Skill and Learning and not to the mighty Power of God Answ. The Reason holds good still Experience shews that these learned men that call themselves Ministers of the Gospel now do extol and cry up their humane learning beyond the Power of God for they make that Learning such an indespensible Qualification and of such absolute Necessity that though a man be indued with Power from on high though he hath received the Promise of the Father though he be full of the Holy Ghost and of Faith yet if he be not skâ—lled in humane Learning or at least supposed to be they say he is not fit to preach the Gospel But he saith That was a time extraordinary the Disciples being to plant the Gospel in all Nations and probably understanding no Language but the Syrian Christ therefore rains upon them cloven Tongues whereby they were capacitated to preach the Gospel to all People and Nations under Heaven page 100. Answ. If that was an extraordinary time and occasion in and upon which Tongues were given he is the more to blame for inferring from thence a Necessity of Humane Learning in ordinary times and upon ordinary occasions He should have remembred what himself saith page 128. That it is a most grand Fallacy to draw an universal Conclusion from particular Premises But a time he saith was coming when these Tongues should cease the main Work being done page 101. Answ. 'T is true Tongues being given but for a particular Service were to cease that Service being answered but the Teaching of the Spirit was not to cease it had no Dependency upon Tongues and therefore was not to cease with them it was before them and was to continue after them The Comforter the Spirit of Truth which Christ said he would pray the Father to send to his Disciples was to abide with them forever and he was to be their Teacher and to guide them into all Truth Besides the Apostle Paul writing to the Church at Ephesus amongst whom being of one Tongue there was no need of Tongues and by whom we read of no Miracles wrought tells them He ceaseth not to pray for them that God would give them the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of himself From whence it is evident First That divine Revelation had no Dependence upon Tongues or Miracles Secondly That although Tongues were for a particular Service and Season and therefore were to cease yet that the Ministration of the Spirit by divine Revelation was not to cease but to continue in the Church of Christ therefore also he exhorts the Thessalonians not to quench the Spirit 1 Thes. 5.19 But he saith It would be presumption in them who pretend to be the Apostles Successors to expect to receive all Gospel Knowledge in the same manner and in all those Wayes wherein it was communicated to the Apostles page 101. Answ. How far he will strain the Word all in the last Clause I know not but if by all those Ways he intends no more then an inward Manifestation and immediate Revelation of the mind and Will of God to them by the Spirit of Truth which dwells in them I will adventure to tell him it is no Presumption at all in those who are the Apostles Successors to expect to receive the Knowledge of the Gospel in the same manner for as our Saviour prayed not for them only but all such also as should believe on him through their Word So what he promised concerning sending the Comforter to be in them to teach them to take of his and shew it unto them to guide them into all Truth and to abide with them forever he did not promise with Restriction and Limitation to them only but with an extensive Relation to all that should believe on him This appears First from the Words of Christ He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living Water But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believed on him should receive This is spoken indefinitely of all Believers without any Restraint to Persons time or place for the Invitation is general If any Man thirst let him come unto me and drink c. Secondly It does appear that this inward immediate and spiritual Teaching was known and received by the Saints of old in general of whom we read not that they spake with Tongues or wrought Miracles The very little Children Babes in Christ to whom Iohn writ had received the Anointing Ye have an Vnction from the holy One and ye know all things the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and iâ— Truth and no Lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him Hence it is manifest that in the Primitive Church the Saints in general had the Spirit poured on them had the Anointing in them that the End of it was to teach and guide them and that they were taught and guided by it Thirdly Besides this inward and immediate Teaching of the Spirit of God by which the Knowledge of the Gospel is communicated being the very End for which the Conforter was sent and as I may say the natural Effects of his coming implied in those Words of Christ He shall teach you all things he shall testifie of me he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you he shall guide you into all Truth c. it must either be granted that these Effects of his Coming are now received and known in the true Church or denied that the Comforter is now received and doth abide with Believers at all The Consequence whereof would be that Christ hath left his People Comfortless which he hath assured them he will not do but if the Comforter the Spirit of Truth be now to be expected he is faithful that promised if he is to be in the Saints and to abide with them forever if his Office be to testifie of Christ to receive of Christ's and shâ—w it unto them to teach them all things and to guide them into all Truth I hope Reader thou wilt not think it Presumption in them that are truly the Apostles Successors in Faith and Doctrine to expect to receive the Knowledge of the Gospel in the same manner as they received it Again he saith it is as ungodly and absurd to depend upon extraordinary Revelations and Miracles while we neglect the ordinary means under which we live as it is for an Husbandman to give over his Husbandry in expectation of being provided for by daily Miracles page 102. And a little lower he saith Though God's Hand be not shortned but that it is in his Power to give the Church now the same Gift of Tongues of Working Miracles and the rest as he was pleased to do in the Primitive Age of the Church c. Answ.
thing and speak another But if the Letter be not the Word of God how can the Bible be the Word of God seeing the Bible is only the Book wherein the Letter is written Yet does this man so confound and jumble them together that it is hard to know what at last he intends to be the Word of God One while he sayes it is not the Letter but the Sense that is the Word of God by and by he sayes The Bible is the Word of God as if he took the Bible in which the Letter is written to be the Sense of the Letter for he makes the Bible and the Sense of the Letter to be one and the same thing namely the Word of God But the Word of God which is quick and powerful he appears to be a Stranger to But he asks Whence we know that the Word of God is Quick and Lively Answ. By Experience For though he being with the Iews in the Unbelief has never peradventure heard the Voice of God at any time yet blessed be the Lord we have and when the Lord hath spoken in us we have felt his Word living and powerful discerning and discovering the Most Secret Thoughts and Intents of our Hearts But this Answer I conclude will not answer his End He has fitted an Answer to his own Design and put it into his Parishioner's Mouth to speak as for us which is That We learn out of the Bible that the Word of God is Quick and Lively Whereupon as apprehending some Advantage he layes about him with all his Might What! sayes he Out of that Bible which they call a Dead Letter and so goes on for three or four pages together in such an insulting strain as if he had gotten some petty Conquest and were now riding in Triumph But a Wise Man would have defer'd his Boasting until he had put his Armour off That the Bible barely as it is a Book is a Dead Thing that the Scriptures barely as Writings are Dead Letters none I think that considers what he sayes and dareâ— put his Name to it will deny But sayes he Though the Leaves and Letters have no Natural Life in them is therefore the Sense of the Scriptures dead No say I The true Sense and Meaning of the Scriptures is not dead But that Sense which man by his Natural Understanding and Humane Learning only doth invent and form to himself as if he had it from the Scriptures is dead for the true Sense and Meaning of the Scripture is received and understood in by the Openings and Revelation of the Divine Spirit and not otherwise Now we never call the Scriptures a dead Letter in disâ—respect to or dis-esteem of the Scriptures but to manifest the Mistake and Error of those who think it sufficient that they have the Scriptures although they dâ—ny the Revelation of the Spirit by which alone the true Sense and Meaning of the Scriptures can be understood And though the Scriptures without the Spirit be a Dead Letter yet being opened explained applyed and the true Sense of them given by the Spirit they are then truly serviceable and profiâ—able for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness and may be so used by them that are led and guided by the Spirit without any of those Absurdities which this man irreligiously would fasten on them Besides when the Bible is called a Dead Letter it is as in his Book in Opposition to them that call it the Word of God as this Man expresly doth in the very same page 107 though to his own Contradiction he had said but a few Leaves before pag. 96. It is not the Letter but the Sense that is the Word of God So that although he will not have the Letter to be the Word of God but the Sense yet by an incomparable Piece of Ignorance and Self-contradiction he will have the Bible or Book to be the Word of God as if the Book wherein the Letter it written were the Sense of the Letter Thus all his great Bluster and Vapour against others ends in the Detection of his own Confusion He sayes pag. 112. To look for more Revelations or a Repetition of the former would be equally an Act of Impudence and Infidelity Why of Impudence and Infidelity He replies Would it not be an Act of Infidelity not to believe God when he plainly tells us that the Scriptures themselves are able to make us wise unto Salvation through Faith c. and to furnish us throughly to all good Works Answ. He corrupts the Scripture Where doth God plainly tell him that the Scriptures themselves are able c This word themselves he puts in of his own Head and yet sayes God tells us plainly that the Scriptures themselves are able c. wherein he speaks Untruth of God If this be not Infidelity yet it looks as like Impudence as I have seen If the Scriptures themselves were able to make wise unto Salvation through Faith c. there were then no Need of the Help of the Spirit But I have already shewed that unless the Spirit reveal and open them the Scriptures themselves cannot be rightly understood And he himself in saying The spirit doth help them to understand them and that they pray for its Assistance therein pag. 103. doth implicitly acknowledge as much But if there be a Necessity of the spirit 's Teaching in order to a right understanding of the Scriptures then it is evident that the Scriptures themselves are not able to make wise c. without the Help and Assistance i. e. the Teaching and Revelation of the Spirit Whether then it can be an Act of Infidelity to expect that which there is so great a Necessity of that men cannot be wise unto Salvation without it I leave to the Reader 's Judgment Nay let it be well considered seeing Christ hath plainly and expresly told us That he will send the Comforter the spirit of Truth to his Disciples that this spirit shall be in them and shall abide with them forever that he shall testifie of Christ that he shall take of Christ's and shew it unto them that he shall teach them all things and guide them into all Truth as appears in the 14 15 16. Chapters of Iohn I say let it be well considered whether it is not an Act of Infidelity in any who profess themselves to be Christ's Disciples not to believe and expect the Performance of this so absolute a Promise Thus far as to the Infidelity of expecting to have the Truths formerly revealed to the Saints revealed now to us by the same spirit by which they were then revealed unto them which I take to be the Meaning of that Phrase of his a Repetition of the former Revelations Now to the Act of Impudence for he sayes To look for a Repetition of the former Revelations would be equally an Act of Impudence and Infidelity And is it not an Act of Impudence sayes he
he that when they so prayed they had no Trespasses to forgive pag. 39. Answ. This will not seem so strange if it be considered that when our Lord taught his Diâ—ciples thus to pray they were but young and weak their Faith which should have given them Victory over Sin was weak and sometimes almost ready to wavâ—r and therefore in the very same Chapter he blames the Littleness of their Faith and frequently after in the same Book of Matthew calls them O ye of Little Faith They had not yet experienced the Work of Faith with Power in that Degree which afterwards they did for the Holy Ghost was not yet poured forth because that Iesus was not yet glorified Now this Form of Prayer was suited to their present Condition but it doth not appear that it was intended to be a standing Rule for them to pray by as long as they lived but as a Supplement to their Weakness until the Comforter the Spirit of Truth was come unto them which Christ promised to send them immediately after his Departure and as it were in his room But when the Comforter was come when they had received the Spirit of Truth in that more eminent Degree He was then to lead them into all Truth He was to teach them what they should pray for and that after an higher manner then hitherto they had prayed as our Saviour's words imply Iohn 16.2 and he did so as the Apostle witnessâ—th Likewise the Spirit helpeth our Iâ—firmities for we know not what we should ask for as we ought mark that for all their former Teaching but the Spirit it self maketh â—ntercâ—ssion for us with Groans which cannot be uttered From Scripture-Arguments he comes to Reason Who sayes he can be so confident to say He is free from all the Infiâ—mities of his Nature Answ. Every Infirmity of Nature is not Sin A man therefore may be free from Sin though not from all the Infirmities of his Nature Again He that saith he cannot fall by Error is already fallen by Pride Answ. This relates not to a Possibility of not sinninâ— but to an Impossibility of sâ—â—ning which is not the Subject of the present Controversie He goes on to shew That it is not they that give Incouragement to sin by denying a Possibility of being freed from it but we who believe such a Possibility Pray says he who is your Friend he that saith you have no Enemy or he that informs you where he lurks pag. 41. Answ. He all along mistates the Case either through Ignorance or Design yet I would not think the worst of him By Perfection by a State of Freedom from Sin we do not mean a State free from being tempted to sin Our blessed Saviour in whom was no sin in that sense was not free he was tempted by the Devil But to be tempted is no sin So that we do not tell People they have no Enemy but we tell them they have an Enemy we tell them where this Enemy lurks and how he works We tell them this Enemy may be overcome and also how Now then turn the Question the right Way and let me ask Who is thy Friend O Man He that tells thee Thou canst never overcome thy Enemy will be too hard for thee 't is in vain to expect a Compleat Victory or He that incourages thee to fight the good Fight of Faith and tells thee that Satan if thou resist him will flee before thee and not only â—o but that the God of Peace will â—râ—ad Satan under thy Feet and that shortly too Again He says It is one Step to Conversion to see our selves unconverted and one Step more to Happiness to percerve our selves Miserable Sinners Answ I grant indeed it is so But mâ—st we alwayes stand upon this one Step Must we never take another Step Never step forward He moves very slow indeed that takes but one step all his Life If we see our elves misererable sinners at the first step must we see our selves miserable sinners at the last step too which they do from the first step to the last confess themselves such or else they sin in so confessing this is miserable indeed miserable Comforters are all they who tell men they must be miserable Sinners as long as they live Let such take heed that they run not in vain Again He saith I need not guard my House when I am sure that no Thieves can enter Answ. This is also quite besides the business The Question is not whether no Thieves can enter although I do not guard my house but whether it is possible for me to keep the Theives from entring if I do guard my house That this is possible our Saviour expresly tells us If saith he the good man of the House had known at what Hour the Thief would come he would have watcht and not have suffered his House to be broken through So that the good man had Power and was able to have kept out the Thief if he had stood upon his Guard and the intent of this Parable was to excite the Disciples to Watchfulness which our Saviour did frequent lyinculcate to them What I say unto you I say unto all watch And again Watch and pray that ye enter not unto Temptation for there 's the Sin It is not a Sin to be tempted but it is a Sin to enter into the Temptation Now tâ—en if the Disciple watches and prayes it is possible for him to be kept from entring into Temptation and consequently possible for him to be kept from sinning which is directly to the Case Again he saith it is in vain to offer him Physick wo concludes himself well Answ. If any man that is not well concludes htmself well he is to blame but that is nothing to our purpoâ—e The Questionis Whether he that doth really receive the Physiâ—k and doth carefully observe the prescriptions of the Physician can be perfectly cured or no The Disease is Sin can man be perfectly cured of this Disease If he grants he may he yeilds the Cause if he denyes it her stâ—cts upon the Abilâ—ty of he Physician The poor Woman with the bloody issue had suffered much from many Physicians and spent all she had upon them but was never a whit the better Miserable Sinners at the first and miserale Sinners to the last her bloody Issue ran twelve Years together but when once she came to Christ he made her whole He works perfect Cures Will the Priest say that man may and shall be cured of his Disease of sinning but not in this Life not till he dies this is not Gospel surely for that is Glad-tidings but this is Sad-tidings to the poor patient that he must carry his Disease with him to his Grave and yet alwayes be taking costly Physick this if he believe it were enough one would think to send him forth with thither If such a cure could have
which Oaths were allowed the Ordinances whereof were Carnal besides it chargeth an Incongruity upon the Apostle himself to suppose he meant by men's Swearing that the Saints did swear and that an Oath was to them an End of Strife much more to imagine he commanded or allowed it in them when he checkt the Corinthians so sharply for living in Strife and walking as men telling them plainly they were but carnal Nor let him or any think to take Advantage as some without cause or success have done from the Apostle's speaking in the present Tense Men do swear c. and an Oath is to them an End c. from thence inferring that he spake this of the Christian-state because he saith men do not did and an Oath is not was but consider that he writes to the Hebrews who were of the Iews amongst whom Oaths had been lawfully used And therefore he expresses himself to them in the same Tense upon other Occasions also which none can apply to the Gospel state although spoken in the Gospel-time So he sayes Every High Priest is ordained to offer c. This must needs be understood of the Iewish Priesthood which de jure was at an End and yet he does not say Every High Priest was ordained but in the present Tense is ordained c. So also speaking of the outward Tabernacle that was used in the time of the Law he sayes After the second Vail was the Tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all He could not intend this of the Believers in Christ that they did call this Tabernacle the Holiest of all for they knew a Holier then it and that it was at an end But he must here be understood to speak of the Iews to whom that Tabernacle belonged and not to the Christians in like manner when he sayes men do swear c. and an Oath is to them an End c. he must also be understood to speak of the Iews to whom Oaths were commanded not of the Christians to whom they were not commanded For there is no more Reason to apply his words in this Case to the Christians then there would be to apply his words in the other Cases here mention'd to the Christians which to do would be highly absurd false But he sayes If you take away an Oath you make Christ not so much the Prince of Peace as Discord by making him the Abolisher of that which was designed to compose it Answ. No such matter Christ hath a better Way of composing Discord then by Oaths Moses had that Way who was but a Servant and the Servant abides not in the House forever But Christ who is the Son hath a more excellent Way by establishing Truth and Righteousness in the Earth The Law in which the Oaths were was given by Moses but the Grace and the Truth came by Iesus Christ. And by this Grace and Truth Christ worketh out of the Hearts of them that receive it all that Lying Hypocrisie Fear Favour Malice Interest c. which this Priest makes to be the Needful Causes of an Oath pag. 62. And instead of Lying he brings in True-speaking instead of Hypocrisie he brings in Sincerity instead of that insnaring Fear he brings in the Fear of the Lord by which men depart from Evil instead of Favour he brings in Iustice instead of Malice he brings in Love instead of Interest he brings in Self-denyal instead of Vnrighteousness he brings in Righteousness and the Work of Righteousness is not Discord but Peace Thus he is made both the Lord our Righteousness and the Prince of Peace And thus by setting up Truth and Sincerity in the Heart he takes away the Ground of Oaths For the Priest confesses If there were that Truth in men that their bare Testimony were of sufficient Credit then there were no need at all of an Oath pag 61. Now though I will not invert the Charge upon my Adversary which without any Injâ—stice to him I might do yet I will make bold to tell him that He shews but little Respect to Christ while he grounds the Need of an Oath upon Lying Hypocrisie and Malice yet would make CHRIST to continue the Vse of it in his Church He is now come to his third Proposition viz. That an Oath is a Part of that Moral and Eternal Law which our Saviour professeth he came not to destroy but to fulfil p. 56. And this he infers with a Therefore that is Because it is an Act of Natural Religion towards God and of necessary Justice and Charity towards men Therefore it is a part of that Moral and Eternal Law c. Answ. If nothing more should be said to this yet the two former Propositions on which he builds this being before overturned this in course must fall to the Ground Yet nevertheless that he may not think himself sleighted I will take notice what he says here also He bâ—stirs himself not a little to prove that which I never yet heard any deny namely that all Oaths are not Evil in themselves which he gravely infers from their having been once confessedly lawful p. 63. What else is this but to mis-spend his Time and bestow many a doughty Blow upon his own Shadow His Proposition required him to prove that some Oaths are Good in themselves and he comes so near it as to prove that all Oaths are not Evil in themselves What thinkst thou Reader has he not shewed his Ability Some things are forbidden because they are Evil and some things are Evil because they are forbidden An Oath we say is therefore Evil because forbidden That which made it lawful to the Iew was its being commanded that which makes it unlawful to the Christian is its being forbidden He has another far-fetch by which he would prove Oaths moral and that is because they are not Ceremonial But how does he prove they are not Ceremonial Thus They were used sayes he by the Patriarchs before the Levitical Law was given therefore not Ceremonial pag 63. Answ. Indeed Was nothing then Ceremonial that was used by the Patriarchs before the Levitical Law was given Surely he consulted his own Credit more in concealing his Name then in thus undertaking to prove Oaths a part of the moral and eternal Law because used by the Patriarchs before the Levitical Law was given Can any thing be more naturally inferred then that he accounts whatsoever was used by the Patriarchs before the Levitical Law was given to be a part of the moral and eternal Law And could he have found a more direct medium to discover his own Ignorance Was not Circumcision in the Flesh used by the Patriarchs before the Levitical Law was given Will he thence conclude Circumcision to be a part of the moral and eternal Law Why then is he not Circumcised himself Were not Beasts sacrificed by the Patriarchs long before the Levitical Law was given Will he thence conclude that such Sacrifices are
a part of the moral and eternal Law Nay does he not himself call those Sacrifices Types and Figures pag. 50. And are they not then ceremonial notwithstanding they were used before the Levitical Law was given But of this more anon Here he makes a Digression to fall upon some others who it seems have offended him in what they have written concerning the Nature and Power of the divine Will He names only Szydlovius the Dutch-man but hints at some others of our own Nation who he sayes by their Writings have not a little contributed to the Debauching of this present Age. Who these are he does not say but it is most probable they are some of those that for corrupt Interests have intrudâ—d themselves into the Priesthood But be they who they will seeing he acknowledges that this Discourse is beside our Subject I will at this time however step over it and meet him again at pag. 66. where resuming his former Argument he sayes thus That an Oath is not a part of the Ceremonial Law is clear from what hath been said concerning the Morality of it which proved it a part of Natural Religion and Iustice c. Answ. That which hath hitherto been said by him to prove the Morality of an Oath is no more then what he might have said to prove the Morality of Circumcision Sacrifices That was used by the Patriarchs before the Levitical Law was given so were these if then that is therefore moral because so us'd then are these also therefore moral because so used But if Circumcision and Sacrifices are not therefore moral although so used then neither is an Oath therefore moral although so used So that hitherto he hath done in effect nothing towards the proving an Oath a part of the moral and eternal Law which he must do before he can make it an Act of Natural Religion and Justice Besides he sayes here pag. 66. that the ceremonial Law is a System of Types and Shadows and in pag. 50. he calls the Sacrifices that were offered by the Patriarchs before the Leviticall Law was given Types and Figures by which he plainly alloweth them to be ceremonial notwithstanding they were used before the Levitical Law was given And yet he would have Oaths to be not Ceremonial but Moral for that very Reason beâ—auâ—e used before the Levitical Law was given So little is he consistent to himself But he adds Whatsoever was purely Ceremonial was purely Typical and if you cannot find in the Gospel an Antitype for an Oâ—t you may then be satisfied that the Command of Swearing was no part of the Ceremonial Law page 67. Answ. He is a great deal forwarder to affirm then to prove Where will he find particular Antitypes in the Gospel for all the Ceremonies in the Law Were not the Priests Garments Ceâ—emonial I would know of him then what Aaron's Breeches were a Tâ—pe of Let him find out an Antitype for them in the Gospel And we read Moses was commanded to kill a Ram and to take of his Blood and put it upon the Tâ—p of the right Ear of Aaron â—â—d upon the Tip of the right Ear of his Sons and uâ—on the Thumb of their right Hand and upâ—n the great Toâ— of their right Foot I demand of â—im what these Ceremonies were Types of if he can find Antitypes for â—hem in the Gospel he may do well to bring them forth and if he cannot yet I would not have him thence infer that the Command for these things was no Part of the Ceremonial Law but rather consider how over hasty he was in concluding the Command of swearing to be no Part of the Ceremonial Law unless an Antitype for an Oath can be found in the Gospel But saith he If you say an Oath was a Type of any thing pertaining to the times of the Gospel shew what was its Antitype or thing represented by it Answ. That I will do by and by after I have shewed the occasion and rise of Swearing which is the Type Man was created righteous holy pure innocent There was no Guile no Fraud no Deceit in him nothing but Sincerity Vprightness and Truth In this State there was no Vse nor Need of Oaths for while he abode in this his Word was Truth he spake a pure Language but man falling from this State set open a Door as it were to Fraud Treachery Perfidy Lying Falshood c. and thereby to Iealousies Suspicions Distrusts Incredulities c. These being entred wrought men by Degrees to that pass that not daring to relie upon one anothers Words and Promises they sought other Expedients to secure themselves by whereof Oaths was one so that Oaths entred through Transgression for want of Truth and Sincerity and the further men went from the Truth into Falshood the more frequent did the Use of Oaths grow This Bishop Gauden acknowledges out of Polybius In the better and simpler Ages of the World saith he Oaths were seldom used in Iudicatures but after that Perfidy and Lying encreased the Vse of Oaths encreased c. But this Perfidy and Lying as it had a time of Increase so it was to have a time of Decrease it was not to continue alwayes Men were not to be perfidious and false alwayes and consequently Oaths were not alwayes to last Now when the Gospel comes to be preached and received which is the Power of God to Salvation to all them that believe in it that purges out the old leaven of Hypocrisie Malice and Deceit that cleanseth the Heart from Guile Fraud Lying Falshood Perfidy and all Unrighteousness and renews man into the Image of God bringing him again into that Truth Sincerity and Uprightness which by Transgression he had lost And man thus redeemed speaks Truth again and bears true Witness without and Oath and is believed too without an Oath by all that are redeemed from Unbelief for in this Gospel-State the pure Language is again lâ—arnt and spoken which God by his Prophet promised to turn to the People And there is not a deceitful Tongue in the Mouth of those that are thus redeemed but having put away Lying they speak every man Truth with his Neighbour Now this Truth-speaking this True Witness-â—earing this Pure Language under the Gospel is the Antitype of an Oath the very thing that was represented by an Oath in the time of the Law and the Antitype the Truth being come which is more peculiar to the Gospel for the Law was given by Moses but the Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ The Type which was the Oath is at an End Thus what the Prophet in the time of the Law delivered in the Type by the Word Swear That the Apostle in the time of the Gospel expresseth in the Antitype by the Word Confess plainly shewing that the Type was ended As therefore he argues that if his Parishioner cannot find an Antitype for an Oath in the Gospel he may then
By this he seems not rightly to understand how the Apostles and primitive Christians received the Knowledge of the Gospel for he is still harping upon the Gift of Tongues and Miracles as if he apprehended they had received the Knowledge of the Gospel by these means and that therefore it is Presumption in any now to expect to receive the Knowledge of the Gospel in the same manner as they received it but in this he greatly errs not distinguishing between the Effects and the Cause Tongues and Miracles were but the Effects of that divine Power wherewith they were filled of that holy Spirit which rested on them and dwelled in them Now the Apostles did not receive the Knowledge of the Gospel by Tongues and Miracles these were but Mediums to convey their Message to others and perswade a Belief of it but that which they received the Knowledge of the Gospel from was the Divine Power it self the Holy Spirit it self which dwelt in them from which the Tongues and Miracles did sometimes flow I say sometimes for they were not inseparable Effects of the Spirit for if they had been so then when and wheresoever the Spirit had appeared these Effects must unavoidably have followed but that they did not for all the true Believers received the Spirit yet did not all work Miracles nor speak with Tongues Thus Paul having told the Corinthians that the God of the World hath blinded the Minds of them that believe not lest the Light of the glorius Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them shews them how the Knowledge of the Gospel is to be received for God saith he who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Iesus Christ. And in his Epistle to the Galatians he plainly shews that he received the Knowledge of the Gospel and Ability to preach Christ from the Revelation of Christ in him Seeing then that the Apostles and primitive Christians did receive the Knowledge of the Gospel from the immediate Teachings of the holy Spirit which dwelt in them and not from Tongues or Miracles and seeing this holy Spirit as I have before proved was promised to abide with the Saints forever to be their Teacher and Guide into all Truth I thence infer that the Cessation of Tongues and Miracles doth not at all render it any Presumption Vngodliness or Absurdity in those who are the Apostles Successors in Faith and Doctrine to expect to receive the Knowledge of the Gospel now in the same manner as it was communicated to them of old Yet that he may not seem wholely to exclude the Spirit he thus saith That the Spirit helpeth us to understand old Truths already revealed in Scripture we confess and pray for his Assistance therein c. page 103. Answ. Either he doth not speak sincerely or else he hath forgot himself but a little before page 92 93 94. he said that All the necessary Points of Religion whatsoever is necessary to Salvation whatsoever is either to be believed or done is in some Place or other in the holy Scriptures fitted to the most vulgar Capacity and shallowest Vnderstanding that the History of Chist's Birth Death Resurrection and Ascention is plain to be understood that the Duties of the first and second Table of the Law and the Love of God and our Neighbour which I have elsewhere shew'd comprehends the whole Law and the Prophets all the Evangelical Precepts and the Essentials of Religion are in the Gospel made 〈◊〉 easie Doctrines that he that runs may read them being fitted to the Capacity of the most unlearned that those Passages in the Scriptures which are of the greatest Concern are written in such a plain and familiar Style that the weakest and most illiterate shall never be able to excuse the neglect of them In a Word The great Law-giver he saith hath made those Doctrines most plain which are most necessary to be believed and those least necessary which are most difficult Now if he did believe himself when he said all this I wonder what he expects his Reader should believe of him when in behalf of himself and all his Brethren he here saith page 103. we confess the Spirit helpeth us to understand old Truths already revealed in the Scriptures and we pray for his Assistance therein Do they pray for the Assistance of the Spirit to help them understand those things which he saith are already fitted to the Capacity of the weakest most illiterate and unlearned which are suited to the shallowest Vnderstanding nay which are made so plain and easie that he that runs may read them What else were this but to mock the holy Ghost by invocating his Assistance to help them understand that which they confess they understand already and which they affirm to be so plain and easie that the weakest the shallowest the most unlearned may understand And yet of this kind do they reckon all necessary Points in Religion all the Duties of the first and second Table of the Law the Love of God and our Neighbour the History of Christ's Birth Death Resurrection and Ascension all the Commands of the Gospel all the Essentials of Religion and in short whatsoever is either to be believed or done necessary to Salvation but what then hath he left for bimself and his Brethren to pray for the Assistance of the Spirit to help them to understand Nothing that is necessary to Salvation to be sure no Essential of Religion no Gospel Precept no Part of the History of Christ's Birth Death Resurrection and Ascension none of the Duties of the first or second Table nothing of the Love of God or our Neighbour what can it be then Some difficult Passages which himself confesseth are least necessary to be believed as the Circumstances of the Levitical Rites the Genealogies in Scripture and Apocalyptical Propheâ—ies these are his own Instances page 93. nay in order to Salvation not at all necessary either to be believed or done See now what his fair Flourish of Praying for the Spirit is come to Besides to say they are already 〈◊〉 in Scripture and yet say he want the assistance of the Spirit to help him understand them is a Contradiction for what he doth not understand is not already revealed but vailed to him if he already understand it he in vain implores Assistance to help him to understand it if he doth not already understand it then it is not yet revealed to him but hid or covered from him in praying for the Assistance of the Spirit to understand it he acknowledgeth the Necessity of the Spirit 's Teaching and confesseth that Revelation is to be expected in this Age. But saith he to pretend to such Miraculous Inspirations as the Apostles once had or to nâ—w Revelations beyond what was discoverâ— to them is an horrible Cheat c. Answ
constant Method in regard they come naked without any Miracles to attest them for when did God ever send any new Doctrine and did not also give the Preachers thereof a Power of Working Miracles c Answ. This all depends upon the word New New Revelations and New Doctrines which â— have before shewed to be a Mistake and that we are not concerned therein if by Nâ—w Doctrines he means such Doctrines as are essâ—ntial to Salvation we do not pretend or expect to have any New Gospel or such New Doctrines revealed to us but we say the Good Old Gospel and the Doctrines of it which were of old revealed to the Apostles and Saints in the first Ages of Christianity and which are declared of in the Scriptures of Truth are now after the long Night of thick Darkness which hath covered the Earth and that general Apostacy wherein all the World wondred after and worshipped the Beast and the Inhabitants of the Earth were made drunk with the Wine of the Fornication of the great Whore of which all Nations had drunk again revealed by the same Spirit which Christ promised to send to his Disciples to be in them to teach them all things to guide them into all Truth to take of his and shew it unto them and to abide with them forever the Spirit of Christ being still free in his manifold Discoveries and Revelations beyond Utterance the highest Degree whereof is in no wise repugnant to those Essential Truths declared of in Scripture And it is observable that although the Gospel was preached in Demonstration and Power by the Apostles and Disciples in the Beginning and that too universally yet Iohn in his Vision of the future State of the Church saw the Gospel preacht again by an Angel flying in the midst of Heaven thereby intimating that the Gospel should be preached in the Demonstration of the Spirit and Power after the â—postacy as well as it had been before Yet we read not of any Miracles he wrought though he was an Angel Yet in the next page he has another fling at New Revelations which he sayes do manifestly contradict the Faith of the primitive Christians Answ. To this I shall not need to say much Let them look to it whom it concerns That it concerns not us I have already shewed The Faith which we have received is the same with that of the primitive Christians the Author of it is the same the Finisher of it the same and we have received it after the same manner that they received it of old namely by the Gift of God But other Gospel then that which they had we do not expect Again in pag. 106 107. Upon his old Text of new Revelations he runs into an Extravagant Vein of Rayllery charging us with Falshood Rayling Nonsense and Blasphemy that we would bring the World into Egyptian Darkness and all this and much more for a Dream a meer Fancy a Miserable Mistake c. that we follow a False and Fantastick Light and adore a Lye for divine Revelation c. Answ. In this Case what fitter Answer can be given then that which Michael gave the Devil The Lord Rebuke thee Unhappy Man whom nothing less would satisfie then to dash himself against that Stone which if it fall upon him will dash him to pieces 〈…〉 enough that he hath reviled and vilified â—s throughout his whole Book but he must also blaspheme the Light of the Son of God and the Operaâ—ion of the Holy Ghost in calling the one a False Fantastick Light and the other a Lye Well let him remember that the Apostle hath said He that despiseth despiseth not Man but God who hath also given unto us his good Spirit And let him beware of persisting in this Course lest he bring on himself an irreversible Doom which he may read Mat. 12.31 32. Yet would not this man for all this be thought to deny all Revelation neither For sayes he I own those Revelations which are upon Record in the holy Bible which iâ— the Word of God wherein he hath revealed his Will to the Church c. pag. â—07 Answ. He seems not rightly to understand Revelation but rather to have taken in some strange Notion concerning it I would gladly know of him how he would be understood when he sayes God has revealed his Will to the Church in the Holy Bible He sayes The Letter is not the Word but the Sense pag. 96. Does he mean then that this Sense is so revealed in the Bible that he that reads the Letter though he hath no Assistance therein but only his own natural Understanding shall be sure to find the true Sense and understand the Will of God This his words import Yet this he cannot reasonably intend if he will consist with himself because he else-where not only urges the Necessity of Humane Learning but also confesses the Spirit doth help them to understand the Scriptures and that they therefore pray for his Assistance therein pag. 103. But if he means that the Will of God is so revealed in the Scriptures that they can understand it with the Help and Assistance of the Spirit but not without which is the fair import of confessing the Spirit doth help and praying for its Assistance therein what else then I pray is this but to say They can understand the Will of God in the Scriptures when the Spirit revealeth it unto them but not otherwise For if they could understand the Will of God without the Help of the Spirit in vain do they invoke his Assistance but if they cannot understand the Will of God in the Scriptures without the Help of the Spirit and therefore implore his Assistance that shews the Necessity of the Spirit 's Teaching and if the Spirit vouchsafe his Help and do open and make known the Will of God to them that is Revelation How egregiously absurd then it is for this man to exclaim as he does against Revelation who upon his own Principle cannot understand the Will of God without it let the Reader judge But he charges the Quakers with saying The Bible is a Dead Letter but the Word of God is Quick and Powerful so is not the Bible p. 107. Answ. The Word Bible signifies a Book and the Book or Bible the Priests call the Word of God This Man called it so but just now I own said he those Revelations which are upon Record in the Holy Bible which is the Wâ—rd of God pag. 107. Hereupon to shew them how grosly they mistake they have been sometimes asked How it can be that the Bible should be tâ—e â—ord of God seeing the Word of God is quick and powerful and the Bible or Bookâ— a Dead Letter Some of them being by this a little awakened to avoid the Absuâ—dity tell us They do not 〈◊〉 can that the Letter is the Word of God but the Sense so says this man p. 96. But why then do they mean one