plain Proof to make it appear if they can which I know they are no more able to do than to hinder the Sun from shining nor the Wind from Blowing And therefore the Teachers amongst the People called Quakers exhort People to mind love and receive to believe and walk in this divine Light that will do that for them which no other can it will shew them their Thoughts discover their Conditions let them see they are Sinners and that they cannot save themselves And as they believe in this Light are truly sorry for their Sins and unfeignedly repent of them and come to walk in this Light they will have the Benefit of the Death and Sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ that dyed for our Sins and rose again for our Justification and experience his Blood to cleanse them from ALL Unrighteousness and may come to find Peace be fitted for God's Kingdom and know Salvation to their immortal and never-dying Souls But those that rebel against it do evil and hate it and will not receive nor believe in it nor bring their Deeds to it if they were as wise as Achitophel as learned as Gamaliel and could live to the Age of Methusalem they can never know true Peace nor enter into God's Kingdom But will be punished with everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power 2 Thess 1.9 and will be turned into outter Darkness where the Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth is Mat. 8.12 Therefore let all have a care they do not hate it nor rebel against it nor continue in any thing that this Light manifests to them to be contrary to the Will of God but believe in it that they may receive Power to do that which it shews them they ought to do and become the Sons of God And if B. Bird will but diligently and reverently read the Gospel in the Common-Prayer which is to be read on Christmas-day he may find this Doctrine throughly proved and this Exhorration in the Commination viz. Let us while we have the Light believe in the Light and walk as the Children of the Light that we be not cast into utter Darkness where is Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth The next thing I observe is his quarrelling about the Scriptures concerning which he saith page 5. which was p. 9. of my former viz. That Christ's Light is to be preferred because it was before the Scriptures Answer Yes so it is and so doth B. Bird confess for he saith they were given us by Christ then Christ was before them and is worthy to be preferred above the Scriptures which B. B. saith were given us by Christ See p. 6. and will he prefer the Gift before the giver And in p. 6. he saith I charge those that take the Scriptures for their only Rule of Faith and Obedience as if they did set them above the Spirit and above Christ But he quotes no page of my Book However B. Bird saith This is a false Charge for they are given us by Christ Answer Then Christ was before the Scriptures as aforesaid and B. Bird grants it Where then is the Falsness of the Charge And why is he Angry if he prefers the Spirit of God for the first great or supreme Rule of his Children I 'll grant him that the Holy Scriptures that were wrote by Holy Men as they were moved by the Holy Spirit are the secondary and subordinate Rule What false Doctrine is there in this And in p. 6. B. B. saith Christ sends us to the Holy Scripture to search for him and not to the Light that is within and therefore we have reason to hearken to him and not to those that would draw us from them to something better in our own Hearts and Consciences which we should keep close to Answer The first part relating to what Christ said John 5.39,40 I grant that Christ's Words Search or ye search c. do not carry any Reproof in them for their Searching the Scriptures but for their not coming to him the true Light and thinking to have Eternal Life in the Scriptures For said he They are they that testifie of me and then blamed them that they would not come to him that they might have life so that he did principally desire they might come to him the true Light that shines in their Hearts and Consciences and which is something better than the Scriptures that testifie of him altho' B. Bird is not willing to hearken to them that would draw him to something better than the Scriptures O strange is this the Man that saith we should keep to John 5.39,40 and yet will not come to Christ which is something better than the Scriptures for altho' they he spoke to thought to have Eternal Life they were mistaken And if B. B. thinks so he is mistaken for he cannot have Eternal Life till he comes to Christ the true Light and believes and walks therein which is the some thing better than the Scriptures which B. B. saith he hath more Reason to hearken to And I heartily wish B. B. did so and that all People did practise and believe according to Holy Scriptures And in p. 7 he saith He i. e. John Feild finds Fault with many saying we cannot tell whether we have the Spirit of God in us but by the Scripture but can he or any one else tell how we shall know the Spirit of Truth to be in us but by the Scriptures of Truth Answer Yes by its own Evidence and Work in our Hearts because that is not wanting to do that in us which Christ who is the Truth promised it should see John 16 7-13 He did not say the Scriptures should convince of Sin c. but the Spirit of Truth which those that wrote Scriptures were moved by and by this Spirit and the Light thereof those that never see or hear the Scriptures may know Good and Evil see Rom. yea God and the Things of God as well as those did that were before the Scriptures were as Adam Enoch Abraham and Moses who my Antagonists grant to have had immediate Converse with God And sure that must be by the Spirit and as God and his Spirit changeth not so he can and doth by his Spirit let us know we are of God as Primitive Christians did and that the whole World lies in Wickedness In p. 6. he saith I asked what damnable Errors the Quakers hold And B. B. saith Let him read John Faldo's Book called Quakerism no Christianity and Thomas Danson's The Quaker's Folly and his Synopsis of Quakerism Answer Observe how he recommends me to our Adversaries Books for Proof would he have me refer him to those Books that Papists or Presbyterians have writ against the Church of England for proof that their Doctrines are Erroneous and Damnable This shews his Folly as well as Enmity and that he is not wise but otherwise in that he would have Judgment against us by false Accusations
much like the High Priests and wicked Jews that when they heard the False Witnesses accuse our Lord and Master Jesus Christ cryed out He is guilty of Death But I hope the Wise and Judicious will hear and read our Answers and consider our Defence before they conclude us guilty altho this Priest Bird and some others agree to condemn us and such that are willing to be so just to us I refer to our Answers viz. Quakerism a new Nick-Name for old Christianity by W. Penn And Rusticus ad Academicos by Sam. Fisher There is one thing more this Busie Advocate is offended with me for which I shall now take notice of and answer and then conclude In page 7 he saith John Feild calls upon all to cease from Men and their Teachers that are in their Carnal State and Earthly Wisdom and Dark Conceivings and to turn their Minds inward to the Saving Light of the Lord Jesus Christ And then saith What is this but a Cheat put upon Men to call them to turn to a Light within them that is not there Answer I deny this for if there be no Light there 's no Sight and if no Sight no Knowledge if no Knowledge People will Perish and Dye But as I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live see Ezek. 33.11 And that he might not perish he hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with thy God by which it appears there is Light in Men and that gives Light and Knowledge for as the Apostle saith Eph. 5.13 All things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light And this Light is that true Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World which shews Man his DVTY and manifests all things approved discovers the thoughts of the Heart and shews the secret Intents Corruptions and Lusts that lodge in the evil Heart out of which proceeds as Christ saith Mat. 15.19 Evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witness blasphemies The two latter of which have proceeded out of B. Bird's evil heart by saying It 's a Cheat to call People to turn their Minds inward to the saving Light of the Lord Jesus Christ And it was this I Exhorted all to turn their Minds inward unto knowing that this Light is saving and believing what John saith in the Revel 21.24 That the Nations of them which are saved shall walk in the Light of it Therefore in great Love and good Will to all I did and do exhort as Christ our Lord did John 12.36 To believe in it that they may become the Children of it and by believing in it may receive the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 that we may come to have this Treasure in our earthen Vessels which by hearing and following Men in their carnal State and earthly Wisdom and dark conceivings none can ever attain unto Oh therefore I cannot but in great Love and tender good Will to the Souls of all call unto them to cease from Men and their Teachings that are in that carnal State and dark Conceivings notwithstanding pag. 8 B. Bird saith Christ hath commissioned and promised to stand by the Teachings of Men to the end of the World yet I affirm it s not Men in their carnal State earthly Wisdom and dark Conceivings altho' B. Bird that pretends to be a Minister of the Gospel doth so affirm p. 8. viz. These Teachings of Men which you cry down are in order to work Faith in them that believe and for want of these Teachings of Men i. e. in their carnal State and dark Conceivings millions of Souls perish everlastingly For where there is no Vision the people perish And now seeing the Teachings of Men are in order to the Salvation of their Hearers Are not you employed bp the Devil to take Men off from those Teachings that are so destructive to his Kingdom Answ I deny as before the Teachings of Men in their carnal State are in order to work Faith altho' he affirms it is and that in them that believe mind the inconsistency to work Faith in them that have Faith oh what a Minister is this And I charge it on him for Untruth i. e. that millions of Souls perish everlastingly for want of these Teachings or that such Teachings of Men are in order to Salvation of their Hearers and deny that we are imployed by the Devil to take Men off from those Teachings that are destructive to his Kingdom This is another Falshood For our Christian Endeavours by the Grace of God are to bring People to know the Teachings of God and Jesus Christ by his Grace and Spirit in their own Hearts and from under the Teachings of such Men that are not sent of God and to his Teachings which will be destructive to the Devil's Kingdom and be in order to establish them in Righteousness in which God's Kingdom stands and will tend to bring People off from any longer dealing with the Merchants of Babylon or buying their Merchandize any more or following those that run and God never sent them for they cannot profit the People at all that are in the spirit and practice of those that God by his Prophet cryed against That teach for hire and divine for mony See Mich. 3.11 And Jeremiah saith ch 5.30,31 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the Land the Prophets prophesie falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means and my People love to have it so and what will you do in the end thereof Oh therefore it was and is from such Men and their Teachings that I did and do call all to cease from and invite them to come to Jesus Christ and that grace and truth that is come by him and appears to all and is revealed in the hearts and inward parts it s this I would have them learn of that they may be taught as the primitive Christians were to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world that so they may escape the Wrath of God that is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousness of Men may know peace and find favour with God and through the belief of the Truth may come to experience the Sanctification of the Spirit and so be fitted for an entrance into God's Kingdom and while here may be fed with that Bread that comes down from Heaven and not spend their Mony for that which is not Bread nor their Labour for that which satisfieth not but hearken and hear the Call of God's Grace and Voice of Christ in their Hearts that their Souls may come to live and that for evermore is the sincere desire of him that desires the good and the eternal well being of all JOHN FEILD London 22d 6th Month 1695.