deny Water-baptism altogether but the Experience of Christs blessing Infant-Baptism and the un-warrantableness of Rebaptization keeps him from these extremities If you be tempted to absent your selves from the Lords Table or leave Church-fellowship the Promise and Experience of the Love of God in the use of these Ordinances aws and keeps you in order When Christ until his second Coming in the clouds and visible Glory is lookt at as spiritually present with his own Institutions they are neither trusted to nor neglected Sometime you have been tempted to go hear known Seducers but an establisht heart will not step out of doors unless he hath the more special call to bear witness against them and to strengthen others Lastly Let your hearts be establisht with Gospel-grace and it will produce a well-ordered conversation to the end of your days it will make patient in affliction joyful in suffering even under darkness and in desertion the heart is willing to wait and is made ready for Heaven for it stirs up to watchfulness to have grace in exercise and the soul in preparation for death and then it cannot want boldness at the day of Christs appearing Why then my Brethren dearly Beloved and longed after my joy and crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly Beloved see that none of you fail of the grace of God Be not as reeds shaken with the wind but as unshaken rocks and pillars in your profession Prize and press after more of heart-establishing grace to this end Hold fast the purity of Doctrine about Justification Election Redemption the Covenant of Grace and the whole pattern of sound and wholesom words in the Scriptures and in the Churches Confessions of Faith consonant to the Scriptures Be active in faith upon the Author and Finisher of your Salvation Be obedient to the Spirit who witnesseth and sealeth the Truth and sheds abroad the Love of God in your hearts Make much of your Experiences built upon and backt with promises cry not woe unto them as some upon their revolting to Quakerism have done Set before you the example of stable Christians as so many Jerome's standing like old well-rooted Oaks and breaking the winds of Doctrines and Oppositions which assault them on every side Decline infectious company cease to hear the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge Beware of a blinde-zealousaffecting of any man Take heed of curiosity and a itching desire of Novelty or of knowing any new way to Christ and Heaven Stand in the paths and enquire for the old and the good way that ye may walk therein Maintain a humble spirit daily abased in the sight and sense of heart sinfulness and instability The Lord will teach and root the humble Exercise a clear Conscience in profession and communion with the Saints and Churches The mystery of Faith is held in a pure Conscience when men put away a good Conscience or prefer a natural Conscience before a Conscience purified by Faith they make shipwrack of the doctrine of Faith Let Gods power be lookt after in and with Gods own Form The Kingdom of God may be among men when 't is not within their hearts so Luke 17. 21. Christ speaketh to the Pharisees enemies of his Gospel The kingdom of God is among 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in medio vestri Bez. you i. e. was preached in the midst of his enemies and working upon others hearts while they were not aware of it They madly wrest the reading of the words within you who apply it to a Kingdom of Grace begun in the enemies of Christ by the light in every man and would thereupon have all Christs outward Forms and positive Institutions laid aside But what God hath joyned together power and form where and to whom he pleaseth do not you separate You have not hitherto been like these sheep which eat no grass more greedily then that which rots them If our new Teachers and their disciples boast of an astonishing Power coming along with their doctrine remember 2 Cor. 6. 7. The word of Truth and the Power of God whereby Christs Ministers are approved do go together If power goes forth with a word of falshood 't is Antichrists power which is after the working of Satan not the Lords It will be sad with any Church-member under Gods institution and form to fall short of his 2 Thes 2. 9. power But while you use his Ordinances in Faith of a promise of Christs power annexed to them you are and shall be more wrought up to and brought under the power promised And that I may be partaker of the Gospel-power as Priviledges with you yea that this Reply as weak as it is may be accompanied according to the truth of it with the mighty power of the Lord Let it be your prayer as it is and shall be mine who am through grace Your Loving Brother and Faithful Pastor JOHN STALHAM To all Honest Godly Conscientious and Judicious Readers BELOVED AS Honest Godly and Conscientious you are invited by Richard Farnworth in his Epistle before his pretended Vindication of the Scriptures in Answer to a piece I put forth in Scotland to the reading of all the Quakers Pamphlets with mine which I referred to in the Margent and of his Answer thereunto if any of you can finde the leisure Now it is my request that such as have met with his reviling Vindication would in honesty do me the favor yea the right so far as to bestow a few spare hours in the perusal of this my Reply and attending Truth as it is after godliness exercise in your reading a good conscience according to a renewed principle joyned with the diligent search of the Scriptures And As you are judicious and grown up to mature and manly knowledge I speak as to wise men judge ye what I wrote before and now write again Many Charges my adversary casteth upon me in his Epistle as so many fiery darts I list not to recriminate but have undertaken to make good my Collection of the Contradictions at first found among this sort and Sect of men Judge ye whether I have wronged any mans books or mixed my deceit with them Judge ye whether I have violated any of Gods Precepts or Truths and taught men so Judge ye which of us twain is given over to lie slander and falsly accuse Judge ye whether I have discovered a spirit of envy against them and the Truth I know the Scripture saith the spirit that dwelleth in us i. e. Believers so far as unregenerate lusteth to envy yet I can appeal to the Searcher of hearts that I found none of this stirring in my bearing witness against these mens doctrine What I see of the truth and of Christ in any I love I wish there was not to be seen in this Sect that which is to be pitied not envied Judge ye who is the Antichrist the Deceiver whether I deserve his Anathema
is seen and known to be one that hates it and why 1. He bears record of himself against Christ and his Apostles Let that be found in any passage of his former or present piece and R. F. shall be no false Apostle J. S. will hide his head in a hole or openly recant the folly and wickedness 2. He calls the true light saith R. F. the Light of nature and the common Light of reason Where 's the proof of this allegation J. S. doth peremptorily deny that he ever so exprest himself since he had the Light of reason in him The true Light as 't is printed both in R. F. his Book * Page 2. and in the Bible John 1. 9. with a great L and there spoken of is Christ J. S. never called Christ the Light of nature or the common Light of reason or reason as Page 34. R. F. clamoreth and clattereth Haply he may say again and again That Christ as the very God and the true Light giveth the Light of nature to all men and common light of reason more or less to every man for he is able to distinguish betwixt the Donor and his Gift betwixt the un-created Light-living God and created Light-given before the fall to Adam or given back since the fall to him and his posterity If R. F. or any man will confound Christ-giving or enlightning with the Light-given or lighted up as a Candle in every man he may as well confound God and the Creature and make them as some blasphemously imagine to be one and the same Essence Therefore as in this so in all other instances Fourthly J. S. is confident after R. F. his impudence in his Preface and Proceedings he shall neither be found Lyar nor false Accuser but as he is sure that Saint Pauls Anathema was out long since Gal. 1. 8 9. and is still in force against those that preach another Gospel-way of Justification as do these Quaking-Papists or Popish-Quakers so the Anathema Maran-atha that R. F. denounceth imperatively and imperiously Let him be an Anathema Maranatha against J. S. shall be as the curse causless that shall not come but that God will do him more good as already he hath done something for him by Shimei's railing Tyrants Sectaries Seducers and Hereticks as Luther said do nothing else but drive us unto the Bible to make us read more diligently therein and with more fervency to sharpen our Prayers and I may adde by their buffetings to be more taken off from self-estimation and to be viler in our own eyes then we can be in the eyes of our Adversaries who know not our hearts THE Reviler rebuked PART 1. 1. Head of Scripture-contradiction Touching the Scriptures themselves Section 1. THe holy Scriptures by one thunder-stricken in spirit and blasted in profession with the Quakers Books and company in Scotland were denied to my face to be the word of Truth which I noted as the first and great Contradiction R. Farnworth in answer returns me thus much of truth in form of words That the Scriptures are words that proceeded from the Spirit of Truth we do not deny but own and so they are the words of truth Plainly he doth not say they are the words of truth nor plainly joyn Scripture the word of truth to all issue with him that denied them to be the word of truth but if they be own'd for words of truth as proceeding from the Spirit of truth then for the advantage of Truth I argue 1. They are the word of God and so should be owned by them Surely the Spirit of truth is the Spirit of God proceeding from the Father and the Son and these three John 15. 26. being one their word is one That which is the word of the Spirit of truth is the word of the Father of truth and of the Son of truth The Scripture by R. F. his confession is the word of the Spirit of truth therefore he must grant it to be the word of the Father and of the Son of truth and consequently the word of the true God 2. If they be words of truth as proceeding from the Spirit of truth then they are the Rule Standard and Touchstone of truth the true Spirit being known by his words and directing us to know his minde by his words what we should believe as truth and practise as truth or according to it but we shall anon hear R. F. denying the Scriptures to be the rule of a Christian as of other men that are unchristian 3. If they be the words of the Spirit of truth then they are so to all men or but to some men 1. If so to all men that have the Scriptures by them then why doth not R. F. challenge him that denied them to be so to unbelievers as I noted in my Book Why doth he challenge me for falshood with a therefore too * Page 2. therefore thy saying is false What saying of mine is false and wherefore I truly related what I had from him I mentioned above in discourse once and again That the Scriptures were not the word of truth And doth it follow because R. F. acknowledgeth them to be the words of truth that therefore I heard not the contradiction or mis-related what was spoken 2. If they be the words of truth but to some men not at all to wicked men and unbelievers no not condemningly as were his expressions then it seems the unbelief and wickedness of men doth make the Faith or Truth of God of none effect but S. Paul Rom. 3. 3. is of another minde Rom 3. 3. cleared yea the Spirit there by the Interrogation first and second What if some did not believe shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect forcibly denieth the frustration or making void of Gods word of truth by the Jews former or following continued unbelief God hath laid his faith and truth to pawn as it were in the holy Scriptures and as he is a God of truth his word is a word of truth taking hold of men by the threatning as Zech. 1. 6. who misbelieve or reject the promise And Is he the God of the Jews onely and not also of the Gentiles to justifie and condemn all that are believing or unbelieving according to the Scriptures Such therefore who will say No more is the truth of God or word of God to me then what I believe were they never so dear friends must be as roundly taken up and faithfully rebuked as sometimes Luther took up a man of no mean account Bullenger you erre you know neither your self nor what you hold According to your falsities if the Word findes not the Spirit but an ungodly Person then it is not Gods word whereby you define and hold the word not according to God who speaketh it but according as people do entertain and receive it Whereas as he again a true Christian must hold for certain and must say That word
brings all that is in the Letter to remembrance for to what end doth he bring it to remembrance not onely for explication of Scripture by Scripture but for consolation of our spirits by the good words of the Spirit of God When heaviness makes the heart to stoop a good word seasonably remembred as spoken makes it glad and he that slights the turning over of the sacred Pages of the Bible after he hath got his evidence within may be glad of crums one day after his high Feastings and well if seeking the Spirit where he lost him his comforts return at last upon him Many lose the Spirits comforts by slighting his Love-letters in the Scriptures where the Spirit is and whereby he giveth forth himself Such a passage I had in my former piece That the Spirit is in the Letter and given by it which R. F. hath excepted against once and again heretofore but now in its due place where it was spoken he lets it pass I promised in the first part of this Reply to clear it further for his conviction if it may be or for the Saints edification First The Spirit is in the Letter or the whole Scripture for so these men comprehensively use the term Letter How the Spirit is in the Scripture-Letter 1. As he owneth what he dictated to his Secretaries the Pen-men of Scripture He is in all their writings with the subscription of his own hand as it were they spake and wrote as they were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost Rev. 1. 10. John is in the Spirit viz. he is rapt up by the Spirit and the Spirits impulse is more then ordinarily upon him when he is commanded to write and of all that John writeth the Spirit beareth Testimony that it is himself that speaks it Rev. 3. 22. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches what wretched men are they who will not suffer the Spirit to be where he speaketh 2. If the Spirit was in the Pen-men he is more in the matter and contents of the Scripture penned down None will deny but he was in the Pen-men more then ordinarily when they wrote from his mouth or inspiration and therefore he is in what they wrote much more for the word written is of greater Authority and Spirit then the Writer or Secretary They were holy men of God who wrote but that which is written is the holy Truth of God They were imperfectly holy but Gods word as written from the Spirit is perfect in all degrees of holiness 3. The Spirit is where there is with perfect holiness perfect Truth and Majesty in the Matter and in the very Stile and where is sweet Harmony in all the parts put together In the Scripture-letter there is not one Iota or Tittle that shall fall to the ground to eclipse the Glory Truth and Majesty or spoil the Harmony of it Secondly the Spirit is given by it in this sense How given by it 1. As his minde is given out by it whether the words be proper or figurative the Spirit hath his proper intendment scope and sense in the whole Letter and in every part of what is written and as by his words he makes known his minde he is where his words are 2. As his work is given by it even what work he pleaseth See second part Section 10. of Conviction Instruction in Righteousness Consolation c. If the Scripture convinceth gainsayers and sinners evil livers if it instructeth the ignorant comforteth the feeble-minded it is as the Spirit gives out himself thereby He is there indeed as a free Agent ad placitum not tyed to work or manifest himself or put forth his power and grace but as the wind bloweth where it listeth so he worketh where when and upon whom he pleaseth 3. As the Promises of the Scripture are his Chariot to convey him whither he pleaseth to go into the hearts of the Elect that they may believe and after they have believed that they may be established Thus according to his promise he will fill a Believers sails of endeavor in reading meditating c. with gales of grace and advances towards glory To conclude that the Spirit is in the Letter and given by it daily experience doth demonstrate For such as forsake the Scriptures authority and own not the Spirits dwelling in the Letter as truly as in the heart they lose their faith of the Spirits presence with them in the reading and meditation of it and losing this faith they run to other Doctrines and Gospels The spirit of error is in all mens doctrines which have not the Spirit in them that breatheth in the Scriptures We may easily discern whether R. F. his spirit be not in his writings and whether much of the spirit of Error not conveyed and given out by his and other mens Pamphlets of the same stamp And shall the spirit of Satan the father of lyes be in Seducers books and not the Spirit of God and of the Father of truth be in and go along according to his free mercy with his own blessed Books of the Scripture Yes verily and James Naylers words import as much when he saith * Few words by J. N. p. 11. That the Spirit opens and brings all that is spoken in Scripture to remembrance which if R. F. denies he contradicts his fellow if he grants it a truth he must recant his frequent descants upon that which I asserted and judge himself as erring because he knew not the Scriptures and the Spirit and power of God dwelling in them and acting by them Section 9. WHat answereth R. F. to this Section where I evidenced another of their Self-contradictions concerning the Scripture which was this He that believeth is born of God without Scripture and yet Let all see if we do not set the Scripture in the heart of every one Why this is his answer * Page 25. 1. So saith the Scripture 1 John 5. And that the word of God is nigh in the heart is witnessed Rom. 10. 8. And he that believes and is born of God knows the seed of God within him 1 John 3. 9. Rep. Do any of these Scriptures bear witness against themselves or say That he that believeth is born of God without Scripture yet dare R. F. put it forth in the front of his answer So saith the Scripture The Scripture saith the full truth He that believeth is born of God but the Pamphlet I quoted * Answer to 7 Priests p. 13 said more then the Scripture that the believer was born of God without the Scripture and R. F. pretends to answer to what their Pamphlets hold forth but cannot in his answers salve his own nor his fellows contradictions Ans 2. He is not born of the Letter as thou wouldst have him yet he is begotten by the immortal word which endureth for ever which the Letter declares of and that doth not contradict
and the Lord of truth But R. F. granting one part of truth viz. That the Son reveals and denieth the other part viz. That the Scripture revealeth when as he hath this from the very Scripture that the Son revealeth and what he revealeth therefore he may be if he be not condemned in his own conscience that he wrongeth the truth and the Lord of truth Again he that understands Matth. 11. 27. of immediate revelation onley and shuts out all mediate revelation by the Scripture falsly accuseth the Lord of the Scripture but R. F. understands that place of immediate revelation onely and shuts out all mediate revelation by the Scripture therefore R. F. falsly accuseth the Lord of the Scriptures If he understands it of mediate revelation by the Scripture then it Section 1. will follow by his reasoning that the Scripture-revelation is surer then the Scripture If he saith the Spirit by the Scripture makes the truth more sure not in it self but to us it is that I contend for and that which all believers are to pray for Ephes 1. 17. There is the light in the air and the Ephes 1. 17. opened light of the eye now though as to bodily sight the light in the air doth not give the light of or in the eye but onely to thee ye yet the Spirit of revelation which is peculiar to Saints and common to all Saints by the light of Scripture that is as the medium or means of light in the air doth give the light in the understanding as it brings light to it therefore it follows ver 18. the eyes of your understanding being enlightned But still the Spirit of revelation is not a surer Rule no nor properly our Rule but our guide and leader to and by his Rule the Scriptures which are the more sure word of Prophecy as to us especially in a ordinary and standing way in all ages 2. R. F. reasoneth Visions are a way of Gods making known himself after Moses and the Prophets as to Ananias Paul and Peter Act. 9. cap. 10. Gal. 1. Rep. 1. These visions were but occasional and extraordinary as sure as the Scriptures as all true visions and revelations of God are in themselves and to the particular men that had them yet not to us that saw them not but know from the Scriptures they had them those Scriptures viz. Act. 9. cap. 10. Gal. 1. and so all the Scriptures are as sure yea to all Saints more sure compare 2 Pet. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 16. 19 opened 16. when we made known unto you with ver 19. we have also a more sure word we that is you with us and we with you Visions were but of rare use the Scriptures are of long and constant use and by such as receive them to be of divine inspiration they have ever been acknowledged more firm as to us still then occasional visions 2. If God had known as Chrysostom upon Luke 16. that visions from the dead would have done more good to the living he would not have omitted or waved such a way in an ordinary course 3. As sure as the Gospel was to Paul given him by immediate revelation yet he confirmed it to others by the Scriptures Act. 26. 22 23. and the Bereans examined it by the same Rule Act. 17. 11 12. Searching the Scriptures daily whether those things were so therefore many of them believed Wherefore because they found what Paul taught as had been revealed to him was agreeable to that Lydius lapis that infallible touch-stone and most standing Rule the holy Scriptures 3. Reason Paul knew much of the writings of Moses and of the Prophets and Letter of the Scriptures whilst he was a Persecutor but then he knew not Christ as after he did and went up to Jerusalem by revelation Gal. 2. and not by the Scriptures therefore the Scriptures are not so sure a Rule as visions and revelations by the Spirit of truth are Rep. 1. Paul had nothing of Gospel-truth given him by revelation but what for matter and substance was before in the Scripture which Gospel although he knew not while he was a persecutor yet as a Jew he walked up strictly to the Letter of the Law or Rule in outward acts 2. His special revelation for going up to Jerusalem was a special application of the general rule of Scripture viz. to do what God commanded him but in it self it is no rule for our imitation in the like matter of fact 3. His true revelations never lifted him up above the Scriptures 4. The same Spirit of truth which gave out his revelation gave forth the Scripture by inspiration and as immediately directed him to write all his Epistles for the more certainty to others that they might know he had his Revelations from the Lord therefore to us the Scriptures are as sure yea a more sure rule and the onely standing rule for faith and maners 4. Reason or allegation of R. F. is The Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 1. 13. exhorted others to wait for the grace that was 1 Pet. 1. 13. cleared and vindicated to brought to them at the revelation of Jesus Christ Rep. 1 By grace here is meant glory as cap. 5. 1. that which is to come is the glory that shall be revealed first Christs glory cap. 4. 13. at his coming in the clouds his glory shall be revealed secondly the Saints glory which they shall have out of free grace or favor from God Col. 3. 4. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall they also appear with him in glory This glory to be brought at Christs coming the Apostle exhorteth the Elect and called to hope for perfectly or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end to death and in death yea they may and do carry this hope with them into heaven viz. hope of a glorious resurrection c. When at his coming 1 Cor. 15. 23. When the Lord shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire c. 2 Thes 1. 7. this is not a Revelation by the Spirit that Paul or Peter in the places mentioned speak of and therefore makes nothing to R. F. his purpose no more then what follows in a fifth Reason or Allegation The deep things of God are revealed not by the Letter but by the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10. Therefore revelations by the Spirit of truth are more sure then the Letter Rep. 1. Did not R. F. grant us at first page 2. that the Scriptures proceeded from the Spirit of truth Whether then they be revelations or doctrines or writings or interpretations as they come from the Spirit of truth he must yield they are all alike sure in themselves or he still fighteth against the Scriptures or the Spirit or both 2. The Apostle saith not that the Spirit revealeth the deep things of God but searcheth them that is he exactly and infinitely knoweth them as God knoweth them and thence by the way he
dead to damned spirits in men and to wizards that peep and mutter as some now-adays to seek for the living God Or should they go to the dead to seek help and advice from them for and in behalf of the living No certainly whither then the answer is clear v. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony which is Gods written word and that which is spoken according to it And if they any that undertake to be speakers or writers shall not speak according to this Law and Testimony it is because they have no morning-light in them it is an evidence they follow the moon-shine of their watry-fancies dark reasonings and diabolical suggestions and if there be no light of saving truth in them there will be no light of comfort or relief which shall shine forth unto them so that if any shall come and teach a God whom the Scripture teacheth not and a Christ that the Scripture doth not teach he speaks lies and darkness and nothing else yea if any set up a light against the light of Scripture and will not be contented with that for the subject matter of it and reduce all his light unto it and compare his light with it to finde out and maintain a harmony therewith he sets up Lyes against the Truth and in the room of it 3. R. F. reasoneth If the Scriptures should be lost he would have no God nor Christ that would have none without them Rep. 1. This needless supposition might be spared God who hath hitherto preserved them will still maintain them while the world stands John 10. 35. The Scripture cannot be broken and therefore not lost 2. In the volume of the Book of Gods Decrees it was determined there should be a Scripture and all should be written therein which concerned Christ and salvation by him Heb. 10. 7. And 3. As all that have sinned and shall sin against the Scripture-light since it was given them shall be judged by it at the last day Rom. 2. 12 16. So 4. All that is contained in the Scripture which is more then is written in the heart of every fallen son of Adam and more then was written in Adams heart before the fall shall eternally witness in mens consciences both for the joy and comfort of those that believe and obey it and against those that slight and contradict it to their everlasting terror and increase of torment 4. To say saith R. F. that without Scripture the word of the Lord could not be spoken is to limit the Spirit of God Rep. 1. But who said it He would make his Reader believe I said it or to that effect But let him that reads us both observe what liberty he takes to note the effect of words and to pass by the very words themselves and yet condemns it in others although as near as I could I have every where alledged their very words 2. That which I said the Reader shall finde at the end of this Section Pag. 8. of my Book viz. Christ teacheth us not to know any thing to Salvation but what is in the Scripture-Law and Testimony For it is there either in express words or in a true consequential sense and to keep our selves within the bounds and limits which God hath set us is not at all to limit Gods Spirit but our own spirit which hath need of such a bit and bridle 5. R. F. addes If Samuel Christ his Apostles and John might have spoken nothing but what was written they might not have spoken much of what they did speak Rep. 1. God might have revealed more then is in the Scripture but he pleased not so to do 2. All that Samuel and the Prophets Christ and the Apostles and John the Revelation have spoken is written both according to what was written before and for substance the same As Moses wrote what was delivered to the Patriarchs and Samuel with the Prophets spake and have left written what Moses wrote so Christ and the Apostles spake and have left written what was spoken by Moses and the Prophets Luke 24. 26 27. Acts 3. 22 23 24. Let him that readeth understand Rev. 22. 6. These sayings are faithful and true And the Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done Nothing is signified in the whole Book of the Revelation but for substance was foretold by Isaiah Daniel Zechariah and other of Gods holy Prophets whose writings were extant long before John had his Visions and Revelations But R. F. will not yet give over 6. God revealeth the deep things by his Spirit and teacheth by his Spirit and sends forth messengers by his Spirit and guideth by his Spirit into all truth c. Rep. 1. They do well to run to the Spirit who have lost the sense of Scripture and love to it but let R. F. and others of his way take heed they mistake not Gods Spirit nor substitute their own spirit in the room of the Lord the Spirit 2. The Spirit of the Lord revealeth no deeper things nor will do to all eternity then are already wrapt up in the volume of the Scriptures The Spirits-light and Scripture-light are very harmonious albeit the Spirit gives eyes by his own power to see that light which the Scripture doth but instrumentally help unto 3. Such messengers as speak more then is in the Scripture are not sent by Gods Spirit nor guided by him to what they say Thus I have taken up what R. F. hath in his Epistle upon occasion of my lifting up the Light of Scripture into its due place above that which is every mans Light let us review what he hath further in his Book * Page 9. not according to the Title in vindication of the Scriptures but in defence of George Fox who calls the light of every man the word of God but as I said before will not have the Scriptures so called All the vindication which R. F. can give is recrimination in this as in other cases Thou accusest G. F. for saying the light is the word but it is but to manifest thy further contradictions to the Scripture As how For the Scripture saith God is the Light Rep. I no where finde it so exprest in Scripture-text The place he quoteth is printed John 1. 5. but let the Printer bear the blame it is likely he intended 1 John 1. 5. there 1 John 1. 5. indeed 't is said expresly That God is light not the light in every mans conscience The light in every man is given of God but that light is not God nor is God that light God is light pure absolute essential light knowledge wisdom How God is light holiness and perfectly so of himself but the best light that G. F. or R. F. or any man hath or is qualified with is but created diffused derived-light Again God is the word for which R. F. quotes John 1. 1. but it is not
agrees with the saying of Christ Matth. 6. 6. Matth 6. 6. vindicated when thou prayest enter into thy Closet c. as if the publique ordinance may not stand with the private for the most retired and secret duties are to fit and make ready for the publique onely 't is our Lords scope there to confine a private prayer to a private place as it is the Apostles order from the Lord 1 Cor. 14. 14 15 16. when 1 Cor. 14. 14 15 cleared vindicated we pray publiquely in Church-conventions all which have a publiqueness in them to pray so as others may be edified thereby who are Saints and those who occupy the room of the unlearned may testifie their consents by saying Amen which they could not do if either the person praying spoke onely to his own hearing or in the heart not with an audible voyce to others or when they heard him they could not understand him because he exprest himself in an unknown tongue All that I drive at with the Apostles and our Saviours scope is that every ordinance and outward part of worship be owned in its place and that this of publique prayer may not be disowned ere the more because of these mens crying up their praying by the Spirit in opposition to the Churches publique prayers which the Primitive Church at Jerusalem Act. 2. 42. attended and continued in and which the present Saints and Churches in these nations hold up according to president and precept R. F. in another Pamphlet of his * Truth cleared of Scandals pag. 2. saith they are led by the Spirit and he maketh intercession for them according to the minde and will of God But their practise shews they are not in this led by the Spirit when they cross the minde and will of God by refusing to joyn with the Saints in a publique prayer we acknowledge that no wicked mans prayer is accepted publiquely or privately made by him It is their duty to pray but not their priviledge who are destitute of the Spirit and out of Christ But to profess prayer from the second birth while yet they know not how to pray as they ought but as the Spirit maketh intercession with sighs and groans which are J. Parnells words * Shield of truth p. 14 15 is to contradict their doctrine of perfection And to give a dash at all our publique prayer as the long prayer of the Pharisees is to strike at the Spirit and contradict the Scripture allowance of the publiqueness and length of prayer upon occasion while we give no allowance to Pharisaical ends and pretences but can approve our persons and hearts to God in Jesus Christ our persons in Christs righteousness reckoned to us by faith our hearts so far as renewed by the grace and power of his in-dwelling Spirit James Nayler hath expressions one would think of this tendency that complies with our doctrine in his common place of Worship * Love to the Lost p. 8 9. wherein he instanceth in no part of worship but prayer he acknowledgeth as we teach The worship of the true and living God stands out of mans will and before any man can rightly worship God he must wait to know the Spirit But now let the lost soul beware of his counsel where should they wait you must saith he know the light and in it wait till therein you finde the Spirits leading acting and ordering This counsel if followed keeps men off from the positive parts of worship revealed in the Scripture The light that every man hath as he comes into the world which is the light they nourish up people in in opposition to Scripture-light makes known nothing of publique ministery Church officers therein of water-Baptism Lords Supper publique order of prayer c. nor of Christ mediator nor of the The Spirit of Prayer to be found in the publâ—que ministery Spirit of promise nor of one promise of grace or gracious acceptation in Christ Had not the lost soul better counsel while he was under publique ministery to attend there for the coming of the Spirit the Spirit of faith and prayer where God useth to give it Acts 10. 44. and promiseth to pour it out Prov. 1. 22 23. with 20. 21. verses How true is that which J. Nayler hath in the same place according to our Scripture-doctrine when a man hath been doing evil neglecting good and then he runs to act a worship to get peace the prayer becomes abomination for he that regards impurity the Lord will not hear his prayers nor accept his worships that 's Cains sacrifice and Esaus prayers but either must your worship be performed in one that never sinned or it cannot be accepted with the pure God Yet here is his mis-guidance of lost souls 1. That he would lead them off from joyning with him that makes long prayers such a one he seems to speak of who hides his wickedness with pretence of godliness but he makes no difference of any that serve Christ and his people publiquely in the nation as if they were all such to be separated from 2. He directs to the commands in Spirit in opposition to the Scripture-Letter for thus he delivers himself * Page 11. All the Saints have their commands in Spirit but yours is in the letter and so of another ministration for the literal ministration is done away in the spiritual As if the Spirit did not give out his commands by the written letter or the Scripture and his power also by the reading and hearing of it and by praying according to the rules and patterns of prayer therein contained But something O ye lost souls you will finde when the great Shepherd seeks up his lost ones and brings back that which is gone astray Ezek. 34. 16 ever and anon that alienated your hearts from the Scripture by the spirit of Contradiction that is in these mens Teachings and Writings 15. Head of their Scripture-contradiction Concerning Singing Section 42. I Gave account of their express words We are against all your Davids Praises and Prophecies in meeter contrary to Ephes 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. and other Scriptures R. F. * Page 21. makes me this return Singing of Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs we are not against but own but your Poetry we deny Rep. He might as well say your translation of them into English meeter we deny But if Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs be owned they are either Davids and other of the Saints penning and the Spirits inditing in the Scripture or of their own composing if they own none but of their own composing they reject Davids and what was left for Psalms cannot be sung without meeter or due measures of speech our use in Scripture contradicting both it by that rejection and themselves also by owning Psalms Hymns and Songs and dis-owning meeter or Poetry for never was there Song Hymn or Psalm sung forth as it ought to be but it had
inherent Graces who put off the Saints or believing sinners best robe I see not The Setters and Abettors of this Sect would be more narrowly watched and according to their crimes stigmatized There is one * This for each Parliament man by George Fox page ult hath suggested to the Right Honorable Parliament after this maner All that have a word from the Lord seek not to stop them and limit them from speaking it by the counsel of those Teachers which are made by the will of man and have not the word of the Lord according to the word of the Lord they are to be stopt and to be silent And after the same measure shall it not be meted out to them But whereas he concludeth with an Interrogation that hath a sting in the tayl Is there any law or limit to be made to limit the Spirit of God I shall close with Christ his own charge for the purity and peace of the Churches which some * Brightman Cotton of no mean account do conceive was partly fulfilled by the Edict of Darius Ezra 6. 11 13. * Cant. 2. 15. Take us the Foxes the little Foxes that spoil the Vines for our Vines have tender grapes Now that Your Highness and Your Honors may be all as Angels of God discerning the false spirits and the true such as proceed out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet from Him that proceedeth from the Father and from the Son that Ye may be established in the old and present Truth that Ye may be preserved blameless that all men may acknowledge their Mercies under Your Government that Your Graces may be heightned yet to farther Service of the Lord and his peoples Interest in the three Nations And that Ye may be prospered in all Your high undertakings at home and abroad for Glory to the Highest is and shall be the Prayer of Your HIGHNES and Your HONORS Meanest Servant in the Gospel JOHN STALMAM TO THE CHURCH of CHRIST Which is at TERLING Grace be with you mercy and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father in Truth and Love Beloved in our Lord JESUS AS you were obedient in my absence while I was removed from you for a season so I have endeavored since my return that the Truth of the Gospel might continue with you and therefore have I not given place by subjection no not for an hour to any that have attempted to bring another Gospel among you though there is not another but there be some that have troubled others and would by perverting the Gospel have troubled you also Yet blessed and praised be God who hath kept you in the hour of temptation and helped you to keep the Word of his Patience and not deny his Name That you and yours may ever be preserved when this my earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved I have drawn up this REPLY and do commend it to your diligent perusal charging you in the Lord that you redeem some time for the reading of it especially such of you as have allowed spare hours for the reading of the Adversaries Pamphlets It is above a year since the first of the Sect called Quakers came into the Town and scattered his opinions You had then cautions given you from the Lord. Remember them I beseech you lest you be carried about as the stubble whisked and Heb. 13. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whirl'd about here and there in a circle with the wind of diverse and strange doctrines diverse in colour from the truth and strange to the Scripture-language or meaning of the Spirit speaking in the Scripture Beware of wheeling to the right hand or to the left Take heed what you hear and how you hear Beware of the leaven of the Quaking Pharisees and Sadduces It argues weakness at the best and childishness in the best if they be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine Children will run after a bubble in the wind or on the water a feather on the ground or froth upon the waves Be not like them or as giddy hearers that have no mould but what the next Novellist casts them into Diverse and strange doctrines such as these men I deal with especially open out of their packs tend much to the unsetling of the judgement and disquiet John 10. 5. of the conscience It is a Character of Christs sheep to keep the ear close to his voice they know not the voice of strangers whereas goats will receive those that come in their own name and they whose names are not written in the Lambs John 5. 43. Booke of Life will wonder and wander after thâ— beast and the Rev. 13. 8. false prophet the Doctors and Doctrines of Antichrist But it is a good thing * Heb. 13. 9. saith the Holy Spirit that the heart be established with grace It is eminently benâ—ficial against all distracting opinions to have your souls and consciences established with the doctrine faith and sense of Gods free Favor in Christ and with the experimental exercise of Grace in Gospel-worship 1. The doctrine of his redeeming purchasing grace his pardoning of sinners and reconciling them to himself according to his free electing love establisheth against the thoughts of our greatest unworthiness for the free gift of Christ and his righteousness for justification of life reigneth over all your guilt and the design of Grace is to bring all that obey the doctrine of Grace into a kingdom of Grace and to settle a crown of Life and Glory upon the poor unworthy sinner Hold fast to this as not onely it is free but full The Gospel of our salvation is so full as it answereth all the souls necessities partly from the fulness of the person the Son of God our Savior God and man in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily If there be all-sufficiency of power love will faithfulness in God to save 't is in Christ yea the fulness of Gods vindicative Justice is satisfied and glorified in him This we teach for your heart-satisfaction and settlement partly from the fulness of the covenant whereby God makes over Christ and Life to us which is heart-establishing as 't is founded in the blood of Christ as it is the efflux and issue of Gods everlasting love as all the promises are Yea and Amen in Christ and as the Covenant is of the nature of a Testament which is more absolute then ordinary contracts in full force Heb 9. 16. by the death of the Testator written not onely in the Scriptures the Old Copy and the New but in the hearts of Believers Heb. 8. 10. God begins with promises and writes them and then his Commands are all inlayed and inamel'd with the promises This Heb. 6. 17. Covenant is confirmed by an Oath to shew the immutability of his counsel and
to settle the hearts and hopes of them that flee thither for refuge with strong consolation In a word the Covenant of Grace excludes works as any condition of life for it is the declaration of Gods way of saving by Grace according to the Election of Grace which if it be of Grace as it is then Rom. 11. 6. is it not at all of works These meditations are heart-establishing you will say in wavering times and all Doctrines agreeable to the fulness of Christ and his Covenant are so David found it so so may you It was a soft pillow to David God 2 Sam. 23 5. hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure on his Death-bed whereon to rest his head so it will be to all that take hold on it and mix it with faith For secondly it is not the Doctrine of the Gospel abstractly considered but as believed that will establish you Faith establisheth Col. 1. 23. by its object acts reflections and fruits Continue in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which ye have heard Consider brethren what you believe and in whom ye have believed Christ and his righteousness without you is a sure foundation for your Faith to Isaiah 28. 18. build upon He that believeth on him shall not be ashamed unsetled beaten off Faith gives you an evidence of things not seen and makes things absent present Every act of Faith tends to your establishment having some certainty in its bosom and bowels and so much as strives against doubting and that shall not miscarry in the issue and event But reflections of Faith help on yet more to stedfastness When you know you do 1 Pet. 3. 21. believe then you have the answer of a good conscience wherewith comes peace and liberty Peace with God is discerned and peace with Conscience is setled hereby in much serenity with liberty of access to the Throne of Grace and of making your Appeals to God by vertue of Christs blood sprinkled on the Conscience and by reason of the Acquittance which Christ received for the Believer at his resurrection His discharge is ours and hence the other benefits which Faith brings along with it of Vnion with Christ Communion with God Justification Redemption Adoption and Sanctification But if with the Doctrine and Faith of the Gospel there comes thirdly the Grace of sense or the sense of Gods grace and love in all that is taught and believed how is the heart established by the holy Rom. 5. 5. Spirit that is given us This Spirit is both the seal of what is past the witness of what is present and the earnest of what is to come making all that is in reversion as sure to us as that which is already in our possession Adde unto this fourthly Experimental exercise of grace in all Gospel-institutions and what establishment shall your hearts want now or hereafter Communion with God in Gospel-Ordinances gives rest and satisfaction when we finde the effect of Water-baptism and of Infant-baptism in Christs blood and the Spirits regeneration when we discern the effect of Bread and Wine-Lords-supper in Christs presence at his Table and the quicknings of his Spirit in our singing Davids Psalms and Scripture-spiritual songs use of publique as private Prayer ministery of the Word c. Your souls brethren cannot but finde it eminently helpful to be established with this Gospel-grace First you have hereby an Antidote against all poison of diverse and strange Doctrines Your hearts are as ships well-ballasted against all contrary winds The Doctrine of Free-grace rightly understood believed and adhered to doth at once dispel and scatter all Popish and Arminian fogs The fulness of Christ believed lays open the emptiness of Quakerism The Covenant and Promises grasped by Faith are as the little stone which they say the Bee takes up to flie with in a high wind so as the biggest blasts shall not dash you to the ground Let who will say that Christ doth not justifie by a righteousness without us the Scripture saith We are made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. and the Grace of Faith carries out the Soul for righteousness and life in another viz. Christ of this the Spirit with the Conscience and Experience of Believers beareth witness Let the poor Quakers say that the Scriptures are not the word of God the heart that believeth and experienceth the power of the Scripture changing and transforming will finde him a liar and blasphemer Let them say that will they have no sin dwelling in them and their warfare is at an end a gracious heart will slight and despise these Contradictions to all the Experiences of the Saints held forth in Scripture Let them say there is no Baptism of water or let them call the Lords Supper as used by the Churches a humane Invention because they have found no comfort in it or by it the heart established in the faith of the Institution will give them the lie and although he findes not these seals always alike efficacious yet he knows and believeth them always to be the Lords Ordinances and to have a promise of efficacy annexed to them which God will make good at his day and hour and not at our season Secondly The fears which false doctrine terrifieth the Conscience withal are removed and made to vanish Fears of non-acceptance by reason of daily failings in duties fears of falling away totally and finally are expelled by the pure doctrine of faith and of justification by grace alone and by nothing inherent in us as a habit or adherent to us as an act c. Thirdly There is this advantage all pretended Revelations are cast off dreams are not hearkned unto leading from the Scriptures The faith of a Promise makes things as sure to your souls as if God had spoken immediately from the Clouds The sense of Gods Love is as sweet as a rapture into the third Heavens Moses and the Prophets are as sure to a gracious heart as if one arose from the dead for he could not bring up greater Truths or stronger Arguments of perswasion then are found in the Scriptures he could not speak more pathetically with higher strains and stronger lines with more majesty of stile and elegancy of phrase or sweeter floods of eloquence or with more plainness and godly simplicity then the Spirit expresseth himself in the Scripture holding forth all along an evidence and demonstration of himself with holy harmony and efficacy Fourthly When your hearts are established with Gospelgracious Doctrine Faith Sense and Experience thereof you are fortified against all powerful temptations Sometime the soul is tempted to forsake Ordinances but faith of that promise that the house of Jacob shall not seek God in vain keeps Isaiah 45. 19. the heart close to means of Gods appointment Sometime the Christian is tempted to go to a second Baptism or to
the Scripture Against their magnifying of every mans light and the Law within them Mr. Saltmarsh hath this savory passage The natural Law Rom. 2. 14 15. Flowings of Christs blood page 6. is but weak in respect of any transforming power it hath as the Law of the Spirit hath in it self We see in a clear frosty night though the moon shines very bright and the stars too yet not so but it is cold and hard as if there were no light at all c. If R. F. stumbled at that passage * Ib. page 146 Though the Law be a beam of Christ in substance and matter yet we are not to live by the light of one beam now when the Sun of righteousness is risen himself He might have recovered himself by that which followeth * Ib page 150 There is a doctrine of holiness in the Gospel as of grace and love Gospel commands fits man who is made up of flesh and spirit and so hath need of a Law without and in the Letter as well as in the heart and spirit The Law is spiritual but we are carnal Rom. 7. nor can such a state of flesh and spirit be ordered by a Law onely within c. He might have learned how the justified person is perfect while his sanctification is imperfect A person justified or in covenant is as pure in the Ib. page 129. sight of God as the righteousness of Christ can make him though not so in his own eyes that there may be work for faith because God sees his onely in Christ not in themselves He might have been instructed That Christ is not ours by an act of our own but Gods Ib. page 188. God imputing and accounting Against the dream of perfect sanctification in their sense he might have observed such a passage as this The body of sin is in a Ib. page 67. Believer more or less till he lay down this body and take up a glorious one And again Can you have any assurance that the change that is in any childe of God in this life or their sanctification is such in any particular act or work as there is no spot of sin in it is it not mixt of flesh and spirit If he grew sick of opinion by one passage he might have been cured and relieved by some other But whatever were that good mans Naevi blemishes or specks my Antagonist and his fellows are transported with another kinde of spirit even with that of Marcion and Montanus and his Enthusiastical Associates and the Manichees who troubled the Church as a very learned Brother * Dr. John Owen vindic Evang Pref. to the Readers page 4. hath already hinted with their madness and folly and with that spirit which acted the fanatick and furious Libertines who called themselves spiritual in Calvin's time ninety years ago who placed our redemption in this That Christ was but as a Type Image or Exemplar in whom all those things were figured which were required to our salvation Moreover as they imagine saith Calvin Caeterum ut imaginantur nemo nostrûm non est Christus quodque in ipso factum est in omnibus effectum dicunt Calvini Opuscula Instructio adversus Libertinos pag. 214. there is not one of us but is Christ and what was done in him they say is performed in all Hence one Quintinus * Quomodo inquit an Christus male habere potest pag. 215. was very angry as often as he was asked How he did How said he can it be otherwise then well Christ * Christus ipsis idolum est 10. a Deum blasphemari alunt siquis limentetur aut sensum aliquem doloris prae se serat ibid. pag 217. They as that most learned and godly man saith make an idol of Christ Further as he noteth a They say that God is blasphemed if any bewails his condition or makes a shew of any sense of grief So as a by their opinion to a Sic corum sententia veterem Adamum mortificare nibil aliud est quam nihil discernere ibid. pag. 218. mortifie the old man is nothing else but to be sensible of nothing b Siquis peccata sua considerans sibi displiceat ac moerore afficiatur peccatum adhuc in ipso regnare aiunt sensu carnis suae captivum teneri ib. pag. 219. For if any be displeased with himself and grieved upon the consideration of his sins they say sin reigneth in him and that he is held captive by the feeling of his own-corruption Such a spirit follows these men as acted H. N. in Flanders who wrote seven and twenty small Treatises and Epistles to brood the Sect and broach the doctrine of the Familists admired by some at this day that understand not the mystery of iniquity See Answ to a famous Libel of ◠◠by John Rogers printed An. 1579. therein or love not the truth in Scripture but are given up to strong delusions that they might believe a lie The lie of perfect holiness and justification thereby The lie of the light in every man to be Christ And that Adam was nothing but the old man or corrupt qualities and Christ nothing else but the new man or new qualities Hence our men make nothing of the Historical letter of Christs Death Resurrection c. but turn all into an Allegory and according to H. N. * Joyful message of the kingdom by H. N. p. 170. they are ready to call those things meer lies which the Scripture-learned through the knowledge which they get out of the Scripture bring in institute preach and teach From what spirit that H. N. wrote may clearly be discerned by that one piece of his translated out of base Almayn into English An 1652 wherein after all his exotick and uncouth divinity c See from page 153. to 163. he plainly cries up the Catholique Church of Rome the Holy Father the Pope his Cardinals his Bishops his Parish-priests his Deacons his Sextons and Monks and condemneth them that have deserted Rome as having unorderly rejected and blasphemed the Services and Ceremonies of the Catholick Church rented the Concord and nurturable Sustentation of the same and turned away therefrom The scope of the book is but to lead captive to Babylon all blinded Professors who hold not the Truth if ever they received it in the love of it Yet again such a spirit haunts these men called Quakers as professed Jacob Behme in Germany about thirty years by-past He slights * Two Theosophical Epistles p 24. the righteousness imputed from without so do they * Concerning the Election of Grace by J. Behme p. 81 and 142. He magnifieth the little spark within whereby the Father he saith draws them all to Christ and teacheth all within them thereby so say they In Adam a Ib. page 118 quoth he stood the kingdom of grace and R. Farnworth will not have Adam stand in innocency under
the Exposition of Rom 7. from ver 14. to the end of the Chapter understanding it of a man unregenerate in conflict with a natural conscience and not simply of one regenerate in combat with corruption of nature in every faculty of the soul How far the spirit of Antichrist works in these men God will yet farther discover and what Jesuitical Plots and Designs there are carried on by some of them unwittingly by others as wickedly as wittingly the day shall declare it And if any will take the pains to compare their Pamphlets with the Charge which Dr. Willet drew up about forty years Supplement to Synopsis Papismi by-past against the Papists he shall finde that Quakerism is built upon the Tetrastylon or four-fold Pillar of Papistry viz. 1. Sarcasms slanders railings and forgeries 2. Flat blasphemies and contradictions to Scripture 3. Loose arguments weak solutions c. 4. Repugnant opinions and contradictions among themselves in all leaving the consciences of people upon the Rack or full of doubts and uncertainties For the undermining of which Pillars the learned and unlearned the simple and judicious are alarum'd First to a more assiduous and studious reading of the Scriptures Get you Bibles 't is your Souls physick said Chrysostom of old to the people his hearers There is no greater torment to the devils then to see men busied about the Scriptures said * Orig. another before him But because it is as much pleasure to the devils to see men abuse and wrest the Scriptures ye are called Beloved Secondly to the owning of them in their just Authority above all Testimonies of ancient Writers and modern Authors who were but men subject to infirmities in the head as heart Above the Churches Testimony which gives no authority to the Scriptures but onely declare what is intrinsecally stamped upon them Above the testimony of your own hearts and consciences which must receive a true judgement from the right understanding and application of the Scripture bove all visions and revelations which if false draw from the voice of Scripture if true they send you thither as to your Rule and a more standing Rule and above all the Pamphlets of the Quakers now swelled to above two volumes Thirdly to a dependence upon the Spirit speaking in the Scriptures to seal up their Authority to you and to give the efficacy of what you read and hear Gods Spirit breathes in good mens books much more in his own and is there as to seal up the truth of his Word so to stamp the goodness of every truth upon our hearts As for this Reply what you finde therein agreeable to the Spirit of God his language of plain and naked Scripture-truth receive in the love of it and give God the glory I onely intreat as * Tantum oro ut cum petitis etiam Tertulliani peccatoris memineritis Tert. lib. de Bap. one before me of his Readers that in your prayers which should usher in all our other work or recreation and that of reading books you would remember him also who though he hath obtained mercy to be faithful yet hath cause enough to subscribe himself The sinful JOHN STALHAM The Heads of their Contradictions 1. To the Scriptures 1 Concerning THe Scriptures 2 Concerning The Trinity 3 Concerning The Light within 4 Concerning The Law 5 Concerning Sin 6 Concerning Justification 7 Concerning Regeneration 8 Concerning Sanctification and its Perfection 9 Concerning Christian warfare 10 Concerning Repentance 11 Concerning The means of Grace 12 Concerning Baptism 13 Concerning Lords Supper 14 Concerning Prayer 15 Concerning Singing 16 Concerning Elders and Ordination 17 Concerning Ministers maintenance 18 Concerning Immediate Calling 19 Concerning Immediate Teaching 20 Concerning Questions 21 Concerning Civil Honor. 22 Concerning Swearing 2. To themselves 1 Concerning THe Scriptures 2 Concerning Hearing the Word 3 Concerning The Light within 4 Concerning Sin 5 Concerning Christ 6 Concerning Justification 7 Concerning Immediate Teaching 8 Concerning Perfection 9 Concerning Quaking and Trembling 10 Concerning Growth in Grace 11 Concerning Forms of Religion 12 Concerning Fruits of the Spirit 13 Concerning Ordinances 14 Concerning Speech and Silence 15 Concerning Elders 16 Concerning Conscience and Laws THE Reviler rebuked OR A Reply to R. FARNWORTH HIS INTRODUCTION BEfore I can fall upon the Subject of the Controversies between me and my Antagonist I must touch at his Introduction wherein he mentioneth his receiving of my Book renews his charge against me gives a seeming proof of his charge and concludes with a Thundering Anathema 1. What he received A Printed Paper as he calls it slightingly that came out of Scotland into York and Yorkshire in England published by one John Stalham Preacher of the Gospel at Edinburgh That little piece of three sheets and a half J. S. owneth as published by him and that he called himself Preacher of the Gospel at Edinburgh for the present as was inserted it was because for some time he had been and then continued preaching of the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ to his Auditors from Rom. 15. 29. with other Scriptures And for as much as that great truth of the Gospel was openly opposed by one of the Sect called Quakers touching the justification of a believing sinner he was called to enquire after the opinions of the said Sect and to draw up his collections from divers of their Pamphlets which he referred unto several Heads of their Scripture and Self-contradictions wherein he is Secondly Charged by R. F. to have manifested himself and his subtile serpentine Spirit by his lies and slanders for all his glosses and covers to be a minister of deceit and so of Antichrist of all this or any part of it J. S. is no ways conscious nor of his falsly accusing the people of the Lord suppose any people of the Lord be fallen into the errors and opinions of the Quakers as he is charitably jealous some are surprized therewith nor of shewing forth a bitter spirit of envy against them and the truth The Lord knows he loveth all the people of the Lord for the Truths sake that dwelleth in them and pitieth those who are over-run with these errors as with a running Itch or sore as he himself would be loved and pitied who is not absolutely free of error although the particular fruit is not in these matters of difference visible to him yet the root of all error as of all sin is in him and seen by him not throughly in all degrees mortified As for any of his painted and deckt Notions Implications and Contra-distinctions his gilded coloured borrowed and form'd up imagined Expressions he thinketh R. F. had a minde to please himself and some of his Readers with seeming shadows of Rhetorick which J. S. never affected but clothed all he wrote with a familiar home-spun stile as he shall this Reply Thirdly The seeming proof of the Charge is That with the Light John 8. 12. John 1. 9. R. F. thinketh J. S.
which is delivered and preached to the Wicked to the Dissemblers and to the Ungodly is even as well Gods word as that which is preached to the good and godly upright Christians And I may adde even so are the Scriptures that word which condemneth unbelievers already But as he again The Sectaries understand not the strength of Gods word read or preached and we may wonder with him that they write and teach so much of the Scriptures or of Gods word seeing they so little regard the same For whatsoever R. F. saith of his and their owning of the Scriptures hearken to what follows in his backing of Scripture-contradiction That the Scriptures are the Word God and eternal The Scriptures are the word of God and truly so called Life as thou wouldest have them thou canst not prove nor all the Magicians to help thee Here is good stuff kitchin-stuff or smoak out of the bottomless pit 1. Take the Word for the Son of God where did I ever attempt to prove the Scriptures to be the Son of God God and eternal Life The Lord rebuke this false spirit 2. Because I with others call the Scriptures as they are and as they speak themselves to be the word of God are we therefore Magicians The Lord again rebuke this reviling spirit R. F. and others may talk of owning and owning the Scriptures as often as they fancy it but they honor them not I am sure who deny them that title of honor The Word of God Shall R. F. his Pamphlets be called his Books his Writings and his Words and shall not that which God hath written be called Gods written Word He answers nothing to that place in Hosea 8. 12. nor could that stripling J. P. * At Coggshall sometime give any reason against the Argument drawn from it viz. That which God hath written is the word of God But God hath written the Scriptures Therefore the Scriptures are the word of God R. F. Objecteth such as witness to the word and Gods power witness against thee to strengthen the new-coyned distinction is it which was given me in Scotland The Scripture is not the word of truth but the witness of Gods power Why I grant it to be both the word and the witness The Scriptures are Gods words and Gods testimonies some make The Scripture is Gods Word and Witness also them two witnesses Revel 11. But I reasoned thus by way of Quere How can the Scripture be Gods witness if not true how is it true if not the word of truth R. F. undertakes to answer That the Spirit of truth in the Prophets and in the Apostles did carry them forth to witness what of Christ is declared in the Scriptures by words that proceeded from the Spirit of truth Had he gone no further he had pretily well quitted himself but he addeth by way of objection The Spirit is not in the Letter neither is the Spirit given by the Letter but by God and Christ and yet he grants presently in the same Page 2. The Letter proceeded from the Spirit By the Letter I meant when I said pag. 22 of my book the Spirit is in the Letter c. the whole Scripture and so I suppose doth he Now the whole Scripture is given The Letter in a large sense and Scripture all one by inspiration of God the Father Son and Spirit who is 1. Where he breathes forth truth holiness c. all along 2. Where he speaketh The Scriptures are the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. Will R. F. by denying the Spirit to be in the Scriptures stop the mouth and breath of God What How the Spirit is in the Scripture-letter profane boldness is this Can he hold the winde in his fist and restrain the Spirit from giving forth himself by the Letter or Scripture when the Spirit will make good his promise to bless the reading of it I think he is not so full of presumption yet he presumes to say The Spirit is not given by the Letter What thinks he of Scripture-promises did he never finde the Spirit warming his heart by the reading of them He speaks as if he knew nothing of the Spirits consolations enlightnings teachings or convictions by the Scriptures And he writes as if he would have none read the Letter of Scriptures in faith of a blessing by them but to think when they are reading of them they are cracking a hollow shell that hath no kernell in it or drinking a draught of dilute wine that hath no spirits in it or reading of his and his fellows Pamphlets wherein the Spirit of God is not present by any gracious operation but the spirit of Satan for the most part unto efficacy of delusion His simple Reader may think the words that follow tend much to the honor of the Spirit of God The Letter proceeded from the Spirit but the Spirit did not proceed from the Letter but such expressions as disparage the Scriptures will never bring honor to the Spirit which is in them and worketh by them what disparagement is there in these words to the Scriptures will the simple-hearted say 1. The phrase Letter is extenuating as if all the The Letter taken strictly is but legal administration 2 Cor. 3. 6. explained Scripture were Law or had a Legal administration as the Apostle useth it 2 Cor. 3. 6. in a strict sence The Letter killeth i. e the bare legal command without a promise of power or pardon as a bare letter void of strength life and spirit it leaveth all men under a killing sentence and curse Now thus to represent all parts of the Scripture is to affright men from the reading hearing or regarding of it 2. The Letter or Scripture is set by R. F. in other passages in such opposition to the Spirit as if the Spirit disowned it after he hath caused it to be written no way accompanieth it with his power The Spirit proceeds not from How the Spirit proceeds not from the Scripture and how he doth proceed from by with it the Scripture-Letter in respect of his Essence or Being he is God of himself nor in respect of his personal subsistence which is of the Father or from the Father and from the Son of which R. F. is ignorant or inadvertent denying him page 8. to be a Person but in respect of his operation 1. Improperly it may be said the Spirit proceedeth from the Scripture as a man goes from his outward shop to work in his inner room so the Spirit proceedeth from that which he hath put within the Book or Bible into the heart to work a sweet ingraven work there 2. Properly and plainly he proceeds by the Scripture and with the Scripture to effect and beget that in the soul which is like himself Spiritual and like the Scripture holy and good That is but a bravado therefore which he addes in the close of his second Page Therein thou hast erred not
knowing the Spirit nor power of God declared in the Scriptures Rep. 1. Wherein have I erred who never exprest my self so dubiously as thus the Spirit proceedeth from the Letter but thus The Spirit is given by it The Scripture is but instrumental to the Spirit yet so instrumental he makes it as whatsoever R. F. thinketh of me I know and remember that my first awakening of conscience was by the Spirit and from the power of God upon my spirit as I was reading that Scripture Heb. 10. 26. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth c. The Spirit which gave this Scripture gave forth his convictions by it to my heart What if I say his Terrors as by that in Isa 5. 18. at the ministers reading of the Text and preaching upon it will R. F. or any other say why then dost thou not own our Trembling and Quaking I shall reply to R. F. why doth he reject all my Epistle to the Readers in my former piece where I gave some characters of true Trembling and to all others with him I subjoyn such is the power of the Spirit in and by the Scripture True Trembling is at the truth and power in Scripture and leads thereunto that there is a wide difference between the trembling from a supposed Revelation that is not by nor according to the Scripture but leads men both from it and from the due honor to be given to it and the trembling which ariseth from the Scripture-revelation and from the Spirit speaking in that which is read and heard out of it The former I judge to be theirs who pretend to the Spirit without and beside the Scripture the latter I own and all that the Lord hath wrought upon by the word will own it with me The account which that famous Francis Junius gives of the Spirits working by the Letter of Scripture is upon record * Vita Francisci Junii After he had drunk in that which stirred up in him the seeds of Atheism and had vented something that way before his father and had profited nothing by Sermons to this present time he takes up the new Testament laid before him by his father and reads the former part of the first chapter of John In the beginning was the Word c. Ita commoveor legens c. as it first came to his hand and view Whereby saith he I was so stirred that suddenly I perceived the divinity of Horrebat corpus stupebat animus c. the Argument and the majesty and authority of the style very far excelling all the floods of humane eloquence my body trembled my minde was astonished and I was so affected all that day that I knew not where and what I was And from that time forward he gave himself to the study of the Scriptures and read other books but coldly and carelesly in comparison Here was the mighty operation of the Spirit accompanying the Letter here was a right Scripture efficacy from the Spirits application of it to the conscience As God declares his Spirit and power or speaks of them in the Scriptures so he declares or exerts and puts forth his Spirit and power by them and that upon their hearts who do not believe In this first Section of my book I had noted another of their Contradictions viz. of James Naylers * A few words of J. Nayler pag. 10. 11. thus now more fully Thou callest the Scriptures a standing Rule but it is not so to you who cannot believe that ever it shall be fulfilled in you as it was given out by the holy Ghost Contrary I said so Luke 16. 26. They have Moses and the Prophets for a standing Rule let them hear them and ver 31. If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Here the Scriptures are asserted to be a more standing rule then visions and revelations R. F. * Pag. 3. 4. calls the simple-hearted to judge of my deceitful perverting of this Scripture for my own ends from it raising a false doctrine Rep. Let simple and wise also examine the proofs and reasons of this charge and of his denial of the Scriptures The Scripture a standing Rule 1. To be a standing rule at all or to any 2. To be a more standing rule c. The shew of reason he gives for the first I shall faithfully and for conviction if the Lord please of this Gain-sayer uncase and discover the weakness and nakedness thereof 1. The verse saith not so Rep. The 29 verse meaneth Luke 16. 29. cleared and vindicated and intendeth no less Scripture-sense is Scripture as our Lord teacheth us to reason from John 7. 38. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water The Scripture no where had said so in so many express letters syllables and words but it saith it in the scope and sense and it speaks as much as amounts thereunto So doth this place for the Scriptures being a standing rule there is the sense of what I spake They have Moses and the Prophets for what for a cypher No but for a rule Let them hear them for what if not to testifie unto them as was desired ver 28. that they might repent as was expected ver 30. if one came from the dead Hence I reason They that constantly testifie in their writings from God how unbelievers should escape hell torments they are in their writings a standing rule to them that do not believe as to all other But Moses and the Prophets do constantly testifie in their writings from God how unbelievers should escape hell torments Therefore Moses and the Prophets in their writings are a standing rule to them that do not believe And therefore again R. F. his charging of me in the presence of God to be a liur of the Scriptures will by the Lord one day be made to fall upon his own pate or conscience notwithstanding his second reason thus If Moses and the Prophets had been left to all and for ever for a standing rule then Christ and the Apostles might not have been after Moses and the Prophets for following examples or rules Rep. It followeth not for Christ and the Apostles brought no new rule for the substance but onely cleared and enlarged it in what was Moral and Evangelical so that R. F. is beside the cushion when he addeth And therein thou bringest the old Covenant to contradict the new What he meaneth by the old Covenant I know not very well or what by the new The old Covenant in Scripture phrase and meaning What the old Covenant what the new was but the old administration the new Covenant the new copy of the same Will and Testament Heb. 8. 13. the same for substance before as now Moses wrote of Christ John 5. 46. The Prophets from Samuel and
those that follow after as many as have spoken have likewise foretold of these days the days of the New Testament and the things of Christ Acts 3. 24. As God spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began Luke 1. 70. There is no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New in the sense I have given therefore none in my collection from Luke 16. That Christ asserts the Scriptures to be a standing rule 3. Reason It crosseth many Scriptures as Ephes 5. 1. Rom. 8. 14. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Rep. Not one of these nor any other for the Scripture cannot doth not contradict it self how ever it seems so to them that understand them not and have not will or skill to clear the harmony The first Scripture alledged Ephes 5. 1. requires that Ephes 5. 1. opened Christians be followers of God as dear children Dear children of God will minde their Fathers will in Moses and the Prophets and if we be followers of God we must follow him in his whole written word as it is plain in the Old or as it is explained and cleared in the Books of the New Testament The second Scripture Rom. 8. 14. hath nothing against Rom 8. 14. vindicated The Spirit leads by his Letter the Scripture rule however R. F. improveth it to his purpose thus They that follow him in the Gospel are led by his Spirit and that is not the Letter for although the Letter is not the Spirit yet the Letter is the Spirits Letter and they that follow God in the Gospel do and dare not upon the hazard of disobedience to their Father but follow him in the Spirits written Gospel seeing the Spirits inward leading and guidance is to the same obedience which the Scripture leads unto The Spirit leads by and to the Scripture never from it as the Spirit in Seducers doth The third Scripture 2 Cor. 3. 17. God is that Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 17. vindicated what then Then the Spirits Letter is Gods Letter I can conclude Or thus The written word of the Spirit is the very written word of God and again God that gave the Letter gives the Spirit with it and by it with it even to those that yet are unbelieving and are ever resisting the Spirit speaking in it and from it Nehem. 9. 20. Acts 7. 51. By it to those whom he effectually preventeth and calleth home to himself or buildeth up Acts 8. 35. Acts 10. 34. with 44. But R. F. his drift in quoting the words above to make people believe that because God or the Lord is that Spirit as saith that Scripture therefore that and all the rest of the Scripture is not a standing rule which follows as much as if it should be said God is the Lord therefore the creature is not his creature I shall for his learning and better improvement of that Text turn the edge of his allegation against himself If that Scripture saith The Lord is that Spirit then that Scripture is the rule for me and him also to believe the Lord is that Spirit and if that Scripture be not fallen out of its authority it is a standing rule for us so to believe but that Scripture says as much and R. F. runs to the authority of it as yet in force therefore that Scripture is a standing rule for the faith of that truth and consequently other Scriptures are the rule for other truths and all Scripture for all truth what we are to believe and what to practise A fourth Argument seems to be drawn from current experience But we follow God who are guided by the Spirit and that is our guide and rule to wit the Spirit of truth Rep. 1. Whose experience is this whom means he by we If onely himself and his companions who deny the Scriptures to be a rule then I deny they are guided by the Spirit of God who breathing forth the Scriptures and guiding men to write them guides men to read hear believe and obey them as their rule If by we he means all sober Saints and godly conscientious Readers not so in his opinion but really so and if he meaneth by the Spirit the Spirit of God then I appeal to all such and all the Saints who love the truth in sincerity whether they have the Spirit for their guide without or not rather with and by the Scriptures The Spirit indeed is promised to be the Saints guide John 16. 13. but it is neither there said although John 16. 13. vindicated R. F. affirms it That Christ appointed him to be the rule nor is he properly the rule but the giver of the rule and the guide unto and by the rule The schoolmaster which sets the copy is not the copy but he guides the hand of the scholar to write after the copy in like maner the Spirit of God appoints the Scripture to be written for a rule and guides the Saints to believe and live according to it Yet would R. F. have the force of a fifth Reason lie in these words Since he promised it as if the Scripture was not a rule since the Spirit was promised as well as before Surely if it was a rule before it is still the same rule as it is the same Scripture And the promise of the Spirit in a larger measure doth not in the least hinder the Scripture from being a rule but the larger measures of the Spirit help towards the understanding of that rule for a clearer and more Gospel-like administration and application 6. Reason If thou wouldst have the Letter to be the rule and Moses and the Prophets onely then thou wouldst not have Christ and the Apostles to be followed according to 1 Cor. 11. 1. Rep. 1. I used not the word onely although the Books of Moses and the Prophets when Christ referred to them Luke 16. were the onely Scriptures extant and a sufficient rule for the present 2. When Christ by his Spirit in the Apostles enlarged the Scriptures he altered not the rule for the substance of it Moses and Christ the Prophets and Apostles are so to be followed that he who leaves the one will forsake the other and he that loves the one will cleave to the other Had ye believed Moses saith Christ ye would have believed me for he wrote of me but if ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe my words John 5. 46 47. And such is the harmony of the Apostles with Moses and the Prophets that the one preached and consequently wrote no other things then what the other did say should come that Christ should suffer c. Acts 26. 22 23. What if the new Testament was written after the Old the matter contained in both is of the same concernment to believers as unbelievers What if Paul gives that godly exhortation Be ye 1 Cor. 11. 1. vindicated followers of me even as I am of Christ is Christ divided Is not Christ
hath spoken all his sense under the words which he directed holy men to express his minde by and therefore without going forth of Scripture to any private spirit the true and sure interpretation of Scripture may be obtained which if first we know and be perswaded of we may confidently be perswaded still to take heed thereunto as unto a more sure word and as a help in all our darknesses c. But J. Nayler thinks this a blinde absurdity For saith Discovery c. pag. 30. he if the Testimony of the old Prophets was a more sure word then that which Peter heard from the mouth of God then it must needs follow that the Testimony of the old Prophets who spoke but darkly of Christ and did not see his day must be a more sure Testimony then the Apostles who were eye-witnesses and the words of Books a more sure word then the voice that came from heaven which was the immediate voice of God Rep. All this grant but the testimony of Prophetical Writings to be Gods and the words of Scripture-books to be Gods books and his words may and doth follow without any absurdity at all For 1. Although the Apostles preaching was as infallibly true as the Prophets writings in themselves yet as to men and as to the Jew first and then to the Gentile and in respect of our capacity our reception and retention of truth the word of the Prophets writings was and is still more sure yea the Apostles writings such as the holy Spirit moved them to write and hath ordered to be the Scripture of the New Testament are in the forenamed respect a more sure word then their preachings hence it is that Paul perswaded the Jews Acts 28. 23. both out of the law of Moses and out of the Prophets 2. Although Gods immediate voice from heaven hath as infallible certainty as when he orders his minde to be written yet in respect of our frailty and the above-mentioned cases his written word is more sure to us and we have it so left upon record for our constant use Let not then J. Nayler * Discovery c. as above pag. 30. mislead the simple with great swelling words of vanity concerning our blindness about the Spirit of prophecy as the sure word and testimony of Jesus excluding thereby the Spirit from the Scriptures and the Scriptures from being the word of Prophecy and the sure Testimony of Jesus For Jesus Christ appointed John to write because the words he sent and signified to him by the Angel were true and faithful And when the Angel observed what John was about viz. to worship him Rev. 19. 10. he forbad Rev. 19 10. vindicated him upon two Reasons 1. He was his fellow-servant and of the brethren that have the testimony of Jesus 2. The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy And John having the Testimony of Jesus as well as the Angel though not so immediately he had the Spirit of Prophecy so have all they who have the true sense of Scripture and of Johns Revelation though they received it not by the Angel as John did because the Spirit was with John as with others when he wrote and he that hath an Rev. 3. last ear is commanded to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches in that written word with the rest of the Scripture The Testimony of Jesus immediately given and received is hath in it and carrieth with it the Spirit of Prophecy as that Testimony which is immediately given and received All they that call off from the mediate Testimony may boast of the immediate but do not discover it Let not J. Nayler * Sauls errand to Damascus pag. 33. again upbraid us with his ignorant question Where readest thou in the Scriptures of a written Word It is no more then if he had said Where readest thou in the Scriptures of the Scriptures Let not J. Parnel * Christ exalted c. p 3. further revile us with doting upon the Scriptures without with our dark mindes when as God hath appointed the voices of the Prophets which are read * Acts 13 27. and preached upon with the voices of the Apostles every Sabbath day as a light shining in a dark place and as a more sure word for our daily use then his immediate voice from heaven Let him not heap up Scriptures to press the Scriptures to death Let him not make the world believe we would take the Authority from Christ because we own Christs Authority in the Scriptures and acknowledge them as instrumental unto Christs saving enlightning of us guiding quickning ruling of us Let him beware of despising Scripture lest he sin more wilfully after his first conviction by the Scripture He that would set Christ upon his throne as he pretends to do must not take the Scepter the Scriptures and what is preached faithfully from thence out of his hand This doth J. Parnel with R. F. and that generation of men who have learned as they imagine beyond the Scripture-Light and need neither man nor Scripture to teach them Yet I will unteach their misinterpretations of Scripture as they fall in my way that people may not further be deluded but undeceived In that one sheet of Paper * Christ exalted c. J. Parnel hath put the Conceptions and Imaginations of his own heart upon ten places of Scripture as he hath disparaged all the Scripture at once in more then one passage Christ he saith Page 1. was that Lamp to Davids feet Psalm 119. 105. Psal 119. 105 vindicated and that Light unto his paths Christ indeed gave that word to David which was his Lamp and Light but David speaks not there of Christs Person but of his Doctrine which the holy Ghost by his pen giveth several titles unto throughout the Psalm The word which David speaks of is called and was as called the Law of the Lord his Precepts or Commandments Statutes Testimonies and Judgements Christs person is not the Law of the Lord c. besides what ver 105. is in the singular number thy word is ver 103 57 139. in the plural number thy words Christs person is not two or many but one David therefore is commending that which J. P. is disparaging the written and declarative word of God Again Page 2. he applieth Jer. 20. 9. and 23. 29. in the like maner to Christs person when as the Section 6. Jer. 20. 9. and 23. 19. vindicated Prophet speaks of Christs Doctrine His word or message of Doctrine which God gave me to deliver was in my heart as a burning fire c. which I could no longer forbear from declaring it And Is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces By Gods word here is meant Gods saithful Doctrine which must be spoken faithfully ver 28. then it hath the power of a purging fire and of a battering hammer
and 27 verses every such man as is a Saint in one place and another where he came not yet perfect except in Justification that he may be presented perfect in Christ Jesus in holiness 3. Christs person with and by his Spirit dwelleth in every Saint with a light that never was given to every man that cometh into the world nor ever will be given 4. Though Paul preached to the world unconverted as well as to the Saints yet it was to bring them who were of Gods election among the Saints that they might be partakers of that mysterious light which they knew nothing of before But R. F. thinks if the Scripture make mention of every man it must needs include every man that is was or will be in the world therefore he addeth in the above-mentioned Pamphlet The Apostle saith to the Romans That as well as to them God hath given to every man a measure of grace Rom. 12. 3. And none shall be condemned for that Rom. 12 3. vindicated which they know not but for that which they know and do not obey Whereas here 1. By every man is not meant every man that cometh into the world but that cometh into the Church or company of Saints or whether in or out of the Church yet maketh profession of Faith and hath received some supernatural gifts in measure 2. It is a measure of faith the Apostle speaketh of not a measure of grace Faith may be taken there for knowledge of Gospel-doctrine and gifts flowing from that knowledge which may be in men that are not truly sanctified or endued with saving grace 2 Thes 3. 2. All men have not 2 Thes 3. 2. opened faith not so much as knowledge of the Gospel-letter nor the general assent to Gospel-truth as very Gospel much less that justifying faith which onely the Elect have 3. Every man that cometh into the world hath not that which is termed and is but common though supernatural grace i. e. gifts freely given in common to Hypocrites and Formalists as to the Elect and effectually called of Jesus Christ 4. Every man that neither hath true saving grace nor ever lived in times and places when and where God hath given common supernatural endowments will have enough to condemn him for that which he had in Adams loins yet standing and particularly for that which he knew in him but lost yea put it away by his voluntary disobedience in whom all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. Besides for not obeying Rom. 5. 12. opened that which he knows of God of good and evil as natural conscience dictates for God Every man who hath but every mans light will at last be condemned Rom. 2. 12. For as many as have sinned without law i. e. without the written word shall also perish without law i. e. by the law witness and judgement of their own consciences which is that we call the Light of nature the Law of nature or natural Light by good warrant from Scripture and reason that things should be called as they are But to proceed Section 10. TO call the light within them and which every man hath the word of God as they frequently express their natural impressions To you all this is the word of the Lord while as they will not have the holy Scriptures so called This as I noted is still to hold up Contradiction as to the whole Scripture so to that particular place in Isaiah 8. 20. whence I inferred That Light without Scripture Isaiah 8. 20. further vindicated is no light This passage R. F. stumbleth at in his Epistle and saith It comes as the rest of my sayings from the deceitful Spirit that guides me Rep. What doth he less then fasten deceit upon the Spirit of God as far as he can the Spirit of truth who speaks in that as in all the Scripture and guided me to write as I did If they speak not according to this word saith the Spirit there speaking of the Law and the Testimony written in books and tables it is because there is no light in them How Light without Scripture is no Light What clearer and truer inference from the words of the Spirit by the Prophet could I raise then this viz. Light though said to be saving Light without Scripture i. e. besides or not according to Scripture is no Light Men may R. F. His reasons to the contrary in his Epistle dissolved call it light and light of life but the holy Ghost saith it is not so if it be not agreeable to Law and Testimony which is Scripture-light R. F. would fain disprove my inference thus 1. If light without Scripture be no light then I know not the light that was before the Scripture or Letter and so am ignorant of Christ the true light Rep. 1. It follows not for there was no light before the Scripture but what is now revealed in and by the Scripture 2. It is a learned ignorance to know no more in order to salvation then that which is in Scripture revealed The Lord give me and all his more of this learning 3. As the Spirit shews me by the Scripture that God did teach the knowledge of Christ to the Fathers before the Flood and after till Moses without a written Word so I know that all that light which the Patriarchs had concerning salvation and right worshipping of God through a Mediator was according to the Law and Testimony committed to writing in Moses time and since 2. R. F. objecteth By such a saying Light without Scripture c. I would not have God to be God and Christ to be Christ without the Letter of the Scripture Rep. 1. What an absurd that I say not malicious inconsequence is here 'T is as if one should have cavilled against Isaiah when he said To the Law and to the Testimony c. Why Isaiah if there be no light in them that bring not Scripture and that soundly interpreted according to the Spirits word thou wouldest not have God to be God nor Christ to be Christ without the Scripture The charge of R. F. is not against me but contradictious to that Prophet and to the Spirit For when God gives a written Law Doctrine or Rule and Touchstone to try even Prophets and Apostles Doctrine by he that shall speak things discrepant from this Canonical Word speaks as we say without book without ground or warrant without or besides and consequently against the Light of a Rule and against the Spirit that gave the Rule 2. God who was God from everlasting and much more before he appointed his minde to be delivered in writing Isaiah 8 20. farther cleared hath thus given out his minde in that written Text by Isa 8. 20. consult but the verse before When they shall say unto you seek unto them that have familiar spirits c. should not a people Gods people seek unto their God where should they seek him should they go to the
wrought upon by my poor labors in Norfolk or Essex in England or Scotland stand forth as some have in their life time some on their death-bed and all the rest shall at the great day witness for me 2. In the case of lying it is charged here in a double respect First I have lyed of the truth and of them with a deceitful Page 9. spirit by twisting and winding about nothing being alledged for colour of proof I must intreat the Reader to peruse this whole Section 11. in my book * Contradictions of the Quakers c. pag. 8. 9. which consists not of above a dozen lines and three words and then I shall have better measure given me Secondly whereas he adds Thou may well lye of us that lyes of the Apostle Paul and wrests not our words onely but his also Let any indifferent person judge how he makes this out I had shewed how contrary they are who would set up the teaching by the creatures against the Scriptures to Paul asserting 1 Cor. 1. 21. that when by the wisdom of 1 Cor. 1. 21. opened and this world in all the study of the creatures men knew not God to life and salvation it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching a Text a Doctrine a Reason a Use out of the word to save them that believe R. F. excepteth two ways First There is not any such words of the Apostle as Text vindicated Doctrine Reason Vse to save them that believe and here thou hast lyed of him Rep. 1. The words a Text a Doctrine a Reason a Use were in a Parenthesis as a part of the Paraphrase with what went before By the foolishness of preaching Paul meaneth the matter he preached Christ crucified according to Scripture Text Doctrine Reason and Use which very subject preached of the Greeks and Gentiles counted foolishness and being preached according to Scripture Text c. R. F. accounteth a lye That Paul preached according to Scripture-Text which laid together one place compared with another hath Doctine Reason and Use in it let who please consult Act. 26. 22 23. and chap. 28. 23. and it will be abundantly evident 2 That God hath converted millions and saved them by this way of preaching R. F. will know one day whether he be one of the number or not 3. I used that paraphrase the rather because preaching of Christ from a Scripture-Text c. is so much despised by men of R. F. his profession and by himself after his maner jeered at * See Part 2. Sect. 27. as I afterwards noted in my book pag. 26 But let him and the rest know that heaven and earth shall fail before one Text Doctrine Reason Use or Iota of any of these in Scripture shall fall to the ground for want of truth or accomplishment Secondly he excepteth against my calling the Letter the Word as if I would make the Letter a Savior Rep. 1. This exception ariseth from the passage before mentioned a Text c. out of the word meaning out of the Scripture which how it is the Word and that it is so called by the holy Ghost and his Pen-men of the Scripture hath been already cleared 2. Christ the Author of salvation to them that obey him speaking in the Scripture saveth by the Scripture read soundly interpreted rightly divided faithfully applyed If R. F. saith the contrary as he doth Christ the alone Savior or perfect Savior being able to save all that come unto God by him not by the Scripture but by him he dares affront the Lord Jesus himself who directeth his very enemies to the Scriptures Joh. 5. 39. to finde eternal life by him as he is in and by the Scriptures discovered 3. If the Scripture declares of Christ as R. F. grants either Christ maketh that declaration of him saving to some or not If not it doth not declare him to be an able Savior if yea then he saveth by that declaration or by the Scripture One word more we must animadvert * Page 9. from R. F. ere we close this Section He that hath the Son hath life 1 John 5. 12. if he have not the Letter but he that hath not the Son hath not life though he may have all the Letter Rep. 1. Would not R. F. or his friends think it rash and 1 Joh. 5. 12. vindicated broad language if I should salute him with thou lyest because John hath no such words as if he have not the Letter nor though he may have all the Letter and yet this kinde of usage I had even now from him 2. It is no part of the Apostles meaning to exclude the Scripture from being a means to espouse Christ and a Christian together Having of Christ relates to the Brides having the Bridegroom It becomes not the Bride to reject the Letter of her Bridegroom and the word of the Covenant by which she is married to him which is the word of Scripture preached opened and applyed 3. If they that have all the Letter in form may yet have none of Christ in power and therefore not life how shall they be thought to have Christ in life and power who will have none of the Letter as they ought to have and hold it viz. a glorious means of their knowledge of Christ crucified and of their salvation by him Section 12. I Had instanced yet again about their magnifying the Light which every man hath above the light of Scripture from what George Fox saith in his Parables It is the Light The light of naâ—ure no Interpâ—eter of Scripture and the grace therein revealed that gave forth the Scriptures and will open the Scriptures to us and 't is a more sure word of Prophecy yea the Grace that appeared unto all men c. R. F. saith nothing in defence hereof nor in opposition to what I discovered of its Scripture-contradiction from 1 Cor. 2. 9. It is written Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him yet by what he hath elsewhere we may not conclude his silence as to this Section to be an Argument either of his consent or dissent but I shall evidence my charge against G. F. a little further That Christ the Son of God gave forth the Scriptures by his Spirit inspiring them that wrote as he moved and acted them is a most undeniable Truth For Christ is the great Light giver he gives common Creation-light and he gives special Scripture-light and all that is truly called Light-given and he is above all that he giveth But when men speak of the light given to every man as G. F. doth and then attribute as much to it as to the person of Christ viz. That the Light in every man gave forth the Scriptures and will open the Scriptures to us this is palpable darkness and contradiction to the Scripture I quoted 1
Ed. Burroughs therefore he agrees with the Scripture and his saying as thou says is not contrary to Ephes 2. 20. but agrees therewith there thou art taken with a lye in thy mouth Lyar be ashamed and blush Rep. 1. To hold forth Christ to be the chief Corner-stone and yet to insinuate and winde into peoples bosoms a new mystery That the light which every one hath is a Corner-stone is to teach diverse from and contrary to the minde of the holy Ghost in that as other Scriptures Ephes 2. 20. for Christ is so the chief as he is the onely Ephes 2. 20. vindicated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corner-stone The word in the Greek is of full force to this purpose signifying such a Corner-stone as doth not onely unite the sides and parts of the building of the Church-Catholique consisting of Elect Jews and Gentiles and that strengthens the whole building but that which reacheth from the bottom to the top of it and is all but one stone in the whole foundation and in all the corner from one end to the other As no other Foundation so no other Corner-stone can be laid then that which is laid the Lord Jesus Christ 2. Christ as he enlightneth every one that cometh into the world is not the Corner-stone Christ as God consider him onely so and with the common gifts which he bestows upon every man is not laid as the Foundation of the Church but Christ as Mediator God-man the Word made flesh 3. As the light which every man hath given him is none of the six Principles Heb. 6. 1 2. much less the first principle of Religion so neither is it the Corner-stone though given by Christ yet not to that end It is not light wrought in us but Christ the light-giver and in his person not his gifts who is both Foundation and himself * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chief and onely Corner-stone so Ephes 2. 20. Will R. F. say to me as he hath to others * Light out of darkness pag. 21. You are ignorant of the first principle of Religion that make a scorn of this light I shall return him this for his information That as I own every mans light in its due place and am far from scorning it or him for it so I cannot by warrant from Scripture admit it into the place of Christs person or of Christ-Mediator nor farther acknowledge it a principle of Religion but such as is common to Pagans and Heathens that teacheth them a God and that he is to be worshipped But if it be a stone it is of the old foundation of life by works and not any principle of Christian Religion as such nor any stone of the New-building by and according to a covenant of Grace in Jesus Christ Here I may take occasion to answer a Quere made by a company of this Sect in one of their Pamphlets * Entituled To all that would know the way to the kingdom p. 16 How is the Gospel of Christ preached to every Creature under heaven if it be not the principle of light in the conscience it being that many never come to read or hear of the Scriptures One would think if their light were not darkness or that their mindes were not darkned with the light of the Scriptures those two Texts which are referred to in their Margent might have resolved them sufficiently Rom. 10. 18. Rom 10 18. opened and Col. 1. 23. In the former of these alluding to that in Psalm 19. 3 4. the Apostle invincibly clears it that the Jews could not but hear who had the Scriptures with them wheresoever they were dispersed and besides as the Sun casts its beams all over the world so had the Gospel by the Apostles ministery shined forth into all known habitable parts of the earth In the latter of them Paul speaks of Col. 1 23. opened such a preaching and hearing of the Gospel whereof himself was a minister and that was sent forth according to Christs commission Mark 16. 15. by the ministery of man to every creature i. e. to Gentiles as to Jews and to all nations as to some Matth. 28. 19. Nor did the Apostles and Evangelists at any time so preach without book in any place to any reasonable creature but as they carried the Scriptures with them so they made all the world ring of one Christ crucified according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 3. This saith Paul to the Corinthians I delivered unto you first of all The principle of light in the Conscience will never discover this first principle or fundamental truth Christ dying for sinners where the Scriptures and Preachers of the Scriptures come not as it never preacht it in the Ages past Those Preachers will be ashamed of their work who do not rightly divide the word of truth much more they who say they are Apostles and are not but are found lyars as all they are who reject the Scriptures the word of truth from being the Rule Card and Compass of their work and who drive people that have the Scriptures to the light in their consciences as a surer and better light and that which will change the minde as I had noted Sect. 13. whereas there is not the light of a Mediator or Christ crucified in it nor the power of God in it but to restrain moralize and civilize it never reached to renovation nor ever will renew the minde according to a Gospel sense though men abide in it till dooms-day Section 16. I Had noted here what J. Nayler saith If thou know own and obey it speaking of the common light of every man it would lead thee out of the fall which because I brought it in as another instance of their Scripture-contradiction R. F. * Page 10. tells me I go on with my Lyes And how proves he it Why The words in it J. Nayler's book are not as thou says Rep. Let the honest Reader be judge between us if he please to view the Pamphlet Entituled A few words occasioned by a Paper c. Page 10. The words of James Nayler are these more at large Thou goest about to make people believe that the light of Christ which is given to every one that comes into the world is a natural or fallen light but if thou didst know own and obey it it would lead thee out of the fall The very words I cited and in the very sense of the writer for J. N. speaks of the light given to every man which though he calls not common nor will not have it called natural yet we must call things as they are for The natural light of every man leads no man out of the Fall that which every one hath is no more and although to own and obey that dim light of nature is every ones duty yet to set it up as the light which shall lead out of the fall is beyond Gods intention of giving it and beyond
Concerning Sin Section 19. TO this Section also R. F. is wholly silent where I had noted from discourse with some of them in Scotland That sin is not a visible enemy to a Saint Sin visible in and to the Saint contrary to Rom. 7. 23. And I may adde Psalm 51. 3. And my sin is ever before me Isa 6. 5. Wo is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips They that see not their pollutions have no part nor lot in the work of Sanctification and they that see not sin as an enemy and their in-dwelling enemy are friends and in fellowship with it As any are more or less sanctified they have the less or the more to see but the more a soul is sanctified the more he sees his motes to be beams and the more visible and sensible is the body of sin and of death to him Section 20. WHereas I had charged them for saying All the children of light are called to judge them that say the children of God are found groaning under the burthen of sin which I called an arrogant assertion contrary to Rom. 7. 24. R. F. * Page 12. minceth the matter by a new distinction For groaning under sin whilest it is working out that may be but to say that the children of God groan under it all their life time it Sin groaned under while here by the Saints contradicts the Scripture Thus R. F. To which I Reply 1. The new distinction and new because not founded in Scripture lies here that he makes a difference between the time whilest the Saints sin is working out and their life-time For let us consider how long they are working out their sin or the Spirit for them and in them is that but a part of their life-time It 's a truth we teach that groaning under a legal bondage of guilt and curse and fears of damnation is but for a time Luke 1. 74 75. Rom. 8. 15. But when they are formed Saints and endued with the Spirit of Adoption then they groan and sigh and cry out under another bondage not of guilt imputed but of guilt deserved and of corruption felt as tyrannizing In what respect over the whole soul and body of a Saint in part i. e. in every faculty of the soul and member of the body there is some presence of sin with them all their days 2. What Scripture is it that our assertion of continued groaning under the body of sin and death in the Saints doth contradict R. F. quotes Rom. 8. c. 1 john 3. Rev. 14. but never a Verse in all these Chapters he hath to produce for evidence What shuffling is this and cunning craftiness whereby he lyeth in wait to deceive the simple with appearances of that which is not to be found If so be would put off Errors by whole-sale he may do it this way After this he throws dirt in the face of that Scripture Rom. 7. which I had said from ver 14. to the end was spoken Rom 7. 14. to the end vindicated in the name of the regenerate Here though Paul did cry out of the body of death he did not always groan and sigh as dissemblers and Scots do Rep. 1. If he did it not as dissemblers he groaned as a real Saint then the truth is granted at least seemingly 2. Must all be dissemblers that always groan and are sighing all their life time under the body of sin and death then Paul was one 3. Hath the Lord no real Saints among the Scots Grant there is a formality of groaning among the common people not for the body of sin but the sin of their bodies or meerly in imitation and out of custom which latter I could not but tax a little when I was there dare any condemn the generation of the righteous or impute that formality to the whole fraternity or society of Professors at large among whom God hath hidden ones and some who do mourn for the abominations of the Land and pollutions of the Kirk and would willingly come forth to more visible shame for all that is amiss in their Worship and Government Ecclesiastical were they not over-powered partly by in-bred self partly by their super-intending and super-extensive Presbytery R. F. answereth and asperseth yet further Paul did not groan in the name of all regenerate as thou says but spoke his own condition there Rep. 1. Grant he speaks his own condition from ver 14. to the end it is either as he is regenerate or as wholly destitute of grace but he doth not speak it of himself as devoid of grace for when he opened his legal state as yet unregenerate from var. 8 and 9 to 14. he speaks in the Preter tense or of the time past but from ver 14 c. he expresseth himself all along in the Present tense and time and therefore he speaks of the present state wherein he was at the time of the writing of that Epistle Now was he a Saul or a Paul then Was he Paul the Saint or Saul the Persecuter and Blasphemer Was he not then Paul the Servant of Jesus Christ Chap. 1. 1. And have we not the characters he gives of himself as regenerate Ver. 15. What I hate that do I. Ver. 16. I consent to the Law that it is good Ver. 17. It is not I but sin that dwelleth in me where he divides his qualities into two sorts or kindes as Ver. 20. Ver. 18. To will is present with me Ver. 22. He speaks of his inner man and of his delight in the Law after that renewed principle Then he cries out Ver. 23 24. of what he sees and hates Now no man that is unregenerate can truly hate sin as sin which he did nor hath he two contrary principles in him all over of grace and sin nor hath he a will present with him to do a spiritual good action nor hath he an inner man the new man to delight in the spiritual law of God nor doth he feel the universal warring law or power of sin in his members as Paul doth Paul therefore speaks of himself as now he is at present regenerate yea he gives the account of himself as such and therefore he lays forth the estate which is peculiar to the regenerate and common to one and other as they are such more or less But saith R. F. Paul did not always groan under that body of sin and Law in his members but witnessed a Redemption from it for which he thanked God that made him more then a Conqueror Rep. 1. The Apostle writes of the present constant frame of his Spirit to see feel sin hate it and groan under it 2. The Redemption that he witnesseth and giveth thanks Rom. 7. 25. vindicated for ver 25. was first that the guilt of this in-dwelling sin was not imputed there being no condemnation to him nor to any in Christ Jesus which priviledge cap. 8. 1.
and may be so called a covering of sin is warrantable by Scripture Psalm 32. 1. with Rom. 4. 7 24. but to say it is a covering for sin and for the man of sin is to speak blasphemy against God and to say our pleading for Gods not imputing of iniquity or for his covering our sins is to make a covering for sin is with Antichrist the man of sin * Rev. 13. 6. to blaspheme the Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven In this Doctrine of Justification they call evil good by attributing that unto outward and inward acts of a Believers holiness in all which there is some mixed evil which properly and onely belongeth unto the personal acts of Christs own finless obedience and sufferings in the nature which himself assumed to perform the work of Mediatorship J. Nayler speaks plainly enough for them all and for all the children of the man of sin * Discovery c pag. 27. â— Our walking with God in his righteousness is our covering from wrath you know not the covering of Christs righteousness and holiness in which whoever walk with God are covered from wrath Which walking with God he meaneth not of our living by faith in Christs personal actings and sufferings for us to our perfect justification from wrath and from the guilt of sin binding over to wrath but of our personal acts of righteousness and holiness wrought in us by Christ and his Spirit which although they be good as wrought by the Lord in us yet meeting with mixtures of defilement in the hearts of Saints as they are their acts are but filthy rags and no covering at all to hide our nakedness from appearing in the eye of Gods strict Law and Justice This J. Nayler or some in his coat hath much for discovery of the rottenness of their judgement in this case in a piece lately come forth * Love to the lost pag. 4. With him Christ his righteousness is freely imputed or put into the creature Again This righteousness is wrought into the creature in that obedience which is contrary to the will of the flesh Imputing here is all one with infusing to him Justifying righteousness and sanctifying righteousness is the same individual obedience which is pure Popery or impure Babylonish Doctrine More yet * Page 5. Your faith without his works will be little worth to salvation Christs works for us are onely of worth with the Father for our salvation Christs workings in us are not to be joyned with our faith in Christs works or obedience for us in the business of our Justification This latter is intended by him who by his Title pretendeth Love to the lost but by his baits and snares would hold fast some and carry others back into the wilderness witness his confounding of Justification Sanctification and Mortification * Page 15. The living Faith is never without works which works are Love Meekness Patience Mortification Sanctification Justification c. We grant a presence of works the fruits of the Spirit in the subject or person that is justified and these works are evidences of the life and truth of our faith the fruits are evidences of the tree but to put Justification in us with the fruits of the Spirit and to say as afterward * Page 51. he doth men are so justified as they are sanctified and mortified and no further is to deny Protestant Doctrine which is according to Scripture that who so is justified is justified semel simul once and together perfectly and for ever Heb. 10. 1 14. And to revive the old Popish Tenet of degrees of our Justification according to the degrees of our Sanctification and no further whereas we say and say truly men are not at all justified as they are sanctified Two Arguments against Sanctification as the matter of our Justification when we speak of the thing it self and not of its declaration For 1. That which is the price of our Redemption is the matter of our Justification or that thing which justifieth us before God and reconcileth our persons to God Now put all the degrees of all the Saints holiness together these are no part of the price of our Redemption but the blood and obedience of Christ alone is the whole and sole price and ransom Rom. 3. 24. Rom. 5. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 19. 2. That which is the immaculate Sacrifice for sin is that which is the matter and merit of our Justification But the Sanctification and Mortification in Believers is not the immaculate Sacrifice for sin Christ is the sole and entire Sacrifice for sin that is to expiate and take away the guilt and curse of sin by his perfect obedience and sufferings in his own natural body And therefore as that onely merited our Justification so it is the onely thing that properly and for its worth is imputed to our Justification Rep. 2. For R. F. to all it my policy to go about to make Christ a sinner is pitiful weakness in him For it was no How Christ was made sin or a sinner 2 Cor. 5. 21. cleared man or Angel-invention but the master-piece of Gods infinite wisdom to have his Son who knew no sin be made sin i. e. a sinner by imputation and a sacrifice for sin in and by his sufferings in the room and stead of sinners which could not have been if their sins had not been imputed to him but seeing their sins were imputed to him they are in that way of imputation made or reckoned righteous in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 21. What foolishness soever there seems to be in this way of our Justification Christ crucified as a sinner and for sinners bearing their guilt and curse is the wisdom and the power of God and a poor sinner justified this way is the object of the eternal unsearchable riches of Gods wisdom and grace or freest choicest favor As for that contradiction to Scripture which R. F. * Page 14. saith is seen in this our doctrine because it is said He was made like unto us sin excepted it is but in his imagination and something he must say to color over and hide his own gainsayings for that place Heb. 4. 15. and 2. Cor. 5. 21. are Heb. 4. 15. vindicated no ways at variance Christ was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin so are the words to the Hebrews He yielded to no temptation He had no inherent sin to comply with a temptation He knew no sin as in the other Scripture yet was he made sin reckoned as a sinner tempted like a sinner deserted like a sinner yea accursed as a sinner the feelings and experiences whereof make him experimentally a sympathizing High priest and moves him to succor them that are tempted And his being free from sin of his own while he was tempted to sin as others and while he was charged with the sin of others frees us or justifies us from our sin
as to the guilt curse and damnation which he bare in his own body on the Tree Yea and such as are in him are at present redeemed out of sin as to the dominion and reign of it but we are not therefore justified and when sin shall wholly be rooted out of us that shall not be our justification at Gods tribunal because we are perfectly holy but because Christ died for us to justifie us by his blood Let him that throws off Christs imputed righteousness go shift for his justification where he can get it He is a foolish bewitched Galatian and Christ shall profit him nothing For bring in any one act of ours though wrought by the Spirit whether of mortification self-denyal love or faith as an act to be an ingredient to the essence of our justification and it is as bad as to be circumcised and as destructive to the souls peace and safety as to be a debtor to keep the whole Law Section 26. I Had noted what I found in J. Nayler That no imperfect thing can be reconciled to God is plain Scripture plainly contradicting Rom. 5. 10. If he meaneth by no imperfect thing no man that is not perfectly sanctified But R. F. makes out the sense thus * Page 14. No sin can be reconciled to God nor any such imperfect thing Rep. 1. If this were the onely sense why was it not spoken at first for we know by the Spirit in the Scriptures Our persons are perfectly reconciled before our natures are perfectly sanctified that it was Gods design to reconcile sinners onely to himself persons as I hinted before in my book imperfect enough and to abolish sin in guilt and power as first and in the presence at the last and we can prove it by clearer Scriptures then R. F. produceth which is onely Rev. 21. 27. that sin and God cannot be reconciled and as Psalm 5. 4. Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee Hab. 1. 13. Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity But 2. The scope of J. Nayler * Answ to perfect Phar. page 9. was to prove that we are not justified by a righteousness without us but by what is perfectly wrought within us and therefore I mistook him not in my former piece when I subjoyned Their meaning is till sin be wholly abolished in its residence out of the heart and all imperfections in sanctification be done away there is no reconciliation of our persons with God or to him whatever be R. F. * Page 14. his flourish And as for our meaning thou speaks of thou art without our minde and so knowest not our meaning by thy imagining therein thou shewest a spirit of error It sufficeth that by scripture-Scripture-truth wherein the Spirit of truth reigneth I can detect this for an error viz. Christs work in us is that which justifies our persons before God and what if his work for us be joyned with his work in us if they mean no more then what is inherent righteousness wrought by Christs strength in himself and in us together so F. Howgill must be construed if he quadrates with his other passages in the Book when he saith * The inheritance of Jacob. pag. 29 Christ fulfilled the Law and he fulfils it in them who know him and his work and herein man comes to be justified in Gods sight by Christ who works all our works in us and for us Christs obedience and ours his work for us and his work in us put together for our justification is Babylonish mixture but this I can maintain as a clear and pure truth viz. That it is not the work of Christ in us which justifieth and reconcileth our persons but his sole working for us by his own personal obedience and satisfaction to justice The plain Scripture is this Heb. 10. 14. Christ by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are Heb. 10. 14. cleared sanctified It is not said in any Scripture that Christ hath first perfectly sanctified any persons and then reconciled them unto God but the sense of that as of other Scriptures is that Christ by one offering of himself hath perfected their justification and reconciliation whom he doth also sanctifie in the truth of it at what instant he applyeth their perfect justification And the plain truth according to Scripture is this That no person is reconciled to God How the sinner and yet none but the perfect person is reconciled to God who hath not a perfect Mediator of his reconciliation and who is not accepted as perfectly righteous in the righteousness of Christ his surety and so t is true none but the perfect person is reconciled to God but how not by his qualifications at first an enemy and always carrying about with him while here some wisdom of the flesh which is emnity against God but as he had on Christs Cross his person represented in Christ his head and his sins not imputed upon the account of Christs righteousness made or reckoned to be his 2 Cor. 5. 19. 21. To clear this a little further we must distinguish between the reconciling of our individual persons and the reconciling of our individual natures dispositions or qualities and acts both are a fruit of Christs satisfactory obedience and sufferings and they cannot as J. N. * Love to the lost pag. 50. acknowledgeth this truth though not truely be divided in the possession But personal reconcilement is done at once by imputation of the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus nature-reconcilement admits of degrees according to the measure of the Spirit of sanctification As for J. Nayler and R. F. and such as imagine that while sinful imperfections remain in the Saints they in their persons are not cannot be perfectly reconciled to God then not themselves nor any that adhere to their doctrine are or can be reconciled to God in person as not in judgement and affection while they harbor such fleshly and legal conceits of a poor sinners justification and reconciliation and they shall see if by this they get no eye-salve Oh that it might not be too late how till they be better bottom'd with contradictions of Scripture they contradict and come short of true salvation-light right and possession For I judge it 's absolutely necessary to salvation rightly to discern the way of a mans justification before God and reconciliation to him which discerning I perceive not in these mens writings although sometime in discourse with some of this Sect I have had their confession of the truth yet their bad principles make them fly off again as it fares with many a natural ignorant countreyman I wish there be not more then a few such in Cities and populous places who have a notion of the Gospel-truth but practically and experimentally cannot for their hearts but stick in themselves and think a Bird in the hand is
better then two in the Bush a little of their own within them far beyond all Christs righteousness without them although we call for the witness within them that will not suffice they must have the ground-work of their justification within them as well as the evidence nay some work within shall be ground and evidence too or they fly off and will not believe till they see and feel but groping in the dark lose themselves in the wilderness of self-fulness and sufficiency 7. Head of their Scripture-contradiction Concerning Regeneration Section 27. I Had noted what they say He that believeth is born of God without Scripture and yet witnessed in Scripture contrary to James 1. 18. and 1 Pet. 1. 23 25. which Regeneration by the Scripture promise not onely bear witness of a new birth but saith also it is wrought by the word of truth the word of God the word that is preached which was never without or besides much less directly against but always according to the Scripture both as the Apostles preached it and others after them and their written doctrine R. F. * Page 15. returns me in a retorting way as is his wonted maner this for an answer If thou was not blind thou would see that thou contradicts the Scripture and not they that attributes the work of regeneration and the new birth to the Letter which thou calls the word and so therein denyes God who begets by his own will by that word which liveth and abideth for ever which was in the beginning with God and was God Rep. 1. Gods essential will and the free act of his love and good pleasure is the primary impulsive cause of his regenerating a soul 2. Christ by his death purchaseth the grace of regeneration and by the power of his resurrection applyes it 1 Pet. 1. 3. 3. The Spirit of the Father and the Son comes with the Scripture-promise and quickneth the soul to believing and by believing of the word of truth which at the beginning R. F. acknowledged the Scriptures to be and at that instant the believing soul is as Isaac conceived and formed a childe of promise a believer and a new-creature together by the word of grace which the Spirit useth as the external means of regeneration yea he carrieth the word and voice of the Son of God John 5. 25. from the ear to the heart and makes them hear and live That part of the Scripture which is pure Gospel is the ministration of the Spirit as of righteousness and life 2 Cor. 3. 8. 4. They that speak of a regeneration such as the Scripture helps them not to know and obtain speak wildely of it as J. Nayler in his new piece * Love to the lost page 34. treating of the new-birth he tells his lost creatures There is the old man and a new man but he doth not say there are two contrary qualities in the same regenerate soul lusting one against the other as the Apostle describes their state Gal. 5. 17. He saith * Page 35. Nicodemns knew not the new birth though he loved Christ He did not know the maner and mystery of it before his coming to Christ but if he loved Christ before it was a fruit of the new-born-seed of grace or spiritual principle for even J. N. confesseth as is the man so are his works and as is the Tree so is the fruit And I may adde as is J. N. so is his Book and his his love to the lost for if the man may be known by his writing he may haply know as little of the new-birth as Nicodemus did though he would be a great Teacher in our Israel Some may say he speaks * Love to the lost p. 35. of a Promise as well as a power that puts off the old man with his deeds lusts and affections but if you mark it it is to them who remain in the seed of God and it in them he doth not say the new-creature hath a promise that it shall remain although the Scripture saith it shall Joh 15. 16. 1 Joh. 2. 27. Well if he holds but to what he saith That all who remain in this seed and it in them hath the Promise I would have R. F. ask him whether it be the Promise that begets the new man which helps to put off the old if it be we shall finde the new man quickned as the old man crucified and slain by a word of promise in several places of Scripture scattered The word of promise serveth to regenerate and begin the work as well as to preserve nourish and maintain the regenerate man in his state He that shuts out Scripture from being Christs organ or the Spirits instrument and means of Regeneration it had been better for him he had never known the Scripture or written a word about it 8. Head of Scripture-contradiction Concerning Sanctification and its Perfection Section 28. I Had noted from a little conference with them in Scotland That sin dwelleth not in act where Christ reigneth Sin dwelleth and acteth in the Saints Rom. 7. 17. opened This R. F. defendeth as true though never so contrary as I hinted in my book to three as many more places of Scripture Rom. 7. 17. It is not I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me sin is doing as well as dwelling it will not be idle and in whom in Pauls heart where Christ reigned Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and Gal. 5. 7. cleared the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other in whom in the Galatians the sons of God in whom considered in their better part Christ and Grace reigned yet they could not do what they would they could not be so gracious as their regenerate part would have them nor yet so sinful as their unregenerate part would have them Here is sin active enough and yet its force is broken that it cannot reign where Christ reigneth but there it dwells and remains very troublesome to a good heart Rom. 7. 23 25. Rom. 7. 23 25 explained I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my minde and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin that is in my members here is action and passion too here is fighting and scuffling a continual conflict Sin in the Saints is no sleepy habit it will be plotting using stratagems striking and serving it self and its own turn as ver 25. With my flesh I serve the Law of sin sin is very active in the Saints when so officious to its self and its own ends What weapons think you will R. F. finde for defence of the Tenet none spiritual I dare say but carnal and weak as followeth * Page 15. Where Christ reigneth the body is dead to the acts of unrighteousness because of sin being destroyed and the Spirit is life because of righteousness living and ruling Rep. I suppose he refers in this
answer to Rom. 8. 10. though he quotes not the place but some of the words adding his own gloss The words of the Apostle are these And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousness By the body here Rom. 8. 10. cleared in its genuine sense is meant the natural body consisting of flesh blood and bones as appeareth 1. By the scope of the Apostle to comfort them against the Law of death ver 2. 2. From the comfort which he raiseth grant the Body is dead frail corruptible mortal subject to death yet first it is not totally dead for the sting of death which is the guilt of sin is pluckt out ver 2. and the Spirit by the law of opposition here to be taken for the soul of a believer is life or a living soul immortal and shall live gloriously to immortality and may and doth live comfortably here because of righteousness i. e. while it takes up this consideration that Christs own personal righteousness is imputed as the cause of a glorious life and Christs infused holiness is the evidence of Justification-life and Glory-life Secondly the body shall not be always under the power of death v. 11. for he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies which epithete mortal is added to shew he spake of the natural body ver 10. and to strengthen and comfort in that the same spirit dwelling in Christ and true Christians look as he raised up Christs body so he shall raise up theirs This being the genuine sense of the Apostle we may grant a pious truth in something R. F. saith but not as properly grounded on this place The truth is the natural body is mortified in part to the acts of unrighteousness as the habits of sin are mortified in the soul Rom. 8. 10. vindicated from improper and abusive interpretation but the Apostle saith not the body is dead because of sin being destroyed as R. F. hath glossed but because of fin that is the natural body is a mortal dying body hath many partial deaths upon it and will dye at last soul and body will be separated for a time because of sin which remaineth in the soul dwelleth and acteth in and by the body and will not be absolutely and in all degrees rooted out till the body dies a natural death Sin is such a troublesome in-mate or like some old inhabitant pleading prescription that it will not out God suffering it so to be till the House be pulled down over its head therefore the Apostles reason because of sin discovers them to erre who deny sin to dwell in act where Christ reigneth Sin dwelleth in the soul the inward rooms chiefly but it so lodgeth within as it acteth and worketh in the outward room and shop of the body till body and soul be dissolved when this troublesome inmate is cast out totally finally and for ever from the Saints Let not R. F. go on to say here thou art contradicting the Scriptures and opposing the work of Christ which is to take away sin for there is not one Scripture which speaks of a perfect Saint absolutely free from the in-dwelling presence and in-working power of sin in the least degree while he lives here upon the earth and the work of Christ in taking away sin is in a way of Sanctification to carry it on by little and little as was his casting out of the Canaanites Exod. 23. 30. Let not him that puts on his armor boast as he that puts it off What is it for R. F. * Page 15. to reason And such as abide in him sins not then sin acts not he that acts sin commits sin and there Christ reigns not but Antichrist under whose dominion thou art that pleads for him and his work Rep. 1. Sin may and doth act in the Saints not they but sin is acting when as Saints and so far as regenerate they do act against sin This is not committing of sin in Johns sense as hath been cleared before Sect. 14. but as Paul speaking of himself in the name of all the regenerate as hath been proved Sect. 20. Rom. 7. 16 17. If I do that which I would not c. it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me 2. Although Christ reigns not where sin is committed in Johns sense yet he reigneth where that in-dwelling principle of sin is mortified in truth and in some degree and where the actings of sin are resistings of sin are hated resisted and unfulfilled Gal. 5. 16. They that walk in the Spirit do not fulfil the lusts of the flesh yet the flesh is lusting and acting what it can against a Christian to make him stumble while he is in a good walk 3. Antichrist reigns in none more then in filthy dreamers who while they preach perfection are found in their pollutions It is Antichrists design to represent a sinners Justification imperfect and his Sanctification perfect that he may glory in himself and not in Christ Antichrist pretendeth as much to Holiness as these men called Quakers but out of order and to a wrong end as they also 4. To plead for perfect inherent Holiness as the Believers Justification as J. Nayler * See Love to the lost p. 21. and 51. and R. F. do is to serve under Antichrists colors and to wear his livery and to make void the obedience and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ 5. He is not under the dominion of Antichrist who pleads against his imaginary perfections is made perfect in his Justification by coming unto Christs sacrifice Heb. 10. 1 14. and in a way of Sanctification presseth after more of the power of Christs death and resurrection to be conformed thereunto But R. F. goes on * Page 15. to mis-apply Scripture and contradict the true scope and sense He that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not Rep. 1. It is true the words are so and I believe it is so as the Spirit speaketh in that place 1 John 5. 18. what then 1 John 5 18. vindicated Doth not sin dwell and stir therefore in the regenerate Look back to ver 16. and you may conclude That not onely sin is in every Christian Brother but you may sometimes have it visibly acted before your eyes for saith the Apostle If any man see his brother sin c. 2. Although he sinneth yet we know that whosoever is born of God as every true Brother is sinneth not i. e. unto death as every sin is not unto death so no sin of the truly godly is unto death but he keepeth himself as he is kept and he acteth as he is acted by the principle of the new creature by the Spirits and Christs fresh influence against such a sin and that wicked one Satan toucheth him not with his sting nor instills such deadly poison
since their departure nor need I I have Paul and other Pen-man of the holy Ghost to assure me it was not before The word in the Text is Spirits not bodies nor souls continuing in the bodies of just men made perfect and that is enough to me 2. For conviction of gainsayers and confirmation of the weak I might call to minde the sayings of several Saints before Christs coming and since who have had no other faith nor perswasion but that while they were here sin remained with them and within them and till death parted their souls from their bodies Christ parted not sin perfectly from their souls What will R. F. say to that cloud of Witnesses Heb. 11. who while they lived lived by Faith and when they dyed ver 13 they dyed in Faith not onely in respect of a heavenly countrey but that what they felt not the moment before they should be in sensible possession of the moment of and the moment after dissolution Then as Samson slew more at his death then in his life so Christ would and did give them a perfect revenge upon their old enemy sin and all the roots and remnants of corruption What will R. F. say to old Saint Jacob who on his Saints experimentally imperfect death-bed makes this confession Gen. 49. 18. I have waited for thy salvation O Lord. Salvation as to perfect sanctification being yet to be finished at death And what to precious Saint David 2 Sam. 23. 5. who quieted his heart with this on his death-bed that God had made with him an everlasting Covenant c. although things were not perfect in his house nor heart for then he had been perfect I speak still of perfection in all degrees in the discharge of his relative family duties but that he was not And were any in the New Testament as perfect in sanctification before as at and after death doth Paul for himself and the Saints speak of any more then the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. doth he not make mention of his and their infirmities ver 26. which are not onely afflictions but sins if not Rom. 8. 26. opened to know what to pray for in every prayer as we ought be a sin but so many ignorances and defects in prayer and duty which ought not to be in us are sins There ought not to be any sinful infirmity in us yet there are and will be do we our best Let R. F. hear what our English Saints have acknowledged at the instant of death or immediately before I am drawing on a pace to my dissolution said M. Bolton famous for piety hold out faith and patience your work will quickly be at an end His work of holy faith and patience was not at an end before his end his death Our English precious Jewel who by his Popish adversaries confession in his life was an Angel though in his faith as they deemed an Heretique immediately before his death he brake forth into these words Christ is my righteousness Father let thy will be done thy will I say not mine which is imperfect and depraved Our dear Countreyman M. Deering hath this farewel Poor wretch and miserable man that I am the least of all Saints and the greatest of sinners c. And again If I were the most excellent of all creatures in the world if I were equal in righteousness to Abraham Isaac and Jacob yet had I reason to confess my self to be a sinner Holy M. Bradford How oft doth he subscribe in letters to his friends either an Hypocrite or a very painted Hypocrite or The sinful John Bradford for the same man or person as he writeth in one Letter which describes and compares the old man and the new man a little better then Ja. Nayler in his Love to the lost may be called always just always sinful Even men perfectly justified are not made perfectly holy according to his faith and experience which as to this case is the same in all Saints while living here and hereupon when he hourly lookt for the Porter to open to him the gates to enter into desired rest from the very molestations of indwelling sin and was every moment expecting the executioner to dispatch him in a letter to his dear Fathers Dr. Cranmer Dr. Ridley and Dr. Latimer he is bewailing his unthankfulness and hypocrisie clear he was and sure of justification and heaven yet sensible of the remnants of corruption As also M. Philpot who leaped for joy when his martyrdom was at hand yet cryed for mercy against his present unthankfulness and unworthiness And if we look abroad instances are pregnant and plentiful I shall mention onely two or three one in Germany Melanchthon who not onely complained that old Adam was too hard for yong Melanchthon but continued in a sense of his sinful corruptions to his dying day confessing himself at last to be a miserable sinner So did blessed Calvin in France as appears in his last Will and Testament I close up with that noble French man Philip de Morney Lord of Plessis though he died with full assurance of a house not made with hands c. yet he put up this request a little before his death Lord make me to know my sins to weep for them to detest them and to have them in execration These with thousands like them have so believed in life and spoken to this effect at death that when their bodies and souls were parted and at that instant they should be perfected in holiness they felt it not believed not it would be before that time R. F. * Page 16. hath another exception Heb. 12. 22 23. In the present tense they there spoke and not in the future Rep. He that knows any thing of Grammar may well question whether R. F. understands himself or what is the difference between the present tense and future in the present Tense they there spoke who spoke There is but one Paul or some other Pen-man that wrote the Epistle by the dictate of the Spirit and he speaks of believers already come to mount Zion c. and to the Spirits of just men made perfect before he wrote the Epistle The word for made perfect in the Greek * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Participle of the Preter Tense or time past not of the present nor did I say it was of the future onely what was a Truth then is now a Truth that Saints living in their bodies in imperfection of holiness have relation to and communion as hath been shewed with Saints living out of their bodies i. e. the spirits of just men made perfect A third exception R. F. hath against the simile I used sin is as the wild fig-tree thou sayes rooted in the joynts of a stone wall and when the wall is taken down the stones cast asunder body and soul separated then is sin thou sayes pluckt up by the roots as the roots of the fig-tree not before
who seem not to deny the authority of the holy Scriptures yet would have it meant of Christ for this reason because the word of God ver 12. is in the 13. ver described as a person in his sight and the eyes of him with whom we have to do Now this is but their mistake for albeit Christ in person is the living word yet it is the Apostles scope to gain honor to him by gaining honor to the declarative word which being Christs word spoken by him written by the inspiration of his Spirit and preached accordingly is therefore quick and lively powerful and piercing because it is his word and the words of the 13. ver are not a description of Christs person as he is the living word nor of the declarative word spoken written preached but of God the Father Son and holy Ghost who being the living God his declarative word is like himself and from the knowledge of his nature we may know what his word is If God hath an all-seeing eye his word hath an all-searching power He puts not one but two edges upon this sword of his Spirit Ephes 6. 17. and makes it sharp and piercing for conversion or conviction at least and for such ends as he hath intended by his word and the ministery of it to effect and work out therefore the words of ver 13. his and him with whom must be referred to God ver 12. distinguished into Father Son and Spirit i. e. to all three or any of the three Let sinners in whom sin reigns and Saints in whom sin remains look to it for God by his Scripture-word is able to finde them out even them that pretend to present perfection and have it not for whom these words speak nothing at all Should we take God ver 12. not onely at large and personally for any of the three but strictly for Christs person yet we must take the word to be as I have said the word declarative and read it thus The word of Christ is quick or lively c. We cannot read it out of the Greek the word-Christ nor the living word is lively nor the living word is powerful but as 't is read in our new Translation The word of God is quick and powerful or as in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Geneva Translation The word of God is lively and mighty in operation that is as their Note is The Doctrine of God is so and so hath lively and mighty effects why because it is Gods Doctrine Gods Word Gods Scripture if it be but his Letter or outward ministery it is Christs two-edged sword which serveth unto his design of searching hearts of comforting the believer of cutting off and excluding the unbeliever from rest But this place of Scripture will not serve R. F. his design hitherto 2. Let us observe his application and inference Here the ground of sin is by the living word shaken at the roots and rooted out of such before their bodies and souls part asunder Rep. 1. Granting it is divine power that makes efficacious Mis-application the divine truths of the Scripture and that the Spirit doth by conviction shake a sinner at the very heart-root and by conversion shake yea kill sin at the roots for sound conversion is more then lopping of branches or moral restraints the best fruits of Quakerism yet is not all sin at first conversion nor all the life time extirpated or pluckt up absolutely totally and as perfectly as at death and if R. F. proves not this from the place as he doth not but onely say it he had better never have quoted it Nay he dare not affirm it in plain words but obscure The ground of sin c. What makes he the ground of sin If he meaneth the subject where sin dwelleth and is rooted what is that subject but the faculties of the Soul Minde Will and Affections Conscience c Now these are shaken I confess but not rooted out for neither Law nor Gospel the word of Terror or Grace and Peace nor the Power and Grace of the Word doth abolish or destroy the faculties and being of the soul If he meaneth by Ground of sin the cause of sin it must either be guilt of sin or the original stain and filth if the guilt 't is granted that sin is abolished and there is no ground or cause why a Believer justified and discharged from guilt and curse by the imputation of Christs obedience should be condemned Rom. 8 1 33 34. and the abolishing of guilt is the cause and reason why the inherent roots of sin are shaken and mortified in their regency or reigning power for the present and why they shall be rooted out as to residency and inherency at the last yea why no justified believer should allow the least sin that yet remaineth in him If by ground of sin he meaneth the original stain and filth it is the same with the roots of sin and then he proves nothing but idem per idem the same thing by the same namely that the roots of sin are shaken at the roots and rooted out when they are rooted out but the question is when are they perfectly and in all degrees rooted out I have said and proved it from Scripture it is not till the parting of Soul and Body The truth then and the illustration by the simile of the fig-tree stands firm and good for ought that R. F. hath objected to the contrary yet we must hear him * Page 16. out It is Christs work to take away sin here and to sanctifie by his Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 11. 1 John 3. 5. Rep. We know that he was manifest to take away sin in 1 Cor. 6. 11. 1 John 3 5. compared cleared and vindicated and from us as in him is no sin according to that in John and that of Paul to the Corinthians expressing two ways whereby he taketh away sin by the way of justification from defiling guilt and damning curse this is perfectly done here as to Gods act of reckoning and account though as to manifestation in us to us and concerning us it comes by degrees and not till the day of Judgement will all the world know who are now Gods justified ones By the way of Sanctification he takes away the dominion of sin in the very root and the strength of the roots of filth is mortified here in some Saints more in some less as he pleaseth who puts forth the power but in none are the roots of every sin nor of any sin wholly perfectly pluckt up till bodily death I am for purity and holiness here in heart and life but I am for purity of the Scriptures also according to their pure sense What saith the Scripture which R. F. next calleth forth As he that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all maner of conversation 1 Pet. 1. 15. 2 Pet. 1. 15. vindicated Rep. This is a command of and
enjoyed the perfect beatifical vision of God which they have but a promise of for they that are sincere in holiness have here some communion with God and one day and to all eternity they shall enjoy him and his presence in fulness of that holiness and joy whereof now they have but the tasts and first-fruits He that boasteth of more hath neither as I said in my former piece pure lip nor pen for the least degree how much more larger measures of purity maketh a soul sensible of continual impurities intermixed therewith R. F. * Page 17. returns to this That is thy own condition Rep. I acknowledge it Again And so thou judgest others by thy continual impurities and therefore thy judgement must needs be false and not true Rep. I spake not my condition onely who may more deservedly be called less then the least of all Saints then Paul stiled himself but the condition of every one truly sanctified and yet living upon the earth Yet more And so thou denyest their doctrine who said Seeing ye have purified your souls have purified in the present Tense in obeying the truth through the Spirit see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently but thou art against a pure heart and so against the Scripture 1 Pet. 1. 22. 1 Pet. 1. 22. vindicated Rep. 1. If the Printer mistook not the present tense for the preter tense R. F. doth grosly apprehend that to be the present have purified which in English and Greek * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expresly the Praeter or time past 2. Were the Apostles words in the present tense ye do purifie it would make in shew and form of words more against R. F. then for him but the truth is the word in Peter being a Participle of the time past and in the Active voice it shews the work of purifying themselves through the Spirit was not so done but that yet it was in doing And as their habits of purity were not perfect so they were far from perfection in the act but have need of stirring up as 2 Pet. 3. 1. fervently to exert and put forth their love and purity according to their principles for the growth of both which viz. act and habit of grace he exhorteth and exciteth them chap. 2. 2. to desire as new born babes far from highest perfection the sincere milk of the word and Chap. 5. 10. he prayeth that after they have suffered a while the God of all grace would make them perfect stablish strengthen settle them 3. I finde R. F. perfect in nothing that savors of a Gospel purity nor growing in any thing but his perverse abuse of Scripture But I shall pray for him and others that they may be awakened out of their dream of Perfection may see their present pollutions and be ashamed of their Gospelcontradictions till then they will not understand what Purity is nor whereof they affirm Section 31. TO the Quere of one of them Did ever Paul deny perfection I asked what he or others thought of that in Phil. 3. 12. Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect which R. F. * Page 17. undertakes to resolve He is so far from denying it that he pressed hard after it Rep. Is this an answer or an evasion Denial of such a How perfection may be denied how not perfection as Paul meant ver 12. is two-fold either that it is here attained or that here we must press after it Although neither he nor we deny it in the latter sense yet in the former expresly he doth for his own part and such as come short of him may well and truly deny it And our work in this life being to press after it doth sufficiently imply it is not here to be attained But saith R. F. to mar not mend his own case He said to such as had attained it press others on after it and they did Heb. 6. 1. Rep. 1. Let not people take these mens words for infallible oracles but search the Scriptures and finde if they can where Paul wrote to any such Churches or Saints as had fully attained and till they finde it suspect R. F. for a deceiver and when they finde it not conclude him a false teacher 2. Whereas the Apostle had set before the Philippians Phil. 3. 11. 15. compared vindicated and us his own example I press toward the mark c. In the next ver 15. he adds his exhortation Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded where Paul either puts in himself with the many perfect or not if not but that he is to be understood as speaking to them that thought themselves perfect he would then take them off from the conceit of perfect attainments and have them so minded as he was that is as ver 14. to press toward the White of perfection as he did If he joyns himself with the many perfect then must the word perfect in the 15. ver be taken otherwise then in ver 12. For there he had denied himself to be already perfect and if ver 15. he should say he were perfect in that sense wherein he had denied his perfection he should be led by the Spirit of truth into a contradiction which were blasphemy to imagine let all the Quakers in earth and hell be first found lyars then one lye be found in the Scriptures or the pen-men of them as such The many perfect therefore must be taken when Paul was one of them not yet without imperfections for such as by Pauls and the Apostles ministery and with Paul through the Spirits teaching and working were grown up to a farther pitch and degree of holiness then some other sincere Christians who were to press on themselves as well as to press others on after the highest degrees of grace attainable which is the more clear by ver 16. Nevertheless whereto we have attained let us walk by the same rule whereto i. e. to what degree suppose the fourth or fifth Phil 3. 16. opened stair though not at the top we have attained let us walk which implies they are not at the end of their journey 3. What have we in Heb. 6. 1. but the same truth Let us Heb. 6. 1. vindicated go on unto perfection He that brings half an eye in his head to that text will collect no more but this That Paul or the Pen-man of that Epistle is travelling on towards perfection and putting on his companions in the way but neither he nor the Hebrews he writes unto are at their journeys end Is the Post therefore at York Berwick or Edenburgh because he is footing or riding thither He that is half way up the hill calls upon others to accompany him and go on-wards and up-wards yet more and more he is not therefore at the top of the hill But saith R. F. such obtained as so pressed after it Heb. 12. 22 23. Rep. But
they preach that men should repent I ask how shall the ungodly sorrow after a godly maner If they lay the burden upon the ungodly onely and absolve the godly altogether they may by that way preach down all godly sorrow and startle the wicked with legal convictions and that which is remorse of conscience but no way help toward the pulling down the old man or building up the new in the true Believer 11. Head of their Scripture-contradiction Concerning the Word and means of Grace Section 37. I Had expresly cited C. Atkinsons words viz. I deny that God did ever or will ever reveal himself by any of those things thou callest the means of grace which were spoken of before in his book as reading hearing prayer c. contrary to 2 Tim. 3. 15. Rom. 10. 17. Luke 11. 13. c. R. F. in answer * Page 19. saith I would raise a slander c. as if they should deny the way and means that God useth to reveal himself to his people by How makes he it to appear why Christ is the light and the way to the Father and that they own and he reveals his secrets by his Spirit Rep. In all this confession here is no acknowledgement Christ and the Spirit give light and grace by outward means of reading hearing prayer c. That Christ is the light and light-giver hath never been denyed by me and that with his Spirit he is the author and worker of all grace who but graceless men will gain-say We do with the Scripture attribute higher things to God and Christ and the Spirit then to be the means of grace but R. F. will not ascribe so much to the Scriptures read heard sung prayed upon i. e. according to the rules and patterns of prayer there set down to be so much as outward means of grace we can have no such outward ingenuity from him But what saith he The Scriptures are not Christ nor the Spirit Rep. What if they be not they are Christs word and the word of the Spirit as hath been shewed and what the Scripture saith Christ saith and the holy Ghost also the same He therefore that rejects the Scripture and its several exercises from being the means of grace rejecteth Christ and his Spirit also But the Spirit he saith teacheth us how to pray and profit Gal. 4. 6. 1 Cor. 12. 7. c. and this doth not contradict the Scriptures Rep. No for the Spirit of grace and the outward means agree very well yet this is not a yielding them to be the means by which Christ and the Spirit revealeth their secrets and convey grace It is one thing for the Spirit to teach how to pray and read another thing for the Spirit to work by reading praying c we grant the former but he grants not the latter as he ought that I can finde Yes may some say what think you of that which followeth we know that faith is given by the ministery of Christ in the Spirit Rep. But speak plainly is it given by reading and hearing the Scriptures opened and preached as 2 Tim. 3. 15. Rom. 10. 17. hold it forth And we know that God giveth us his holy Spirit Rep. But doth he give it in a way of preaching and prayer as Act. 10. 44. and Luke 11. 13. bear testimony As soon as Paul is converted is he not at Prayer and had he not the fillings of the Spirit given him in that way as by Ananias putting his hands upon him Act. 9. 11. 17. And the wisdom saith R. F. which is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace James 3. 17 18. for which we praise God Rep. 1. But doth he give this wisdom by asking as saith James 1. 6. If any lack wisdom let him ask it of God is not prayer a means of wisdom 2. I wish we could finde the wisdom James describeth in R. F. As yet I discern not any seeds of it sown in his books one or other 3. Let him beware of taking Gods name in vain by praising him legibly in print for that which he hath not printed in his heart nor holdeth forth visibly in practise Why but he addeth we own reading hearing prayer and the teachings of God according to his promises Rep. I wish he doth well understand the promises of Means of grace have a promise of blessing annexed God Gods promises are made of a blessing upon such means as reading hearing and prayer as well as of gracious abilities to read hear and pray with Isaiah 55. 3. He that heareth and inclines his ear shall live 1 Tim. 4. 13. 16. If Timothy attend to reading meditation preaching to others watching himself In doing this he shall save himself and those that hear him To prayer is promised salvation Rom. 10. 13. Christs presence Matth. 18. 20. Returns and answers Matth. 7. 7. To preaching Christs presence assistance and blessing Matth. 28. 20. To the Saints conditions which C. Atkinson rejected with the ordinances all blessed success Rom. 8. 28. They shall look unto him and run to him and their faces shall not be ashamed Psal 34. 5. why so Ver 6. This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles and therefore we may from others experiences together with our own have hope Rom 5. 4. And Hope in and by a promise an experimental promise and a promised experience maketh not ashamed If therefore R. F. doth own these means and the teachings of God according to Gods promises he must own them otherwise then C. Atkinson even as means by which God hath revealed himself and will communicate his grace and then I will not accuse him as I have not slandered C. A. when I speak the truth I harm them not The more nakedly their Errors are detected by the Truth the more good it may do them and I wish it with my heart 12. Head of Scripture-contradiction Concerning Baptism Section 38. THat they are against Infant-Baptism I had noted contrary to Acts 2. 38 39. where the command for application of Baptism reacheth as far as the Promise and as I hinted in my shorter piece the Promise extendeth it self to Children while Children they are part of the Saints of the Church at Corinth 1 Cor. 7. 14. if but one of the parents be a Believer and a Church-member R. F. is for the Negative in a transition from what was spoken of before But your brain-imaginations we deny and sprinkling Infants with water Rep. 1. If he puts this scandalous title of brain-imaginations upon the other means of Grace reading preaching hearing prayer experiences c. he doth but back his sellow Atkinson Suppose God should leave him as one of that name if it be not the same C. A. to Fornication were it not just for his casting reproach upon the ways of God 2.
Jerusalem the promise of the Father of which he had told them before his death which they were to shew so often as they broke bread till he came and after he was come to the Apostles they continued it for their sakes which were weak in the faith to whom he was not yet appeared Where by the coming of Christ he would have his lost Souls understand his coming in the Spirit onely and not minde what Paul saith of the after-continuance of the Lords Supper till his visible glorious appearance onely if he hath appeared in the Spirit it is enough the Lord is come they are now perfect and may cast off Gods instituted Forms of Worship in the former figure onely for others sake they may keep them up but then poor souls what will follow You that are not yet arrived at their perfection must hold fellowship with them that may forget Christs death for they eat and drink no longer in remembrance of him and put dooms-day out of their thoughts and then the sensuality charged by James Nayler upon others seizeth upon themselves But against this poyson let me give you a few Antidotes 1. No Believer is without the Spirit and the Lords coming Antidotes in Spirit as it came at first to the Apostles before Christs death and to the Corinthians by Pauls ministery at their first conversion 1 Cor. 2. 4. and to the Thessalonians 1 Thess 1. 5. 2. There are none that have the greatest measures of the Spirit in a sanctified way but have need of more Phil. 3. 12. 3. The Apostles continued the Lords Supper after the pourings out of the Spirit Acts 2. 1. for their own use and benefit for 't is said Acts 2. 42. The converts continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers not that the Apostles continued it for their sakes onely who were weak in the faith The strongest Believer walks but by faith here and not by sight 2 Cor. 5. 7. and will have need of such wheat-bread and red-wine as a bait in his walk and journey And although the Apostles had gifts extraordinary Acts 2. 1 c. conferred upon them their Sanctification was not then perfected Peter one most forward slipt and stumbled now and then Acts 10. 14 15. Gal. 2. 12 13 14. Barnabas a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith Acts 11. 24. yet fell into sharp contention with Paul stumbled on the blinde side in siding with Mark his sisters son Col. 4. 10. Acts 15. 37 c. and halted with Peter Gal. 2. to instance in no more 3. The comings and manifestations of the Lord in his Spirit may be lost in a great degree by the Saints as the experiences of David Psal 51. 11 12. Heman Psal 88. 11. 15. and others are upon Record in Scripture Famous is that of Mr. Robert Glover Martyr who two or three days before his death was lumpish and desolate of all spiritual Consolation till going to the Stake the Lord restored his Joys and then he cryed out to his friend Mr. Bernher Austine he is come he is come Christ is free to come or go and withdraw as he pleaseth both as to the in-comes of joy and of power also and look to it O ye lost souls who trust to these deceivers that trust to their present manifestations were they never so true their hearts deceive them and their doctrines deceive you if onely you keep to ordinances and that of the Lords Supper till you have got a little comfort and then bid farewell to all Great is the pride and unthankfulness of such who after they have been enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted of the good word of God the sweetness of the promises and the powers of of the world to come do fall off from the means and ordinances a great forerunner it is to the unpardonable sin to wilful malitious Apostasie which if it be totall will be final and irrecoverable Heb. 6. 4 5 6. c. 14. Head of their Scripture-contradiction Concerning Prayer Section 41. I Had noted their express contradiction we are against publique Prayer to what we have 1 Cor. 14. 14. and 1 Tim. 2. 8. for prayer in the publique meetings of the Church and in every place R. F. * Page 21. Publique prayer not forbidden by Christ tells me I have wronged the words by turning them into a wrong sense Rep. What is their sense He saith they are against a publique prayer which is in the state of the Pharisee Rep. What is a prayer in the state of the Pharisee He tells us that which Christ forbids Matth 6. 5. Matth. 6 5. vindicated Rep. 1. What have we there let the words be read And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocrites for they love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men Here is no prohibition of publique prayers in publique places but of affectation of private prayers in publique places to be seen and observed of men It is indeed Pharisaical to fall to private devotion when a publique work is in hand in the same place or when there is none yet there is company to observe it is without and against rule to pray by a mans self when the company cannot be edified by that which a man speaks unto God and not in the hearing of the persons present and to their understanding but R. F. hath not this sense but judgeth rather we are all in the state of the Pharisee who are the mouth to the rest in our publique meeting places 2. We have found their practical opposition and refusal of joyning with our publique prayer which is the best interpreter of their sense and speaks more what is in their hearts then R. F. his gloss upon it Once at Edinburgh one of theirs went out at the end of my Sermon after he had spoken what he had to say when I told him I would go to prayer for the discovery where the error laid on his part or ours Another time since at Cogges-hall in Essex on a day of prayer and fasting when I was about to pray before Sermon one J. Parnell first being called upon by the magistrate to put off his Hat ask't why he bade not him in the Pulpit put off his Cap and then turned his back upon the ordinance although he was offered liberty to speak further if he would stay quietly till our work was ended if this be their maner of owning publique prayer it is neither after the way of truth love or peace nor after the order of the Spirit of God who teacheth better maners and behaviour before God and men R. F. must not think to put us off with but the praying with the Spirit we own as if they that pray in publique did not pray with the Spirit or that it
end all the larger Schools of the Prophets might become little Churches and all the Churches of the Saints might become little Schools of the Prophets that Universities might emulate the Churches for their holiness and Churches might emulate the Universities for their knowledge in the Scriptures If yet R. F. be not convinced nor contented but will proceed to say as he doth * Page 22. thou that denies immediate teachings and saith the Spirit is in the Letter and given by it thou may well accuse us falsly that so lyes against God and his Spirit I Reply 1. He speaks he knows not what for the asserting of ordinary mediate teachings of them that are to teach others doth not exclude the other where God is pleased to give them but so to cry up what is immediate as to shut out mediate by ministerial instruments and by the Scriptures is contradictory to the minde of God therein and to the constant series and course of his dispensation from the Primitive times downwards Little doth he or others that de-cry study and industry and mediate ways of preparation for the work of the Ministery either consider what is written 2 Tim. 2. 2. The things that thou hast heard of me the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also or know what dependencies we have upon the Lord both in our studies and after all our travels having learnt a little both to prepare as if no assistance should be given and so depend upon him that called us and useth us in our delivery as if we had not studied nor prepared Little doth he know how far we can trust the Lord when we have no time for study or what more immediate assistance we have after the less or greater use of the means upon occasion 2. Less doth he know of the immediate teachings of God whatever are his janglings about it who thinks it a lye against God and his Spirit to say the Spirit is in the Letter of the Scripture and is given by it Never did any that were most immediately taught call off not people onely but teachers also from the Scriptures which carry Spirit Light and Life with them for their own interpretation Never did any but God-slayers and Spirit-wounders go about to separate the Words of God and his Breath one from the other but of that passage and string which he harps so oft upon some account hath been given Sect. 1. and more shall follow in its due place * Part 2. Sect 8. 3. Least of all doth he understand of our Gospel-wideeffectual doors opened both for sending and going about our work when he clamors thou ran as the false prophets did or how far the Lord hath taught us to profit the people and what seals he hath set to our ministerial labors when he judgeth and concludeth and so doth not profit the people at all Men blinded with malice let fly at all adventures let R. F. look to his heart for out of that in his heart doth he write be it good be it evil 20 Head of their Scripture-contradiction Concerning Questions Section 48. I Am very well contented to read a Recantation about Questions if it prove so practically that they will as well allow of our questioning them as they expect we should attend or answer any of their Queries In Scotland as I said Questions were cryed down as of the Devil and as so many snares R. F. owneth Questions in their place he saith * Page 23. But such as are of the Devil we deny Agreed thus far But to hold our agreement we had need know what are the Questions that are set in due place or what is the due place for Questions and what are the Questions that are of the Devil what not I gave forth some information in my former Collection touching the persons questioning and questioned the principle and end maner as matter of the Question In Reply to R. F. 1. As to owning Questions in their place I must tell Fit place for Questions and Answers him if he be a member of a Family it is a fit place for superiors to ask and inferiors to answer Questions and also for wives lovingly to ask Questions as the Apostle saith of their husbands at home whatsoever tropical gloss R. F. would put upon the words 1 Cor. 14. 35. as for children and servants humbly and dutifully to propound their doubts and desire resolution of their parents and governors Exod. 12. 26. And it suteth my place of a Replicant to ask him whether he and others of his way do own catechizing and instructing by way of Question and answer in the Family Again I must tell him it is a fit place for him and his fraternity to answer to the Questions of Magistrates but I have known some of them refuse to answer unto such things as have been propounded in the pursuit of truth and peace It was also a fit place for one of them to have answered when he had asked a godly Pastor of a Church in Suffolk Art thou for trembling and the Minister had told him he would answer him that Question if he would answer him another to which proposal he made a promise but performed it not for when the Minister had told him he did own trembllng but withal added to this effect I read of Moses trembling at the foot of mount Sinai and of Sauls trembling when the Devil appeared in the shape of Samuel and of the Devils trembling and of the Saints working out their Salvation with fear and trembling the Question was which of these sorts of trembling he owned at which the man turn'd his back and went his way discontented and speechless as if he had been strangled as sometime Christ put the Sadduces to silence Mat. 22. 34. the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as haltered alluding to beasts that have bits or halters put in their mouths or muzzles upon their chaps to keep them from biting or doing mischief I asked J. Parnel once whether he was not bred and educated among ignorant Papists but could have no answer it is fit that Question should be answered by some but it was a silencing Question to him If I should ask R. F. as I have reason so to do whether he be not employed with some others by Satans Engineers as a cane for some Jesuit or Socinian to blow through and fly-blow the truths of God about the Scriptures the Spirit the Ministery of Christ c. It is a dubious case whether he will candidly answer to it or what he meant by his answer to his late masters Question Art thou Christ whereto he said I am how he can without blasphemy make it out Or if I should ask him whether he writes any Scripture truth in love of the Scripture or onely to catch and cavil I doubt whether I should not have some of his old ware vended for all his pack is
the Gold of it not by the Altar nor by the Gift upon the Altar c. nor by any creatures whatsoever And yet while he is clearing out the third Commandment which forbids not onely perjury but all profanations of Gods name and directing to the right use of an oath he doth Swearing by God commanded not repeal null or make void the first Commandment which requireth swearing by God and unto God alone For as it requires prayer to the God we have so an oath is also there commanded upon special occasion it being an appeal to God or a solemn attestation and calling of God to witness and judge about the truth affirmed or denied And if we have a God we swear our selves to him and are to swear by his name Deut. 6. 13. and 10. 20. Swearing is such a part of worship and so eminent that it is put by a Synecdoche or figurative speech of the part for the whole for the whole worship of God Psalm 63. 11. and Christ was far from overthrowing the whole worship of God or any part of it 3. The sense of the prohibition Swear not at all is given forth Mat. 5. ver 37. But let your communication be yea yea nay nay Communication * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 5 37. cleared there is as much as ordidinary speech from whence I granted that not onely swearing by creatures is forbidden but all kinde of oaths in ordinary communication as by God or by the Lord and it was the furthest I said that I finde one of the Quakers * A few words by J Nayler pag. 16. seems at least to carry the sense Art thou come to yea and nay in thy common occasions Yet R. F. apprehends the Apostle James his words Chap. James 5 12. vindicated 5. 12. are express against all kinde of swearing at any time because he saith Swear not at all Rep. The words of the Apostle are strictly thus But above all things my brethren swear not neither by heaven neither by the earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay the latter words God not to be sworn by in ordinary speech explaining the scope and sense of the former His scope is particularly to suppress expressions of impatiency under afflictions and persecutions which from ver 7 to 14. he was dealing with and having commended Jobs patience ver 11. he addeth ver 12. Swear not c. that is in your afflictions under sense of pain trouble or torture beware of vain and rash swearing as at all times so when you think your selves provoked to it by the smart of afflictions Beware of swearing by any oath directly by God or indirectly by creatures in the greatest provocations and much more avoid it when you are not provoked barely we are to affirm or deny according to truth at some extraordinary seasons and always in ordinary course 4. Of lawful oaths there are two sorts Assertory and Two sorts of lawful oaths Promissory 1. Assertory when the truth of a thing is solemnly affirmed 1. Assertory or denyed by invocation of God alone for a witness and a judge in such a case and at such a time as a Controversie Heb. 6. 16. vindicated cannot be ended without it Heb. 6. 16. where the Apostle doth not so bring a comparison from the men of the world to whom an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife as to shut out Saints from being men in the world or disoblige them from their common humanity but by alluding to the use of an oath for such a lawful end among men he gives a hint of one of the hinges or sinews of Humane society which Saints have not been wont to throw off or cut asunder but upon weighty occasions they have asserted and confirmed the truth of their speech by an oath Such is that of Paul to the Romans Chap. 1. 9. God is my witness c. And to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1. 23. Moreover I call God for a record c. And to the Philippians Chap. 1. 8. For God is my record c. And to the Galatians Chap. 1. 20. The things which I write unto you behold before God I lye not And to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 2. 5. God is witness In all these forms of speech there is the former part of an oath exprest calling God to witness the other part is implyed appealing to him as a Judge 2. A Promissory oath is when the truth of the hearts 2. Promissory intention and of the lips expression to do a kindeness or keep promise is solemnly confirmed by attestation of God and appeal to him alone such was that of Abrahams servant to his master Gen. 24. 3 9. Of David to Saul 1 Sam. 24. 22. and to Bathsheba 1 Kings 1. 29. Hence no warrant for vain and rash swearing by the Lord can be collected as for any to take up these forms of speech ordinarily Before God or As God shall judge me but sufficient grounds for using of an oath in the same judgement truth and righteousness that the Saints of old and new Testament have sanctified Gods name by 5. Mixt oaths by God and Creatures are forbidden for Mixt oaths forbidden the Lord threatneth to stretch out his hand in judgement against them that swear by the Lord and that swear by Malcham Zeph. 1. 5. i. e. joyned God and idols Milchom or Moloch the abomination of the Ammonites together But God hath promised to establish this part of his true and pure worship to swear by him alone and that in truth upon the earth Isaiah 65. 16. He who blesseth himself shall bless himself in the God of truth and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth R. F. makes other inferences If a man must not swear at all then he must not swear by a Book or any other thing Rep. Had he reasoned from Christs and the Apostles words Swear not at all in their true meaning If a man must not swear by Creatures at all then he must not swear by a Book or any created being he had complied with the truth but to reason and make inferences to no purpose is to lose time and consume pen and paper in vain If it may gain him or any of his Sect to the love of truth and peace I shall nakedly present my thoughts and desires As Swearing by a Book unlawful I had nothing before of Swearing by a Book one way or other so never did I say that a Book was lawful to be sworn by but I heartily wish such a stumbling-block were every where in the Land taken away by the Magistrates for much profanation of Gods name hath been occasioned thereby I remember William Thorp * See Fox Acts and Monuments vol. 1. p. 701 col 2. one of J. Wickliffs followers in conference with a Popish Archbishop was in the right
ignorant of the Letter who knew before he spake it that the Letter declares of life unless he will enwrap himself in the same ignorance But as he is ignorant of the Scripture-letter who denies it to be a means of coming to life so he contradicts himself who saith The Scriptures have life in them and yet with the same breath saith also They are without life as R. F. doth What if the life from which the Scriptures proceeded be not the Letter or Scripture yet the Scripture is the Scripture of life given from Christ who is life The chief subject matter contained therein is Christ the light of life not by the works of the Law by which way the unbelieving Jews thought to obtain life eternal but Christ shut the door against them that way and he directeth them to himself John 5. 39. as revealed in the Scriptures and more then that as conveyed by the Scriptures to a soul For albeit Christ saith They are they that testifie of me yet he doth not say They do but testifie of me This but is R. F. * Light out of darkness page 18. his additional gloss to corrupt the Text to disparage the Scriptures and never a whit the more to advance Christ for he is the more honored among men and savingly owned as he is known to be that living Savior that Way Truth and Life who is testified of in the Scriptures and is come unto or believed on by the Scriptures Wherefore Christ blameth them John 5. 40. that they would not taking the Bible and searching for him come unto him by the knowledge and faith of the Scriptures Section 6. THis and the following Section R. F. returns no Answer unto at all I had noted what Ed. Burroughs saith in his warning to the Inhabitants of Vnder-barrow page 2. That he came not to them with enticing words neither what he had gathered out of the Scripture from without him but to declare the word of the Lord and not to speak his own imaginations and conceivings How cross is this to themselves They use frequently to call the Scriptures the Declaration of the Word and if he came to declare the Word of the Lord as he affirms he either came with what he had gathered from Scripture which he denies or he came with his own imaginations and conceivings which he denies also but both his Negatives cannot be true if there be any truth in his book for that is a Collection of above an hundred places of Scripture quoted in the margent and transscribed in the line The words he had from the Scripture the mis-applications he did not indeed learn from thence nor from the Spirit of God who never teacheth any man to mis-apply his own Letter therefore it was not in true sense the word of the Lord that he declared if he spake the same doctrine for substance that he writes but the visions of his own brain And if I speak a lie saith he page 8. let me be accounted as accursed for ever But he that compiles a book out of Scripture-collections and yet preacheth not what he gathered out of the Scripture deals falsly in one of these ways and speaketh a lie and therefore he is found not onely as a self-contradictor but as a self-curser And to do him no wrong I would know the meaning of that passage page 9. He that hath the word of the Lord from the mouth of the Lord to declare unto you him you revile and mock c. but he that speaks the imagination of his own heart from the Saints conditions him you own and hear If he intends by the Word of the Lord Christ onely what intends he by the mouth of the Lord but the Scriptures which are the Declaration of his word by their own confession If he had the Scriptures to declare Christ unto the people by then he spake what he had gathered out of the Scriptures which is contrary to what he said before If the Scriptures be not the mouth of the Lord how are they a declaration of his word if they be a declaration of his word why are they denied to be the mouth of the Lord Again if he speaks of the Saints conditions as discovered in Scripture and chargeth him that speaks from them to vent the imagination of his own heart he blasphemes the Scripture written for our instruction and consolation Rom. 15. 4. If he condemneth another as he doth page 22. for preaching that which is gathered from without by imagination and conceiving upon that which the Prophet prophesied or which Christ spoke c. and judgeth it carnal and heathenish never commanded by the Lord and yet makes mention of the Saints conditions himself and glosseth upon Scripture according as his fancy worketh he alloweth that which he condemneth as he condemneth what God alloweth not that God alloweth the working of every mans fantasie but in a sanctified way if his worketh otherwise God condemneth what he alloweth Section 7. Section 7 8. THey call as I noted here the Scriptures the Worlds Touchstone and yet as appeared Part 1. Section 1. Some of them at least will not have the Scripture to be the Word of Truth to the world If it be not the Word of Truth to the world how can it be the Worlds Touchstone This interfering of men of his way R. F. undertakes not to cure or touch at with the least of his fingers and beyond my skill it is to salve the Contradiction onely I heartily desire of God that the discovery hereof may prove good eye-salve to let them see the shame of their nakedness Section 8. IN the second Section of this second part I noted down two of their Self-contradictions the latter of them might have there been spared and entirely spoken to here where I toucht at it again a little more plainly But R. F. though he glanced at it there took it not off nor doth he any more here then pass it over in silence which of the Saints had the witness of their souls union to seek in the Letter thus querieth J N. in his Few words page 11. I shall now to what was discovered as contradictory to himself in Sect. 2. or here adde his other words in the same page viz. The Spirit it opens and brings all that is spoken in Scripture to remembrance this is so a truth as it crosseth his Negative implyed in the Interrogation viz. That none have their witness to seek in the Letter and what he addes expresly He that believeth hath the witness in himself in Spirit and not in the Letter had he said and not in the Letter onely it might have salv'd the contradiction but as it is contrary to the Scripture to say the Saints have not comfortable testimony of their union and interest in Christ in and by the Scripture-letter so 't is contrary to himself to deny the Believer hath his witness in the Letter and yet grant that the Spirit opens and
sometimes uttered First The Apostles sense 2 Cor. 4. 6. is by allusion to 2 Cor. 4. 6. vindicated Gods work in the old creation to witness his power in the new In the old he commanded light to shine out of darkness He said Let there be light and there was light creating it of nothing There was a pre-existent subject before light was created viz. darkness of the air but no pre-existent matter which light was made of much less was light there before within the darkness for though God commanded the light to shine out of darkness it doth not follow that light was there before So God working by his Almighty power in the new creation he hath saith the Apostle shined in our hearts to give the light which was not there before of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ The faculty of the natural understanding was there as the pre-existing subject but there was no fore-existing matter out of which this light is produced The Apostles sense again in Gal. 1. 16. is not to Gal 1. 16. vindicated favor these mens opinion as if Christ had been in Paul vailed over before conversion and then revealed in him as being there but Paul did not know it till his conversion But God revealed his Son in Paul when he did immediately effectually and experimentally shine into his heart and gave him the knowledge of the glorious mysteries of the Gospel in the clear knowledge of Christ given for him given to him and now dwelling in him and he doth reveal his Son in others ordinarily when after he hath knockt at their hearts he opens the door by his Spirit gives faith to consent that Christ shall come in and dwell there Ephes 3. 17. Before faith Christ is kept out of the heart but when a soul believes and his faith worketh by love and love by obedience as Christ came in and took possession from first believing so in his good time he doth manifest himself unto the soul John 14. 21. The Apostles sense Col. 1. 27. Col. 1. 27. vindicated is not as if the light of Christ for salvation had been in the Gentiles hearts in a mystery before their effectual calling The mystery of salvation by Christ was wrapt up in the Scriptures of the old Testament and in Types and Figures among the Jews not in the least hinted to the Gentiles mindes before the Gospel came But when the Apostles When and how Christ is in the soul came to preach Christ crucified to their ears through grace they believed the report for themselves at Coloss as elsewhere and knew the grace of God in truth had Christ his image stampt upon their hearts and the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them This was not light breaking forth from their hearts as having been there before their union with Christ and Christs taking up their hearts as his Temple but the light of the glorious Gospel breaking into their hearts which 1. Is called the riches of the glory and the Pronoun which before is Christ in you refers not to mystery for that is of the Neuter and the Pronoun * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Masculine Gender but to riches * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same Gender with which in the Greek The glorious treasure and substance of the mystery which rich glorious treasure is Christ in you the light in every man is a poor base beggerly scrap to this Gospel-pearl and treasure 2. This riches summ'd up in Christ and Christ the substance of the Mystery is confined to the Saints ver 26. and is onely in them ever after their closing with Christ reigning and prevailing to the purity peace and joy of their souls and evidential hope of their future glory Secondly The assertion of Christs being within men before conversion contradicts themselves as I discovered in my former piece who say In the Ages past Christ was not revealed every man had not that light The Son of God is not revealed as Christ but as he is Mediator in the Ages past Christ was not so revealed they had not say they that light viz. as he is Mediator therefore Christ as Mediator was not within men by the light given to every man And here I leave them R. F. among them as I found them and discovered them in this Section in their own darkness of Confusion and Self-contradiction till the Lord shall convince them thereof and bring them out of it Section 12. ANother Contradiction of themselves concerning the Light in every man I noted in this Section viz. That they magnifie it and vilifie it in the same respect as it is the light of the first nature and of every man in his first state since the fall R. F. * Page 26. takes up two of the passages to answer but takes not off their Self-contradiction The first They magnifie every mans light to be a Law written in the heart to judge and condemn all sin and therefore they say the day of judgement is come and anon they vilifie the light of natural men who are a part of mankinde as filthy waters and every man in his first state is a beast To this all that R. F. hath to say is Where judgement is brought forth into victory sin is condemned in the flesh and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus c. and such have boldness in the day of judgement for as some mens deeds goes before-hand to judgement others they come after and therefore a day of judgement is to come Rep. If these men would disparage every mans light in respect of the Saints light they would be something ingenuous and if they did not put every mans light in the place of Christ the Spirit and his writing in the heart and then call them waters of Babylon nor sometimes say upon Adams fall pure reason was destroyed c. and anon call every mans light pure light they would not be so Scripture and self-contradictious as they are nor would they confound what they ought to distinguish as R. F. confounds the judgement of a natural conscience and the Spirits Gospel-conviction of sin Righteousness and Judgement together Justification he confounds with Sanctification and a day of Judgement present with the day of Judgement which is to come Scripture-expressions he useth here as elsewhere but not with the Scripture-scope and meaning The passage I quoted out of Ben. Nicholson his Returns to a Letter Page 13. speaks of the Law written in the heart of The Spirits conviction of judgement beyond the judgement of a natural conscience every man which they say doth judge and condemn all sin R. F. tells us of a Judgement brought forth into victory and when that is done sin is condemned in the flesh but say I according to Scripture the Law written in the heart of every man neither condemns all sin nor discovers either the root of
all sin nor half the branches of it and Judgement is far from coming forth into victory till Christ brings it forth not onely by Gospel-conviction which is far beyond and above the conviction of a meer natural conscience but by Gospel-sanctification and by his second writing of the Law not in old stony hearts but in new and softned hearts But if natural conscience be so potent to be victorious at last why do they call every man in his first state a beast his reason corrupt but to manifest their Self-confusions Again he speaks of sin being condemned in the flesh a Scripture-expression Rom. 8. 3. used by the Apostle to set Rom. 8. 3. cleared forth Christs condemning sin in his own flesh putting of it out of office and power to condemn believers by his suffering Christs condemning sin in his flesh far beyond the conscience condemnation of sin of the punishment of their sin in that flesh of his yea fulfilling the Law for them in the same flesh Hence no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus but this is another kinde of condemning sin then what comes meerly by and from a natural conscience for that 1. Doth but condemn sin in part not all sin not original sin not unbelief c. 2. By way of discovery not by way of satisfaction for sin and of justification from guilt as is Christs maner of condemning sin 3. Natural conscience is never victorious as to deliverance of a soul from the state of sin though it be never so far obeyed but Christs condemning sin in his own humanity assumed to that end is victorious both by merit with God and by application in the conscience of a believer to stop its own and Satans accusations and throughout the Saint to set up reigning holiness in him to prevail over corruption by degrees in the state of a new creature Lastly The Apostles words 1 Tim. 5. 24. of some mens sins going before-hand to Judgement others coming after 1 â—im 5. 24. vindicated are used to another purpose as appeareth from ver 20. concerning Gospel and Church-offences and offenders some mens sins are discovered before-hand these the Church may judge others are not disclosed these God will judge It is well that R. F. grants a Judgement to come I wish he could consider it better and judge no man so deeply as he doth me before the time reckoning me with the wicked who indeed will finde it to be a day of torment for he that judgeth now shall himself be judged at that day and he that will shew no mercy in judging others shall then have judgement without mercy to his little ease joy or rejoycing The second passage which R. F. * Page 27. undertakes to defend is that of John Cam Every man in his first birth and state may see himself to be natural but is not able to judge of the things of God This is contradictious in the first part of it to Ben. Nicholson who said Every man in his first state is a beast for then he can reflect upon himself and judge of his state before God no more then a beast And the second part of it is contradictious to the first for if every man in his first birth may see himself to be natural guilty liable to sin and the curse before God then he may judge something of the things of God but that is denied why then is the other affirmed but that the man fought with himself in the dark R. F. his defence is 1. By railing and falshood Let that Book Particulars concerning the Law by J. Cam be a witness to the truth against thy ignorance and sottishness that sees thy corruptions and pleads for them Rep. This I pass by with prayer that the Lord may rebuke and remit him 2. By a truth and a falshood together The light which doth discover the natural corruptions is not natural as thou says but it is spiritual Here is a truth in Scripture-sense not in his meaning that the light which discovers natural corruption is spiritual but a falshood mixt with it that I said it was natural This will no where be found in my former or this present piece for I every where deny the natural light of every man to be able to discover a mans corrupt state Reason cannot reach the breadth nor fathom the depth of this fallen condition But let R. F. compare his own words last spoken with John Cam's and consider if one doth not clash with the other His brother saith Every man in his first birth may see himself to be natural Himself saith The light which doth discover natural corruptions is not natural but spiritual Now I ask Is it by the light of the first birth as in the first birth that every man may see himself to be natural then that light is either natural or spiritual It is not natural saith R. F. It is in the first birth saith J. Cam either these men do agree or not if they do agree with themselves it is more then we can make out by their words onely I finde what their sense is of the word spiritual not after the Scripture sense The Scripture meaneth by spiritual that which is born of the Spirit by spiritual light the light of the new or second birth but these men understand by spiritual light that which comes with the first birth a light in the soul of every man We know saith James Nayler * Antichrist in man by J. Nayler p 7 8 there is a light in spirit that testifies of Christ before Christ be known in the Creature this light is that which the Gentiles had whereby saith he they became a law unto themselves and were Jews in spirit whose praise was of God and not of men This light led them to shew the works of that Law God had written in their hearts their conscience bearing witness and excusing them in the day when God shall judge the world by his Gospel This light and the fruits of it he concludes will stand at the day of judgement praised of God but not of men Which magnifying expressions of the Heathens light are disparaged by what * Ben. Nicholson Returns to a Letter p 16. another of them saith viz. upon Adams fall pure reason was destroyed and corrupt reason took place as it doth this day in every natural man And if this man speaks the truth as he doth the other speaks what is false 1. In that he boldly affirmeth the Gentiles light made them Jews in spirit the Apostle Rom. 2. 29. hath no Rom. 2. 29. rescued such meaning He describeth a Jew in spirit to be one who is circumcised in heart or who hath the circumcision of the heart whose praise is not of men but of God Heart-circumcision and the Gentiles light are two things vastly discrepant the Gentiles light never attained to the mystery of heart-circumcision Fond men that write and speak after this maner
reason light and understanding though lighted up as a candle within me by Christ the true God working with the Father in all acts of Creation and Providence hitherto is truly called as it is natural light and seeing every man John 5. 17. hath some of it the most of whom have no saving light it is truly called as it is common and universal light Will R. F. allow Ed. Burroughs to call some light natural and not me so to phrase it or will he allow J. Nayler to distinguish between common light and saving and may not I and others with me have the same liberty First let Ed. Burroughs be heard * Warning to under barrow pag. 37. I write not as from man whose light Section 20 is onely natural and carnal and doth onely make manifest carnal transgressions c. And again By the natural light through the earthly law is no natural man able to judge of that which is spoken or declared from that which is eternal And again I deny to have this cause put into the judgement of carnal Lawyers who judge by the natural light c. Let us hear J. Nayler speak his minde * Discovery of the man of sin pag. 29. In your reply meaning the Ministers at Newcastle you deceitfully put in that word saving light which is not spoken by me for though Christ be the light of the world that enlightens all yet none are saved by him but who believe c. There is a light then which is in natural men unbelievers and all the Heathen which is but natural and a light which is not saving and therefore but common by their own confession what unreasonableness is it in them to except against the term of distinction what contradiction to their own reason 2. The preeminence of Scripture-light is this that it is our standing rule for faith and maners so are not immediate Revelations or Teachings of which see 1. Part Sect. 1. Here is the Letter or Scripture-fulness that I assert There is sufficient light in it to guide men to salvation seeing it is the Spirits light and given by the Spirit for a rule yea the Spirit gives out himself thereby for our clear understanding and satisfaction in the things of God insomuch as that very witness which a believer hath in himself the Scripture bears testimony of The Spirit tells us in the Scripture what he worketh in our hearts and he stamps upon our hearts what he had before caused to be stampt into Scripture or upon the Bible R. F. objecteth Thou wouldst have the Spirit to be bought and sold if it were in the Letter Rep. How the Spirit is in the Letter that is in the Scripture I have opened in its due place 2. Part Sect. 8. but that it followeth it may therefore be bought and sold is a weak and poor exception R. F. his minde goes along with his Pamphlet and his spirit is in his book yet it is not his person but the ink and paper that is bought and sold so the ink and paper of the Scriptures as other creatures of God are bought and sold not so the Spirit though he be more in them then R. F. is in his book for this poor man cannot change my minde nor many thousands more if they read his Pamphlet with me into his erroneous judgement when as the Spirit in the Scripture changeth my minde and all that are made to own the light and authority of it into the same truth that is there delivered Again he taunteth Thou wouldst have a Letter-Savior if the Letter could give the Spirit and eternal life Rep. 1. I never said the Letter could or did give the Spirit but the Spirit is given by it or as I even now exprest it the Spirit gives out himself by it and he gives out Christ or the knowledge of Christ and eternal life by it also who shall hinder him if he will begin and further our salvation by it 2. It is R. F. his disdainful expression not mine a Letter-Savior Christ a Savior according to Scripture but this I say from the Lord He that slights the Savior which the Scripture witnesseth and maketh known is not like to finde any Spirit-Savior of him or a Savior in vigor life and Spirit to his soul and if he be not such a Savior he is not at all a Savior to him Did ever any of the Apostles or such as had indeed immediate teachings from the Spirit vilifie and reproach Christ or the Scripture with such inkhorn terms Yet again With a Letter-fulness thou wouldst have no witness of God without the Letter Rep. 1. That follows not for his providential works are witnesses of him Acts 14. 17. to the very Heathens and much more to Christians But 2. He shall be no Christian to me or in my account who brings any testimony as from God without the Scriptureattestation But saith R. F. If the Scripture be lost the fulness and the witness would be lost and his people be without supply and strength according to thy account Rep. 1. Should they be lost that one way whereby God gives out his fulness and by which he witnesseth and worketh for his peoples supply and strength would be lost yet God loseth none of his fulness in himself and Christ hath other witnesses of him John 5. His Father his Works John Baptist But 2. Seeing there are Scriptures as they cannot be broken John 10. 35. they cannot be lost God hath and will ever preserve them for his peoples supply and strength 3. What vain jangling is here from R. F. his pen tending to no edification at all of the Reader but to the alienation of peoples mindes from the Scriptures and from those that teach according to them to seduce and draw poor souls after their pretended immediate teachings while yet they will be quoting of Scripture as if it were written and pen'd to destroy it self For thus R. F. gathers up the Rere of his forces * Page 28. He to wit Christ is before all things and by him all things consist and he is the Head of the body the Chruch who is the beginning and first-born from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence for in him the fulness dwells Rep. 1. Are not these words written by the Spirits secretary Col. 1. 17 18 19. And is not R. F. beholden to the Scripture for that literal knowledge 2. If ever he feels the power of these as other Scriptures The Scripture magnifies Christ above it self God will teach him to honor the Scripture so much the more as it magnifies Christ above it self and to speak more wisely of it then to conclude as he doth In him the fulness dwells then not in the Letter yet the Letter declares of it Rep. 1. If the Letter declares of Christs fulness then we shall need to know no more of Christ then what for substance is in the Scripture there
cannot prove what thou hast said Rep. 1. Neither do my words sound as if I jeered nor was it my sense nor do I mis-report their practise 2. The proofs I shall give will evidence the truth of the charge They stand in an evil cause who being convented before magistrates deny the Scriptures to be the word of God disturb the Churches in their publique worship and that sometimes on a solemn day of humiliation All this did J. P. last summer in Essex at Cogs-hall yea and that without quaking and fear witness his challenge of him that had preached witness his question to the magistrate when he was bidden pull off his Hat why he did not bid him in the Pulpit pull off his Cap witness his skipping up the Table before four Justices of the Peace placed at it with his back towards them in the room where they examined him after the publique work was ended pretending he should be heard the better witness his denyal of the Scriptures to be what they are the word of God neither regarding what was held forth to him from Hosea 8. 12. what God hath written is his written word c. nor from Prov. 30. 5 6. Every word of God is pure c. Adde thou not unto his words c. Again that is standing in an evil cause not to own and confess the Scripture to be a Rule to walk by when called to such an acknowledgement before the magistrate this William Dewsbery and Hen Williamson would not directly afford to Judge Windham when he askt the question but put it off another way as their maner is and that Discovery of persecution in Northamp pag. 12. without fear or due respect of the Power ordained by God for they would not stand uncovered till their Hats were taken off R. F. may shoot out his arrow against me Stop thy mouth deceiver and take in thy slander again but it will light upon his own pate or he thinks to answer all with what follows The Lord makes the righteous as bold as Lyons but it cannot be applied here when men will be silent in a good cause and bold in a bad one There is a bad Lion as well as a good the roaring Lion that goes about seeking whom he may devour and that first by seducing the minde to error and then come forth the effects of bodily shaking falling to the ground and roaring as lately at Witham in Essex hath been visible and audible enough The late Teachers hereabouts some of them have been so bold as they will not give over till they knock down people as Butchers do their calves although one of the last that came by name Will Dewsbery was against such violent dealing The boldness of J. P. lately in Colchester Castle is legible enough in Print * Fruits of a Fast p. 5. 6. c. What a bold falshood is that to say our Intent was to ensnare him and bring his body into bonds or that we were gathered against the truth a bold calumny That the four Teachers as he names them of Independent companies are all Parish-Priests a bold lye as is that which followeth that I spake to the Rulers in the publique place thereby to stir up their spirits to persecute The chiefest passage which I had in my Sermon none of which he heard reflecting upon this Sect was occasionally taken up by reason of his interrupting our work viz. that in stead of the term Quakers henceforth they may be stiled Church-disturbers That this was plotted among the Priests and gathered Churches to appoint meetings to insnare the innocent is still more impudent our meeting on a solemn day of seeking God was designed to bear witness against their errors to strengthen the hands of one another in the truth and to preserve the innocent in the way of truth but for insnaring it was far from our intendment the Lord knows nor did we know that J. P. would be there till we met But all these passages with his bold Letters to the Justices after his Commitment and to the Judge after the Assizes and his bold entituling his Book The Fruits of a Fast the Lord hath rebuked after his bold undertaking a Fast of his own for many days together in the aforesaid Castle and therefore I say no more but the Lord rebuke all those of his way by this warning piece though if it be his will I desire not one of them should perish either by death or by imprisonment Section 24. Section 24. 25. THey deny as I noted from their Books all them that deny Quaking and one saith Moses was a Quaker and yet they think it scorn to be called Quakers R. F. who was concerned in this seeing of all that I have read it is he that expresly affirmeth * A return to the Priests about Beverly page 14. Moses was a Quaker hath not a word for reconcilement what I noted therefore must stand with the rest of their Self-contradictions as a Testimony against them 10. Head of Self-contradiction Concerning growth in Grace Section 25. HEre I observed their witnessing as they say of the Saints growth and the time of their pressing after perfection and weighed it with their exclamations against those who deny perfection of degrees and affirm sin to dwell in the Saints all their life time R. F. cunningly asks me * Page 29. Art thou offended that we witness the Saints growth and the time of pressing on to perfection but hides from the Reader the contradiction that follows The time of prossing after perfection is not the time of perfect attainment by their condemning those that deny perfection of gradual holiness in this life For they that are yet to grow further are not at their full and perfect growth and if the time of this life be but a time to press after perfection it is not the time of the Saints attainment to those degrees which at death their souls are filled withal And if they that witness a time of pressing on do not therein cross nor contradict the Scripture as R. F. acknowledgeth and I acknowledge that their witness doth not cross us why then will they by their acclamations of some here already perfect and without sin both cross us and contradict themselves 11. Head of Self-contradiction Concerning Forms of Religion Section 26. WHereas they pretend against all mens Forms and are against Gods Forms of administring water-Baptism and a Bread and Wine-Supper yet they take up a Form of keeping on the Hat a Form of words Thou and Thee c. All this R. F. passeth over as having said enough to the latter at least in a Pamphlet of a sheet that he entituleth The pure language of the Spirit of truth where also he defendeth nakedness or some mens going naked in these times as a figure and sign of their nakedness who are naked from God and clothed with filthy garments all this upon supposition if the Lord bid them
Concerning Conscience and Laws Section 32. HEre I noted what they determine There must be no Law concerning Religion and yet thus admonish Rulers See that your Laws be according to the Conscience of every man By this I said it seems there is no Religion in the Conscience or else why should there not be Laws concerning Religion according to Religion as well as according to the conscience At this R. F. opens his mouth gives liberty to his Pen as followeth * Page 30. Thou deceitful spirit how hast thou wrested the words set down about the Law of God which answers his Justice and the light in the conscience which answers the Law of God which is perfect according to that in the conscience And then he desires the wise-hearted may read the Book which I have wrested The glory of the Lord arising shaking terribly the earth c. and the simple-hearted may take notice of my deceits herein made manifest c. Rep. That the wise-hearted may not believe every thing as the simple-hearted will if not helped with true information First I shall clear my self of a deceitful spirit in this allegation as in all that past before Secondly I shall discover the deceit of R. F. his words and answer as 't is jumbled here together First that I wrested not their words deceitfully will appear if I give them forth as they are in that Pamphlet * The glory of the Lord c. p. 14. more fully Therefore be awarned how you make Laws for all must be cut down with the sword of the Lord which is contrary to that in the conscience And that no Law be laid upon Religion for the Law is for sinners and transgressors c. Now if no Law be laid upon Religion because the Law is for sinners c. then either sinners have no conscience at all and then they contradict themselves who speak of a conscience in every man and that Laws must be according to that in the conscience as it follows in that page or else sinners have no Religion i. e. of no kinde and nothing to binde them from within which if they say they contradict the light of every mans conscience and consequently their own which teacheth something of a God and of a Religion also that that God which they own is to be worshipped c. Let us hear them again with patience See that your Laws be according to that in every mans conscience for the light in every mans conscience is of God That that in every mans conscience may witness your Laws else that in every mans conscience will witness against your Laws not to be of God Rep. 1. It is a truth the light which is light indeed and not thought only to be light in every mans conscience is of God but you shall have many men tell you my light gives me to judge thus and I think thus when 't is not light but darkness for which end to avoid this deceit Christ gives the caution Luke 11. 35. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee i. e. which thou thinkest is light be not darkness 2. Granting that every man hath some light in the conscience which is of God so far as Magistrates Laws are according to that light that light will accord with the Laws witness for them at one time or other But what if the Magistrates Law be above the light that every man hath as is the Law of true Religion Christian and saving Religion suppose every such man who hath but an inferior common light beneath and below the light of the Magistrates Law doth witness against it not to be of God is it not therefore of God because a blind erring conscience who cannot see above his candle-natural light doth so judge of it not to be of God is it I say therefore not of God or must the Magistrate repeal those laws which accord with Gods supernatural light given him because the natural man cannot reach the understanding of them Such laws indeed as have persecuted prisoned crucified them who have suffered for the testimony of a good conscience if Rulers repealed them not God hath hewed down in all ages because contrary to the Law of God and to that which was and is in a sanctified conscience but the conscience of every man is not a sanctified conscience and therefore it may sooner oppose what is good in the Magistrates Laws then the Magistrates good Laws shall oppose any thing good in the conscience And hereupon it follows that the Magistrate is not to level his Laws with every mans conscience and light but he is to provide and encourage able Teachers who may by Gods blessing on their labors be instrumental to elevate the mindes and consciences of people to the understanding of that which is supernatural in the Law of God and of man consonant to that of God But what say these men further * Glory of the Lord c. pag. 15. Because there have been persecuting Laws Therefore be awarned of making Laws and that you have no Law concerning Religion but let Religion defend it self for whatsoever is not of God will not stand but will wither away but see that your Law be according to that in the conscience and then it will be against strikers c. Rep. Here is that which is wreathed and cross-shakled no law must be concerning Religion yet all according to that in the conscience I ask these men again Is Religion within as well as without if they say without then why condemn they us who are for the outward part of worship instituted by God if they say within then where is it seated every where but in the conscience if it be seated in the conscience as in other faculties then the Laws cannot reach the conscience but they will reach Religion also And again if Religion be seated in the conscience why should not laws be concerning Religion and according thereunto as according to the conscience seeing the conscience bindeth us to the observation of Gods Law and if the Magistrates Law concerning Religion be according to Gods Law the Law of the Magistrate and the Law of the Conscience will agree very well together for he is not a terror to them that do well but to evill doers yet his Law is for the defence of them that do well as for the offence of them that do ill it is the evil doer onely that is afraid of a good a righteous and a religious Law Secondly for the discovery of R. F. his deceitful answer consisting of truth and error jumbled together The Law of God saith he answers his justice and the light in the conscience which answers the Law of God which is perfect according to that in the conscience Rep. Here are two truths The Law of God answers his Justice and the Law of God is perfect but here are two errors couched withal 1. As if the Law of God had no more
him also even of strong Paul and of weak Paul strong in the Lord weak yet in and of himself and willing to glory in this that he knew himself to be weak and nothing As he * M. Nicholas Price of Lyn-Regis that said when he had attained to no small measure of mortification in the eyes of others I thank God I know my self to be a sinner while these proud up-starts think many of them have reached to the highest pitch of Perfection 3. It is Pride that hath bred and doth feed and nourish their opinions and practises What makes them level Legal and Gospel-light but Pride The light which every man hath saith William Deusbery i Christ exalted page 26 is not common to man by nature it is the great gift of God the Grace that hath appeared c. The truth is Every mans light where the Gospel comes not is neither for degree nor kinde the same with Gospel-light it is but a shimmering of the Laws light a gift of God indeed but no such great Gift as the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ or as the doctrine of that Grace Every man writes E. B. k True faith of the Gospel of peace p. 18. hath that which is one in Vnion and like the Spirit of Christ even as good as the Spirit of Christ according to its measure A proud elevation of the fallen posterity of Adam either exalting the gifts of the Spirit as high as the person of the Spirit or levelling the high and peculiar Grace of the Spirit in true Saints with the low and common work in every man Weigh but what J. Nayler hath in his Answer to Math. Cuffin l Light of Christ and word of life page 19. and see if there be not wicked Pride God is at liberty to speak to his people by them viz. the Scriptures if he please and where they are given by inspiration he doth so And so he is at liberty to speak by any other created thing as to Balaam by his Ass As if God did not speak constantly by the Scriptures the voices of the Prophets * Acts 13. 27 and Apostles though his people are not always alike affected with and by them nor doth the Lord give the same impression from the same Text at one time as at another or as if all the Scripture at all times were not of divine Inspiration and as if he would have his disciples with himself ascribe no more authority to the Scriptures then to Balaams Ass 4. Unbelief begets and procreates all their Errors and their love of Error with their derisions of the Truth How come they to slight the Scriptures and the Ordinances of Christ They have lost that first faith or never 1 Tim. 5. had any concerning their Institution and Authority or the efficacy of the Spirit put forth by them Would they else judge it Blasphemy m To all that would know the way p. 4. for any to say the Letter or Scripture is the Word of God when as 't is that which the Spirit dictated and hath ever blessed and prospered to his own purposes Would they else scribble and quibble as they do n Ibid page 8. Thou that sayest thou had not come to repentance if thou had not known the Letter thou deniest Christ The Scripture is say they A Declaration of the Spirit but the Spirit is not in it A Declaration of Power but the Power is not in it And why is not the Spirit and Power in it this is nothing but the voice and spirit of unbelief which makes them so to judge How like a Pelagi-Arminian doth J. Nayler speak o Answer to Quakers Catechism p. 24. Who hath the Spirit hath an infallible guide in matter and maner if he keep to it And I know that so far as any are led by the Spirit it guides into all truth if it be not erred from Whence come these ifs but from unbelief What Luther said of his Popish Devotions is true here We always prayed in Colloq mens Popedom conditionaliter with condition uncertainly and at hap-hazard And upon such a hazard do these ifs run mens salvation beside the pride of such ifs determining all Grace the Spirits infallible guidance and what not upon the will of man and his improvements Whence is it that they speak with such disparagement of Christ dying at Jerusalem but from unbelief Had Ed. Burrough a Faith working by love when he sounded his Trumpet p A Trumpet of the Lord sounded out of Sion by E. B. page 17. and upbraided all that are called Presbyterians and Independents with their feeding upon the report of a thing done many hundred years ago They that believe not that word John 6. 53. will not tremble at it Did those called Presbyterians and Independents more heartily feed upon Christ who dyed and as he dyed above sixteen hundred years ago by faith every day and meet ofter at the Lords Table in faith and love they would be more strengthned in one against their common enemies 5. They do subtilly couch many Errors under specious words of Truth or terms that are ambiguous and of a doubtful sense q The inheritance of Jacob page 24. The Righteousness saith Francis Howgil whereby the Saints of old pleased God and was accepted was wrought in them the same that is now wrought in the Saints by Christ As if God were not pleased with them as clothed with the imputed righteousness of Christ or they would have that which is within the Saints to be that which is imputed to their pardon and acceptance whereas God is more pleased with that which Christ wrought for them then with what he worketh in them Yea that which Christ wrought in his own person and in that flesh which he assumed is that alone which the Father accepteth and imputeth to their Justification Not but he is pleased with his own work in us in a way of Sanctification and Service That seems very fair which Alexander Parker hath r Testimony of God p. 4. It is an inward work that every one must know and witness if ever they know true peace and rest But let all know that the work within is not the ground and purchase of their peace but the blood of Christ alone and his obedience although it is a witness and an evidence and yet every inward work is not an evidence or witness of peace with God but that alone which is the New-birth or true Sanctification and the parts of it flowing from and inseparably attending and accompanying the Believers union with the Lord Jesus Light saith Tho Lawson Å¿ Lip of truth c. page 45 and 47. is the same in him that hates it and in him that loves it And again Grace is the same in him that turns it into lasciviousness as in him that is taught by it The same seed as fell on the good ground fell on the high way