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truth_n	according_a	scripture_n	true_a	1,770	5	4.4847	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47778	A true and faithful accompt of the most material passages of a dispute betwixt some students of divinity (so called) of the University of Aberdene and the people called Quakers held in Aberdene ... before some hundreds of witnesses upon the fourteenth day of the second month called April, 1675 : there being opponents John Lesly, Alexander Shirreff, Paul Gellie and defendants upon the Quakers part Robert Barclay and George Keith ... / published for preventing misreports by Alexander Skein ... [et. al.] ; to which is added Robert Barclay's offer to the preachers of Aberdene, renewed and re inforced.	Skene, Alexander.; Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690.; Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690. Theses theologicæ.	1675 (1675)	Wing L1172; ESTC R29467	32,557	98

these few days I have seen the same Spirit to appear in men professedly very much differing from Anabaptists and slighting them as a sort of Hereticks yet one with them in the ground and in this particular work and service also to carry on the great designe of Antichrist These are some Masters of Arts Students of Divinity as they call themselves in the University of Aberdene who openly in the hearing of divers hundreds of people some whereof were sober and judicious did oppose the inward evidence of the Spirit of God in his people as not being a sufficient evidence unto them unless they could give an evidence of it unto others even their very Adversaries that they were inspired and so if we the people called Quakers could not give an evidence of this unto these our opposes we were but deceivers After it had been shewn them that Papists Jesuits used the same Argument against all the Protestants that indeed did more militat against them out of the Papists Quiver than out of these our Adversaries Quiver against us I produced the Testimony of the Scripture as the best and most convincing outward evidence that could be given as a witness to the Doctrine and Principle of Immediate Revelation and Inspiration of the Spirit of God owned by us as being in all men in some measure and consequently in us This is I say not the the best and most principal evidence nor the greatest that we have unto out selves or unto one another who are gathered into the same Faith Spirit and Power for that is the immediate evidence of the Spirit in our hearts which witnesseth both to our selves and to one another that we are the Children of God but it is I mean the Scripture the greatest outward and visible evidence that can be given unto our Adversaries who in words own the Scriptures as their only Rule and chiefest evidences And in doing so I followed the example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who while he reasoned against the Jews who professed to own the Scriptures but denied him he brought a testimony for himself out of the Scriptures which they in words owned as their Rule Search said he or ye search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and these are they which testifie of me Now though Christ his own immediate Testimony should have been received as greater than any of his Servants such as Moses and the Prophets were yet he used this as an Argument against them as bringing them to their own Rule and said he had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for Moses wrote of me And he said again I have a greater testomony than that of Iohn and yet Iohn was the greatest of all the Prophets So in like manner we say We have a greater testimony to Christ Jesus by his Spirit and Power revealed in us than the testimony of Moses and the Prophets even than Ioh● who was the greatest But when we produce the Testimony of Moses the Prophets and Apostles as an evidence to the truth of what we affirm I say it should be received by our Adversaries who own the Scriptures as their chief and only Rule For either they should receive it or not receive it if they should receive it then they are faulty who in the late Dispute at Aberdene did refuse to receive the evidence of the Scriptures as from us only because we say we have a greater to wit that of the Spirit within us although we own the Scripture as the greatest visible and outward evidence that we can give to our Adversaries If they should not receive the Scripture-evidence and testimony as from us because we say we have a greater to wit that of Christ himself immediately in us by his Spirit then they must needs also say for the same reason that the Jews ought not to receive the testimony of the Scriptures as an evidence for Christ because he said he had a greater and certainly he had a greater though they would not receive it nor could not as they stood in their prejudice and malice werewith they were filled against him who did not receive him Now this I say with freedom and boldness of Spirit to all those whether Papists Anabaptists Prelatical or Presbyterian Professors who with one mouth require of us an evidence that we are infpired or have a measure of the Inspiration of the Spirit of God and Christ in us I offer unto all of you the Scriptures for an evidence of this truth viz. that the Quakers so called have a measure of the Inspiration of the Spirit of God and Christ in them for according to the Scriptures testimony Christ the true Light enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world and his illumination is his inspiration I profess sincerely in Gods fear that the Scriptures Testimony is to meas full and plain and convincing to prove this Truth viz. that an Illumination Manifestation and Inspiration of the Spirit of God is given to every man is in every man as to prove this truth that Christ who according to the flesh was born of the Virgin Mary was the promised Messiah now if we can prove from Scripture that all men have in them a measure of this Divine Illumination and Inspiration by the Spirit of Christ we have gained our point which is that we have also a measure of the same in us for ALL MEN doth comprehend us called Quakers as well as other men I see not what our Adversaries can with any colour object against this evidence from Scripture but this that they will deny that the Scripture bears testimony to this Universal Illumination or Inspiration of the Spirit of God in men But this brings the matter of the debate from being personal to be doctrinal so puts us upon equal terms at least with all our Adversaries especially Prelatical Anabaptistist and Presbyterian Independent opposers whatsoever who say the Scriptures are their chief and only Rule And though our Adversaries say the Scripture doth not testifie to that universal Inspiration of the Spirit of Christ in men that moveth us not more then when the Jews denied that the Scriptures bore testimony to him that was born of the Virgin Mary to be the Christ. We are able by the help of God to prove from Scripture the truth of this Doctrine of Divine Illumination and Inspiration in all men and consequently in the Quakers as much as they or any professing Christianity upon earth can prove any Principle or Doctrine of their Faith Secondly we are able and do offer by the Grace of God against all our Opposers whatsoever to prove from the Scriptures Testimony that this universal Inspiration and Illumination of Christ by his Spirit in men is a sufficient evidence of Truth and Rule of Faith and Life in all men and consequently in us called Quakers Thirdly that this Divine Inspiration and Illumination where it is not wilfully resisted

A True and Faithful ACCOMPT OF The most material Passages of a Dispute betwixt some Students of Divinity so called of the University of Aberdene and the People called Qnakers held in Aberdene in Scotland in Alexander Harper his Close or Yard before some hundreds of Witnesses upon the fourteenth day of the second Month called April 1675. There being Opponents Iohn Lesly Mast. of Art Alexander Shirreff Mast. of Art Paul Gellie Mast. of Art And Defendants upon the Quakers part Robert Barclay and George Keith Praeses for moderating the meeting chosen by them Andrew Thomsone Advocate and by the Quakers Alexa●der Skein somtime a Magistrate of the City Published for preventing misreports by Alexander Skein Iohn Skein Alexander Harper Thomas M●rser and Io●● C●wie To which is added Robert Barclay's offer to the Preachers of Aberdene renewed and re inforced Act. 4. 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Iesus whom thou hast ano●nted both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the People of Israel were gathered together London Printed in the Year 1675. The Epistle Friendly Readers FOrasmuch as our opposers threatned they would Print an accompt of the debate and boasted of a victory we thought it our concernment for the Truths sake and to undeceive these that may be abused by such reports to give this true and faithful accompt of what past which we are confident all the impartial and attentive Auditors will affirm to be a true accompt neither is there any one Argument omitted that we can remember of or any thing added There were many things spoken extrinsick from the matter and somtimes confusedly two or three of our opposers speaking often at once and also some others that were not concerned as particularly one Brown the Bishops Chaplain who though he refused to Subscribe the Articles and so was excluded from speaking did often most impertinently interupt and intrude himself But these being only transcient and no Arguments insisted on we have not inserted them studdying to keep to the matter and we do faithfully declare that we have herein dealt impartially according to our memory as we hope such serious Auditors as may read this will acknowledge So leaving you to the perusal hereof we rest Your Souls well-wishers Alexander Skein Iohn Skein Thomas Mercer Iohn Cowie In the first place the Articles were read which are as followeth 1. IT is hereby declared that this is to be a private conference betwixt the Students of Divinity so called of the Colledges of Aberdene and the People called Quakers as a fulfilling of any Challenge wherein these Students may be included within the Theses set forth by Robert Barclay or may have received from any of that People but abstract from the Publick Challenge given to the Preachers in general i● the end of the English Theses because it is offered with particular condition of having the Publick places to dispute in before the Auditories before whom they conceive they have been misrepresented 2. It is provided that when any of either Party is speaking if any of their company offer to speak he that is speaking is to be silent but if two of a Party speak at once he that is seen to obtrude himself shall be judged impertinent and excluded thereby from farther access 3. That each speaker on any of the sides have full liberty and time to speak without interruption of the contrary Party and that he that interrupts shall be debarred from farther speaking 4. That each side abstain from School-terms and distinctions as much as possible but if any use them that they may be opened to the People in plain English so that any of ordinary capacity that are not educated in Colledges may understand them 5. As for Retortions they must not be impertinent and from the purpose and none shall be so insisted on as to divert us from the point or turn the Opponent into the Respondent 6. The day appointed for the Conferrence is the fourteenth of April in the Year one thousand six hundred seventy five being the day called Wednesday the place is to be at Alexander Harpers House or Close in case the Gray-Fryers Church so called cannot be ob●ained and that the Conferrence is to continue from two to five a Clock in the After-noon 7. Both Parties shall endeavour to procure a Praeses to moderate but not to have any decisive judgement yet if such a one cannot be procured the Conference is not to be broken up 8. And it is hereby declared that both Parties intend this for mutual edification and therefore intend to abstain from any thing that may obstruct so good an Event 9. It is likewise agreed that none shall have liberty to speak but those that have or shall Subscribe before the Dispute begin these aforesaid Articles Here Alex. Skein one of our Friends chosen Praeses for Us because we could not at that time procure another standing up with the other Praeses Studient It was condescended that no Quaker should be a Praeses Quaker We are wronged for we never condescended to any such thing and seeing ye have chosen one of your way how can we be hindered to choose one of ours Andr. Thomsone their Praeses There needs no debate in this matter for we are chosen not to have any decisive judgement but only for the Moral part to take notice if the Rules be observed or whether ye keep to the purpose Then Iohn Leslie had a long and tedious discourse concerning what was fit to be done and how we ought to dispute G. K. Praeses I suppose we came not to this place to hear from this Young-man a long Logique discourse R. B I desire to be heard we being a People so generally misrepresented as heretical and erroneous did conceive our selves obliged to give a true and faithful account of our Principles which I did in a certain Paper now under debate and ● that our innocency therein might appear there was a Challenge added to the end of it offering to defend these our Principles if we might be allowed so to do in these Publick places where we have been so much misrepresented and against those Persons who had there so often traduced us To which having received no Answer some of the Studients of Divinity came to us and signified that they looked upon themselves as concerned because mention is made of such in the beginning of that Paper To whom we answered that they were not the Persons challenged by Us as not being the Publick Preachers that had misrepresented Us But seeing they were desirous to debate the matter we were not unwilling to render to any a reason of the hope that is in us and therefore should not decline it And forasmuch as some did object that we were at a loss as engaging with them because there would be little advantage in case we had any victory and a greater reflection should we appear to be at any loss To such we had and have this to

and rejected but regarded and attended is a greater evidence than the Scripture is and witnessed by the Scriptures Fourthly and yet the Scripture is the greatest visible and outward evidence that either we or they can give of their Rule I shall conclude with a reasonable demand to these Young men Masters of Arts their Masters and Teachers which is this Whether they own these Assertions Affirmations and Arguments of their Scholars in the late Dispute as followeth viz That whatever is of God is God that the Scriptures according to the Quakers is fallacious and can beguil us that the Baptism with the Holy Ghost is ceased and the rest of their Discourse inserted in this foregoing Treatise If yea Let them declare so much to the people who are greatly stumbled at these their expressions even divers of their own Church if nay then let them publickly reprove and disown those words otherwise not only we but many others will say ye have both ●aught and allowed them so to affirm G. K. THESES THEOLOGICAE OR Some solid POSITIONS OF SOUND DIVINITY asserted Unto the Clergy of what sort somever unto whose hands these may come but more particularly unto the Doctors Professors and Students of Divinity in the Universities and Schools of Great Britain whether Prelatical Presbyterian or any other ROBERT BARCLAY a Servant of the Lord God and one of these who in derision are called Quakers wisheth un feigned repentance unto the acknowledgment of the truth Friends UNto you these following Propositions are offered in which they being read a●d considered in the fear of the Lord you may perceive that simple and naked Truth which man by his wisdom has rendred so obscure and mysterious that the world is even but the ned with the great and voluminous Tractates which are made about it and by the ●ain jangling and Commentaries by which it is rendred a hundred-fold more dark and intricate than of it self it is which great Learning so accounted of to wit your School-divinity which taketh up almost a mans whole life-time to learn brings not a whit nearer to God neither makes any man less wicked or more righteous than he was therefore hath God laid aside the wise and Learned and the Disputers of this world and hath chosen a few despicable and unlearned Instruments as to Letter-learning as he did Fisher-men of old to publish his pure and naked Truth and to free it of these mists and fogs wherewith th● Clergy hath clouded it that the people might admire and maintain them and among many others whom God hath chosen to make known these things seeing I also have received in measure Grace to be a dispenser of the same Gospel it seemed good unto me according to my duty to offer unto you these Propositions which though they be short yet are weighty comprehending much and declaring what the true ground of knowledge is even of that knowledge which leads to life Eternal which is here witnessed of and the testimony thereof left unto the light of Christ in all your Consciences Farewel R. B. THESIS I. SEing the height of all happiness is placed in the true knowledge of God This is life eternal to know the true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17. 3 the true and right understanding of this foundation and ground of knowledge is that which is most necessary to be known and believed in the first place II. Seeing no man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son revealeth him Mat. 11. 27. and seeing the revelation of the Son is in and by the Spirit therefore the Testimony of the Spirit is that alone by which the true knowledge of God hath been is and can be only revealed who as by the moving of his own Spirit converted the Chaos of this world into that wonderful order wherein it was in the beginning and created man a living Soul to rule and govern it so by the revelation of the same Spirit he hath made manifest himself all along unto the Sons of men both Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles which revelations of God by the Spirit whether by outward voices and appea●ances dreams or inward objective manifestations in the heart was of old the formal object of their faith and remaineth yet so to be since the object of the Saints faith is the same in all Ages though set forth under divers administrations moreover these divine inward revelations which we make absolutely necessary for the building up true faith neither do nor can ever contradict the outward Testimony of the Scriptures or right and sound reason yet from hence it will not follow that the divine revelations are to be subjected to the examination either of the outward Testimony of the Scriptures or of the natural reason of man as to a more noble or cetain rule and touchstone for this divine revelation and inward illumination is that which is evident and clear of it self forcing by its own evidence and clearness the well-disposed understanding to assent irresistably moving the same thereunto even as the common Principles of natural Truths move and incline the mind to a natural assent III. From these revelations of the Spirit of God to the Saints have proceeded the Scriptures of Truth which contain 1. A fai●●●ul historical account of the actings of Gods people in divers Ages with many singular and remarkable Providences attending them 2. a Prophetical account of several things whereof some are already past and some yet to come 3. A full and ample account of all the chief Principles of the Doctrine of Christ held forth in divers pretious declarations exhortations and sentences which by the moving of Gods spirit were at several times and upon sundry occasions spoken and written unto some Churches and their Pastors Nevertheless because they are only a declaration of the fountain and not the fountain it self therefore they are not to be esteemed the principal ground of all truth and knowledge nor yet the adequate Primary Rule of faith and manners Nevertheless as that which giveth a true and faithful testimony of the first foundation they are and may be esteemed a secondary Rule subordinate to the Spirit from which they have all their excellencie and certainty for as by the inward Testimony of the Spirit we do alone truly know them so they testifie that the Spirit is that guide by which the Saints are led into all truth therefore according to the Scriptures the Spirit is the first and principal Leader and seeing we do therefore receive and believe the Scriptures because they proceeded from the Spirit therefore also the Spirit is more originally and principally the Rule according to that received Maxime in the Schools Propter quod unum quodque est tale illud ipsum est magi● tale Englished thus That for which a thing is such the thing it self is more such IV. All Adam's Posterity or Mankind both Jews and Gentiles as to the first Adam or earthly man is fallen

making shipwrack of Faith 1 Tim. 1. 19. and after having tasted of the Hea-Heavenly gift and been made partakers of the Holy Ghost again fall away Heb. 6. 4 5 6. yet such an increase and stabi●● ty in the Truth may in this life be a●tained from which there cannot be total Apostacie X. As by this Gift or Light of God● all true knowlege in things spiritual ● received and revealed so by the sam● as it is manifested and received in th● heart by the strength and power there of every true Minister of the Gospel i● ordained prepared and supplied in th● work of the Ministery and by th● leading moving and drawing hereof● ought every Evangelist and Christia● Pastor to be led and ordered in hi● labour and work of the Gospel bot● as to the place where as to the Per●son to whom and as to the time● when he is to Minister Moreover wh●● have this Authority may and ought t● Preach the Gospel though without hu● mane Commission or Literature as on● the other hand who want the Authority of this Divine Gift however Learned or Authorized by the Commissions o● Men and Churches are to be esteemed● but as deceivers and not true Ministers● of the Gospel also who have received this holy and unspotted Gift as they have freely received so are they freely to give Matth. 10. 8. without hire or bargaining far less to use it as a Trade to get Money by it yet if God hath called any from their Imployments or Trades by which they acquire their livelihood it may be lawful for such according to the liberty which they feel given them in the Lord to receive such Temporals to wit what may be needful to them for Meat and Clothing as are freely given them by those to whom they have communicated spirituals XI All true and acceptable worship to God is offered in the inward and immediate moving and drawing of his own Spirit which is neither limited to places times or persons for though we be to worship him always in that we are to fear before him yet as to the outward signification thereof in Prayers Praises or Preachings we ought not to do it where and when we will but where and when we are moved thereunto by the secret Inspirations of his Spirit in our hearts which God heareth and accepteth of and is never wanting to move us thereunto when need is of which he himself is the alone proper Judge all other worship then both Praises Prayers and Preachings which man sets about in his own will and at his own appointment which he can both begin and end at his pleasure do or leave undone as himself sees meet whether they be a prescribed Form as a Liturgy or Prayers conceived extemporarely by the natural strength and faculty of the mind they are all but Superstitions Will-worship and abominable Idolatry in the sight of God which are to be denied rejected and separated from in this day of his Spiritual arising however it might have pleased him who winked at the times of ignorance with a respect to the simplicity and integrity of some and of his own innocent Seed which lay as it were buried in the hearts of men under that mass of Superstition to blow upon the dead and dry bones and to raise some breathings and answer them and that until the day should more clearly dawn and break forth XII As there is one Lord and one Faith so there is one Baptism Ephes. 4. 5. which is not the putting away the filth of the 〈◊〉 but the ans●er of a good Co●science before God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ ● Peter 3. II. and this Baptism is a 〈◊〉 ●nd Spiritual thing to wit the Baptism of the Spirit and fire by which we are buried with him Col. 2. 12. that being washed and purged from our sins we may walk in newness of life Rom. 6. 4. of which the Baptism of Iohn was a figure which was Commanded for a time and not to continue for ever as to the Baptism of Infants it is a meer humane Tradition for which neither Precept nor Practice is to be found in all the Scripture XIII The communion of the Body and Blood of Christ is inward and Spiritual which is the participation of his flesh and blood by which the inward man is daily nourished in the hearts of those in whom Christ dwells of which things the breaking of bread by Christ with his Disciples was a figure which they even used in the Church for a time who had received the substance for the cause of the weak even as abstaining from things strangled and from blood Acts 15. 20. the washing one anothers 〈◊〉 Iohn 〈◊〉 14. and the anointing of the 〈…〉 Iames 5. 14. all which are commanded wit● no less authority 〈◊〉 than the former yet seeing they are but the shadows of better things they cease in such as have obtained the substance XIV Since God hath assumed to himself the Power and Dominion of the Conscience who alone can rightly instruct and govern it therefore it is not lawful for any whatsoever by vertue of any Authority or Principality they bear in the Government of this World to force the Consciences of others and therefore all Killing Banishing Fining Imprisoning and other such things which men are afflicted with for the alone exercise of their Conscience or difference in Worship or Opinion proceedeth from the Spirit of Cain the murtherer and is contrary to the truth providing always that no man under the pretence of Conscience prejudice his Neighbour in his life or estate or do any thing destructive to or inconsistent with humane Society in which case the Law is for the transgressor and Justice is to be administred upon all without respect of Persons XV. Seeing the chief end of all Religion is to redeem man from the Spirit and vain conversation of this World and to lead into inward communion with God before whom if we fear always we are accounted happy therefore all the vain customs and habits thereof both in word and deed are to be rejected and forsaken by those who come to this fear such as the taking off the Hat to a man the bowings and cringings of the body and such other Salutations of that kind with all the foolish and superstitious formalities attending them all which man has invented in his degenerate state to feed his pride in the vain pomp and glory of this world as also the unprofitable Plays frivolous Recreations Sportings and Gaming 's which are invented to pass away the pretious time and divert the mind from the witness of God in the heart and from the living sense of his fear and from that Evangelical Spirit wherewith Christians ought to be leavened and which led into sobriety gra●ity and Godly fear in which as we abide the blessing of the Lord is felt to attend us in these actions which we are necessarily engaged in order to the taking care for the sustenance of the outward man FINIS THese Propositions containing a short account of the most material Principles of our Faith especially in those things wherein we differ from others of another Perswasion being already published in Latin and Dutch are now also set forth in our own Language for a more general service which I with some others of my Brethren do hereby offer to defend if we may be allowed these Publick Places where we have been so much represented and shall be willing either at Aberdeen where the fiercest of our Opposers are judged to be or elsewhere in this Nation to be ready before the most publick and judicious Auditories to p●sent our selves with the help and assistance of God for that effect having timous advertesement and being allowed equal and reasonable terms Rob. Barclay And it may here be observed that afterwards I. L. speaking reflectingly against the Quakers said it was no railing to speak the truth which was all we pleaded for I appeal to all L●gicians if when any thing is subsumed in a Syllogism which is neither in the first Proposition nor in the Conclusion whether that Syllogism hath not four Terms N●te divers of the Auditors were displeased with their going from the Theses See 1 Cor. 7. 6. compared with 40. verse See Acts 16. 7. As in the third person in the Imperative exeat Let him go is permissive Note that while this young man was prosecuting his Argument I. L. did insolently intrude himself and interrupted him and they spoke of them three at sometimes