were enlightned and led by him they would make a Difference and separate the precious from the vile but they do not Distinguish between the Righteous and the Wicked but Condemn them together and so are Abomination to the Lord So that thereby it is plainly seen that they are not of God that they are not as his Mouth to the People as they pretend Jer. 9. It is the Seducing Spirit we may be sure that doth bely and Reproach the Lord's People and his Works and Operations in them By this and other Characters afore-mentioned we may be as sure who the Men are as if their Proper Names whereby the World knows them from other Men were Recorded in Scripture For as the Lords People may certainly know that their Names are in the Scriptures and are Written in Heaven in the Book of Life Gods Eternal Decree and Secret Counsell by Seeing and Reading their Natures Properties and Qualifications in the Scriptures to which Eternal Life is promised I say they may know thereby that they themselves are the Persons as certainly as if their Proper Names were there Recorded whereby they are known amongst Men So on the contrary of Wicked and Ungodly Men they are also known in like manner by their Natures Properties and Qualifications We know who hath said Births of the Spirit and of the Flesh That which is Born of the flesh is flesh and that which is Born of the spirit is spirit We may know of what it is Born by the Birth that is brought forth Satan he broods upon the Carnal Spirits of wicked Men and begets false Notions Opinions and Principles we may know they are of his begetting by their Form and shape when they are brought forth Principles of Pride self-love false Notions and other Deformed shapes when they are Conceived then after a while they are brought forth they are born they are Published and Declared in Discourse Preaching Writing or Printing the Births of Mens minds their Fleshly Carnal Minds are brought forth into the World and they are so like their Father the Devil that thereby they may be known who was the Father of them So on the contrary That which is Born of the spirit is spirit the spirit of God dwells in his People and he daily works and moves in them he Inspires them with Truths according to the Mind of God which the Spiritual Mind Conceives and brings forth in Prayer Preaching Discourse and Writings and these Conceptions are Born and brought forth into the World to the View and Knowledge of all And that which is thus born of the spirit is spirit or spiritual it is Truth According to the Mind of the spirit for he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit one with him of his Mind The Saints are Unanimous of the same Mind with God as Wicked and Unregenerate Men are unanimous with the Devil they are of his Mind and he of theirs for he Ruleth in the Children of Disobedience The Devil speaks against Christ and so do they though they will own him in Words in Form in Shew and Pretence yet in Deed in Works really they deny him The Devil will own the Scriptures in words as he does Christ in words and say Thou art the Holy one of God so will those who are one spirit with him but will deny him really and according to Truth The Devil will own the Scriptures and Argue from them to attain his ends but never to prove a Necessary Truth So false Teachers are unanimous with him in these things for he that is joyned to the Devil is one Spirit even as he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit How great then is the sin of these Men Spiritual sins are greater than fleshly sins who Conceive in their Minds and bring forth the Births of the Devil as all Doctrines of Devils are Surely These Spiritual sins are greater than fleshly sins as Drunkenness Gluttony Adultery Murder c. If Robbery or Murder of a Man be so great a sin what is it to Rob God and to Crucifie and be guilty of the Blood of Christ Though for these and such like when Men will not be reclaimed from them God often gives them up to a Reprobate Mind Rom. 1. Even so he does also for these spiritual sins false Opinions Doctrines and Principles Concerning Christ his Natures Righteousness Merits and the things of God when they will not be Instructed but hate to be Reformed and change their Mind when they will not hearken to the Truth but still resist it disown it contradict and Blaspheme when the Truths of the Gospel have been often Offered and tendred to them yet they will not hear nor regard but rather believe Lyes than the Truth then God gives them up to strong delusion to believe Lyes and to hearken and give heed to seducing spirits this is a very dreadful state indeed they draw these spiritual Judgments upon themselves by these spiritual sins The Quakers setting up this Idol The Light within every Man and Woman is a greater sin in them than for Jezebels false Prophets to set up Baal and Pray unto it and trust in it instead of the God of Israel May it not Ironically be said to them as Elisha said to those false Prophets Cry aloud for he is a god as ye say but he is but a Blind god he hath Eyes indeed but he cannot see Ears but he cannot hear Hands and Feet but he cannot move to help or do any thing for those who Trust in him without help from another If these Men will not be pleaded nor perswaded out of their Vain Ignorant sottish Opinion of the Light within every Man and Woman being Christ let Men endeavour to Shame them out of it for it hath not so much as a shew or shadow of Truth in it but is plainly a most dreadful delusion of the Devil and a great Blasphemy against Christ This Opinion of theirs The false Opinions of the Quakers spring from Pride and Ignorance with other of their false Principles springs from Pride and Ignorance And this the Apostle Observes concerning such Men 1 Tim. 6.3 4. If any Man teach otherwise and consent not to wholsome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to Godliness Ver. 4. He is Proud knowing nothing but Doting about Questions and strife of words whereof cometh Envy Strife Railing Evil surmisings Ver. 5. Perverse Disputings of Men of Corrupt Minds and Destitute of the Truth c. Such kind of men were also in the Apostle Johns time as we see Rev. 3.17 They were Proud and Ignorant They thought themselves Rich and had need of Nothing whereas indeed they were poor and miserable and blind and naked It is our duty to discover these kind of people to try them and to make them manifest to the world as much as may be for their false Opinions of God of Themselves and of Others is
THE Strong Man Armed not Cast Out BUT Removed to a Stronger Hold VIZ. FROM PROFANENESS to HYPOCRISIE OR An Answer to a Book Entituled The Strong Man Armed Cast Out and his Goods spoyled Or The Poor Man sitting at Jesus's Feet Cloathed and in his Right Mind Written by James Jackson formerly a Parish Priest and afterwards a Teacher among the Independents And now Walking with the People called Quakers as he Testifieth of himself In which Answer is plainly Discovered the Ignorance and Darkness the Delusions and False Apprehensions of this James Jackson Concerning himself and the Churches and Assemblies which he Disowns and Separates from And also the Erroneous Interpretations and Applications of the Scriptures which he mentions in his Book Herein are also Discovered several Characters plain Marks of those False Teachers that the Spirit speaketh expresly should come into the World in these last days Written for the Vindication of the Truths of the Gospel the Stablishing of those who are in the Truth and the Reducing of those who have Erred from it And in all for the Exaltation of the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ By R.a. Austen 1 John 3.1 Try the Spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the World Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them Jer. 8.9 Lo they have Rejected the Word of the Lord and what Wisdom is in them London Printed for Peter Parker at the Leg and Star over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 1676. The Epistle to the READER IT is certain that these are the Last Times and that many False Prophets are gone out into the World Deceitful workers Ministers of Antichrist transforming themselves into the Ministers of Christ It is time therefore and our Necessary Duty to try the Spirits whether they are of God and verily here is one as dangerous a Person with as subtil insinuating Doctrine as I ever yet met with VVhen I had Read his Book and Observed how he Exalteth and Magnifieth himself and those of his way as the onely Holy People in the World and Separateth from all the Godly their Societies and assemblies of all perswasions without Exception and not onely so but also vilifieth them Ranking them with the wicked and unregenerate world and how he asserteth and maintaineth a false Principle That the true Light meaning Christ is in every Man and Woman and is sufficient being believed in and Obeyed to bring them to Salvation and that whosoever will not Receive and own this Doctrine are accounted by him Enemies to Christ VVhen I considered these things with many other Lies in Hypocrisie and Blasphemies mentioned in his Book my Spirit was vehemently moved within me and I said in my self Shall this uncircumcised Philistine thus come forth and Challenge and Defie the Hosts and Armies The Light within shall be in Hell for ever p. 31. The Quakers draw people to Idolatry ibid. The Quakers are under spiritual Judgments p. 32. The Quakers Perfection in sin p. 34. The Quakers imperfection in grace 35. 1 In knowledge ibid. 2 In Faith and Hope 36. 3 In Love ibid. Paul preacheth Christ and not the Light in every man and woman p. 38. The Devils fundamental doctrine p. 39. Obstinate Quakers to be rejected p. 41. The Quakers sin is like the great sin of the hardned Jewes p. 42. Advice to the hearers among the Quakers p. 44. The Quakers great Idol near falling p. 45. Ten Arguments proving the Light within is not Christ p. 46. The Quakers Humility p. 56. The Quakers Vnity ibid. The true Vnity of the true Church 59. 1. One Body ib. 2. One Spirit ib. 3. One Hope 60. 4. One Lord. ib. 5. One Faith ib. 6. One Baptisme ib. 7. One God ibid. The Quakers Patience p. 62. A false perswasion of Conversion p. 63. The Light within converts none to the Lord. p. 65. Natural Light is Spiritual Darkness p. 67. This Scripture Joh. 1.9 grosly mistaken p. 68. The Quakers Doctrine is directly-contrary to the Scriptures p. 70 Conscience is a natural light 72. Christ the true Light is really in believers and in none else ib. The Scriptures are the word of God p. 74. The Scriptures are Gods Love letters to mankind p. 77. Characters of false Prophets whereby they are known p. 78. 1. Departing from the Faith p. 79. 2. Character Giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils p. 80. 1. Against Christ ib. 2. Against the Scriptures ibid. 3. Against the Church 81.4 Resting upon their own Righteousness ib. The third Character of false Prophets Lyes in Hypocrisie p. 82. The first Lye in Hypocrisie p. 83 The second Lye in Hypocrisie ib. The third Lye in Hypocrisie p. 84. The fourth Lye in Hypocrisie ib. The fifth Lye in Hypocrisie p. 86. The sixt Lye in Hypocrisie p. 88. The Quakers Railing accusations p. 89. The fourth Character of false Teachers their Consciences are seared with an hot Iron p. 91. The fifth Character of false Teachers denying the Lord that bought us p. 92. The Apostle Peter and Jude both agree in the same Characters of false Teachers p. 93. Enoch Prophesied of these ungodly men p. 100. The Quakers have spoken many hard speeches against Christ ibid. The Quakers separation from Christ and his people proves they are no Christians p. 101. A Lying Spirit is gone forth among the Quakers which seduceth them p. 105. Births of the Spirit and of the Flesh p. 106. Spiritual sins are greater than fleshly sins p. 108. The false Opinions of the Quakers spring from Pride and Ignorance p. 109. The Quakers deceive weak and simple minds p. 110. The Quakers shall not long continue to deceive p. 113. Good Counsel to the Quakers p. 115. Leave the Quakers Meetings p. 116. Come to the Assemblies of the Saints p. 117. THE Strong Man Armed not Cast out BUT Removed to a stronger Hold VIZ. From PROFANENESS TO HYPOCRISIE WHen Man at his first Creation came out of the Hand of God he was then a Holy and a Righteous Creature But we all know to our sorrow he lost that Holy state and now and since then he is by Nature a Child of Wrath and an Enemy to God in his mind afar off from him and most unlike unto him So that there is no Recovering that Holy and Happy Estate again to have Fellowship and Communion with God but by Regeneration and Conversion from this Carnal state to a New Spiritual state by true Repentance and Faith in Christ wrought by the Mighty Power of the Spirit of God in those whom he according to his determinate Counsel and foreknowledge calleth in due time unto himself in whom he by degrees destroys the works of the Devil the Image of the first Adam and Creates and works the Image or Nature of the Second Adam Jesus Christ in Righteousness and true Holiness or as it is in some other
now become a New Man he is turned from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God he is turned from all his former Profane Wicked Debauched course of Life as he tells us and also from being a Parish Priest and not onely so but he is also turned from being a Teacher among the Independents and since come to joyn with the Quakers And now he tells us he is where he would and should be and concludes he is turned to the Lord And counts it a Marvellous thing that any should Deny the Light in every man to be Christ Strong Man Armed p. 14. but say it is the Devil or at best but the Light of Nature But saith he it was never known that the Devil or Nature did ever turn any to the Lord. Answ For Answer hereunto I say it is true it was never known that the Devil or the Light of Nature did ever turn any to the Lord. And here now is another Tryal of thy state and all others that are of thy Principles and Practices Ye take it for granted that ye are turned to the Lord by Hearkning to Obeying and Believing in the Light within for thy part James Jackson thou hast given no Proof nor Evidence at all according to Scripture or the Experience of the People of God that thou art yet Converted to the Lord whereby any Man that is Taught of God should be perswaded that thou art truly Converted to the Lord That which thou dost Manifest to all and which thou thinkest is a ground sufficient to perswade them to believe that thou art a New Man and which it seems is enough to satisfie thy self is this because thou art turned from Profaneness to a more Civil Life and hast also left several sorts of Professors and now closed with the most Holy Innocent People upon Earth yea the onely People of God for so thou hast said of them But let us further Try these two things by a true Touch-stone and Weigh them in the Ballance of the Sanctuary The one The Light within of what sort it is The other the Effects of this Light what it produceth in men And for that Causes are often Difficult to be known and discerned immediately in and by themselves it is best to Try them by their Effects that which they produce and bring forth by which we may come to know of what Nature the Cause is So then This Light within thou sayest The Light within Converts none to the Lord. and wouldest have all Men to Believe hath Converted Thee and many Thousands to the Lord of the People called Quakers but we are wholly left without any Proof Sign or Evidence that you are Converted to the Lord Nay on the contrary we see many Proofs and Evidences that thou and they are not yet Converted to the Lord as have been already and more yet shall be Discovered whereby it will be made plain and manifest that thou and they that are of thy mind are utterly mistaken and deceived concerning both the Cause and the Effect That is ye are mistaken utterly concerning the Light within and the Fruits and Effects of it in and amongst you As for Thee James Jackson Author of the strong Man Armed cast out it is plain and manifest to a Spiritual Eye That thou art yet in the Gall of bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity for certainly The Tree is known by its Fruits a good Tree cannot bring forth bad Fruits By the Fruits of Trees we know of what Kind or Nature the Tree is that brings them forth dost thou doubt of this thou need'st not if thou dost but remember who it was that said it and all Agree and know it is a Truth So then Thy Fruits Discover thee to be a very Corrupt Tree bringing forth sower bitter poysonous deadly Fruits Thy Grapes are Grapes of Gall thy Clusters are bitter And the like are the Fruits of the Leading Quakers amongst you Thou and they bring forth False Doctrines Errors Heresies and Blasphemies against God his People and his Truths ye give heed to Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking Lies in Hypocrisie which I shall plainly Discover in several particulars First Thou sayest of many thousands of the Lords peculiar People Strong Man Armed p. 12. That they Build not upon the true Foundation Jesus Christ but that the Teachers of all other Sects and sorts of Professors amongst the Presbiterians Independents Baptists and others they ever Rejected Disallowed and set at nought this stone this true Foundation which is Christ in us the hope of Glory and Build upon some other false Foundation Now let me tell thee thou false Tongue set on fire of Hell hadst thou the true Light in thee indeed as thou sayest of thy self thou wouldst sooner have chosen to have had thy Tongue cut out than to have spoken this Lie in Hypocrisie Or to have had thy Hand cut off than to have wrote it For if it be better for a Man to have a Milstone hanged about his Neck and to be cast into the Sea than to Offend one of those Little ones that believe in Christ what thinkest thou will be the punishment of him that Offends many thousands of those Little ones Yea when the Offence is so high that he Reproacheth Slandreth and Blasphemeth them and their Lord and Saviour in them for he hath said He that Despiseth you Despiseth me Inasmuch as ye did it to one of these my Brethren ye did it unto me Thou Reproachest the true Light in many others by the Real Darkness within thy self And if the Light that is in thee be Darkness how great is that Darkness O it is very great and gross Darkness Consider these words Natural Light is Spiritual Darkness and who spake them it plainly appears from these words spoken by Christ's own Mouth that the Light in Men all unregenerate Men is but Darkness It is Real Natural Light the Light of Reason Vnderstanding and Conscience which yet as to the apprehending of Spiritual things is but Darkness for the Natural Man though never so Wise and Rational cannot see nor Discern the things of God in a Spiritual manner and such a Light within thou hast and mistakest it for the true Light Jesus Christ as is manifest by the Effects as was said for Christ the true Light cannot Reproach his own People nor the work he hath wrought in them as thou dost therefore thy Light is Darkness Nay further have we not good grounds to Believe that the Darkness in thee and many others of your Leaders is more than that Common Natural Darkness that is upon the Minds of all unregenerate Men. There is cause to believe that it is a Judicial Darkness and Blindness as was upon the Minds of many of the unbelieving Jews who Rejected Christ and his Gospel after all his Teachings and Miracles among them Such a Darkness as the Prophet Isaiah speaks of Make the Heart of this
Expressions in Scripture he casteth out the strong Man Armed that keepeth the House and Divideth the Spoyls when this stronger than he cometh he turns out this first strong Man though Armed and in his strong Hold of every Faculty of the Soul and Enters himself and takes Possession of the Soul and turns all to his own Use and Interest even for his own Glory the Exaltation of his Free-Grace and that for ever Now here comes this great Question to be Debated and Determined The Author of the Strong Man Armed Tryed Concerning the Person here mentioned James Jackson Author of the Book Entituled The Strong Man Armed cast out which also Comprehends and includes all others of his Mind with whom he hath now joyned himself He is strongly perswaded it appears That the strong Man the Devil with all his wares and works is cast out and that Christ is entred and dwells in his stead He tells us in his Epistle to his Friends and Relations what an Vngodly Dissolute Debauched and Extravagant Course of Life the had Lived against all Counsels Admonitions Reproofs Vows Promises and Engagements breaking all these as so many Bonds and Fetters alluding to the poor Man that was possessed with Devils and bound with Chains and Fetters and brake all in pieces and no Man could tame him So did he to the grief and wounding of his dear Friends But the Lord working mightily and Revealing his Son in him he saith and making a wonderful and great Change he would not eat his Morsels alone but thought it his Duty to Communicate these things to his Friends and Relations and to tell them what great things God hath done for him and hath had Compassion on him in turning him from Darkness into his Marvellous Light and from the Power of Satan into the Kingdom of his dear Son So that now our work is to bring him and his works to be Weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary and to try them by the true Touch-stone whether they be true Metal or Counterfeit for many Foolish Builders Build upon the Sand and not upon the Rock Yea and some that Build upon the firmer Foundation yet they Build much Wood Hay and Stubble instead of Gold Silver and Precious Stones 1 Cor. 3.13 but every Man's work shall be made Manifest for the Day shall Declare it because it shall be Revealed by Fire And the Fire shall Try every Man's work of what sort it is Now this Fire is the Spirit of God speaking in the Scriptures if Men speak according to his Mind and Will then it is the Truth but if they speak or Act otherwise then it is not according to Truth but is from a False Spirit That is either from the Devil the Spirit that worketh in the Children of Disobedience or from a Man 's own Spirit or from both Therefore that we may know which to follow when Men Differ and Contend about things this is the sure and onely way according to the Apostlâ—s Counsel to try the Spirits whether they are of God or not 1 John 3. But it may readily be asked how shall we know the Spirits which is which which is the true Spirit and which the false when they speak in men different things who disagree in their Sayings and Apprehensions I Answer That the Spirit of God speaking in any Man How to know the true Spirit from the false Spirit or if any Man speak by the Spirit of God he speaketh according to what he hath already spoken and not contrary That is according to what he hath already spoken in the Scriptures by those Holy Men of God that wrote the Scriptures and were Inspired by the holy ghost and if any man speak contrary to what the Spirit of God hath already spoken and Revealed in the Scriptures he is a Lyar and speaketh from a false Deluding Spirit and not by the Spirit of God The Apostle Paul tells us plainly 1 Cor. 2.13 We speak things which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual Paul had the Spirit of God and spake and taught by the Spirit of God But if a Natural Man one that hath not the spirit of Christ in him doth go about to compare spiritual things with spiritual things he is sure to mistake and speak Erroneously For the Natural Man as he there saith perceiveth not the things that are of God neither can he know or perceive them because they are spiritually Discerned That is they are seen in the Light and by the Discovery of the Spirit of Christ the true Light and not otherwise So that this being laid down as a Ground and Foundation an Infallible truth as it is we may then proceed to the Examination and Tryal of the Spirits and Doctrines of Men for no Man speaking by the spirit of God will or can speak contrary to the Scriptures if he do let it be Rejected Paul saith If any Man Preach any other Gospel than that which we have Preached unto you let him be accursed yea if an Angel from Heaven bring any other Gospel than that ye have Received and is written in the Scriptures let him be Accursed He saith not onely let him or them be Disowned and Rejected but let him be Accursed so Zealous was he and so shou'd we be to hold fast and maintain the Doctrine of the Gospel the Scriptures given out by God himself spoken and written by the Men of God in their Day and Generation by the immediate Dictates Teachings and Movings of the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God so that as was said whatever Spirit it be in whomsoever that speaketh contrary or not according to the Scriptures is to be disowned and rejected as false and erroneous Now therefore here comes in the Tryal of Particulars the several Doctrines Opinions and Practices of Men of any perswasions whatsoever Either they speak according to the Spirit of God in them or from some other Spirit if they speak from the spirit of God in them then it must needs be according to what he hath already spoken as was said for he is one and the same Spirit and changeth not But if it be otherwise then it may be said as Paul said of some in his Time This Perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you Gal. 5.8 it cometh not from the Spirit of God but from a false and Deluding Spirit And here now is thy Tryal and thy Judgment James Jackson Author of the strong Man Armed cast out and all that are of thy Mind and Way who speak contrary to what the Holy Ghost hath spoken already in the Scriptures as is hereafter shewed in several particulars First 1. Strong Man Armed p. 3. That Spirit in thee Declares to all People That thou art now Converted and turned from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God that thou art changed from a wicked Profane course of Life unto a Holy Life walking with a Holy People and that thou hast
left off to be a Parish Priest yea and after that hast left off from being a Teacher among the Independents and hast disowned and forsaken the Congregations and Assemblies of the Independents and art now come and joyned with the People called Quakers And thou tellest us That these are the onely Holy People of God upon Earth and that all other Churches Assemblies and Congregations Naming the Presbyterians Independents Baptists and others are out of the way and that though they differ in Forms or Perswasions yet they agree in the same Faith Foundation and Root Answ For Answer hereunto briefly I shall not speak to Reproach thee or rail upon thee or any of thy way as thou hast done against many of the Precious Saints in the Churches of Christ saying of the Independents whose Assemblies thou hast forsaken That there was sufficient ground for thee to separate from the Tents of those ungodly Men Strong Man Armed p. 8. their Teachers who are no better than Filthy Dreamers Blind Guids and Belly-gods which belch out nothing but Lies Slanders Blasphemies and evil speeches against Christ his Ways Truths and People and this thou sayest thou seest and declarest against them in the Light I say I will not bring against thee Railing Accusations as thou dost against others but the Lord Rebuke thee and that Lying Spirit in thee and Convince thy Spirit of the Truth Concerning thy leaving off to continue a Parish Priest thou didst well but thou hadst done better if thou hadst never undertaken it for there are too many such Priests like the Priests of Old the Sons of Eli who by reason of their wickedness made the Sacrifices of the Lord to be Abhorred There are many in these Days of the same Tribe who make the Gospel of Christ his Ways Truths and People to be evil spoken of yea they make the Name of Christ to be Blasphemed and his People Reproached even through them and by their means And making others who are the true and Faithful Ministers and Ambassadors of Christ to be evil spoken of Reviled and Disowned for their sakes and because of them yea more They Occasion Separations in all parts of the Land Wo unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain and run greedily after the Error of Balaam for a Reward and get into the Priests Office that they may eat a piece of Bread that they may get a Living by it Many of them more sit for the Cart or the Plough than the Pulpit having neither Gifts of Nature nor of Grace fit for the Ministry Men that never learned Christ were never taught of God and how then can they Teach others Nay instead of Instructing others in the ways of Life and Salvation they by their wicked Examples draw them down to Hell they are the worst of Men upon Earth I have Indignation against such and am greatly grieved for the Misery of those poor Ignorant Souls of their Parishes who are like to perish for lack of Knowledge the Blind leading the Blind both will fall into the Ditch The Lord Remove them or Reform them and give Pastors after his own heart according to his Promise And for this I Commend thee James Jackson that thou didst leave off thy Profaneness and also deceiving the People as a Parish Priest But now take heed The Strong Hold of Hypocrisie is stronger than that of Profaneness lest thou art not yet deceived in the state and condition thou art now in lest the false spirit be not too subtill for thee lest Satan that strong Man Armed having quit one strong hold be not got into another that is stronger than the former for certain it is the Devil's power and policy in a way of Gross wickedness and profaneness is not half so strong a hold as the strong hold of Hypocrisie Where Reason Natural Conscience all outward Occurrences Moral Civilized Persons all can readily Reprove and help to draw a Man out of such an Estate but the strong hold of Hypocrisie and Erroneous perswasions and Practices in a way of Religion is more Dangerous and a stronger Hold where nothing but the spirit of God and an enlightned Vnderstanding to discern the Truth of the word of the Gospel can Instruct a Man especially when a Man hath passed through many or divers States Forms Opinions and perswasions and at last hath pitched upon one that he Judges and Concludes doth Exceed all the former if yet this be false and he know it not he is then in greater Danger than ever seeing his own Natural Reason and his Ignorant dim-sighted Conscience confirmed by the strong delusions of Satan that spirit that worketh and Ruleth in the Children of Disobedience do all concurre and joyn together and hold the poor soul in Bondage under Darkness which is by many taken for the true Light of Christ I say Take heed of being deceived in these things thou and thy Friends for I say the strong hold of the Devil in a way of Profaneness is not so strong as his strong hold in a way of Hypocrisie or false Worship this is Evident both by Scripture and Experience Christ told the Pharisees who were Zealous in a way of Hypocrisie That Publicans and Haâ—lots great and gross sinners in a way of Profaneness should enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before them Mat. 21.31 And that I may shew my true Love to your souls whether you will Accept it or no I will Endeavour to shew unto thee and them things in a clearer Light than yet shines in you Thou sayest the strong Man Armed the Devil is cast out of thee and Christ a stronger than he is come in and now keeps the House How is this made manifest Thy saying so does not prove it but thy Sayings and thy Doings prove the contrary and this I shall make good both by positive Scripture and by Example If any Man be in Christ The New Creature doth Evidence it self where it is he is a New Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 He that is Converted and changed from the state of Nature to the state of Grace out of whom Satan is cast and Christ come in he is New in his Vnderstanding Will Affections yea New in his whole Life and Conversation But now it appears plainly that thy Vnderstanding is still Old the same Ignorance Blindness Darkness remains upon it as is in all Natural Men and this is seen and manifest by thy false Interpretations of Scriptures and Secondly by thy false applications of them in Applying those Scriptures to the Saints true Believers Members of Christ as do belong only to the unregenerate World such as are yet in the state of Nature neither art thou changed in thy Will and Affections they are not yet New but according to the Old Nature in all unregenerate Persons as plainly appears in that thou shewest forth no true Love to the Lords precious People Members of the Body of Christ but contrariwise disownest them and
I have no greater Joy than to see my Children Walk in Truth And Teacheth Love Vnity Peace Fellowship and Communion with all the Saints And so are all the Children of God thus inclined by the same spirit they shew forth the same Fruits and Effects in their Degrees and Measures But now on the contrary consider The false seducing spirit brings forth in its Followers the quite contrary Fruits and Effects as we plainly see amongst Men And hence are those high and proud Conceits and Apprehensions of themselves their Ways their Doctrines as better above and beyond all others being free from sin and become perfect saying in Effect stand further from me I am Holier than thou Despising that Low Childish Doctrine of sin abiding in us in the remainders of it whilst we Live though the Power and Dominion of it be Destroy'd I say these Fruits and Effects spring from a Cause like unto them whereby we may safely conclude what the Cause is so again when we see Men Separating from others better than themselves leaving and forsaking other Assemblies and Congregations sound in Doctrine and Holy in Life and Conversation excepting common un-avoidable Infirmities we may be sure hereby that this is from a seducing spirit not from the spirit of God whose contrary Fruits and Effects we heard before As Solomon The true Spirit is for Unity the salfe Spirit for Division by his Wisdom given him of God plainly Discerned and knew the true Mother from the false by this very thing by this clear Evidence She that was for Vnity and for preserving together and Nourishing the parts and Members of the Child was the true Mother But she that was for the Dividing of the Child and separating the Members of it he knew by that she was the Harlot and not the true Mother Just so it is in this Case The true spirit is for Vnity Love Fellowship and Communion with all the Members of Christ as Occasion and Opportunity is but the false seducing spirit is for separation and Dividing the Members of Christ's Body upon one pretence or another And herein it is too manifest that not onely some in our Days are more grossely guilty but also many of the true Members of Christ have been deceived and carried away very far by this deluding and seducing spirit through the remainders of Pride and self-love in them and have thought it their Duty to separate from others of their Brethren upon slight weak and insufficient grounds and Causes by which they have greatly Displeased and Offended their Head Jesus Christ and wronged their fellow-Members And as an Evidence of his Displeasure and a just Correction upon them he hath permitted a People in these days to separate from them all and to disown them all which I am perswaded is one End God hath in suffering these People to appear in this day which as from God is a just Retaliation to do to them as they have done to others the same Measure they have meeted to others of their Brethren is now Measured to them again Seeing no Rules in Scripture nor Councels nor Intreaties of their Brethren would perswade or win them to be of one mind and to keep in Fellowship together this now comes at last as the greatest and sharpest Reproof and Correction of all the former I hope and desire they will consider it and Learn from it to hear the voice of God's Rod as well as of his Word and be Instructed thereby And now having Tryed the Author of the strong Man armed cast out and proved that the strong man is not cast out but removed to a stronger Hold let us proceed further and make it appear also by divers other Proofs and Evidences taken out of his own Book which also are sufficient to convince all others of his Mind and Way that they may plainly see if the God of this World hath not blinded their Minds and hid plain and clear Truths from them the false and unsound Foundations which they Build upon as well as the Wood Hay and Stubble which they Build withal both as to their Opinions and Practices in esteeming themselves the onely Holy People of the Lord in this Day and Despising and Condemning those that are indeed the People of the Lord. First then 1. The Quakers Attainments above others This Author tells us what he and the People with whom he now Walks have attained unto above all others from whom they separate The People the Quakers he saith Build upon a true and right Foundation 1. In the Foundation the Rock of Ages Christ in us the hope of Glory but all other Professing People in the World Build upon the Writings of Men and all of them are strangers to that one Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures See strong Man Armed c. p. 12. In Answer to which I say plainly That if this were Truth which He hath spoken I would separate also and Build upon the same Foundation which he says they Build upon But he hath herein spoken falsely and that in a double Respect 1. In Respect of themselves 2. In Respect of other Professors the Churches of Christ As for themselves such of them as Build upon the Foundation the Light within every Man and Woman and believe in it and Obey it and look for Salvation from it as they Profess to do such Build upon a false and unsound Foundation and not upon Christ the onely true Foundation Secondly As for the other Professing People from whom they Separate he hath belyed them also grossely in saying they Build not upon Christ the true Foundation for it is the chief and Fundamental Doctrine which they Preach and Teach in all their Assemblies and Congregations according to the Word and Gospel of Christ And upon which we are sure many thousands have Built by the Guidance and Teaching and Operations of the spirit of the Lord and are by the same spirit joyned and Vnited in a firm and everlasting bond and Vnion to Christ whereby we have Light Life Vertue Strength Wisdom and all Grace from this Root and Fountain our precious Lord Jesus Christ This Author proceeds further 2. Strong Man Armed p. 13. and tells us That the Faith of the People called Quakers is the Faith of the Son of God Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of it it renews the whole Man 2. The Quakers Faith By this Faith sin is subdued slain and Mortified perfectly the heart purified the World conquered the Soul Sanctified Justified and Saved perfectly But the Faith of all others is an Vnholy Dead Imperfect Faith it Sanctifies but in part as they say and so will never save to the uttermost Thus far he Answ Here is another double gross untruth both as to themselves and others If their Faith be the true Justifying Saving Faith of God's Elect then it would Evidence it self by the Fruits and Effects of Faith which the Scriptures speak of and all the Saints
and War against daily He sometimes moves to that which is Good as well as to Evil but with an intent to deceive thereby he subtilly mixeth some Currant Coyn with the Counterfeit that it may the better pass without suspition Thirdly Many things proceed immediately from a Man 's own spirit his Vnderstanding Reason and Natural Conscience many things are wrought and Forged in this Mint according to a Mans Natural Faculties Now how shall a Man know from which of these spirits things proceed Tryal of Spirits and whether they be good or not or what they tend to but by some known fixed perfect Rule and what is that but the Scriptures The spirit of Truth having given them as a Light to our Feet and a Lanthorn to our Paths even â—o our inward Paths the Movings and workings of our Hearts as well as to our outward Paths in our Conversations He that shall take heed to the Immediate Revelations and Motions in his heart and follow them and not take heed to the Revelations of the spirit in the Scriptures to compare them together shall be sure to erre in this thou James Jackson and many more of the Quakers are sad Instances and prooss of this Truth at this day for if the seducing spirit once perceive that any Person will take heed to Observe and follow the Dictates and Motions within him and never try them by the Scriptures he may then suggest what he will and never be Discovered but Obeyed as God especially in all those things that have a shew and Resemblance of good in them and which weak and Ignorant Minds are not able to Discern or Distinguish partly by Reason of the Lowness and Weakness of their Natural Parts and Faculties and partly by Reason of the Weakness of Grace and small Measures of Light if any at all be here And Observe this also for a certain Truth Light of Nature sees some Sins and some Duties That Natural Conscience in all Men and Women does Rebuke and Reprove them for many gross Evils which they at any time are guilty of If they Commit Murder or Theft or Cheat and Deceive their Neighbour or such like this Light within every one is sufficient to see these to be Evil and that they ought not to be And this Natural Light within will also secretly move them to some things that are good and Honest to do to others as they would have others to do unto them It shews them that Meekness Patience Temperance Chastity Charity and such like Moral Vertues are good and commendable in the Lives of Men and when they follow after these things as many Heathens have done then their Consciences or the Light within will Excuse them and they have Peace in so doing But if they do those other gross Evils then this Light within will Accuse Disquiets and Disturb them But this Light within can never Discover to them Spiritual Evils and sins Light within sees not Spiritual sins As Pride Self-love Vnbelief Hypocrisie and such like neither can it lead them to see or Discern Jesus Christ or the things of Christ Revealed in the Gospel the things of the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof without the Light of the spirit of God and the Scriptures All this is but Nature it is not Grace neither is it Christ the true Light as this Author of the strong Man Armed cast out and his Followers do call it and contend earnestly for it and account it true Knowledge and such a Measure and Degree of Knowledge as no other Professors have attained to but themselves as he there tells us Whereas indeed they have not yet reached to the very first Principles of the Oracles of God And therefore thou James Jackson did'st well to leave off to be a Parish Priest and to be any longer a Teacher among the Independents As thou told'st us I wish thou would'st also leave off to be a Teacher any longer among the Quakers or rather a Seducer And first go and Hear and Learn and be Instructed in the saving Knowledge of Christ as the Scriptures have Revealed him lest thou be one of those who will Cry at the last day Lord Lord have we not Prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name done many Wonderful Works And then thou hear among others that Dreadful Sentence Depart from me ye Workers of Iniquity I know you not I own not your Teachings your Prophecyings or Declarings in my Name ye have Blasphemed my Name and caused my Name my Gospel and my People to be despised amongst many by your means ye Disowned Reproached and Separated from my People and in as much as ye did it unto these my Brethren ye did it unto me You the Teaching Quakers The Quakers guilty of these two great sins are guilty of those two great Evils that the People were guilty of in the Prophet Jeremiah's Time Jer. 2.12 The Prophets Prophesied Lies unto them and Taught the People to forsake the Living and true God and to look unto Idols and the Lord pleads with them about it and tells them such a thing was never heard of amongst any People or Nations that they should Change their God but this sottish People who had no understanding they changed their Glory for a Vain thing for that which cannot Profit And it is such stupendious Folly and Madness that he calls to the very Heavens to Behold it and Admire it ver 12. Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid Be ye very Desolate saith the Lord v. 13. For my People have Committed two Evils They have forsaken me the Fountain of Living Waters and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no Water Now Consider ye have even done thus Ye have forsaken the Living and true God the Saviour of sinners all that do Believe in him and rest upon him and his Righteousness for Justification and ye have set upon an Idol Natural Conscience and trust to it and your own Personal Righteousness and Obedience for Life Justification and Salvation and what are these but as their Broken Cisterns that can Afford no Refreshing in a Time of Need Take heed then and be Instructed thou and they and Teach no longer this False Doctrine that the Light in every Man and Woman is Christ the true Light seeing it is but a Creature and in every one by Nature Will ye Debase and Degrade Christ by calling him a Creature Or Deisie the Creature by calling it Christ the true Light It is true it is from Christ he is the Creator of it as of all other Creatures in the World the World was made by him and without him was nothing made that was made John 1. How then can it be Christ Is the Carpenter the house that he hath Builded Or is the house the Carpenter Are they both one and the same Is not the Carpenter a Man and the house his Workman-ship Is not God the Creator of all
are come to Perfection to Perfection in Sin to the highest Degrees of sinning your Iniquities are even full or very near it for how can ye rise Higher what steps are there for you yet to ascend up unto above what ye have already attained Ye have already denied the Holy one and the Just our Lord Jesus Christ that bought us ye have Crucified the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame yea ye have trodden him under foot and counted the blood of the Covenant as a common thing and done despight to the Spirit of Grace denying his true Operations in his People and also Blasphemously Attributing the Inspirations of the Devil unto the Spirit of God in your selves ye have despised the Word of God the Scriptures the Gospel of our Lord Jesus and therein the tenders of Rich and free Grace in the Covenant of Life and Peace and preferred your own vain Fancies yea the subtil insinuations and inspirations of seducing spirits before the clear truths of the Gospel of Christ and resting in your own Righteousness for Justification and what can ye do more or worse Ye have also Despised Rejected Disowned and Separated from the people of the Lord all the particular Churches Congregations and Assemblies of the Saints yea and Reproached them also and uttered many hard and bitter speeches against them and that for seeking to do you good in turning you from the ways of sin and Death And being lifted up in your selves in the height of your Pride and vain Minds ye have thought and said of your selves that ye are the most holy people upon Earth yea the onely people of God upon the Earth And what can ye say or do more or worse than these things Have ye not attained the highest degrees of sinning even to such a Perfection as the Nature of Man is capable of or that Satan can bring it unto and therefore we witness your perfection in these Respects But as to Perfection in Grace The Quakers Imperfection in Grace as ye vainly think of your selves and would have others to esteem of you also ye are at the remotest distance that may be 1. In Knowledge seeing that ye have not as yet laid the Foundation of the Knowledge of Christ Yea are Ignorant even your Teachers of the very first Principles of the Oracles of God ye know not the difference between Nature and Grace ye are not yet able to distinguish between Natural Light in the Conscience of every Man and Woman and the true Light Jesus Christ but mistake the one for the other Ye are not able to discern the workings of the Spirit of God and the seducing spirit but mistake the one for the other Ye are so Ignorant and Blind that ye think and say Men must be Justified by the works of the Law a Man 's own personal Obedience and not by the Imputed Righteousness of Christ by Faith quite contrary to the Gospel of Christ a deadly damning Doctrine Herein lies your Perfection in Knowledge And as for your Perfection in Faith and Hope 2. In Faith and Hope how can ye believe or in what or in whom do ye Believe seeing ye have denyed Christ the Object of Faith to all true believers denyed him in his Death Righteousness Merits and in all that he hath done and Suffered for his People these things are herein and by others made manifest against you by your own Writings 1 Cor. 13. And as for your Perfection in Love 3. In Love the chiefest of all Graces ye are far from Perfection in that also All the Love ye shew forth is but self-love to your selves and among your selves Every particular Person thinking and esteeming of himself more Highly than he ought to think and would that all others should esteem highly of him also And as for any Love to others it is but to your own party such as say as ye say and do as ye do And because they poor ignorant silly people are willing to hang upon your Lips the Teachers and to take all for granted that ye say as if your sayings were the Oracles of God for that ye Love them They esteem more of the sayings of their Teachers than of the sayings of God as one of them not long since expressing her desires to have some of her Friends Books one said to her she had the Scriptures she might employ her self there She Answered That the Bible indeed is a good honest thing but she had rather Read some of her Friends Books So we see That in all these things ye have Witnessed perfection as ye call it which indeed is at the furthest distance from perfection so far as not yet Witnessing the first beginnings of Grace in you But as for the other kind of Perfection that is Perfection in sin in the highest degrees of sinning ye do Witness it and have given many clear and manifold Proofs and Evidences of your perfection in that Respect and we all that fear God who know your deadly Principles do joyn with you in this Testimony and do Witness also that ye have Witnessed Perfection O how have ye Despised the Free Grace of God and Neglected great Salvation tendred in the Gosspel which all the Saints so highly prize and value seeing God in Christ doth vouchsafe to condescend so low to poor sinful Dust and Ashes in the sweet terms of the Gospel Offering Peace and Reconciliation Happiness and Glory to all those who will Accept thereof yea even Intreating and Beseeching of Miserable sinners to come in and be Reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5.20 We as Ambassadors for Christ as if Christ did beseech you by us be ye Reconciled to God How then shall they escape who Neglect so great Salvation Surely such as are deeply wounded and under the sight and sense of sin death and hell the Wrath of God the Curse of the Law they highly prize the Terms of the Gospel the Covenant of Grace the sweet and precious promises of Life Rest and Peace But those that are whole see no need of the Physitian as it appears ye do not that can make so light of the terms of Free-Grace and Love through Christ as we find ye do by many passages in your Books Where shall we find in all your Books and Pamphlets such Doctrine as the Apostle Paul Preached Paul Preacheth Christ and not the Light in every Man and Woman and wrote in all his Epistles by the Inspiration of God he set forth Christ crucified in all places where he came and instructed the people in that Fundamental Doctrine 1 Cor. 2.2 I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him Crucified Paul lays aside and slights all things for Christ Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may
the Truth they shall believe Lyes What Difference shall we think is there between these Men The Quakers sin is like the great sin of the hardened Jews the Teachers among the Quakers who have delivered these Damnable Doctrines afore-mentioned being the Doctrines of Devils and still maintain them What difference I say between them and those Jews who Blaspemed the Holy Ghost and ran into that sin unto death Those Jews Rejected Christ his sayings and Doctrine which he Taught among them and they told him that he had a Devil Christ tells them then after that he had often spoken unto them and Taught them and they would not hear him nor regard his sayings he then Declares unto them their dreadful state And surely the sin of these Men looks so like unto the sin of those Jews that I think it 's hard for any Man to distinguish them otherwise than by saying That the sin of these Teachers does Exceed the sin of those Jews The sin of these Men seems to be much Aggravated in that they have not onely heard all those Sayings and Doctrines of Christ which he Preached among the Jews but they have had the Truths of God Offered and tendred to them by others also the Apostles Evangelists and Disciples of Christ have spoken to them in the Scriptures which those Jews never had And also many of the Ministers Messengers and Ambassadors of Christ have spoken to them and tendred the very Truths of the Gospel to them yea many others of his Faithful Saints and Servants have from time to time spoken to them and Advised Counselled and Admonished them and yet all in vain they have Rejected all and despised all and have as Swine Trampled Pearls under their Feet and turned again and Rent those that brought them they have Reviled them and Reproached them for so doing so that to what purpose should any Man go about to Teach these Teachers who are not capable to Learn as being Blinded and Hardned and Sealed up as is feaâ—ed even to destruction having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron Men of Corrupt Minds Reprobate to every good work without Judgment unfit either to Teach or Learn For we know there have been many such in former days who were guilty of this great sin some such were contemporaries with the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 6.10 Make the Heart of this People fat and make their Ears heavy and shut their Eyes c So also many such were in the Time of our Lord and Saviour Mat. 13.15 This Peoples Heart is waxed gross and their Ears are dull of Hearing and their Eyes they have closed lest at any time they should See with their Eyes and Hear with their Ears and should Vnderstand with their Heart and should 〈◊〉 Converted and I should heal them In this Generation there are just such a People even those of whom we speak they shut their Ears and their Eyes and their Hearts against Christ and the Truths of the Gospel All the Advice and Councels of Men which are according to the Truth all are Rejected and Despised The Inspirations of the spirit of God are refused but the Inspirations of the spirit of Delusion are readily Received and Embraced My Judgment is therefore let them be Rejected as Hereticks having been so often Admonished as Men that are hardned to Destruction And for the Hearers among the Quakers Advice to the Hearers among the Quakers my Councel unto you is Separate your selves from the Congregations and Meetings of these ungodly Men lest ye be Consumed in all their sin Be as much afraid of them and of their Poysonous Doctrines as ye would be afraid to eat of a dish of Meat before you on the Table that had rank Poyson in it of which ye were told and fully assured of it Would ye eat of such a Dish I know ye would not Remember and consider Eternity it will be well or ill with you for ever according as ye Receive or Refuse the Truths of the Gospel now Beware of False Prophets which come to you in Sheeps clothing but inwardly they are Ravening Wolves if ye be the Sheep of Christ follow him and know his Voice in the Scriptures in your hearts and amongst his own People and follow not Strangers that bring strange false Doctrines about the Light within and in many other things which have been mentioned contrary to the Mind of Christ Revealed in the Scriptures These People the Quakers The Quakers great Idol near falling have forsaken the Fountain of Living Waters and have run to broken Cisterns And seeing they have forsaken the Living and true God the Glory of his People and set up an Idol a false Christ the Light in every Man and Woman that cometh into the World I shall therefore bring against this their false Doctrine several Arguments from Scripture to prove the Vanity and falshood of it as so many Pieces of Ordnance Planted against this great Idol which the Quakers have set up and Worship that so it may fall as Dagon before the Ark of the Lord. Whereas they say That Christ the true Light is in every Man and Woman that cometh into the World This is not a Truth because in whomsoever Christ is and dwells he does enlighten that Soul with true Light saving Light supernatural Light even by himself by his Spirit and by the Scriptures It 's true all wicked Men that come into the World have Lights of Christ's making he Created them which Enlighten all Mankind and that both Outwardly and Inwardly 1. They are Enlightned Outwardly by Lights that God hath Created and set in the Heavens the Sun and the Moon by which all are Enlightened 2. And then Secondly All Men and Women that come into the World are Enlightned with Inward Light also Reason and Natural Conscience So Christ the true Light Enlightneth all that come into the World which is all that is Intended and meant by that place John 1.9 But Christ himself is the true Light the Light of Lights who inlightneth his own People immediately by himself and by his Spirit which the wicked of the World are not Partakers of they have onely those common Lights afore-mentioned As is fully and plainly Proved by these Scripture Arguments Ten Propositions Proved by Scripture Those in whom Christ is and and dwells First Argument Prop. 1. he Inlightens them with spiritual Light But wicked Men and women are not Inlightned with spiritual Light therefore Christ is not in wicked Men and women For Proof of these Propositions both Major and Minor then the Conclusion drawn from them must needs be granted by all Rational Men See Eph. 5.8 Ye sometimes were Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord walk as Children of Light And Paul was sent to turn Men from Darkness to Light Acts 26.18 And we see the Corinthians who sometimes were Darkness and afterwards Converted Paul says 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded the Light to shine out of
have rejected the word of the Lord and what wisdome is in them So then here we see plainly they that speak not and write not according to the Scriptures they have neither wisdome nor Light in them Consider this ye deluded People among the Quakers that give more heed to a dim natural light within darkned also by deluding spirits than to the Light of the Scriptures though the Sun of Righteousness shine Bright and Gloriously in them The Apostle John hath marked out such men for wicked men 1 John 4.6 We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of Error What can be more plain hereby then it is Evident what sort of men these are in this Generation who will not hear the Prophets and Apostles speaking by the Spirit in the Scriptures he that will not hear Vs is not of God but on the contrary he that heareth us that is obeyeth us and is ruled and guided by that which we have spoken and written he is of God and is guided and taught by the Spirit of God which God hath also given to them that believe And farther This truth is also spoken by our blessed Lord and Savionr Christ himself even from his own mouth Joh. 8.47 when the Proud unbelieving Jewes such another proud self-conceited People as are now in our dayes would not receive his doctrine he tells them plainly what they are ver 47. he that is of God heareth Gods words ye therefore heard them not because ye are not of God Tremble and Quake at this Dreadful word ye seduced People of the Quakers who will not hear nor be guided by the Scriptures the written and declared word of God Ye are here pronounced by Christs own mouth his Prophets and Apostles that ye are not of God That is ye are not born of God ye are not born of the Spirit for that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit ye are not regenerate ye are not believers ye are no members of Christ ye are not taught of God nor led by his Spirit but by a false Spirit When Paul wrote to Timothy he commended him for that he had known the Scriptures from a child which were able to make him wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 And sayes that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness ver 17. That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes But these men are so farr from being furnished to all good workes that they are reprobate to every good work they having cast-aside the Scriptures they can never be furnished any other way to any good Work Let us consider how great a favour it is from God that we have the Scriptures The Scriptures are Gods Love-letters to Mankind which are Gods Love-letters to Mankind indited by his own Spirit and written by his own servants to woo them and win them to accept of his own and only beloved Son in marriage that there may be a Contract and an everlasting Vnion between them and so they may become the Spouse of Christ the Lambs Wife And that although they have no Beauty nor Comeliness upon them yet that he will accept of them notwithstanding their Deformity if they will but but consent to the motion And Oh who would not consent to such a wonderfull condiscension in the Great and Holy God to such poor miserable creatures as we are blind and deaf deformed foul and filthy poor and needy wanting all things that might make us acceptable in his eyes But though it be so yet he hath promised that he will make us Comely and Beautiful and Rich with Ornaments and a Crown of Glory and no good thing shall be wanting to them that love him Therefore all these things considered let us have the Scriptures in high esteem and walk by them for we shall be judged by them at the last day But what a sad case are they in then who deny them as a Rule to walk by and disown them And if so great a curse shall be the portion of those who take away any part of the Scriptures as that God will take away their part out of the Book of Life and out of the holy City and from the things that are written therein Rev. 22. what shall we think will be the Portion and Punishment of those who take away all the Scripture at once and make it as a void thing and deny them to be a perfect Rule to Christians of Faith and Obedience and do instead thereof direct men to a blind guide that had need of a guide it self for that it sees nothing of the true way the truth and the life without the Scriptures Now because the spirit of God who indited the Scriptures Characters of false Prophets whereby they are known and spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets and Apostles and Christ himself also in his own person hath told us That false Prophets and Teachers should be in the later dayes and should seduce and deceive many And so subtle shall their carriage and their Doctrine be like their Teacher that they shall deceive if it were possible the very Elect And because also we know that these are the last times the last daies even these dayes wherein we live in which dayes these false Teachers foretold should come it is our duty therefore and it highly concerns every Christian to try the Spirits because even Now many false Prophets are in the world among us Let us consider and examine than who these false Prophets and Teachers are how they may be known What Marks and Characters there are set down in the Scriptures whereby these men may be known for the Spirit of God hath marked them out whereby they may be discerned from other men even whereby they may be known to be the very men foretold that should come in these last dayes Our Lord Christ hath bid us take heed of them Luk. 13.23 Behold saith he I have foretold you of these things Let us therefore consider some particulars as marks of these men First then that in the Epistle of Paul to Tim. 1 Tim. 4.1 Now the spirit speaketh expresly that in the later times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils 1. Some shall depart from the Faith 1. Departing from the Faith Now what kind of Faith is here meant it is not a true and justifying faith for that none can depart from but it is a Temporary Faith some shaddows and fancies resembling faith such a faith as our Lord Christ speakes of Mat. 10. They believed for a while but in time of Temptation fell away 2. They also cast off and departed from Historical Faith for they regard not what is written in the Scriptures either concerning Faith or Practice
it Teacheth Men to have a low esteem of themselves and when they have done all they can in the ways of Obedience to account that yet they are but unprofitable Servants This Humble Spirit was seen in Paul who though he were a great Apostle yet he accounted himself less than the least of all Saints yea and teacheth all others to be of the same Mind In lowliness of Mind let each esteem other better than themselves Phil. 2.3 How far then are these Men from true Humility Sixthly The Sixth Lye in Hypocrisie Strong Man Armed p. 15. Another Lye in Hypocrisie is this They say their Patience is Invincible to them is this Grace given The World hath been against them not for their own sakes but for Christ's sake in them though they are he says the most Innocent and harmless People upon Earth Now whether this papears to be Truth or a Lye in Hypocrisie may appear by their Speeches and Writings wherein they express and manifest much Bitterness of Spirit Wrath Anger Malice and Impatience as is in their frequent foul harsh Language that proceeds from them both by their Tongues and Pens against those who do Converse with them or ask them questions Soberly and Modestly with a real desire to be Resolved or that ask them a Reason of the hope that is in them or of their perswasions about such or such things Their Answers ought to be given with Meekness and Love That they may satisfie those who ask them according to Truth But instead thereof they commonly pour out harsh words and speeches like those Enemies of David Psal 64.4 They whet their Tongues like a Sword they bend their Bows and shoot their Arrows even bitter words Witness Edward Burrough's Works p. 20 21 c. against a Servant of Christ asking him serious questions he Answered in such Language as this which others also of their Teachers do likewise own and approve of To all or most of the questions he mixeth this Language The Quakers Railing Accusations and many Expressions to the like purpose in his Answers Thou Reprobate and Child of Darkness we witness thee to be in the Sorcery and Witchcraft thou Dragon thy queries are Conjured in the Black Art out of the Bottomless Pit thou Diviner we witness thee to be the Beast thou Antichrist who looks at Christ's Death at Jerusalem alone thou Jesuite art pleading for Christ afar off thee thou art Accursed thou Beast to whom the Plagues of God are due Thou Blind Hypocrite thou Cain thou full of Subtilty with the Light thou art seen and with the Life thou art Judged and Condemned These words were poured out with many more such like Invectives against him the Querist and others from time to time as Men have conference with them But are these the Fruits and Evidences of Patience which they boast of which they say they have attained above all other Professing People Then what is Impatience Wrath Bitterness and Anger Are not their Tongues set on fire of Hell and moved by the Devil who brings the Fire from thence and kindles it and blows it up to a great Flame Nay doubtless they are not onely Pinch'd and vex'd by serious Questions and sound Scripture Arguments but also even cut to the Heart as the Jews were against Stephen when he dealt truly and plainly with them as we see Acts 7.54 When they heard these things they were cut to the Heart and they gnashed on him with their Teeth So these Men they are vex'd and Angry when they are Opposed and cannot Answer they are Pinch'd and cut to the very Heart which they shew and manifest by such speeches as these aforementioned for out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh These I say are Lyes in Hypocrisie This then is another Character plainly seen upon the Quakers whereby compared with the rest of the Characters spoken by the Holy Ghost they are manifested to be the false Prophets that should come into the World in these last days In this day is this Scripture fulfilled The false Teachers who were fore-told expresly by the Spirit of God that they should come in these last days even now are they come in this Generation They are Departed from the Faith they give heed to Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils they speak Lyes in Hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron which is the next Character to be Discovered Fourthly The Fourth Character of false Teachers Their Consciences are seared with an hot Iron Another Character whereby false Prophets Teachers are known which the Spirit of God tells us of is this They have their Conscience seared with an hot Iron 1 Tim. 4.2 This Expression seared with an hot Iron taken properly is a Similitude of what is done Spiritually in and upon the Consciences of some more than Ordinary notorious sinners under a Judicial as well as Natural hardness of heart Blindness and Reprobate sense unto which Judgment God sometimes gives them up for refusing to Receive and Hearken to the Truth often tendred and Discovered to them with some other Notorious sins For as Natural Flesh seared with an hot Iron is thereby made hard dead and insensible so as it will not receive any Impression nor is sensible as soft tender lively Flesh is so it is with the Consciences of some Men which are seared they have no Spiritual sense nor feeling of spiritual things but are dead and hardned blind and deaf as concerning the things of God of which those Christians that have tender Consciences and soft hearts have a clear sight and sense of Men whose Consciences are seared with an hot Iron they do think apprehend and believe and that strongly too many things that are quite contrary to the Truth both as to Reason and Faith which things they speak and write accordingly Secondly Another Sign or Evidence of those whose Consciences are seared with an hot Iron is this They will Reject and Despise all plain Truths in Scripture as being contrary to their Corrupt Natures Principles and Interests though they are never so much concerned therein and though brought and tendred to them with never so much Love and earnest desire for their good and welfare yet these things take no Impression upon their hearts no more than upon a stone they remain still the same and no good is done upon them by any means Nay Thirdly as another Evidence of a seared Conscience The means used to Reform them does the more harden them and makes them the more Desperate in sinning which is seen in their many Imprecations Revilings Slanderings and bitter Reproachful speeches which proceed from them against those that would do them good Now is it not hereby Evident and plain That very many of the Quakers are under this Judgment of having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron So that this Character is also plainly seen upon them as is made manifest particularly by their Speeches Books and Practices Fifthly
Like Swine they trample Pearls under their Feet and turn again and rent you Being Men of Corrupt minds and Reprobate concerning the Faith their minds are Corrupt Carnal Filthy Defiled with false Notions Erroneous Opinions and Conceptions of things according to their dark carnal apprehensions mixed also with Satans false glosses and deceitful appearances in their minds and so they become Reprobate concerning the Faith That is without Judgment or any true Vnderstanding in Matters of Faith according as the Scriptures have revealed them But it follows ver 9. They shall proceed no further for their folly shall be made manifest unto all men as theirs also was After they have done their work and filled up the measure of their Iniquity and fulfilled the Scriptures what was fore-told of them then they shall be Discovered and made manifest and that to all men even to their own party also as well as to others who have been long deceived and seduced by them they shall then fall off from them by degrees and leave them and forsake their meetings They shall be known to be deceitful workers their folly shall be made manifest as theirs also was that is as the folly of Jannes and Jambres the Sorcerers or Magicians which deceived the People for a while with false shews and appearances of things which were not so in Reality and Truth afterwards they were discovered to be but a Cheat and deceitful workings So these men with all their Counterfeit Coin and Deceitful Wares which they expose and offer to People in the dark and which they will not by their good will bring unto the Light of the Scriptures which would make things manifest unto all yet they shall in due time be brought to the Light their folly shall be made manifest unto all And is not this Scripture in a great measure fulfilled already even at this day The Men these false Teachers their Opinions Principles and Practices have been of late time more than ever before laid open and their Folly and gross Ignorance and Errors made manifest unto all and so will be still more and more See three Dialogues between a Christian and a Quaker by Tho. Hicks where they are made Naked before all Men to their shame God hath of late time more especially stirred up the Spirits of some of his People to search into and Examine their Opinions and Doctrines and to try them by the Scriptures spoken by God himself and they find that these Men have spoken contrary to what God hath spoken The Doctrine of these false Teachers is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ made known to us in the Gospel they are detected discovered and made manifest to all except some of their own Party Friends as they call them who it 's like are so Charmed by them as that they will not hear nor hearken to any thing that is said against them or their Principles though spoken according to truth Nay they will not hear God himself speak for they Neglect and Despise the Scriptures and prefer their own simple Pamphlets before them Now Good Councel to the Quakers seeing these things are so I shall in sincere Love and Pity to the Souls of these People the Quakers give them my Advice and Councel according to Truth whether they will hear it or whether they will reject it I am perswaded there are some amongst them who have true and real intentions and desires after the truth to hear it and to do it and therefore there is some hopes of such that if they would give themselves to search the Scriptures concerning the Principles of their Teachers and be earnest with God to give them his Spirit to Open their Vnderstandings they might clearly see the gross Folly and Errors of these Men and that they would read other mens Books wherein they are concern'd as well as their Friends Books thereby also their Light within would be the clearer But whilst they Neglect or Decline the means of knowledge no marvel though they remain Ignorant and are seduced My Advice and Councel is further Leave the Quakers Meetings That you would leave the Assemblies of these Men separate your selves from their Congregations and Meetings Now is separation seasonable according to the Scriptures separate from them because they have separated from Christ and from his Church and People they are gone from the truth and are turned unto Fables and they give heed unto seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking lyes in Hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron so that they will not hear nor hearken to the Truth as it is in Jesus They slight and despise the Scriptures and therefore what Light is in them what Wisdom is in them Nothing but Darkness and Ignorance improved also by subtil seducing spirits which except they speedily Repent will draw them down into the Bottomless Pit And next I advise you Come to the Assemblies of the Saints Come and joyn your selves to the Lord and to his People come into their Assemblies Societies and Congregations there ye shall hear Christ truly Preached and set forth according to the Gospel whereby your minds may be enlightned to see the Beauty of Christ indeed with all his Benefits and Priviledges purchased for his People and this may make you fall in Love with him and to chuse him for your Lord and Husband O take heed of forsaking or Neglecting the Assemblies of the People of the Lord as the manner of some is it is a very Dangerous thing See the Consequences of it which the Apostle tells us of in the 10. of the Hebrews it is a Sign or forerunner of that great sin the sin against the Holy Ghost as it is there set forth Come then to the Assemblies of the Saints for the Lord is among them and in them and Communicates himself unto them he reveals his Mind his Secrets to them that fear him Ye are now in a dry and barren Wilderness where there is no Water no Water of Life your Souls will be lean and starved for want of Food for want of the Bread and Water of Life unless ye come unto him that ye may have Life your teachers themselves want this having forsaken the Fountain of Living Waters and run to broken Cisterns which hold not a drop of Water The Light within is but Darkness to the true Light Jesus Christ Your Teachers themselves want water being Wells without water and Clouds without water carried about with winds Therefore come to the Fountain of Living waters to the Fountain of Gardens that waters all the Gardens all his Churches and every particular soul and their souls are as watred Gardens and as springs of water whose waters fail not For there is in them a Well of water springing up unto Eternal Life Come then and be partakers of these Priviledges be one with Christ and with his People and ye shall be enlightned by Christ the true Light indeed and Life indeed who will guide you and lead you into Green Pastures by the Rivers of waters who will feed you with the Bread and Water of Life unto Eternal Life FINIS THere are lately Published Three Dialogues Between a Christian and a Quaker wherein are faithfully Represented some of the Chief and most Concerning Opinions of the Quakers together with their Method and Manner of Reasoning in the Defence thereof Also the Quakers Appeal Answered All Written by Tho. Hicks Sold by Peter Parker at the Leg and Star in Cornhil against the Royal Exchange