. 8.12.12.35.36 I am the light of the world he i.e. he of the world that followeth me shall not abide in darkness but have the light of Life Walk while ye have the Light while ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be it seems they yet were not so yet had a Light in them to believe in the Children of the Light some of which Light was come not unto them only but into the world also ver 26. That who e're believes in it might come out of darkness and evil ones had it come to them as well as such as did Truth though they came not to it as the other did else they could not be said to see and hate it and so Christ and the Father whose will was revealed in it as they are Iohn 3.20.12.48 and 15.22 23.24 So Christ is come by his Light as the Sun by its beams into some dark Dungeon into the dark world the dark places of mens hearts and of the earth that are full of the habitations of cruelty Dens of Devils Cages of unclean and hareful birds holds of cruel wicked fowl and filthy spirits to give life and that abundantly Iohn 10.10 yea he came to the Scribes of old by his Light not outward person only to that end yet they had not the Light of Life why so Ye hear not Gods Voice saith he and have not his Word which ye put from you abiding in you ye search the Scriptures which testifie of me who am the Life and there ye look to have it and come not unto me that ye might have life Joh. 5.37.38.39.40 Wisdome Christ the Wisdome of God reproves cryes to men in their own consciences by his own Voice Light and Spirit in their hearts even to scorners simple ones foâls that hate knowledge and would poure out his Spirit on them as on others but some hearken not hate turn away so are slain and perish not for want of warning counsel Light from Christ to lead who is given as the one Leader and Law-giver to all persons and people but for want of taking heed to him who teaches and looking to his Law in the heart which enlightens Thou call'st as I.O. does falsly the Letter Christs Light and the only means that men can come to saving knowledge by yet heed'st no more then he to his to thy own satisfaction that all who have it and look and read in it too as the Scribes did have not the knowledge of God and his Kingdome by it and yet if we should say of those men that come not to Life by the Letter therefore they have not the Letter would'st thou not say of us that we are mad mutato nomine the Argument is thine to us-ward as concerning Christs Light in the Conscience yet nunquam videns id manticae quod in tergo est thou canst not see it The Corinthians had the Light shining in their hearts to give the knowledge yet all of them had not the true knowledge of God and that they had not when he shone by his Light in them 't was their fault else Paul could not have spoken it as he does 1 Cor. 15. to their own shame And this may stand as an answer to thy pedling Reply to G.W. when he urg'd from 2 Cor. 4.6 that the Light shone in the Corinthians hearts in whose hearts sayest thou p. 4. 1. Pamp. not of all mankind but of the Apostle and some others a small number in comparison of the rest who were not enlightned and to back that thy shameful blindness in limiting the shinings of the true Light into such a little nook as a small number thou boltest out much more saying from ver 3.4 the Gospel is hid to them that are lost and there are some to whom the Light shines not not heeding as I said before that that may be in men which men may hate smoother and hide in their own hearts and be lost for want of the sight of when not for want of the Light it self that men may have the serse of sight and the presence of light and yet not see but shut their eyes that that may shine in them which they giving way to the God of this World to blind their minds may not shine out unto them as a Candle may shine in a Room yet if put under a Bushel not shine out to it and a Talent to trade with may be given to him who hiding his Lords money shall reap little profit by it and at last have what light he had within taken from him and be cast forth without into the outer darkness Didst never read of those that seeing and hearing would neither see nor hear nor understand nor perceive as they might therefore at last should not if they would and because thou askest in whose hearts I say in the hearts of some who did not see and know in the Corinthians hearts so that they all had the light and might have seen but only that some would be ignorant and of such sayes Paul 1 Cor. 4. If any man will be ignorant let him be ignorant And sith thou sayest not in the hearts of all mankind I say yea of
coin to your selves in your own conceits I care not for knowing for more then a good many ye have but this I know that if the Scriptures be true as I know they are which ye profess to be your Rule of Tryal for all things there is noe true way of coming to the true knowledge of God so much as a Iudge much less as a Father but one and that is neither the Scripture itself which tells of that way nor any thing else but Christ himself and his Light to whom God hath committed all Iudgement which Iudgement he administers by his Light before any see his face as a Father in righteousness and live He hath given forth a Light to the world whereby to know himself but this Light is in his Son he that hath the Son and believeth on the Son in whom is the Life and his Life is the Light of men hath everlasting Life he that hath not and believeth not in the Son hath not life though he is capable of it but by the Light in which he stands condemned the wrath of God yet abideth on him So that whereas ye say there 's knowledge of God but not of Christ by that universal internal light there is in truth no knowledge of God at all but in the Light of Christ who bears his Image who gives forth the Light of the knowledge of his own glory in the face of Iesus Christ I am the way saith he John 14.6 the Truth and Life no man cometh to the Father but by me The Father reveals the Son in men by his Light before he reveals himself Gal. 1.16 So that as no man knows the Son but he in whom the Father reveals him so no man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him as he will to all that wait and walk on in his Light let him search ne're so long after or in the Letter Mat. 11.27 Ioh. 6.45.46 till he feel after him in the Light within himself in which only God who is not far from every man though most men are far from him is to be found Act. 17. No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son who is in the bosome of the Father whose out-goings from thence have been from of old Mic. 5.2 as well in a way of manifestation of the Fathers mind to men from the beginning of the world as in way of Eternal Generation before the world began Prov. 8.20 to 32. though T.D. not knowing the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world knows not how to say Amen to this See page 4. of his 2. Pamp. he it is that by his Spirit and Light within which the Letter only relates of doth reveal him Ioh. 1.18 Men must know Christ i. e. in his Light which Cornelius was in which is his day that Abraham saw whether they ever see his fleshly person yea or nay before they can know God who is known in nothing but his own Light the Son who is known in nothing but his own Light the Spirit that comes from and leads to him so that to say as a Professor of note said in a publike Assembly in Ireland of a Friend of Truth call'd a Qua. whom I know having heard him speak This man knows much of God but little of Christ is little less then a Bull that favours for all the natural literal knowledge of both of little less then a spiritual ignorance in the mystery of both God and Christ. And this gives me the hint to make mention of another Argument That this Light is not natural which is in all viz. because it comes from God and Christ into every creature not by Creation as the rational Soul and its faculties of understanding will mind memory conscience it self do and such properties as are de esse hominis whether constitutive or consecutive so that a man is no man at all or hath not the essential form of a man as distinct from the outward Brutum or Beast of the Field for a man may remain Phusicos a natural man or rather Psuchicos as the word is in many places where rendred natural as well as where sensual 1 Cor. 2. 1 Cor. 15. Iam. 3. Iude 15. a true animal soul-ly man a man that hath a Soul rational and sensitive though in its faculties defaced clouded darkned benighted and lost from the Lord and his Light now withdrawn from him even after the Light is kid from his eyes as it was ever at last from such as to any life by it who would not be led to life by it while they had it witness the Pharisees and Ierusalem and after he remains now irrecoverable for want of Light to the primitive pure nature which only loveth and obeyeth the Law and delighteth truly in the Light The Light then I say comes from God and Christ into the mind and Conscience not as the Soul and its essential faculties of understanding will c. do which with the Organical body make that one compositum call'd man that may be either in unity and communion with God and Christ or in onmity and separation from them according as he walks or walks not in the Light that shines from them but by way of immediate infusion from them into the mind and conscience which of itself is a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 and destitute as to the knowledge of God without a measure of it as a thing distinct and separable from the man in whom it is and a witness against him when he runs from the Will of God revealed to him in it though eternally one with God and Christ from whom it shines and flows and not ex principiiis natura as I. O. sayes with whom it ever sides let the man go whether he will never consenting to any but condemning all iniquity committed by him and counselling continually whether heeded or no before hand against it And lastly from whom it is as unchangeably inseparable as the light beams and rayes of the Sun are from the Sun it self from whence they shine with which they are in conjunction still whether this or that part of the world be actually enlightned by it or by the Moons interposing eclipsed from it yea or no. So that upon these considerations it can't be natural as I.O.T.D. I.T. R.B. deems it but do nothing at all to the purpose in proof of it so to be So that in further proof of it to be spiritual and supernatural and disproof of their proof-lesse position that its natural to save the pains and charge of laying them out at length I lay down these following proofs which wise men may argue out more at large to their fuller satisfaction within themselves Argum. The Light in all Consciences shines thereinto from God Christ and his Spirit therefore 't is not natural but supernatural and spiritual for these two viz. natural and spiritual natural and supernatural do tollere se invicem are inconsistently
denominated of one Light and that it is spiritual is shew'd after also The consequence I. O. denies not but confirms while himself Ex. 4. S. 15. opposes all Light that can be call'd natural to that which is from Christ and his Spirit and as for the Antecedent that its from God Christ and his Spirit is as evident from their own Confessions and Declarations I. O. calls it the Voice of God page 44. indeed he adds in nature by which 't is like he intends that which nature utters or the voice of nature but there is no Voice of God which is natural to man that I know of he that finds out that Chimera must have it in the nineth Chapter of no where at all or else in the tenth of Go look it for he will never meet with that monster in the Scripture nor in any rule of right reason Indeed Nature may be said to have a voice as well that of man who is fearfully and wonderfully made as that of the natural material Heavens all which declare suo modo ut prius the glory of God the Maker nor is there speech or language where this voice of nature is not heard but that this voice of nature is the Voice of God in the Conscience or that Light within he speaks of or that the Light or Voice of God in the heart is a Voice of God de esse hominis essential and natural to man credat Apella He calls it page 43.45 A Light God hath implanted in the minds of men that which speaks to man from God of a Divine Original and such like terms as are exclusive of its being but natural for himself pleads the Divine Original of the Letter as now which yet is not of so immediate a Divine Original by far as the Light by which God speaks nigh in the heart for at first it came to men from him through the hands of holy men and now to us remâtely through the hands of how many unholy men we know not in proof of its being a true spiritual and not a natural Light and also exclusive of its being the mind and conscience it self as some call it saying it 's Conscience it 's Conscience when as it is as distinct a thing from the mind understanding and conscience it shines in and as little essential to it as the candle is respectively from and to the dark room wherein it shines But this that God by his Light within shews something of himself to all is not much denied by you nor are ye easily perswaded by us but that all that is but natural still but ye deny light in common to all coming from Christ and his Spirit which though I have shewed so plainly above from Iohn 1.9.16 1 Pet. 3.19 20. Col. 1.23 where Christ is said by his Spirit to have strove with and preached to the Spirits in prison in the world of old to convince the world and enlighten every man in it and the Gospel to be preached in every creature yet a word more with you here as to this let us see how far your selves confess to it and deny it T. D. confesses page 4.1 Pamp. or at least denies not the Gentiles to have been enlightned by Christ as God before his coming in that Body at Ierusalem but it seems denyes he did or does enlighten all as Christ and I. O. sings much what to the same tune with him Ex. 4. S. 25. saying Nihilnon naturale nihil spirituale nihil specialiter a Christo mediatore emanans communicatum c no Light that 's spiritual none but what is natural flowing or no Light shining out from Christ as Mediator nothing but what men yet destitute of all saving knowledge of him may have without Christ and apart from him is mentioned Rom. 2.14.15 and Ex. 4. S. 17. Christus sub nulla c. Christ in no case hath vouchsafed saving light to all and every man in all which sayings I. O. seems to confess with T. D. that God indeed and perhaps Christ as God may vouchsafe to all Lucis cuasdam scintillulas reliquias nonnullas Primitivae lucis as he diminutively speaks Some relikes of the first Light man was lost from some small sparks of light c. to all men but these are but meerly natural neither supernatural spiritual nor saving or sufficient to bring men however heeding them to any saving knowledge of God but as for Christ as Christ the Mediator between God and Man there 's nothing no Light at all that 's saving or by the best improvement of which that can be made they can possibly come to Salvation by him so much as vouchsafed by him to all or to any but some Elect ones Yea Ex. 4. S. 11.12.13 Christian c. That Christ doth not indue and savingly enlighten all and every man but some only that is the Elect with that Divine Light in respect of which we confess him to be the Light of the world and consequently of al men is so ascertain'd from innumerable Testimonies of Scripture and the experience of all Ages that he must even be blind and destitute of all spiritual understanding that shall once dream to the contrary And S. 17. Lumen hoc utcunque ei attendatur non est ullo respectu salutare sed in ribus-emnibus divinis finem ultimum quod attinet meraetenebrae caecitas This light howsoever attended to is in no respect saving but in all divine things as to the utmost end meer darknesse and blindnesse it self thus these men and the same in effect is asserted by R B and I T as will appear more by and by I must therefore down rightly address my self as the Lord shall lead me not minding the method so much as the matter it self to reply to all this stuffe whereby T D. and I O I T R B in speciall who as Generals to other blind Guides of poor blind people against the Qua. strive to storm the plain Truth out of dores And to evince it that some measure of that true spiritual and if attended to and improved saving Light and Grace in respect of which he is said to be the Light and Saviour of the World which is spiritual Light for in the same senses men are said to be darkness are they enlightened quoth I. O but without controversie the men the Spirit speaks of Iohn 1.9 were not naturally blind but spiritually darkness is vouchsafed and shines from Christ as Christ the Mediator between God and man even to all and every man in it First I shall follow on in the way I was going on in to clear it that Christ as Christ the light of the world by his light and Spirit and not as God only enlightens every one in the proof of which the rest is all concluded though yet I may grow on to take notice of the rest in particular also And first I shall minister the Truth to you from that Text which you Ministers
against the Truth do so mangonize among you as to make neither more nor lesse then just as many meanings of as ye are men for between you Four there are Four senses put upon it whereof though some of them in terminis are true enough to serve Truths turn against you yet as ye mince your matter in the minds and as ye mean and wrest your own true words as well as the Text it self the wrong way there is never a one of all four that falls fully upon the white That Text is Iohn 1.9 That was the true light which enlightens every man coming into the world That the true Light here spoken of is Christ and the light that comes from him which Iohn Baptist a shining light in his season but inferiour to him was not but only bare Testimony to in whom is Life and whose Life is the light of men that shineth in that darkness which comprehends it not and so consequently not a naturall stuens exâââpiis naturae much lesse as natural to man as his Intellect Mind and Conscience it self as I. O. sayes that Light which all have is Ex. 4. S. 18. Lumen hââ est naturalis propria niseparabilis mentis conscientiae vis efficazia eculus and yet p. 77. light is not eyes acies meâtis est St lumen hoc non ãâã naturale neque intellectus neque mens neque conscientia homin naturalis est and insufficient but a spirituall supernaturally and all sufficient Light to save all ââch in whom it is in case they believe in it is a truth which as it is undeniable in it self so I never yet met with any Minister or other that was so deeply darkened as to deny Yea I. O. positively affirmeth it to my hands Ex. 4. S. 24. Lucem illuminationem quarum hic loci mentio facta est Spirituales esse aâque ad renovationem gratiae non naturales atque ita ad creationem pertinere apparet c. It appears that the light and illumination mentioned John 1.9 are spirituall and pertaining to the renewing of Grace not natural and pertaining to the Creation So that were there as little as there is much to be said beside all those particulars if the universality of it hold but as well from the latter part of the verse stand proved without any more ado the Question then which alone we are concerned to enquire into is Whether this Light which as I. O. sayes Ex. 4. S. 19. non est salutare cum sit naturale so I contrary non est salutare cum sit salutare be so common to all that every man that cometh into the world be enlightned with it in some measure yea or no Now we have the expresse words of the Spirit on our side and are sure enough as to our selves that we have the mind of Christ in them also which is but one but on their side are their own senses minds and meanings which are so many even no lesse then four to that one of ours which most properly answers to the words so that if they can't carry it by weight yet they hope to have it by number and chuse to out-word us since they see they cannot out-weigh us hoping that several senses may well stand and take place against one single one but as a dram of honesty and naked simplicity is to go further then a deal of subtilty and hypocrisie in the dayes that are coming so one of the Qua. proper constructions of Scripture will be preferred by honest people before a four-fold improper one of the Priests imposing The Qua. are in possession of the plain Terms of the place and of that meaning which most properly answers to them saying That by every man coming into the world is intended honestly and plainly truly and properly without dissimulation every man indeed as 't is there expressed and that the Spirit meanes nakedly and truly what he sayes these stand proking pelting and stickling with a company of stones and sticks and strawes to storm the Qua. out of the strong Hold they have in it 1. As for T. D. he lets fly out of the Devils Bow in which he shoots which L. H. hath unstringed and enervated not a little as to many false matters of fact he charges the Qua. with by his discharging at them out of it no lesse then three severall senses or senseless shafts viz two p. 6 and one p. 36. of his 1 Pamph. every of which has truth in it as to the termes he utters himself in but so false as he pinchingly intends by by his own words that all three of them put together do not reach far enough to make up the whole truth that is there intended and so by short shooting he loses all His first sense is this viz. That Christ enlightens every man that is enlightened Repl. So say I that makes for us that is every man without exception for thus I argue shooting back T. Ds. Arrows against himself who overshot himself in one sense as much when he gives this sense to that place in his words by which he gives us the cause as in his minde he under-shoots the Truth in another for he meanes not by them though his phrase imports it that every individual man is inlightned Christ enlightens every man that is enlightned But every individual man is enlightned Therefore Christ enlightens every individuall man The first Proposition is T. Ds. own the Minor viz. That every man is enlightned with some light is his own grant also p 1 where he sayes We grant that every man hath some light by which he discernes many sins and duties and several divine attributes So that let his meaning be what it will if he meanes as he sayes as it is fit he and and every honest man should and as the Spirit does we have his own words as well as those of the Text on our side also against himself therefore T. D if he own himself must of all men own the Conclusion viz That Christ enlightens every individuall man 2. Whether T. D. saw any advantage he had given us by this sense thus expressed or no it matters not but expressing his mind as to the interpretation of this Text p 36 there he adds a clause by which he imagines he mends the matter and so he does as much as one that makes it never the better for there he shoots out his sense thus That Christ enlightens every man who is spiritually enlightned Repl. Which is very true yea so say I again but this Arrow does no execution against us nor that universal sense in which we expound the words according to the universality of their expression of which it is no way at all exclusive for what though Christ enlightneth every man that is spiritually inlightned it doth not follow unless T. D. had said as its like he meanes but that his sayings and meanings so seldome agree together that he measures the
8.20 to the end and in all ages entering into holy souls made them friends of God and the Prophets Wisd. 7.27 And so thy Fancy and Falsity falls to the ground who speakest as if Christ as Christ the Wisdom of God and true Light of the World did not enlighten any before that Ensaâco sun as thou speakest or appearance of him in that flesh that died at Ierusalem for he was in the being of a true light to the World though slain as a Lamb in men from the very foundation thereof and such as walk'd in the beames of that which came from him came up to the sight of his day and glory with rejoycing as Abraham and others did Isai. 6. and was the Christ or Anointed One of God to the doing of his Work and shewing of his Will in the World before any Letter was written of him and before he assumed to himself that outward appearance wherein he died or else how did Moses suffer the reproach of Christ in his dayes who lived so long afore that body ye only know him in was born and how did Christ preach by his Spirit in Noahs dayes if there was no Christ then come 1 Pet. 3.2 and was the same light that he now is to the world and so it is said in the Text thou so much talkest on but that thou readest it at randome as thou dost the rest for it s said that was the true Light in praeterito which enlightneth in presents every man that cometh into the world that which was the light before his coming in that flesh that is the light which now enlighteneth as it did then every man and that that it was it ever will be O On kai O En kai O Erchomenos Rev. 1.8 he that before then was come and then came and is come and comes and is to come from the beginning to the end the first and last the light of men and life of such as will be lead by him to it the only way for all that have life to walk in whose light all they that hate love death Yet if it were so as God forbid for then what became of not only the rebellious part of the world but of Abell Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob c. were it so as thou sayest that to the greatest part of mankind to wit that whole part so thy words import that died before Christs coming into the World which thou countest but from the period of some one thousand six hundred years upward this saying that the true light enlightens them relates not I wonder what light thou deemest then they were enlightened by if not the true Light for God is the true Light and the Spirit is the true Light and if thy Letter were the true Light which it rather only came from yet those who lived before that had it not or were they enlightned with any accidental false corrupt light for such a One thou speakest of in the foregoing Section saying Christus est lux non ill â accidentalis corrupta de qua loquimur Christ is light not that accidental corrupt light of which we speak where if by We thou meanest thyself and thy fellows tell us what light that is but if thou mean thyself and the Quakers what e're thou speakest of I know no such Monster as a corrupt light that the Qua. either own or speak of for they own and know no other light whatever may falsly pretend to that name of light then that which is pure uncorruptible and uncorrrupted 2. However if no man till about one thousand six hundred years ago were enlightened by Christ the true Light yet it 's enough for us that thou grantest every man to be enlightned by Christ the true Light since that time let them before stand or fall to their own Master the Quakers call men to that Light they are now enlightened withall and that every man is enlightened by his coming into the world at that time thou affirmest from the Text taken thy own way and dost not hitherto in thy own interpretation of it deny though afterward thou denyest it with a witness and T.D. too who witnesse both to that same false senâe upon the Text before hinted at and now to come under consideration and it is this Ex. 4. S. 24. He horum verborum sersus est cum omnes homines essent merae tenebrae c. Tois quoth I.O. is the sense of these words when all men were meer darkness and blind to heavenly things the Son of God the eternal Word the eternal Light coming into the world sent the holy Spirit to enlighten Some of these men that were by nature darkness and so was made the Light of them Respondemus ideo quoth I.O. per omnem hominem non omnes singulos intelligi debere sâd quâs vis tantum c. hoc est Syncate gorema istud Omnis non absolute sed relate ad electos dicitur prout aliis locis innumeris usurpatur c. By every man not All and every individual person must be understood but Some only All is not spoken absolutely of All but with relation to the Elect as it is used in innumerable other places Col. 1.6 c. And Ex. 4. S. 13. Christum non amnes singulos sed quosvis tantum hoc est electos luce hac peyfundere atque salutariter illuminare ita certum est ex innumeris Scripturae Testimoniis emnium seculorum experientia ut caecus sit opporret omni spirituali intelligentia destituâus qui contrarium vel unquam somniaverit That Christ doth not with this divine light indue and enlighten All and every person but some only that is the Elect is so certain from innumerable Testimonies of Scripture and the experience of all Ages that he must needs be blind and destitute of all spiritual understanding that shall ever so much as once dream to the Contrary And S. 17. Christus nulla sub consideratione lumen salutare omnibus singulis ir dulsit Christ under no consideration both vouchsafed Saeving light to Aâl and every man In these and the like expressions we have I.Os. both opinion in this point and his sense on this place and his meaning on this Clause every man and in all this T D joynes in one with him against the Qua. both as to the universality of the saving Light of Christ whom God hath as the Qua. truly assert according to Isai. 42.6 49.6 given for a Covenant to the People for a Light to the Nations that he may be Gods Salvation to the ends of the earth And the same strait-lacing pinching and particular sense he puts upon those most universal terms All and every man in that place Iob. 1.9 and many others witness his Answer to R.H. who truly told him thus the Scripture sayes Everyman and thou sayest But some Who shall be believed Thou or the Apostle thou makest John a lyar No such
Law of sin and death For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Thus then it is evident that the Law of God which is not the letter of it but the light is powerfull and sufficient to save save only that men turn from and transgresse it and that it is universal and in all men is as evident out of Rom. 2.13 14. where it is said that those ye call Heathen who have not the outward literal copy of it do shew the work of the Law written in their hearts which wârk of the Law T. D. who yet grants the Law it self to be spiritual in his meer natural understanding calls natural as if the work of the Law of God which is Spiritual and perfect were not spiritual as the Law it self is which work or effect of the Law Psalm 19.7 8 9. is said to be the conversion of the sâul rejoycing the heart enlightning the eyes cleansing purifying c. and not only the shewing of sin and good and censuring for the obedience oâ disobedience as T. D. dotes who undertaking to teach G. W. what the work of the Law is and how it differs from the Law it self p. 3.2 Pamp. understands neither what he himself sayes nor whereof he affirms which works of the Law the Scripture there mentions which diâcovers T. Ds. ignorance of the works or effects of the Law if they be natural I know not what âs spiritual and yet to get out of that absurdity in proof of it he runs into another saying in the next clause thus viz. the Heathen do by nature the things contained in the Law as if that were corrupt nature in the Heathen that did conform them to the Law when as the nature there spoken of by which they are said to do the things of the Law is that rature after which God at first made man upright and after his own Image in righteousness and holiness of truth before they sinned and run out into their own inventions and so fell short thereof which nature and image is in it self âare divine perfect in reason and understanding and doing thâ Mind and Will of God though men mostly become degenerated from that into another swinish brutish nature even the nature and image of the Serpent the subtillest of beasts of the Devil and Satan himself and so of men as they were made become beasts of the field and of noble Vines of Gods planting in his Garden at first and wholly a right seed turning from the light into the darkness of their own vain thoughts and imaginations became a seed of evil doers and a degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto the Lord in which staâu corrupto and by which contrary nature not created by God but contracted to themselves the other nature image and glory of God which when man sinned crept inward lies hid and covered in them till by the Light of God which is given to that end they are as by a line or clew led down into themselves and through the laborynth of their own learning and lusts which lies a top of it to find it out again and till by the said light the house be swept and the lost money seen and that swinish nature destroyed and the lost sheep sought out and saved and till the works and image of the Serpent who hath in the dark stampt his own likeness on them be again defaced and till the tares which he hath sowed in the night while men slept in the field or inner world of the heart and that earth which hath overgrown the other and brought forth briaâs and thornes weeds neetles thistles c. which is accursed be burnt up and consumed from above that which brings forth herbs meet for the Masters use to which the blessing is by the spirit of judgement and of burning in which selfish nature which is that of Cain and Ishmael and Esau the three Elder that have no acceptance men will be sacrificing serving and glorying in Righteousnesses and Church-works of their own devising which All are abomination with God because done in that same nature still in which they are disobedient sinning and serving divers lusts and so by that nature become as well in their very righteousness as in their wickedness children of Gods wrath Ephes. 2.2 Tit. 3.2 incurring his displeasure by their doing of such things as are not only besides but against the Law or Light of God in the Conscience and contrary to that pure primitive nature by which only as men by the light come back to it as many do without the letter the things contained in the holy Law can be done And this contradicts that grosly absurd sottish false blind and ignorant Assertion of T. D. which as A. Parker related to me he uttered in a discourse with him at Sandwich before many people since those three more publick disputes held by R. H. G. W. and my self with him and his Confederates and Associates against us who yet are at odds amongst themselves some Prclatick some Presbyterian some Independent viz. that it is the corrupt nature by which the Nations are said Rom. 2. to do the things contained in the Law Which is I say the grossest absurdity false doctrine and contradiction to the Scripture that can well-nigh possibly be given for by that corrupt sinning nature by the yet T. D. is not ashamed and blushes not to say men do the things cântained in Gods Law alias keep obey observe conform to Gods Law which is the pure light shining in the Conscience that is spiritual holy just and good that never did nor can pâssibly consent to the least sin or do other then reprove and condemn it in the heart I say by that corrupt nature which men have by the fall from God who made them upright contracted to themselves which is the very enmity it self against God and all good men do and can do no other then sin against God and do the things that are not contained or commanded in but are contrary to the Law and walk in the trespasses and sins in which they lie dead according to the common course and custome of the World while it lies in the wickedness not minding the light according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience and have their conversation in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind drinking in iniquity as naturally as the beast drinks in water without satisfaction working uncleanness with greediness 1 Iohn 2.1 2 3 14 18 19. and so are by that nature children of wrath But in respect of which said pure primitive nature some Gentiles that have not the letter but the Light
the Lord which shall be counted to him for a Generation and to confess as much as they are now a curse among men that they are the Seed whom God hath blessed Virtutem incolumem odimus Sublatam ex oculis Quaerimus invidi Their eleventh argument from Jude 19. Having not the Spirit John 14.17 The Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive is this Every man hath not the Spirit of God therefore every man hath not a light within sufficient to guide him to God Rep. Every man that hath not so long resisted grieved quenched the motions of the Spirit of God striving in him that it thereupon is taken from him as it was from those sensual ones Iude speaks of whom God had given over to their lusts hath the Spirit striving within him and that 's enough to our purpose who own such a state that some may be given over to for not using what they had while they had it as wherein to have wisdome at whose reproof they would not turn withdraw and leave them to the way of folly and the good Spirit depart from them as he did from Saul Iudas the Iews and others and leave the house even their hearts wholly desolate and destitute of his presence for the evil spirit that lusteth in men to envy to enter and totally to possess them and the talent or measure of Gods Light within sith they would not trade with it taken away from them that the outwaâd darkness might come upon them and the grace of God that brought Salvation to them which at some time or other appears to all men Tit. 2.11.12 sith they would not learn of it to to deny ungodliness but turned it into wantonness and received it in vain despising the riches of it when it would have led them to repentance leave them to the impenitency and hardness of their hearts that they might fill up their measure of sin and so wrath come upon them to the utmost but all this proves not but that once they had it or else Christ would not have said to such as yet walk't not in it Walk in the light while ye have it least darkness come upon you and ye know not whither ye go nor could your selves say rationally as ye do to wicked men often O people now while his good Spirit moves in your spirits resist not quench not his motions left like them that lay at the Pool of Bethesda not stepping in while the Angel moved on the waters you be left unhealed forever Work whilst its day left the night come on you wherein none can work his spirit will not strive alwayes c. As for the worlds not receiving the Spirit so as to walk in it it proves not that God gives it not any more then that they have no grace given them of God because they receive it in vain and ye may as well say unreasonable men have no principle of reason left in them because they live not by it as that they have not a sufficient light in them to lead them because they do not walk in it Besides it is expressly said of Christ that by the same Spirit by which himself was quickned he went and preached to the spirits in prison i. e. to their own lusts which were disobedient in the old world in the dayes of Noah which was not by his Ministry without only as the dream but within also in their own hearts Their twelfth runs thus The Son did not reveal the Father to every man nor did every man come to Christ therefore every man had not a light within him sufficient to guide him to God Rep. The consequence of this is utterly false for though the world hates Christ the Light and comes not to him yet he is come a light into the world this he that 's not willingly ignorant of it can scarcely chuse but see if he read Iohn 3.16.17.18.19.20.21 it follows not because men come not into Christs Light that therefore it is not come into them it being as is shewed above one thing for the Light to be in men another for them to be in it I am come that they might have life faith Christ of the Jews John 10. yet ye search the Scriptures and therein look for Eternal life but will not come to me that ye may have life faith he to the Scribes Iohn 5. both these comings of each to other are necessary to the life else though the Light that is able to lead to it be in men they not being led by it cannot have it Moreover Christ does by his Light reveal the Father to such as hate both him and his Father though they like not to know him thereby else he could not say truly as he does to such Iob. 22.23.24 If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin If I had not done in them the works which none other doth they had not had sin but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father In what measure men see the mind and will of Christ and his Father manifested in them by the Light within Rom. 1.19 and hate that they see and hate both Christ and his Father whose Light and Mind and Will that is which appears to them Their fourteenth is urged by them from Texts of Scripture every of which most clearly prove or rather positively asserts the very thing they contend against viz. that Christ is come a Light to them that sit in darkness and so all men do a Light to the Nations a light into the world that whosoever that is in the world he is come into believeth in him should not perish nor walk nor abide in darkness but have the light of life Iohn 3.19.8.12 9.5.12.46 for not coming to which nor believing in which not loving but hating of which not living by which only the world comes to be condemned Were ever men so blinded But say they Christs coming a Light into the World would be needless if every man had a light in him before Christs coming into the World sufficient to guide him in the way to God Therefore the Quakers Opinion about the light in each person is a manifest errour Rep. Your apprehension of the Qua. Opinion is either a manifest errour or a wilful piece of ignorance or a miserable mistake or something for they hold no such thing as a light in each man sufficient to guide him without or besides that of Christ or before Christs coming into the world but that the whole world lying in wickedness and sitting in darkness Christ is sent a Light to enlighten them who without him are lost and that he who is that true Light doth more or less by his coming into the world enlighten every man that comes into it The fifteenth concludes a lye against the Qua. as denying the use of and dehorting from searching the Scriptures which while Christ Iohn 5.39
viz. Abâaham who saw his day before any History or Letter of your Scripture at all was wâittân Was it not by that as they walk on with God in it from Abel Enoch Noah and downward some measure of which but that they minded it not as some few did but were ever alienated from it walking in their own wayes was in all Nations as well as some and not more save only in measure in the Prophets then in other men And did not this light without and bâfore the Letter help some even such still as walk't after it to the belief of this and that God would raise the dead and judge the world which they wrote in the Light and Spirit in which they saw it and in that wisdome which in all Ages Wisd. 7. entering into holy souls that heed it makes them friends of God and Prophets Were these things then as R. B. thinks in his Query never manifested by the Light without the Letter nor by any Revelation that doth accompany the Light were men never so obedient to it What darkness is this of R. B. in his ten Queries who yet to pin the basket at the end of this tenth Query to add weight to the lightness and light to the darkness of it adds one more of his own thoughts and odd conceits in these words R. R. I think its past controversie that no man hath sufficient Grâce to his Salvation till his last breath For if God add not more for his preservation all will be lost Ans. By which hasty speech the man proclaims his being in the darkness and besides the light that is in him so loud and exalts its fâlly and sets it so on high that All may see it save such as are with him in the dark where he is for besides the absurdity above spoken to of his arguing from Gods adding more and mens not having so much yet as they may have that therefore they have none at all of that Grace which is sufficient he turns from the true terms of his Question taking the word suffienâ here in quite another sense then it hath been taken in along viz. for the highest dâgâââ only of that Grace of God when as the question is about the sufficiency of it to save from that sin it shews such as keep to it in the very least degree and lastly expresly contradicts the Scripture which speaks of the suffiââency of God Grace to keep men that keep to it in such degrees of it as are attainable in this life witness that of God to Paul full fourteen years behind the time wherein he spake it and many more before the time of his last breath 2 Cor. 12. My grace is sufficient fâr thee I conclude then all R. Bs. Queries notwithstanding that though all are not saved by it yet all have some of that Light and Grace which is âaving and that all are not saved as some are it is becausâ they come not into that Light and Grace âf God which is come intâ and unto them And now I return to R.B. and I.Ts. Arguments against this whose 26th fâom Iohn 6.44 45. 65. is thus There 's need of a further drawing or gift of the Faâher that a man may come to Christ as there would not bâ if his own light without other help would make known Christ to him therefore each mans own light is not sufficient c. Rep. Here R. B. layes on hard again upon the Anvil beside the Iron in diâproving the sufficiency of mans own light by which he means mans thoughts wisdâmâ c. which we count daâkness and foolishness much more then himself does when the Question is about the Light of Gâd in the heart of which we say that though none can come to Christ without Gâd draw him yet by that Gâd dâaws all meâ though aâl mân câme not after hiâ And so the reaâon why they perish still is not because God does not dâaw thâm to life by a light sufficient to lead to it but because they resist hang back and will nto follow it therefore sayes God I drew them with the coâds of my love with the bands of a man yet shall they go into captivity because they refused to return The 27. from 1 Iohn 4.1 1 Thes. 5.21 Mat. 4.24 Believe not every spirit but try the spirits c. Prove all things take heed what ye hear is thus If each persons light within him were a safe guide of it self to God then no men need to try other mens spirits nor to prove all things left he be deceived sith if he follow his own light he is fallible c. But these things are absurd and contraây to the warinest Christ prescribes therefore the light within each person is not a sufficient guide to God I shall instead of his own light placing the Light of God about which only the Dispute is syllogize these mens silly Syllâgisme back upon them thus If the Light of God within each person were not a sufficient and safe guidâ to lead him to God then no man need to trouble himsâlf sâ much as to try other mens spirits or prove all things left he be deceived for that is but labour in vain sith if he have not a measure of Gods Infallible Light and Spirit in âim whereby to judge of things even of that Light of which the Letter sayes That all thingâ that are to be reproved Eph. 5. are manifâstâd by it and no truth is infaâliby manifested but by it which only leads into all truth he is not infallibây guided nor undoubtedly sure of his hand let him look search prove and try as much as he will any more then a man can infallibly diâcern and distinguish of colours in a dismal dark night or dark place where not one beam of the Sun shines so as to discover them But these things are absurd and contrary to the wariness that Christ prescribeth who doth not bid men try all things by that Light and Spirit of God which only makes all truth and all that is knowable of God and all things of God manifest in men Rom. 1.19 and yet not vouchâafe them one beam of that only sufficient Light to try any thing by yea 't were no less then as meer mockage as to bid a man read for his life in a dark Dungeon without sufficient light either of Sun or candle or take heed to himâelf by that Light that shines in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 when there 's no true light there at all and contrary also to all common sânse and reason therefore there is in every man some of that Light of God which as its heedeâ according to the measure of it is able to guide him infallibly to judge of the matters truths wayes dâctrines spirits he is bid to try on peril of being deceived to damnation and a sufficient safe guide to lead him unto God I wonder what Light Spirit Rule and Touâhstone all Truth and all
Spirits are to be tryed by if not by that measure of the Spirit of Truth it self which convinces the world of Sin Righteousness and Iudgement and leads its followers into all Truth Ob. If any say it can't be that Spirit of God nor his Light in men the Qua. call to for that 's one of the things to be tryed try the spirits whether of God or no and that which is to be tryed cannot be the rule of Tryal Ans. I answer why not Did you Schoolmen never learn that Lesson your selves which ye teach to others viz. that Regula which is alwayes quid Rectum is mânsura sui obliqui The strait Rule must ever be the Rulâ or measure of it self as well as of that which is crooked and faulty Doth not the light manifest it self to be true light as well as the darkness to be truly darkness and does not the Sun as well shews it self to a man to be the Sun as it shews a dark Cloud or smoak not to be it and why may not the inward light which is truly and indeâd is only it fallible be truly said to be Autopiste believed for it self sake and to be the Rule of Tryal that must try all spirits and sayings but its own yea it s own also as I. O. falsly sayes nor more nor less but the self-same of the outward fallible because flexible Letter which flows forth from it I say 't is true we are to try all spirits and things but as what man knows the things of a man but the spirit of a man within himself even so the things of Gâd knows no man but the Spirit of God and that Spirit in which that Spârit of God reveals them 1 Gor. 2 What shall we try Light and Daâkness by but by the Light I know our Divines say try all spirits by the Scripture all lâghts so called whether they be true or pretended by the Letter But herein they discover their own dancings of the Rounds still in the night of their own thoughts and in the midst of the mist of darkness foramuch as no otherwise then as when we ask them what 's the Rule they go by in their Analogical Faith they say the Scriptures and when we ask them what 's the Rule they go by in their interpreting âf that Rule of their Faith i.e. the Scriptures they tell us the Analogy of their Faith even so when we ask them what are ye to try the Scriptures by whether they are of God or no they say by the Spirit yea though other things may be accessary yet the testimony of the Spirit is necessaây and only all-sufficient to this puâpose so sayes not only Bâll in his Caâechize but also all the Builders of Babel and Worshâppers of Baal in what form soever excepring Popish Priests who are in a worse extreme and deny as no Rule for their own Traditions sake both Scriptures and Spirit altogether but when we ask them but how shall we try that Spirit of God whether of God or no for we are not believe every spirit to go round again they tell us by the Scriptures and thus the poor Clergy are cozened and how those they Lord it over should scape dâlusion and creep out of their Babylonish confusion I know not till they come to that and some such thing there is or else there 's no infallâble knowledge of any thing which is of a certainty past all demonstâation sâ that as to a blind man it can't be proved so to a seeling man in need not and that is the Light of God in the Conâcience which as heeded and according to the measure of it shews both it seâf and darkness truth and deceit good and evil what God would have each man do for his own particular and what to decline de Iure what sins he lives in that he should forgo what sins he does or does not forgo de facto e.g. lying cozening cheating drunkenness adultery murder doing that ill to oâhers be would not have done to himself and such like finalây what manner of man he is upright or wicked a tâue man or an hypocrite c. And all this though internally and spiritually yet as truly and infâllibly as with his bodily eyes by the Light of the Sun or but a candle he sees himself and with his natural animal understanding he perceives himself to be a man and not a Beast Their 28. from Psal. 139.23 Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting is thus If David had a Light within him of it self a sufficient and safe guide to God he should no need Gâd to search know and try him he might have led himself but 't is otherwise with David therefore he knew he had not a Light within him And to this tune also I. O. belying the Qua. represents them as saying they need not any teaching having a Light within them for a much as themselves are Autodidactoi taught of themselves Ex. 3. S. 20. Opus non habent vel Doctrina c. cum ipsi sunt Autodidactoi si iis fidem adhibere ãâã sit Rep. Oh most absurd and abominable how do evil men and seducers war worse and worse decâiving and being deceived 'T was darkness gross enough to gain-say the being of a sufficient light to guide to God in All mân but this is grosser yea no leâs then groapablâ to deny it to be in aây men for if it be in any men it is surely in the Saints and if in them then in Davâd whom they own as one yet behold the M. As. and B. Ds. of our times tell us now that David himself who sayes Thy word have I hid in me that I might not sin against thee Pâa 119. which word âhe calls a Lamp to his feet and a Light to his paths had not a Light within him as a sufficient safe guide to lead in the way everlasting and consequently the Saints to whom nemine obstante Paul sayes according to Mâses the word is nigh thee in thy heart the word âf Faith which we preach had none of it in them as well as sinners But that they may not insanire sine ratioâe they give a reason for it such as 't is viz. If David had a Light of God within him sufficient c. he need not Gâd to search know try and lead him he might have led himâelf not heeding that all the Saints that are taught by the Light and in that learn in silence in all subjection are not Autodidactoi as these men suppose but as Paul saith all Saints are Theodidactoi learning of Christ and taught of God 1 Tâes 41.9 That the Qua. deny all Teaching but that of God or men moved by the same Liâht and Spirit by which God teaches yea I acknowledge freely that he that teaches himself and learns not of God but leans to his
the deeds of darknesse which are sin For the light and Spirit lead none into sin But there be such as walk in the light in the day in which if a man walk saith John he stumbles not 1 Ioh. Much lesse fallsâ There be some that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and are led by the Spirit and those that are led by it are not under the Law the lash of which they would be under as all sinners are if they transgressed it but under grace And these are the Sons of God those that are born of God whom the world knowes not 1 Ioh. 1 2 3. for they are his hidden ones Psal. 83. against whom they take crafty councel as against an impure generation though they purify themselves even as Christ himselfe is pure whilst such as know neither the Sons of God nor whose Sons themselves are while they sin are that generation that 's pure in their own eyes though not yet washed from their filthiness nor meaning to be so here Who ever walkes after the Spirit and no more after the flesh and lusts of it at it seems by that very Text Rom. 8. some do to whom alone there 's no condemnation because no sin for they are in Christ so out of the transgression in the light out of the darknesse in but one of which a man can be at one time such sin not who ever they be unless T.D. I.O. and the whole Gang of blind guides who tell people that none but that person that Christ appeared in a Ierusalem ever were shall or can be fuâly freed from sinning in this world will being âore shooes in that sink of sottishness run ore boots too so as to say the Light and Spirit leads such as follow and walk after it into lust and sin Therefore there are some that live without sinning And this is one infallible Argument from the very letter it self if it were not become now as a Book sealed to the learned lookers into it that freedom from sin was attainable by the power of Christs light and the grace of God which alone even we say is sufficient to that end and was attained by Paul and others then and therefore may be now even in this life in that Panâ declares concerning Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus the head from whence as the holy ointment it runs down to the Skirts of the Garment and as the unction 1 Ioh. 2. abides in his body teaching all things it had made him free from the law of sin and death of which Law of sin and death he relates in that 7. Chapter that he was once wretched by reason of its carrying him captive to it self of its motions of sin working in him and bringing forth fruit in him unto death of its warring in his members against the Light or Law of God in his mind by which he had the knowledge of sin in the very lust of it as that he should not covet nor lust to envy anger uncleanness c. Which the Scribes and Pharises Mat. 5. and Paul himself while a Pharisee looking into the lâtter without only as he did from a child knew not till he turn'd to the light within and came to the Law in the Spirit till he and it came to look each other in the face from which time and not from his looking into the letter he saw the Law in the spirituality holinesse righteousness and goodnesse ãâã and for all his former formality and strict pretence to unrighteousness profession of a letter ad extra his own meer naughtinesse and carnality as that of one that was still sold under sin and a committer of it in the sight of God from whose wrath that old drosty dunghilly righteousnesse of his own Phil. 3. which was not Christs as T. D. blasphemously belyes it to be p. 22. 1. Pamp. could not deliver him till he witness'd himselfe cloth'd with another even that righteousness which is of God by faith in Christ not imputed onely but imparted also to the true sanctification as well as justification of every one that believeth which passages nevertheless of that 7th chap. to the Romans and that 12. of his 2d Ep. to the Corinthians our senseless Seers have made among others one of their main common places from whence to prove the very contrary even that there is no such freedom from sin while in the body but that of necessity it must be acted by the Saints themselves while they breath upon this outward earth For say they if Paul complained of a body of sin and death while he liv'd and how he was sold under sin and carryed captive to the Law of it and of the Law of sin waâring in his members against the Law in his mind so that he could not do the good he should but when he would do good evill was present with him and also of a Thorne in his flesh a Messenger of Satan to buffet him as he does 2 Cor. 1 2 3. c. and all this after his conversion to his dying day Then much lesse can any other Saints expect to be set so free from sin by what power soever in this life as to live and not sin and such like But Paul did so therefore what man can do otherwise Who can ever live and not sin Thus they argue against Qua. as a damnable sort of Hereticks that deliver a doctrine of Devils because they hold out as attainable that hellish thing as they count it call'd holiness and such freedom from sin in this life so as not to commit iniquity any more not considering all this while that Paul in those terms speakes what he once was yea even after his conversion to the light till sin was wholly subdued by the light condemning it in his flesh and bringing forth in him judgement over it into victory and not of what he was at the writing thereof in which time he sayes the Law of the Spirit had made him free from that Law of sin Not yet heeding at all that the Thorn in the flesh was not a transgression but a temptation with which God exercised him that he might shew the sufficiency of his own grace to support and keep him from transgression even from that sin of being exalted above measure and that no lesse then 14. years before he wrote this and not just then when or while he wrote it much lesse a transgression that remain'd unmortified in him till his dying day One argument more I shall urge from I O's own book thus viz If perfect Salvation from sin be the proper end of the Scripture and it be perfect to that its end and does perfect it and yet does what it does in this present world or nowhere to which it is accomodated only and ceases to do ought into the world to come then that perfect Salvation must be wrought out by it or here or no where at all But
Priests as the Septuagint are gone off quoth I. O. from the Original in a thousand places twice told And yet To go round again the only infallible Rule and sure Word of God which they tell the poor people that they have is the Scripture Text as it is thus Translated for they to them either the infallibility of their own Ministry or of the Holy Chair and any present guidance of any by the Infallible Spirit also Thus they run the Rounds trace to and fro and dance up and down in their dark minds about the transcriptions and translations of their Text which they take to be their Rule which transcriptions translaions were they never so certain and entire by answering to the first originall copies yet are not capable to be to all men any other then a lesbian Rule or Nose of Wax for as much as even where men have them as halfe the world has not they are liable to be wrested and actually twisted twenty wayes by interpretours whose expositions senses and meanings which are as many and various as the thoughts and conceits and inventions of the men are who comment upon them must be the Rule to such as can read them neither in Hebrew and Greek nor in their own Mother-Tongues neither And whereas we ask them who tell us that Scripture rightly interpreted only is the right rule of the faith by what Rule shall we know whether the Text be rightly interpreted yea or nay and not rather wrested and what is the Rule according to which men are to interpret that Rule of their faith i.e. that Scripture to go round again they tell us the Analogy of Faith And when we query how it may be known that that Faith is right according to which the Scripture is if rightly to be interpreted To go round again they tell us the Scripture rightly interpreted And when we ask them how it may be known assuredly uncontroleably infallibly that the Scripture is at all of God and not a cunningly devised fable invention of men they tell us by the Testimony of the Spirit which say they is necessary onely all-sufficient to that purpose see the Articles of the Clergy of England about the Scripture And when we ask them but by what shall we try and find assuredly infallibly that that Spirit is of God and not a false one that tells us the Scripture is of God To go round again they tell us by the Scripture Moreover as when others deny his asserted Authority purity integrity of the Text I. O. pleads it to the least tittle and yet to go round again falls flatly to affirm the Nân-integrity of it himself so when he dreams those poor deluded Fanatical souls as he calls them call'd Qua who yet own it as usefull helpfull profitable perfect to its own end through faith in the Light to the man of God do deny the perfection of the Scripture to its proper end then I.O. strikes up in such strict strains of proving the living power efficacy perfection of the said Scripture to its own proper end which he sayes is the effecting and perfecting of mens eternall salvation without any help of the Spirit and Light within stretching it out into such a singular absoluteness this way as that which by it self alone is Regula perfectissima Ex 3. S. 26. ita perfecta c. omnibus numeru absoluta ut nihil opus sit ulla alia revelatione per spiritum out lumân internum c. as revelatio omni respectu perfecta Ex 3. S. 28. Potens servare animas restituens onimam potent a Dei ad salutem so that inania mutilia sunt alia omnia principia c. S. 29. which all is more fully inculcated at large in Greek and English p. 83 84 85 86 87. where he sayes its absolutely call'd the power of God and that to its proper end the Rod of his power without other helps and advantages that hath efficacy and power in it to save souls living effectual sharper then any two edged sword c. as Heb. 4.12 and much more to that tune adoring and extolling the external Text with the honour and veneration that 's due to God Christ and his Spirit Light and living word in the heart alone But when I.O. comes to quarrel with those poor deluded souls the Iews for the self same adoring and glorying in their enjoyment of the naked letter and seeking for life and salvation in the Scriptures without the Light and Spirit within which he and his Fellow-Scribes are found in and condemned by the Qua for at this day as they were by Christ of old and when he comes to quarrel with the Qua for asserting that doctrine of Devills as they call it viz attainablenesse of perfect freedom salvation of the soul from sin in this life then I. O. runs and rambles round about and about again with as great an Ardency as he danced the other way before saying Ex 3. S. 39. Falsissimum est sacram Scripturam dum in hoc mundo Haeremus respectu nostri totum suum finem obtinere aut obtinere posse It 's most false to say the Scripture or doth or can obtain its whole end in respect of us while we live here and if we ask where then does it do it in the world to come no neither then cessâbit Scripturae usu c. its use will then cease it s accimmodated to our present state only and if we ask does it do it at all yes quoth he or else it cant't be perfect as I assert it to be for Ex 3. S. 24. Disciplinae cujusvis perfectio c. In English thus The perfection of every discipline stands in it's relation to its end so as that is to be held perfect which can and that imperfect which potis non est cannot effect its own end and the perfection of the Scripture can consist in no other thing then its sufficiency to its own proper end which is the perfecting our eternall salvation which salvation though the Scripture be perfect and does accomplish it yet To go round again it can accomplish it neither in this world nor that to come and so not at all and To go round again is imperfect and further yet That it s not so absolutely perfect nor effectually powerfull to this end of saving souls so as to need no other revelation by the Spirit or Light within as he says 't is witnesse its inefficacy to the Iews who are as busie in it to no urpose as I. O. himself of whom I. O. to go round again sayes â 236. thus The Iews enjoy the letter of the Scripture yea they receive it sometimes with the honour and veneration due to God alone Their possession of it is not accompanied with the manifestation of the Spirit will out which as we see in the instance of themselves the Word is a dead letter of no efficacy for the good of souls
with Luke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone as of old for a figure hereof by the finger of God but in fleshly tables of the heart in which may be read and understood not onely as in the Scripture and the Law without the right that is what you should do and should be but the fact also that is what you do and what you are For to know Thy self whom if thou knowst not thou knowst not Christ whom if thou knowst not it s no profit to thee to know other things this comes no other way then by an inward beholding of thy self in that more inward looking-glass namely the light of Christ by which God shines in the conscience which light leads those that follow it to hear that true and living word of God of which the Scripture declares that its powerfull and mighty and sharper then any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing of the Soul and Spirit and of the marrow and reines discerning the thoughts and cogitations of the heart before which all things are naked bare that it is as fire and as an hammer breaking the Rocks in pieces and causing all things to tremble at the hearing thereof which was in the beginning before the Scripture was which testifies of it concerning which the Scripture both Old New doth truly testify it 's not far off but nigh in the heart and mouth that thou maist do it even that very word of Faith the Apostles Preached 24. This light is that good old way Older than the Eldest among the Sects of this age whether of Iewes or Christians who all in the mean time namely both Catholiks and Lutherans and Calvinists Baptists c. every one professing themselves to be the Antient est have divided the Grand Tree of the old Roman Church into so many branches lesser boughs and little twigs that the whole Body thereof wil ere long be sick even unto death She who hath been so long the Mother of so many children is almost now devoured of Her own children This light I say is that Antient way unto which God by the Prophet Ieremiah called back the Israelites when degenerated from God into their own traditions saying stand in the wayes and see and ask for the Antient paths where i that good way walk therein and you shall find rest unto your souls but they said We will not walk therein hearken to the voice of the Trumpet but they said We will not hearken 25. This Light is a Teacher that cannot deceive for it is the Testimony of God which is greater than the Testimony of man nor yet can it flatter for it reproves every one justly not justifying the wicked and condemning the Innocent but telling every one the Truth concerning himself directly as the case is and no otherwise accusing and excusing then God himself from whom it is for if by that which is shining from God in thee thy own heart condemns thee there is no God without that holds thee guiltless but when by that thy heart condemns thee not then maist thou have boldness before God 26. Finally this Light is that perfect law of Liberty of which whoso is a hearer and not a doer he is like a man that beholds his natural face in a glass which so soon as ever he hath beheld and is gone away he straitway forgets what manner of man he was but whoso looketh into it and continueth therein and is not a forgetful and an idle bearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed Henceforth therefore who ere thou art who wouldst know thy self do not seek thy self out of thy self but behold thy self within in that inward Light which inwardly gives the diâcerning not only of the good and perfect mind and will of God concerning thee but also of thy own mind and of thy whole self and that so perfectly that concerning these and even all things pertaining to the Salvation of the Soul and the Kingdom of God with the Righteousness thereof and what Haereditary right thou hast therein which is nigh wch is within saith Christ to the Pharisees who never entred into it there is no need that thou shouldst go forth of thy self in order to a further evidence and understanding of them yea thou knowest more than enough already if of the good will of God thou knowest more than thou livest up to for what good is only known and not done tends only unto thy condemnation In all openness and plainness and not in knowing what is to be done but in doing what is already known stands the Salvation of the Sons of men 28. Moreover what hinders unless they be delighted in the blinding of their own eyes the stopping of their eares and the hardning of their hearts in rejecting the councell of God to their own perdition but that the wicked may come to the life of God from which they stand estranged for the way to that life howere it 's narrower and straiter by reason of the Cross of Christ which is dayly to be taken up by those that follow him then that wide and broad way that leads to destruction for which cause it is that so many enter in by this and so few by the other yet is together with that which tends unto death so plainly made manifest by the Light that unless it be to such as are willingly ignorant it cannot easily be hidden 29. For the fruits of the Spirit or works of the Light which are righteousness love goodnes faith gentlenes sobriety temperance chastity which who so brings forth to God lives with God and sees God are manifest to every one that doth not wink against the Light in his own conscience and the works of darkness or of the flesh such as are adultery fornication uncleannes lascivicusness idolatry witch-craft hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions heresies envy murders drunkenness revellings and such like which whoeever doth shall never enter into the Kingdom of God are manifest saith the Scripture and that not so much by the Scripture as by the Light to which the Scripture testifies and by which they were manifest in the consciences of men before the Scripture was and are made manifest at this day where the Scripture is not by which also they would have been made manifest if the Scripture had never been For all things that are reproved saith the Spirit in the Scripture are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light 30. To this therefore all apply your minds to this come in this walk and continually abide even in the Spirit of God which reproveth the world and comforteth the Saints called redeemed and chosen out of the world Here stand continually that ye may both know your selves and comprehend false Spirits with the works and children of darkness who are comprehended and discerned by the Spirit by the