as a Heathen and a Publican And lastly That the Church Gathering or Assembly of God's People has Power to Examin and call to an Account such as appearing to be among them or owning the same Faith with them do Transgress and in Case of their refusing to hear or Repent to Exclude them from their Fellowship and that God hath a special Regard to the Judgment and Sense of his People thus orderly proceeding so as to hold such bound in Heaven whom they bind on Earth and such loosed in Heaven whom they loose on Earth I am partly Confident that no rational Man will deny but that these naturally follow from the above-mentioned Scripture and if there should be any found so unreasonable as to deny it I could prove it by necessary and unevitable Consequences which at present as taking it for granted I forbear to do If it be reckoned so great a Crime to offend one of the little ones that it were better for him that so did that a Milstone were hanged about his Neck and he were drowned in the Depth of the Sea without Question to Offend and gainsay the whole Flock must be more Criminal and must draw after it a far deeper Judgment Now if there were no Order nor Government in the Church what should become of those that Transgress How should they be again Restored Would not this make all Reproving all Instructing The End of Church-Order all Caring for and Watching over one another void and null Why should Christ have desired them to proceed after this Method Why doth he place so much Weight upon the Judgment of the Church as to make the refusing of Hearing it to draw so deep a Censure after it which he will not have to follow the refusing to hear one or two apart though the Matter be one and the same And so as to the Substantial and Intrinsick Truth of the Thing there lies the same Obligation upon the Transgressor to hear that one as well as all for that one adviseth him to that which is right and good as well as the whole and they do but homologate or Confirm that which that one hath already asserted Yet Jesus Christ who is the Author of Order and not of Confusion will not have a Brother cut off or reputed a Publican for refusing to hear one or two but for refusing to hear the Church And if it be Objected That the Church of Rome and all other false Churches make use of this Scripture and cover their Persecution and Cruelty Objection and Oppression by it and thou sayst no more than they say I answer I suppose no man will be so unreasonable as to affirm that the Church of Rome abusing this Scripture will make it false in it self but how we differ in our Application of this Scripture shall be spoken of hereafter I am not now claiming Right to this Power as due to us that is reserved for another place but this I say is that which I now aver to be manifest from the Scripture-Testimony and to be in itself an unquestionable Truth That Jesus Christ intended there should be Order and Government in his Church which is the Thing at present in hand to be proved which if it be so really true as it cannot be denied then I hope it will also necessarily follow that such who really and truly are the Church of Christ have Right to exercise this Order and Government Secondly That the Apostles and Primitive Christians did practise Order Reason II and Government we need but to read the History of the Acts of which I shall mention a few pregnant and undeniable Testimonies Church-Order Practised by the Apostles and Primitive Christians In Elections· as we may observe in the very first Chapter of the Acts from Verse 13. to the End where at the very first Meeting the Apostles and Brethren held together after the Ascension of Christ they began orderly to Appoint one to fulfil the Place of Judas it may be thought this was a needless Ceremony yet we see how the Lord countenanced it I hope none will say that the Apostles appointing of these two Men or of him upon whom the Lot did not fall Contradicted their Inward Freedom or Imposed upon it but both agreed very well together the one in the Will and Movings of God in Appointing and the other in the same in submitting to their Appointment Moreover after they had received the holy Ghost you may read Acts 6. so soon as there was an Opportunity how they wisely gave Order concerning the Distribution of the Poor in Distributions for the Poor and Appointed some men for that Purpose So here was Order and Government according to the Present Necessity of the Case And the Lord God was well pleased with it and the Word of God encreased and the Number of the Disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly Might they not have said then as some say now We will give our Charity to whom we see Cause and we will take no Notice of your Appointments and Orders Whether would God have approved of such yea or nay Thirdly When that the Business of Circumcision fell in whether it was fit or not to Circumcise the Gentiles We see the Apostles saw not meet To suffer every one to follow their own Minds and Wills They did not judge W. M. in his Queries as one confusedly supposeth That this Difference in an outward Exercise would commend the Unity of the true Faith nay they took another Method It is said expresly Acts 15.6 And the Apostles and Elders came together to consider of this Matter and after there had been much disputing about it no doubt then in Differences occurring there were here Diversities of Opinions and Judgments the Apostles and Elders told their Judgments and came also to a positive Conclusion Sure some behoved to submit else they should never have agreed So those that were the Elders gave a positive Judgment and they were bold to say That it pleased not only them but the Holy Ghost By all which it doth undeniably appear that the Apostles and Primitive Saints practised a Holy Order and Government among themselves and I hope none will be so bold as to say they did these Things without the Leadings of the Spirit of God and his Power and Authority concurring and going along with them The Apostles Doctrine concerning Order in the Church And that these Things were not only singular Practices but that they held it doctrinally that is to say it was Doctrine which they preached that there ought to be Order and Government in the Church is manifest from these following Testimonies 1 Cor. 4.15 16 17. 15. For though you have ten Thousand Instructors in Christ 1 Cor. 4 15 16 17. yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 16. Wherefore I beseech you be ye Followers of me 17. For this Cause have I sent unto
Things which is no other but the giving of a general Intimation what the needs are that every one as God moves their Hearts and hath prospered them without Imposition Force or Limitation may give towards these needful Vses In which Case these Murmurers at our good Order in such matters may well think strange at the Apostle How pressingly how earnestly doth he reiterate his Desires and Provocations so to speak in this Respect to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 16.2 and the 8 th and 9 th Chapters of the 2 d Epistle throughout Now though he testifies to them elsewhere That they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost and that the Spirit of God dwells in them yet ceaseth he not to intreat and exhort yea and to give them certain Orders in this Matter Besides all these Reasons which are sufficient to Convince any unprejudicate Man The Secret Approbation of God's Spirit accompanying us in this Thing together with the Fruits and Effects of it which hundreds can witness to whose Needs have been supplied and themselves helped through divers Difficulties and the Testimonies of some already and of many more Orphans and Fatherless Children Fatherless Children put Apprentices who have found no want neither of Father nor Mother or other Relations through the tender Love and Care of God's People in putting them in Trades and Imployments and giving them all needful Education which will make it appear e're this Age pass away to those that have an Eye to see that these are not the meer Doings and Orders of Men but the Work of him who is appearing in ten Thousands of his Saints to establish not only Truth but Mercy and Righteousness in the Earth And for that End therefore in the second Place this Order reacheth the taking up and composing of Differences as to outward things 2. To Compose Differences in the Church in outward Matters which may fall out betwixt Friend and Friend for such things may fall out through the Intricacies of divers Affairs where neither hath any positive Intention to Injure and Defraud his Neighbour as in many Cases might be instanced Or if through the Workings and Temptations of him whose Work is to beset the Faithful and People of the Lord and to engender so far as he can Strife and Division among them any should step aside as to offer to wrong or prejudice his Neighbour we do boldly aver as a People gathered together by the Lord unto the same Faith and distinguished from all others by our Joint-Testimony and Sufferings that we have Power and Authority to Decide and Remove these things among our selves without going to others to seek Redress and this in it self hath so much Reason that I cannot tell if any that are not wholly prejudicate or obstinate can blame it For if we be of one Mind concerning Faith and Religion and that it be our Joint-Interest to bring all others unto the same Truth with us as supposing them to be wrong what Confidence can we have to think of Reclaiming them if the Truth we profess have not Efficacy as to Reconcile us among our selves in the Matters of this World If we be forced to go out to others for Equity and Justice because we cannot find it among our selves how can we expect to invite them to come among us when such Virtues as which still accompany the Truth are necessarily supposed to be wanting should we affirm otherwise it were to destroy the Truth and Faith we have been and are in the Lord's Hand building up and indeed the Spirit and Practice of such as Oppose us herein hath no less Tendency Moreover besides the Enforcing and Intrinsick Reason of this Thing we have the Concurrence Approbation and Comfort of the Apostle's Testimony 1 Cor. 6. Dare any of you having a matter against another go to Law before the Unjust and not before the Saints If it be objected Objection Do you reckon all Unjust that are not of you Think ye all other People void of Justice Believers not to go to Law before the Vâ—just c. I answer Though the Apostle useth this Expression I am perswaded he did not reckon all others Vnjust that had not received then the Christian Faith there were no doubt Moral and Just Men among the Heathen and therefore the same Paul commends the Nobility of Festus He reckons them there Vnjust in Respect of the Saints or Camparatively with them as such as are not come to the just principle of God in themselves to obey it and follow it and therefore though he accounts them who are least Esteemed in the Church capable to decide such Matters yet he supposeth it safer to submit to their Judgment in such Cases though it were by taking wrong or suffering wrong than to go before others to the greater Reproach of the Truth We hope though many Occasions of this kind have fallen in among us since we have been a People none have had just occasion to decline our Judgment And though some should suppose themselves to be wronged yet if they should go bring their matter before others we might say as the Apostle saith in the fore-mentioned Chapter vers 7. This were thereby a Fault in them and would evidence a greater Care of some outward Concern than of the Honour and Interest of Truth and therefore such as have a tender Regard that Way would rather suffer The Case of Meum Tuum what to their Apprehensions may seem wrong For in matters wherein two Parties are opposite in the Case of Meum and Tuum it is somewhat hard to please both except where the Power of Truth and the Righteous Judgment thereof reaching to that of God in the Conscience hath brought to a true Acknowledgment him that hath been mistaken or in the wrong which hath frequently fallen out among us to the often refreshing and confirming our Souls in the certain Belief that Christ was fulfilling his Promises among us In restoring Judges as at the first and Counsellors as in the Beginning Now suppose any should be so pettish or humorous as not to agree in such Matters to the Judgment of his Brethren Going before Vnbelievers from the Judgment of the Brethren is a dishonour to the Truth and to go before the Vnbelievers for though I reckon them not such Vnbelievers as the Heathen of Old because they profess a Faith in God and Christ yet I may safely say they are Vnbelievers as to these Principles and Doctrines which we know are the Truth of God and in that Sense must be Vnbelievers as to him that so Appealeth to them from his Brethren I say such as so do first commit a certain Hurt and Evil in staining the Honour and Reputation of the Truth they profess which ought to be dearer to us than our Lives And even in that outward Matter for which they thus do they run a Hazzard not knowing whether things shall carry as they expect if they loose they have
gratified and it self brought into Dis-esteem then it is fit lor such whose Care is to keep all right to take Inspection in the Matter to Meet together in the Fear of God to wait for his Counsel and to speak forth his Mind according as he shall manifest himself in and among them And this was the Practice of the primitive Church in the Matter of Circumcision For here lay the Debate some thought it not needful to Circumcise the Gentiles others thought it a thing not to be dispensed with and no doubt of these for we must remember they were not the Rebellious Jews but such as had already believed in Christ there were that did it out of Conscience as judging Circumcision to be still Obligatory For they said thus Except ye be Circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved Now what Course took the Church of Antioch in these Cases Acts 15.2 The Church at Antioch sends a Case to Jerusalem for Advice from the Elders They determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go unto Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders about this Question We must not suppose they wanted the Spirit of God at Antioch to have decided the Matter neither that these Apostles neglected or went from their Inward Guide in undertaking this Journey yet we see they judged it meet in this Matter to have the Advice and Concurrence of the Apostles and Elders that were at Jerusalem that they might be all of one mind in the matter For there is no greater Property of the Church of Christ than pure Vnity in the Spirit that is a Consenting and Oneness in Judgment and Practices in Matters of Faith and Worship which yet admits of different Measures Growths and Motions but never contrary and contradictory Ones and in these Diversities of Operations yet still by the same Spirit the true Liberty is exercised as shall be declared hereafter Therefore prayeth Christ That they all may be one as he and the Father is one To which Purpose also let these following Scriptures be Examined Rom. 12.16 Be of the same Mind one towards another 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no Divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same Mind and in the same Judgment Ephes. 5.21 Submitting your selves one to another in the Fear of God Phil. 2.2 Fulfil ye my Joy that ye be like-minded having the same Love being of one accord of one Mind And yet more remarkable is that of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians Chap. 3. Vers. 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherways minded God shall Reveal even this unto you Vers. 16. Nevertheless whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Vers. 17. Brethren be Followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an Example So here though the Apostle grants Forbearance in things Pretenders and Innovators Judged by the Power of God wherein they have not yet attained yet he concludes they must walk so as they have him for an Example and so consequently not Contrary or otherways And therefore we conclude that whereas any in the Church of God pretending Conscience or Revelation shall arise to teach and practise however insignificant or small in themselves whether Principles or Practices yet if they be contrary to such as are already received as true and confirmed by God's Spirit in the Hearts of the Saints and that the introducing of these things tend to bring Reproach upon the Truth as such as are not edifying in themselves and so stumble the Weak those who have a true and right Discerning may in and by the Power of God authorizing them and no otherways Condemn and Judge such things and they so doing it it will be Obligatory upon all the Members that have a true Sense because they will feel it to be so and therefore submit to it And thus far as to the Nature of themselves Secondly As to the Spirit and Ground they proceed from Whatsoever Cons. 2 Innovation Difference or divers Appearance whether in Doctrine or Practice What proceeds not from the Spirit of God to be withstood and denied proceedeth not from the pure Moving of the Spirit of God or is not done out of pure Tenderness of Conscience but either from that which being puft up affecteth Singularity and therethrough would be observed commended and exalted or from that which is the Malignity of some Humours and natural Tempers which will be Contradicting without Cause and secretly begetting of Divisions Animosities and Emulations by which the Vnity and unfeigned Love of the Brethren is lessened or rent I say all things proceeding from this Root and Spirit however little they may be supposed to be of themselves are to be guarded against withstood and denied as hurtful to the true Church's Peace and a Hindrance to the Prosperity of Truth Quest. If it be said How know ye that these things proceed from that Ground Answ. For Answer I make not here any Application as to particular Persons or Things but if it be granted as it cannot be denied that there may arise Persons in the true Church that may do such Things from such a Spirit though pretending Conscience and Tenderness then it must also be acknowledged The Spirit of Discerning in the Church Judges Transgressors that such to whom God hath given a true Discerning by his Spirit may and ought to judge such Practices and the Spirit they come from and have no Vnity with them Which if it be owned in the General proves the Case to wit That some pretending Conscience in Things seeming indifferent but yet it proceeding in them from a Spirit of Singularity Emulation or Strife those that have received a Discerning thereof from the Lord may and ought to judge the Transgressors without being accounted Imposers Oppressors of Conscience or Inforcers of Vniformity contrary to the Mind of Christ against which the Apostle also guardeth the Churches of Old Phil. 2.3 4. Let nothing be done through Strife or Vain Glory but in Lowliness of Mind let each esteem other BETTER THAN THEMSELVES Look not every Man on his own Things but every Man also on the Things of others Now if it be an Evil to do any Thing out of Strife then such Things that are seen so to be done are they not to be avoided and forsaken So that we are confident our Judgment herein cannot be denied or reputed Erroneous except it be said That none will or can arise in the Church of Christ Pretenders may arise and must be watched against pretending such things from such a Spirit which I know not any that will it being contrary to the express Prophecies of the Scripture and the
be turned away from because in so far as I observed before as Sanctification to wit those that are sanctified in Christ Jesus make the Church and give the right Definition to it where that is wholly wanting the Church of Christ ceaseth to be and there remains nothing but a Shadow without Substance Such Assemblies then are like the dead Body when the Soul is departed which is no more fit to be Conversed with because it corrupts and proves noisom to the living But by the Church of Christ I understand all those that truly and really have received and hold the Truth as it is in Jesus and are in measure sanctified or sanctifying in and by the Power and Virtue thereof working in their inward Parts The true Church and this may be made up of divers distinct Gatherings or Churches in several Countries or Nations I say so long as these or any of them do retain that which justly entitles them the Church or Churches of Christ which they may be truly called though there may fall out some Differences Divisions or Schisms among them as we may see there was no small Dissension in the Church of Antioch and yet it ceased not to be a Church Acts 15.2 and 1 Cor. 1.11 For it hath been declared unto me of you my Brethren that there are Contentious among you and yet Vers. 2. he entitles them the Church of God them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus So long I say as they truly retain this Title of the Church of Christ as being really such there will never be wanting the certain Judgment of Truth For which The certain Judgment of Truth is never wanting in the Church of Christ. besides the positive Promise of Christ before-mentioned which is not without Blasphemy to be called in question or doubted of I shall add these Reasons That seeing the Church of Christ is his Body of which he is the Head it were to make Christ negligent of his Body who stiles himself the good Shepheard and hath said He will never leave nor forsake his own or else which is worse it would infer a possibility of Error or Mistake in Christ in whom as the Head are the Eyes of the Body by which it is to be Ruled in all things Next we never find in all the Scripture since the Gospel that ever this was wanting but that God still gave Infallible Judgment by his Spirit in some of the Respects above-mentioned If the Transactions and Controversies of the after-Centuries be alledged I will boldly affirm and prove that there was never a true Judgment wanting so long as the Nature and Essence of the true Church was retained If any will needs affirm otherwise let them shew me where and I shall answer it Though I deny not that after the Mystery of Iniquity did begin to work or had so wrought first by intermixing and afterward by altogether forsaking the Nature of Truth retaining only the bare Name of the Church but that there might be some scattered ones here and there one in a Nation and now and then one in an Age who by the Power and Virtue of the Spirit of Life working in them might be truly sanctified yet these were but as Witnesses in Sack-cloth Witnesses in Sack-cloth no ways sufficient to give these Assemblies in which they were engrossed the Appellation of the Church of Christ coming no more under Observation by the Generality nor having as to them any more Influence than some Tittle or scarcely discernable Sparks of Fire in many great Heaps and Mountains of Ashes And thus much to prove that where there is any Gathering or Assembly which truly and properly may be called the Church of Christ the Infallible Judgment will never be wanting in Matters of Controversy Secondly That ordinarily God hath in the Communicating of his Will Assert 2 under his Gospel imployed such Proved whom he had made use of in Gathering of his Church and in feeding and watching over them though not excluding others For as in a Natural Body to which the Church of Christ is compared the more-substantial and powerful Members do work most effectually and their Help is most necessary to supply any Defect or Trouble in the Body so also if there be Diversities of Gifts in the Church as is above proved and some have a greater Measure and some a lesser those that have the greater are more capable to do good and to help the Body in its need than others that are weaker and less powerful since there are strong and weak Babes and Young Men who have overcome the Evil One and in whom the Word of God abideth such are more able when the Enemy besets to Resist having already Overcome than others who are but yet Wrestling and not Conquerors Now From the Besetments of the Enemy Dissensions arise every Controversy and Dissension in the Church comes from the Besetments of the Enemy yet if any of these Strong or Young Men or Powerful Members go from their Station it is not denied but that they are as Weak as any and it is presupposing their Faithfulness in their Place that I thus Affirm and no otherwise Nor yet do I limit the Lord to this Method for in him are all the Treasures both of our Wisdom and Strength and the weakest in his Hand are as strong as the strongest who may now as well as heretofore kill a Goliah by the Hand of little David yet we see the Lord doth ordinarily make use of the Strong to support the Weak and indeed when such as may be termed Weak are so made use of it alters the Nature of their Place and constitutes them in a higher and more eminent Degree For though it was little David it was also he that was to be King of Israel Though the Apostles were mean Men among the Jews yet they were such as were to be the Apostles of the Lord of Glory Instruments to gather the lost Sheep of the House of Israel and to proclaim the Acceptable Day of the Lord. And though Paul was once accounted the Least of all the Saints a Child born out of due Time yet was he him who was to be the greatest Apostle of the Gentiles Now then let us Consider whom the Lord makes use of in the Affairs of the Primitive Church and through whom he gave forth his Infallible Judgment Did he not begin first by Peter he wes the first that spake in the first Meeting they had Acts 1. and who first stood up after the pouring forth of the Spirit and who first appeared before the Council of the Jews and spake in behalf of the Gospel of Christ Though I am far from calling him as some do the Prince of the Apostles yet I may safely say he was one of the most Ancient and Eminent and to whom Christ in a Manner somewhat more than ordinary had recommended the Feeding of his Flock We see also he was first made use of in
in the Case of Division or Debate let us consider the Basis upon which they proceed and the Stress they lay upon it First All jointly both the Prelatical and Presbyterial will have this Synod or Council to Consist of a Convocation of the Clergy 1. Protestants Chosen and sent from the Particular Congregations with some few Laick Elders called together by the Civil Magistrate in case he be one in Judgment with them They decide by Plurality of Votes And though they assume not an Absolute Infallibility in that they reckon it possible for them to Err yet do they reckon their Decisions Obligatory upon their supposed Consonancy to the Scripture and however do Affirm that the Civil Magistrate hath Power to Constrain all to Submit and Obey or else to punish them either by Death Banishment Imprisonment Confiscation of Goods or some other Corporal Pain even though such be perswaded and offer to make appear that the Decisions they Refuse are Contrary to the Scriptures And Lastly Among the Papists None 2. Papists though otherwise Confessed to be a Member of the Church both Knowing and Sober except Commissionate in some of the Respects above-declared can be Admitted to Sit Vote and give his Judgment Any that will be at the Pains to apply this to the Foundation I before laid of the Infallibility of Judgment in that we may account only to be truly called the Church of Christ 3. We Differ from them Both. will easily fee the great Difference betwixt us which I shall sum up in these particulars First Do we Exclude any Member of the Church of Christ that may be truly accounted so to tell his Judgment Secondly Do we say man ought to be persecuted in his Outwards for his Dis-assent in Spirituals Thirdly Do we plead that Decision is to pass Conclusive because of the plurality of Votes And much more which the Reader may observe from what is already mentioned which that it may be all more Obvious at One View will appear somewhat clearly by this following Figure which will give the Reader an Opportunity to Recollect what lay heretofore more scattered I. The ROMANISTS say 1. That there is an Infallibility in the Church which Infallibility is when the Pope calls a General Council of Bishops c. that whatsoever they Conclude and Agree upon must needs be the Infallible Judgment of the Spirit of God because of the Promise of Christ That he would never suffer the Gates of Hell to prevail against his Church 2. And that the Pope and Council made up of certain of the Clergy having one Outward Succession and being lawfully Ordained according to the Canons are that Church to which that Promise is made however wicked or depraved without any necessary Respect to the Inward Holiness or Regeneration of the Persons if so be they be Outwardly Called Ordained and Invested in such a Place and Capacity as gives them an Authority to be Members of such an Assembly 3. What they thus Decide as they judge according to the Scripture ought to be received with Reverence and Submitted to and those that do not to be punished by the Civil Magistrate by Death Banishment or Imprisonment though they declare and be ready to evidence that it is because they are not Agreeable to the Scripture they refuse such Decrees II. The Generality of PROTESTANTS say 1. That though all Synods and Councils may Err yet such Assemblies are needful for the Edification of the Church That such do Consist of a Convocation of the Clergy West Conf. of Faith Chap. with some few Laicks particularly Chosen That all others except those so Elected have not any Right to Vote or give Judgment 2. That such an Assembly so Constitute may Ministerially determine Controversies of Faith Cases of Conscience Matters of Worship and authoritatively determine the same The Decision is to be by Plurality of Votes praved they be yet this Infallible Judgment follows them as being necessarily annexed to their Office in which the Authority still stands in its full Strength and Vigour 3. So that there lies an Obligation upon the whole Body of the Church to Obey their Decrees And such as do not are not only certainly damned for their Disobedience but that it is the Duty of the Civil Magistrate to punish such by Death Banishment or Imprisonment c. in Case they Refuse III. The QUAKERS say The Sanctified Members 1. That whereas none truly ought nor can be accounted the Church of Christ but such as are in a measure Sanctified or Sanctifying by the Grace of God and led by his Spirit nor yet any made Officers in the Church but by the Grace of God and Inward Revelation of his Spirit not by Outward Ordination or Succession from which none is to be Excluded if so Called whether Married or a Tradesman or a Servant 2. If so be in such a Church there should arise any Difference there will be an Infallible Judgment from the Spirit of God Their Infallible Judgment which may be in a General Assembly yet not limited to it as excluding others And may prove the Judgment of the Plurality yet not to be decided thereby as if the Infallibility were placed there excluding the fewer In which Meeting or Assembly upon such an Account there is no Limitation to be of Persons particularly Chosen but that all that in a true Sense may be reckoned of the Church as being Sober and Weighty may be present and give their Judgment To be Submitted unto 3. And that the Infallible Judgment of Truth which cannot be wanting in such a Church whether it be given through one or more ought to be Submitted to not because such Persons give it but because the Spirit leads so to do which every one coming to in themselves will willingly and naturally Assent to And if any through Disobedience or Vnclearness do not all that the Church ought to do She is to deny them her spiritual Fellowship in case the nature of their Disobedience be of that Consequence as may deserve such a Censure But by no means for Matter of Conscience to Molest Trouble or Persecute any in their Outwards Who will be at the Pains to Compare these Three seriously together I am hopeful will need no further Argument to prove the Difference But if any will further Object What if it fall out de facto year 1679 that the Teachers Elders or Plurality do Decide and from thence will say This is like the Church of Rome and other false Churches It will be hard to prove that to be an Infallible Mark of a Wrong Judgment as we have not said it is of a Right And indeed Objection Answ. to Conclude it were so would necessarily Condemn the Church in the Apostles days where we see the Teachers and Elders and so far as we can observe the greater Number did agree to the Decision Acts 1.15 For if the thing be Right and according to Truth it
is so much the better that the Elders and greater Number do agree to it and if Wrong their Affirming of it will not make it Right And truly a Gathering where the Elders and greater Number are always or most frequently Wrong and the Younger and lesser Number Right is such as we cannot suppose the True Church of Christ to be And if any will plead that there is now no Infallible Judgment to be expected from the Spirit of God in the Church it no doubt will leave the Dissenters as much in the Mist and at as great a loss as those they Dissent from both being no better than blind men hitting at random which will turn Christianity into Scepticism And though we may acknowledge that this Vncertainty prevails in the generality of those called Churches yet we do firmly believe for the Reasons above declared and many more that might be given That the True Church of Christ has a more solid stable Foundation and being never separated from Christ her Head walks in a more certain steady and unerring Path. The CONCLUSION THE Substance then of what is Asserted and Proved in this Treatise resolves in these following Particulars A Summary Recollection of the whole First That in the Church of Christ when it Consists of a visible People for I speak not here of the Church in the dark Night of Apostacy that consisted not of any Society visibly united gathered into the Belief of certain Principles and united in the joint Performance of the Worship of God as Meeting together praying preaching c. there is and still must be a Certain Order and Government Secondly That this Government as to the Outward Form of it Consists of Certain Meetings Appointed principally for that End yet not so as to exclude Acts of Worship if the Spirit move thereunto Thirdly The Object of this Government is twofold Outwards and Inwards The Outwards relate mainly to the Care of the Poor of Widows and Fatherless where may be also included Marriages and the Removing of all Scandals in things undeniably wrong The Inwards respect an Apostacy either in Principles or Practices that have a Pretence of Conscience and that either in Denying some Truths already Received and Believed or Asserting New Doctrines that ought not to be Received Which again to subdivide may either be in Things Fundamental 1674 and of great moment or in things of less Weight in themselves yet proceeding from a Wrong Spirit and which in the natural and certain Consequence of them tend to make Schisms Divisions Animosities and in sum to break that Bond of Love and Vnity that is so needful to be upheld and established in the Church of Christ. And here come also under this Consideration all Emulations Strifes Backbitings and evil Surmisings Fourthly That in the True Church of Christ according to the Definition above given of it there will in such Cases of Differences and Controversies still be an Infallible Judgment from the Spirit of God either in one or other few or more Fifthly That this Infallible Judgment is only and unalterably annexed and seated in the Spirit and Power of God not to any particular Person or Persons Meeting or Assembly by vertue of any setled Ordination Office Place or Station that such may have or have had in the Church no Man Men nor Meeting standing or being Invested in any Authority in the Church of Christ upon other Terms than so long as he or they abide in the living Sense and Vnity of the Life in their own particulars which whosoever one or more inwardly departs from ipso facto loses all Authority Office or certain Discerning he or they formerly have had though retaining the true Principles and sound Form and may be not fall'n into any gross Practices as may declare them generally to be thus withered and decayed Sixthly That Jesus Christ under the Gospel hath ordinarily Revealed his Will in such Cases through the Elders and Ministers of the Church or a General Meeting whose Testimony is neither to be despised or rejected without good Cause Neither is their taking upon them Really to Decide any just Ground to charge them with Imposition or to quarrel their Judgment unless it can be proved that they are decayed and have lost their Discerning as above Seventhly That to Submit and Obey in such Cases is no detracting from the Common Priviledge of Christians to be Inwardly led by the Spirit seeing the Spirit has led some heretofore so to do and yet may And that every Pretence of Vnclearness is not a Sufficient Excuse for Disobedience seeing that may proceed from Obstinacy or a Mind prepossessed with Prejudice Yet say I not any ought to do it before they be Clear and who are every Right will not want Clearness in what They ought to do And Lastly That these Principles are no ways tainted with Imposition or contrary to true Liberty of Conscience And that they fundamentally differ from the Vsurpations both of Popery Prelacy and Presbytery or any other of that Nature Robert Barclay Robert Barclay HIS VINDICATION year 1679 WHEREIN The Scruples and Mistakes some have had touching his Book called The Anarchy of the Ranters are Cleared and the Ground upon which W. R's Papers against it are Built Removed the Substance of the Papers being briefly Answered by way of EPISTLE to FRIENDS who therein have or may be Concern'd Which may serve as an EXPLANATORY P0ST-SCRIPT to Robert Barclay's Book of GOVERNMENT Aberdeen-Prison the Sixth of the First Month 1679. Dear Friends and Brethren UNTO all my Dear Friends and Brethren unto whose Hands this Paper may come or who may be any ways more particularly Concerned in the Contents hereof The Salutation of my unfeigned Love in that Vnchangable Truth whereunto it hath pleased the Lord to Call me according to his great Mercy so as to be a Partaker in some measure of the Peace and Glory which in this Day is Revealed wherewith my heart hath been often filled as I have Waited in Faithfulness according to the Dispensation of Light Manifested in me and to me And since it hath pleased God to make me a Living Witness of the pretious Truth and to Commit unto me any Share of the Ministry thereof my Conscience bears me Witness in the sight of God that I have Laboured according to my Knowledge to follow Love and Peace with all my Brethren R. B's Ministry and to do those things which might tend to advance strengthen and confirm Vnity and Brotherly Love as also to Avoid what had a tendency to beget Strife Jealousies or Evil Surmises Likewise I have studied as well in my Publick Testimony His Writings as in my Writings to beware of any thing that to my Understanding might minister just Occasion of Stumbling or Offcence to the least of my Brethren or the youngest and weakest Babe in the Truth as such as are Conversant with me iâ— my own Country as well as those elsewhere where I have
Assertions W. R. Censures the Apostle boldly I may the more patiently bear his Affirming mine to be Erroneous And whereas W. R. labours To make it appear that the Scriptures brought by me to prove a power of Decision in the Church do not Affirm any such thing because in these Scriptures there is no mention made of the Church's Decision Yet if he Consider that those places do speak of the Separating from and Cutting off of divers Persons Judgment Evinced and forsaking their Fellowship to the Saints who make up the Church of Christ it necessarily presupposes a Judgment of the Church or Saints concerning those Persons for which they are so Cut off from the Fellowship of the Body of Christ which is his Church Reason IV Fourthly A great part of W. R's Work is but a building up and then pulling down wherein he apparently Contradicts himself Yea the whole Scope of his Book Implies a Manifest Contradiction For whereas he plainly declares his Writing to be a Plea for Christian Liberty against Judging and Censuring one another holding forth that Diversity of Opinions and Judgments in matters of Conscience but especially in such matters as relate to Discipline and Government is not nor ought to be a Breach of Unity which he understands may be supposed to be the diversities of Gifts and Administrations mentioned in Scriptures which he expresses in these words upon Paul in Rom. 14. So then every one of us shall give an Account of himself unto God let us not therefore Judge one another any more And again he saith upon Verse 34. viz. Which evidently shews that Inasmuch as every one must Answer for himself it is fit every one should believe for himself A wrong Spirit of Liberty and so practise without being Imposed upon by others and this is the ground of all Christian Forbearance And again in another place he saith These things considered and that also we find the Apostle's Exhorting the Churches not to be Judging one another with respect to things relating to Conscience there is great need to watch against this Censorious Judging Spirit least while any are Judging their Brethren themselves become Cast-aways he hath many more Expressions of this kind Now since this is the whole Scope of W. R's Papers and that he did yea hath since he wrote these Papers acknowledged me to be his Christian Brother and many more at least them he did Repute such whom he Censures Judges and Condemns through his whole Treatise yea since his whole Papers are a Judging Censuring and Condemning of me and my Judgment in things pertaining to Conscience and to my Judgment in matters of Government and outward Discipline do's not the Work Imply a manifest Contradiction So his very Writing Contradicts the matter he writes of and pleads for especially since not only he makes some General Censure of me and many others professing the same fundamental Truths with him but is very Particular and Peremptory W. R. a false Accuser yea Insinuating Accusations as if I in Particular intended to make way for an Authority to Rule over at least some of my Brethren as his very Conclusion Intimates and in divers other places may be Observed And it will aggravate this Injury done by him the more that the Reader may Observe as well in his own Letter as in what is above mentioned that this his Censure was built upon his own Mistakes So that I hope who consider these things will acknowledge a sufficient Answer is hereby Returned And albeit I my self be fully satisfied yet I should not have Churled the Pains of a particular Disquisition of every thing in Order as Asserted by him albeit he has not done that to mine If I had not an Aversion from multiplying Controversies of this kind for the desire I have to Avoid that sort of Work and not for any strength of Argumentation I observe in W. R's Papers hath stopt me from so doing But if any do Apprehend that Strength of Reason in his Papers as to Judge I was Vnable to Answer or that this is not Satisfactory it will but Evidence the Weakness of their own Vnderstanding to the more Judicious and I shall not think much to bear their Censure For I value more my own Inward Peace and that of my Brethren than to Obtain an Applause of my Natural Capacity wherein if any Judge that W. R. do surpass me I shall not therewith be troubled The Excellency of the Simplicity of Truth For I more and more see the Excellency of that Simplicity that is in the Truth and of that Vnity that it leadeth to And thence do more Earnestly than ever desire to Witness all that is of and from Self Crucified in me and brought into true Subjection to the Cross of Christ and there alone may be my Rejoicing wherein I am at Vnity with all those who make Self of no Reputation for the Seed's sake that the Prosperity of Truth may be Advanced and the Peace of Israel Preserved R. Barclay William Rogers's Letter of his and R. Barclay's Discourse about the Book before-mentioned in the presence of many Brethren and also a Paper signifying the Brethrens Sense touching the Discourse then present Friends IT was upon me for several weeks past W. R's Letter Clearing R. B's Anarchy c. if my Occasions would any wise permit to come up to the City of London to be present among Friends from divers parts of the Nation at this Time that so I might have Opportunity to Confer with Friends who were dissatisfied with me touching what I had written in Answer to R. Barclay 's Book of Government And a few days before my Coming up R. Barclay being in London writ unto me to come up that we might have a Conference at large touching the same This his Request laid the greater Obligation upon me to be present in London at this time On Conference had with him we Agreed that a Free Meeting might be had with Friends in whose presence R. B. and my self might in all Coolness and Moderation Confer together that so all Mis-understandings might be Removed and the Truth be Evidenced to the Consciences of the Brethren then Present The Meeting for that end was this Day had and a very Christian and Fair Debate was had to the satisfaction of both of us as far as I can understand and the matters chiefly Objected by me were fairly and brother-like and in much love Discoursed and upon the whole matter I am satisfied that R. B. is not principled so as I and others have taken his Book to Import In particular he doth declare that his Book teacheth not that the Church of Christ hath Jurisdiction over the outward Concerns of Friends in Case of Difference Jurisdiction without Assent of the Differing parties and that it was far from his Intentions For his Intention as he declares was only to manifest that Friends ought to Submit their Cases of Difference to
same Reason is the Spirit more originally and principally the Rule according to that received Maxim in the Schools Propter quod unumquodque est tale illud ipsum magis est tale That for which a thing is such the thing it self is more such § I. THe former part of this Proposition though it needs no Apology for it The Holy Scriptures the most Excellent Writings in the World yet is a good Apology for us and will help to Sweep away that among many other Calumnies wherewith we are often loaded as if we were Vilifiers and Deniers of the Scriptures For in that which we Affirm of them it doth appear at what high Rate we Value them accounting them without all Deceit or Equivocation the Most Excellent Writings in the World to which not only no other Writings are to be preferr'd but even in divers respects not Comparable thereunto For as we freely acknowledge that their Authority doth not depend upon the Approbation or Canons of any Church or Assembly so neither can we subject them to the fall'n corrupt and defiled Reason of man and therein as we do freely Agree with the Protestants against the Error of the Romanists so on the other hand we cannot go the length of such Protestants as make their Authority to depend upon any Vertue or Power that is in the Writings themselves but we desire to ascribe all to that Spirit from which they proceeded We Confess indeed there wants not a Majesty in the Style a Coherence in the parts a good Scope in the whole but seeing these things are nor discerned by the Natural but only by the Spiritual man it is the Spirit of God that must give us that Belief of the Scriptures which may satisfy our Consciences Therefore the Chiefest among Protestants both in their particular Writings and publick Confessions are forced to acknowledge this Hence Calvin though he saith He is able to prove that if there be a God in Heaven Calvin's Testimony That the Scriptures Certainty is from the Spirit these Writings have proceeded from him yet he concludes Another Knowledge to be necessary Inst. lib. 1. cap. 7 sect 4. But if saith he we respect the Consciences that they be not daily molested with Doubts and they stick not at every Scruple it is Requisite that this Perswasion which we speak of be taken higher than Humane Reason Judgment or Conjectures to wit from the secret Testimony of the Holy Spirit And again To those that ask That we prove unto them by Reason that Moses and the Prophets were Inspired of God to speak I answer that the Testimony of the Holy Spirit is more Excellent than all Reason And again Let this remain a firm Truth that he only whom the Holy Ghost hath perswaded can Repose himself on the Scripture with a true Certainty And lastly This then is a Judgment which cannot be begotten but by a Heavenly Revelation c. The same is also Affirmed in the first Publick Confession of the French Churches published in the year 1559. Art 4. We know these Books to be Canonick and the most â—ertain Rule of our Faith The Confession of the French Churches not so much by the Common Accord and Consent of the Church as by the Testimony and Inward Perswasion of the Holy Spirit Thus also in the fifth Article of the Confession of Faith of the Churches of Holland Confirmed by the Synod of Dort Churches of Holland Assert the same We receive these Books only for Holy and Canonick not so much because the Church receives and approves them as because the Spirit of God renders Witness in our Hearts that they are of God And lastly The Divines so called at Westminster Westminster Confession the same who began to be affraid of and guard against the Testimony of the Spirit because they perceived a Dispensation beyond that which they were under beginning to Dawn and to Eclipse them yet could they not get by this though they have laid it down neither so clearly distinctly nor honestly as they that went before It is in these words Chap. 1. Sect. 5. Nevertheless our full Perswasion and Assurance of the Infallible Truth thereof is from the Inward Work of the Holy Spirit bearing Witness by and with the Word in our heart By all which it appeareth how Necessary it is to seek the Certainty of the Scriptures from the Spirit and no where else The Infinite Janglings and Endless Contests of those that seek their Authority elsewhere do witness to the Truth hereof For the Ancients themselves Apocrypha even of the First Centuries were not at one among themselves concerning them while some of them Rejected Books which we Approve and others of them Approved those Concil Laod. Can. 59 in Cod Ecc. 163. Concil Laod. held in the Year 364. Excluded from the Canon Eccl the Wisdom of Solomon Judith Tobias the Maccabees which the Council of Carthage held in the Year 399. Received which some of us Reject It is not unknown to such as are in the least acquainted with Antiquity what Great Contests are concerning the Second Epistle of Peter that of James the Second and Third of John and the Revelations which many even very Ancient deny to have been Written by the Beloved Disciple and Brother of James but by another of that name What should then become of Christians if they had not received that Spirit and those Spiritual senses by which they know how to discern the True from the False It 's the Priviledge of Christ's Sheep indeed that they hear his Voice and refuse that of a Stranger which Priviledge being taken away we are left a Prey to all manner of Wolves § II. Though then we do acknowledge the Scriptures to be a very Heavenly and Divine Writing the Vse of them to be very Comfortable and Necessary to the Church of Christ and that we also admire and give Praise to the Lord for his wonderful Providence in preserving these Writings so Pure and Vncorrupted as we have them through so long a Night of Apostasy to be a Testimony for his Truth against the Wickedness and Abominations even of those whom he made Instrumental in preserving them so that they have kept them to be a Witness against themselves yet we may not call them the Principal Fountain of all Truth and Knowledge nor yet the first Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners because the Principal Fountain of Truth must be the Truth it self i. e. that whose Certainty and Authority depends not upon another The Scriptures are not the Principal Ground of Truth When we doubt of the Streams of any River or Flood we recur to the Fountain it self and having found it there we Sist we can go no further because there it springs out of the Bowels of the Earth which are Inscrutable Even so the Writings and Sayings of all men we must bring to the Word of God I mean the Eternal Word and if they Agree
have caused them to Err. The whole writings of the Prophets are full of such Complaints and for this Cause under the New Testament we are so often warned and guarded to Beware of false Prophets and false Teachers c. What may be thought then where all as to this is out of order where both the Foundation Call Qualifications Maintainance and whole Discipline is different from and opposite to the Ministry of the primitive Church yea and necessarily tends to the shutting out a Spiritual Ministry and the in-bringing and establishing a Carnal This shall appear by parts § VII That then which comes first to be questioned in this matter is Quest. I concerning the Call of a Minister to wit What maketh or how cometh a man to be a Minister Pastor or Teacher in the Church of Christ We Answer By the inward power and virtue of the Spirit of God Answ. For as saith our Proposition Having received the true knowledge of things Spiritual by the Spirit of God The Call of a Minister and wherein it consisteth without which they cannot be known and being by the same in measure purified and sanctified he comes thereby to be called and moved to Minister to others being able to speak from a living Experience of what he himself is a Witness and therefore knowing the Terror of the Lord he is fit to perswade men c. 2 Cor. 5.11 and his Words and Ministry proceeding from the inward power and virtue reaches to the heart of his Hearers and makes them approve of him and be subject unto him Our Adversaries are forced to confess that this were indeed desirable and best but this they will not have to be absolutely necessary Object I shall first prove the Necessity of it and then shew how much they Err in that which they make more necessary than this Divine and Heavenly Call First That which is necessary to make a man a Christian so as without it he cannot be truly one must be much more necessary to make a man a Minister of Christianity seeing the one is a degree above the other and has it included in it nothing less than he that supposeth a Master Arg. supposeth him first to have attained the knowledge and capacity of a Scholar 1. The necessity of an Inward Call to make a man a Christian They that are not Christians cannot be Teachers or Ministers among Christians But this Inward Call Power and Vertue of the Spirit of God is necessary to make a man a Christian as we have abundantly proved before in the second Proposition according to these Scriptures He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God Therefore this Call Moving and Drawing of the Spirit must be much more Necessary to make a Minister 2. The Ministry of the Spirit requires the Operation and Testimony of the Spirit Secondly All Ministers of the New Testament ought to be Ministers of the Spirit and not of the Letter according to that 2 Cor. 3.6 and as the old Latine hath it not by the Letter but by the Spirit But how can a man be a Minister of the Spirit who is not inwardly Called by it and who looks not upon the Operation and Testimony of the Spirit as Essential to his Call As he could not be a Minister of the Letter who had thence no ground for his Call yea that were altogether a Stranger to and unacquainted with it so neither can he be a Minister of the Spirit who is a Stranger to it and unacquainted with the Motions thereof and knows it not to draw act and move him and go before him in the Work of the Ministry I would willingly know how those that take upon them to be Ministers as they suppose of the Gospel meerly from an outward Vocation without so much as being any ways sensible of the Work of the Spirit or any Inward Call there-from can either satisfy themselves or others that they are Ministers of the Spirit or wherein they differ from the Ministers of the Letter For 3. Under the Law the People needed not to doubt who should be Priests and Ministers Thirdly If this Inward Call or Testimony of the Spirit were not Essential and Necessary to a Minister then the Ministry of the New Testament should not only be no ways preferrable to but in divers respects far Worse than that of the Law For under the Law there was a certain Tribe allotted for the Ministry and of that Tribe certain Families set apart for the Priesthood and other Offices by the Immediate Command of God to Moses so that the people needed not be in any doubt who should be Priests and Ministers of the holy things yea and besides this God called forth by the Immediate Testimony of his Spirit several at divers times to Teach Instruct and Reprove his people as Samuel Nathan Elias Elisa Jeremiah Amos and many more of the Prophets But now under the New Covenant where the Ministry ought to be more Spiritual the Way more Certain and the Access more Easie unto the Lord our Adversaries by denying the Necessity of this Inward and Spiritual Vocation make it quite other ways For there being now no certain Family or Tribe to which the Ministry is limited we are left in Vncertainty to chuse and have Pastors at a venture without all Certain Assent of the Will of God having neither an outward Rule nor Certainty in this affair to walk by for that the Scripture cannot give any Certain Rule in this matter hath in the Third Proposition concerning it been already shewn 4. Christ the Door Fourthly Christ proclaims them all Thieves and Robbers that enter not by him the Door into the Sheep-fold but climb up some other way whom the sheep ought not to hear John 10.1 but such as come in without the Call Movings and Leadings of the Spirit of Christ wherewith he leads his Children into all Truth come in certainly not by Christ who is the Door but some other way and therefore are not True Shepherds § VIII To all this they Object The Succession of the Church alledging Object That since Christ gave a Call to his Apostles and Disciples they have conveyed that Call to their Successors Succession pleaded by the false Church from Christ and his Apostles having power to Ordain Pastors and Teachers by which power the Authority of Ordaining and making Ministers and Pastors is successively conveyed to us so that such who are Ordained and Called by the Pastors of the Church are therefore true and lawful Ministers and others who are not so Called are to be accounted but Intruders Hereunto also some Protestants add a Necessity though they make it not as a thing Essential that besides this Calling of the Church every one being Called ought to have the Inward Call of the Spirit inclining him so chosen to his Work
and is one great reason why a dry dead barren lifeless spiritless Ministry which leavens the people into the same death doth so much abound and is so much over-spreading even the Protestant Nations that their Preachings and Worships as well as whole Conversation is not to be discerned from Popish by any fresh living zeal or lively Power of the Spirit accompanying it but meerly by the difference of some Notions and Opinions Object § XII Some unwise and unwary Protestants do sometimes Object to us That if we have such an immediate Call as we lay claim to we ought to Confirm it by Miracles Answ. But this being an Objection once and again objected to the primitive Protestants by the Papists we need but in short return the Answer to it that they did to the Papists Whether Miracles be now necessary to Confirm the Gospel John Baptist and divers Prophets did none to wit That we need not Miracles because we preach no new Gospel but that which is already Confirmed by all the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles and that we offer nothing but that which we are ready and able to Confirm by the Testimony of the Scriptures which both already acknowledge to be true And that John the Baptist and divers of the Prophets did none that we hear of and yet were both immediately and extraordinarily sent This is the Common Protestant Answer therefore may suffice in this place though if need were I could say more to this purpose but that I study Brevity § XIII There is also another sort of Protestants to wit The English Independents The Constitution of the Independent Church who differing from the Calvinistical Presbyterians and denying the Necessity of this Succession or the Authority of any National Church take another way affirming That such as have the benefit of the Scriptures any Company of People agreeing in the Principles of Truth as they find them there declared may Constitute among themselves a Church without the Authority of any other and may Chuse to themselves a Pastor who by the Church thus Constitute and Consenting is Authorized requiring only the Assistance and Concurrence of the Pastors of the Neighbouring Churches if any be not so much as absolutely Necessary to Authorize as Decent for Order's sake Also they go so far as to affirm That in a Church so Constitute Gifted Brethren any gifted Brother as they call them if he find himself qualified thereto may Instruct Exhort and Preach in the Church though as not having the Pastoral Office he cannot Administer that they Call their Sacraments To this I Answer That this was a good step out of the Babylonish Darkness and no doubt did proceed from a Real Discovery of the Truth and from the sense of a great Abuse of the promiscuous National gatherings Also this Preaching of the Gifted Brethren as they called them did proceed at first from certain Their Loss and Decay lively Touches and Movings of the Spirit of God upon many But alas because they went not forward that is much decayed among them and the Motions of God's Spirit begin to be denied and rejected among them now as much as by others The Scripture gives no Call to persons Individual But as to their pretended Call from the Scripture I Answer The Scripture gives a meer declaration of true things but no Call to particular Persons so that though I believe the things there written to be true and deny the Errors which I find there Testified against yet as to these things which may be my particular duty I am still to seek And therefore I can never be Resolved in the Scripture whether I such a one by name ought to be a Minister And for the Resolving this doubt I must needs recur to the Inward and Immediate Testimony of the Spirit as in the Proposition concerning the Scriptures more at large is shewen § XIV From all this then we do firmly Conclude that not only in a general Apostasy it is needful men be extraordinarily Called and Raised up by the Spirit of God but that even when several Assemblies or Churches are gathered by the Power of God not only into the belief of the Principles of Truth so as to deny Errors and Heresies but also into the Life Spirit and Power of Christianity so as to be the Body and House of Christ indeed and a fit Spouse for him that he who gathers them doth also for the preserving them in a lively fresh and powerful Condition raise up and move among them by the inward immediate Operation of his own Spirit Ministers and Teachers to Instruct and Teach and Watch over them True Ministers Qualifications Call and Title who being thus Called are Manifest in the hearts of their Brethren and their Call is thus verified in them who by the feeling of that life and power that passeth through them being inwardly built up by them daily in the most holy Faith become the Seals of their Apostleship And this is answerable to another saying of the same Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 13.3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me which to you wards is not weak but is mighty in you So this is that which gives a true substantial Call and Title to a Minister whereby he is a Real Successor of the Virtue Life and Power that was in the Apostles and not of the bare Name Their Laying on of hands a Mock of God and Man a Keeping up the Shadow whilst Substance is a-wanting and to such Ministers we think the outward Ceremony or Ordination or laying on of hands not necessary neither can we see the Vse of it seeing our Adversaries who use it acknowledge that the Virtue and Power of Communicating the Holy Ghost by it is Ceased among them And is it not then foolish and ridiculous for them by an Apish Imitation to keep up the Shadow where the Substance is wanting And may not they by the same Rule where they see blind and lame men in Imitation of Christ and his Apostles bid them see and walk yea is it not in them a mocking of God and Men to put-on their hands and bid men Receive the Holy Ghost while they believe the thing Impossible and Confess that that Ceremony hath no real Effect Having thus far spoken of the Call I shall proceed next to treat of the Qualifications and Work of a true Minister § XV. As I have placed the True Call of a Minister in the Motion of Quest. II this Holy Spirit so is the power life and virtue thereof The Quâ—lifications of a Minister and the pure Grace of God that comes therefrom the Chief and most Necessary Qualification without which he can no ways perform his Duty neither acceptably to God nor beneficially to men Our Adversaries in this case affirm that three things go to the making up of a Minister viz. 1. Natural Parts § I. Philosophy and School-Divinity will never
desired to Instruct their Children which Pagan-Fathers cannot do yet they are not more Fathers than before nor have more Authority or Power over their Children to force them than before So a Magistrate being a Christian may Instruct Countenance and Advance Christianity by the Advantage of his Place but acquires no more Power thereby to force his People upon that account J. B. if he judge so will do well to prove it by Scripture ¶ 4. The Reason of his Second Objection is Because a Church may Err in their Judgment being defective as he supposed the Magistrate in the former Objection and so may Condemn Truth for Error But how Weak this is is very apparent For if he can shew us a Church having the True Being of a Church which ought to be acknowledged and submitted to by Christians as such which yet is wholly a Stranger to yea an Enemy and Persecutor of Christianity as I did him in the case of Magistracy he will say something but other ways nothing at all Next The Censure of a Church however he seems to judge otherwise cannot be called forcing of Conscience in the Sense I grant it Church Censure is not a forcing the Conscience which is only for to deny the Persons Censured their Spiritual Fellowship since he himself by his differing from them breaks it off as in my Book Intituled The Anarchy of the Ranters c. written concerning Church-Government I have at large shewen And if the difference be such as the Church judgeth in Conscience they cannot have Spiritual Communion with one so principled it were in him a forcing of their Conscience to urge it upon them For since he takes the Liberty out of Conscience as he judgeth to differ from all his Brethren it were a most unreasonable thing in such a one to deny them the Liberty being perswaded in their Conscience they ought to Withdraw from him seeing the Band of their Vnity which at least in part was an Agreement in Doctrine is so far by him broken But as he doth not fall upon them to Beat Imprison or Kill them neither ought they to do so to him As for his Answer That they are not for propagating Christianity by Force or that the Ministers should use Fire and Sword pag. 508. It is the same Deceitful Return that the Pope and the Jesuites his Janizaries give upon the like occasion with whom the Presbyters in most things of this Nature do most unanimously Agree who it is said after they have judged any one Guilty of Heresy deliver him over to the Magistrate because alas merciful and tender-hearted Men as is usually spoken by Contraries They will not meddle with Blood But how would they Thunder the Magistrate if he did not proceed to Execution The same way do the Presbyters For we know Presbyters with their Church-Censure no less Bloody and Cruel than the Popish Inquisitors what naturally follows upon the Church-Censure or Disobedience to their Orders as by many Examples during the Reign of Presbytery in Scotland might be proved and which I may instance if further provoked thereto By which it shall appear that they are no less BLOODY and CRVEL than the Popish Inquisitors and that both the POPE and the PRESBYTERS assuming the Power of Judgment to themselves leave nothing to the Magistrate but the dishonourable Office of being their Executioner or in plain Scots Hangman while both most deceitfully wipe their Mouths as if they were Innocent of the Blood-shed procured by them ¶ 5. In stead of giving any direct Reply to my Answer to their 0bjection drawn from Deut. 13. where false Prophets and Idolaters are Ordained to be Killed he seeks malitiously to infer That I deny all Authority of the Old Testament Which is a horrid Calumny But since there are many things Commanded there Many things Commanded in the Old T. are not binding upon us now which himself will acknowledge are not binding upon us now what shall be the Rule whereby we shall Judge what we are now Tied to and what not unless as the same is Ratified or again Commanded by Christ in the New And for Clearing of this let him tell me if he can What is incumbent upon us now from the Old Testament which hath no Precept or Authority in the New But further aster he has manifestly wrested the Place to Evite what I urge from Deut. 5.9 as the Reader by comparing it may judge at last he Confesseth to it only alledgeth It was a Circumstance But feeing this Circumstance was Commanded as well as the rest he should shew where the one is Repealed and not the other And how it comes to pass that it should be Duty to obey the one part of the Command and yet Murder to obey the other Or if he will the Circumstances commanded Conjunctly with it as I hope he will Confess it should be for any now to kill their Brother or Sister as an Heretick or Blasphemer without bringing them to a Judge He has a quick way of answering what I say pag. 323 324. in alledging That it is not to the purpose as also what I say pag. 328 329. in answering it by two or three Lines of Railing pag. 513. But me thinks since he gives his Reader as a Reason of his prolixity That he left nothing said by the Quakers unanswered It is strange he jumps so quietly over that place Presbyterians and Jesuites pretending Subjection Tyrannize over Magistrates Consciences pag. 324. where I shew That the Presbyterians as well as the Jesuites notwithstanding their pretended Subjection to Magistrates and Pleadings for the Extension of their Power and Accusing us for denying it do not spare to Tyrannize over the Magistrates Conscience when they can as by the Example of the Presbyterians behaviour towards this present King of Britain I did prove It is enough for him to this to say This page is not to the purpose But the Judicious Reader will rather judge that he is here so Silent being elsewhere upon less Occasions so Clamorous because he knew not well what to Answer to the purpose With the like hasty and pitiful Stuff he would turn by the many Citations of the Ancients brought by me against Persecution because of his deceitful Popish Concession above observed but he should have shewn how these things of the Ancients are Consistent with the Civil Magistrates using any Force in matters of Religion as being a thing Inconsistent with Christianity which the Reader by reading over these places may easily observe and thence find why he made such Hast and gave all these Citations no other Answer ¶ 6. But as he is Hasty in passing over what he finds he cannot Answer so to fill up the pages he spares not to insist upon Trifles or things of no Moment or which only serve to shew his own Folly and Impertinency as in page 503. is manifest where he saith J. B.'s Doubts whether it be 25 years since
or a Divine Writing supernaturally imprinted therein Now as to the Material Part or the thing and Matter Revealed this is indeed a Contingent Truth and of it self is not manifest to the Mind but because of the Form that is because of the Divine Mode and supernatural Inward Operation the matter is known to be true For that Divine and Supernatural Inward Operation which the Mind doth feel and perceive in it self is the Voice of GOD speaking unto Man which by its Nature and specifick Property is as clearly distinguished and understood to be the Voice of GOD as the Voice of Peter or James is known to be the Voice of such Men. For every Being as a Being is knowable and that by its own specifick Nature or Property proceeding from its Nature and hath its proper Idea by which it's distinguishable from every other thing if so be it's Idea be stirred up in us and clearly proposed to us The speaking of God in Man is a Supernatural Being known by its Vertue Sixthly Now as some Beings are Natural some Supernatural so some Idea's are Natural some Supernatural And as when any Natural Idea is excited in us we clearly know it so also when a Supernatural Idea is raised we clearly know that whereof it is the Idea But the Voice of GOD speaking to the Mind of Man is a Supernatural Being and stirreth up in us a Supernatural Idea by which we clearly know that Inward Voice to be the Voice of GOD and not the Voice or Operation of another or of any Evil Spirit or Angel because none of these has a supernatural Idea as the Voice of GOD and his Divine Operation hath for it is full of Vigour Vertue and Divine Glory as saith the Psalmist who had often Experience of it and we also in our Measures are Witnesses thereof for the Voice of GOD is known to be his by its Divine Vertue Seventhly The Senses are either Outward or Inward What the Inward Supernatural Sense in Man is and the Inward Senses are either Natural or Supernatural We have an Example of the Inward Natural Sense in being Angered or Pacified in Love and Hatred or when we perceive and discern any Natural Truth such as the Natural Maxims to wit That the whole is greater than the part or when we deduce any Conclusion by the strength of Natural Reason that Perception also in a larger sense may be called an Inward Sense But an Example of an Inward Supernatural Sense is when the Heart or Soul of a pious Man feels in it self Divine Motions Influences and Operations which sometimes are as the Voice or Speech of GOD sometimes as a most pleasant and glorious Illustration or visible Object to the inward Eye sometimes as a most-sweet Savour or Taste sometimes as an Heavenly and Divine Warmness or so to speak Melting of the Soul in the Love of G0D Moreover this Divine and Supernatural Operation in the Mind of a Man is a true and most-glorious Miracle which when it is perceived by the Inward and Supernatural Sense divinely raised up in the Mind of Man doth so evidently and clearly perswade the Vnderstanding to Assent to the thing Revealed that there is no need of an outward Miracle for this Assent is not because of the thing it self but because of the Revelation proposing it which is the Voice of GOD. For when the Voice of GOD is heard in the Soul the Soul doth as certainly conclude the Truth of that Voice as the Truth of GOD's Being from whom it proceeds These things being thus premised Contingent and Necessary Truths distinguisheth I now proceed to a direct Answer For what is said That GOD cannot make a Contingent Truth to become a necessary Truth I agree but when any Contingent Truth is manifest to us by the Immediate Revelation of GOD there is in it two things to be considered to wit the Thing Revealed which is Contingent and the Revelation it self which upon the Supposition that it is a Divine Revelation is no Contingent Truth but a most Necessary Truth And this all mankind will say that this Proposition Every divine Revelation is necessarily true is as clear and evident as that Proposition That every Whole is greater than its Part. But thou wilt say How knowest thou that a Divine Revelation is a Divine Revelation I answer how knowest thou How a Divine Revelation is known to be a Divine Revelation that a Whole is a Whole and a Part is a Part Thou wilt say by the natural Idea excited in me of a Whole and of a Part. I answer again Even so a Divine Revelation is known to be such by a Supernatural Idea of Divine Revelation stirred up in us and that by a Divine Motion or Supernatural Operation But it is no wonder that Men who have no Experience of Supernatural Ideas or at least do not heed them do deny them which is as if a man naturally blind denyed Light or Colours or a deaf Man Sounds because they experience them not Therefore we cannot dissemble year 1679 that we feel a fervent Zeal even Divinely kindled in us against such an absurd opinion as affirms That God cannot Ascertain us of his Will in any contingent Truth but by proposing it to the outward Senses This Opinion does in a manner turn Men into Brutes as if Man were not to believe his GOD unless he propose what is to be believed to the outward Senses which the Beasts have Common with us yea it derogates from GOD's Power and imputes Weakness to him as if he could not do that which not only both good and evil Angels can do but which the meanest Creatures can do and the most unsensible As for Instance The Heat of the Fire Natural and Spiritual Senses distinshguisht by their Objects the Coldness of the Air and Water worketh upon us yea if a Pin prick us we feel it and that by the outward Sense because the Objects are outward and carnal But since GOD is a most Pure and Glorious Spirit when he operateth in the Innermost parts of our Minds by his Will shall not he and his Will be clearly felt according to his Nature that is by a spiritual and supernatural Sense For as the Nature of G0D is so is the Nature of his Will to wit purely spiritual and therefore requireth a Spiritual Sense to discern it which Spiritual Sense when it is raised up in us by a divine Operation doth as clearly and certainly know the Voice or Revelation of the Will of GOD concerning any thing which GOD is pleased to Reveal however Contingent as the outward Sense knows and perceives the Outward Object And it is no less Absurd to require of GOD who is a most-pure Spirit to manifest his Will to Men by the outward Senses else not to be Credited as to require us to see Sounds and hear Light and Colours For as the Objects of the outward Senses are not to be confounded but
and lead them out of Error and Blindness Don't Charge them and do worse for verily that will undo you in the End O that God would rend the Heavens and come down in Showers of Love and Quench the Flames that every-where devour his Creation That it would please him to still the furious Winds and calm the raging Seas and remove that Enmity which is the Ground of all and bring the Nations under his own heavenly Government where there is no need to Learn War against one another any more that they that have erred in Spirit Isa. 2.4 Isa. 29 29. Matt. 5.43 47. Ch. 18.21 22. Rom. 12.18 may come to Vnderstanding and those that have Murmured may learn Doctrine even the Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ which is a Doctrine of Love Meekness Mercy Forbearance a Doctrine of Self-denial Humility and Holiness a Doctrine that Reconciles us to God and one to another And no Man can have the Benefit of the first that Hates his Brother and less that Kills him for the Love of this World O it is a Crying Sin with God a strong Judgment upon us and a sure Token both of more and nearer Calamities that we are so Hard-hearted and Vnsensible of it Nay it looks as if we were not to be moved unless God himself would appear in the Air and send Fire down to Consume all before our Eyes and our selves in the Conclusion of the Tragedy Is not the Wrath of God do we think Revealed sufficiently against us in the Faction Strife War Rom. 1.18 Gal. 5.19 23. Blood and Poverty that we see almost all over Europe this Day God Almighty make People sensible and weary of it and the Cause of it their Sins Sins against Light against Conscience and Knowledge their Vnfaithfulness to God and Man their Scandalous Immorality and most Inordinate Love of the World the Ground of all Contention and Mischief That so the Peace of God which passeth worldly Men's Understanding may fill all our Hearts through Repentance and Conversion Amen I have been the longer in my Notes upon this Occasion than I Expected but our present Condition in Europe drew it from me that needs an Olive-branch the Doctrine of Peace as much as ever Our Author's next Treatise was published 1679. being a Vindication of his Notable Apology for the Christian Divinity profest by the People called Quakers in Reply to the Exceptions made against it by one John Brown in his Book called Quakerism the Path-way to Paganism In which Vindication the Reader will find the Truth sifted from all the Durt and Rubbish with which her Malitious or Ignorant Adversaries have endeavoured to sully her Beauty and disfigure and bury her out of the Sight and Knowledg of the People The Defence being like the Apology performed with much Labour and Exactness and so fully and plainly that it leaves one would think no room for Objection with the Serious and Moderate Inquirer I do justly Esteem his Apology and this Vindication in the Front of his Polemical Works Though I cannot but every-where prefer those Labours in him and others that have least to do with Controversy and whose main and immediate Scope is the Engaging of the Soul into the Love of Holiness the End of True Religion for it leads into the Blessed Communion of the Father and of the Son and gives the Possession of those Comforts and Refreshments that no Tongue can Express nor Soul by any other means Enjoy For without Holiness it is determined no Man shall ever see the Lord that is with Peace Heb. 12.14 Yet Controversy handled in the Fear of God and in the Openings of his Light and Spirit that is ever present and sufficient to the Help of his People in all their Services has also its Edification especially where an Earnest and Tender Desire to Inform the Mistaken prevails above Private Interest or any Party or Personal Consideration for God will witness to such Labours and follow them with his Blessing With which I beseech him to Crown our Beloved Friend's Services in this and all other Respects that tend to the Exaltation of his Glorious Truth The last Tract our Author left us and which is the Conclusion of this Volume and Preface was writ and published 1686. and is Intituled The Possibility and Necessity of the Inward and Immediate Revelation of the Spirit of God towards the Foundation and Ground of true Faith proved in a Letter writ in Latin to a Person of Quality in Holland and now also put into English The Person to whom it was writ was a Learned Man especially in the New Philosophy very Free and Friendly but not Fool enough to Resign to this Doctrine as entirely as he ought yet I believe better Reconciled to it before he died As the Revelation of Sin Righteousness and Judgment of Mercy and Consolation what to Avoid what to Repent of what to Desire what to Do and where to wait for Power to Avoid and Do as we are thereby directed is the Revelation chiefly Insisted upon by us so those that come to Answer the Love and Mercy of God in the first part of this Revelation viz. the Sight of Sin shall know the Aboundings of it from Day to Day and from the Evidence and Authority of their own Experience shall be enabled nay constrained to pronounce this Testimony of the Revelation maintained by the People called Quakers 'T is true and according to Scripture I might Advance divers Arguments from the Nature of God and the Soul of Man and from what may be as well as what has been the Truth of this Revelation but that being done by our Author in this small Treatise in an Abstract and proper manner I chose rather to speak Scripturally and Experimentally And whoever is Lowly and Poor enough in Spirit to Try the Truth of what I say Shall Comprehend with all Saints the Height and Depth and Length and Breadth of the Love of God in Christ to the Souls of Men by the Revelation of that true Light and Spirit and Grace I have testified of in this Preface and which the Wisest of the Men of this World can at best have but a Shadow and Idea of Remember Life is more than Food and the Body than Raiment so is Bread better than Husks Substance than Shadow Realities than Imaginations of them which is the best of their Case that come not through the Obedience of the Truth and Discipline of Christ's Cross to enjoy them Reader It is a most Important Point of the first Consideration to Men without it no Knowledge of God nor of Christ that Reveals God and without that Knowledge no Salvation for the Souls of Men. Matt. 11.27 Joh. 17.3 So that this Volume ends with that which all Men must begin with if they will ever truly know God and possess Eternal Life viz. Revelation Now some will say Revelation why we have it Have we not the Scriptures Do you pretend to another Revelation No
No this is Reserved a Secret to be unfolded to the Children of Obedience O Reader Great is the Mystery of Godliness And if the Apostle said it of the Manifestation of the Son of God in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 if that be a Mystery and if a Mystery it is not to be spelt out but by the Revelation of the Spirit how much more is the Work of Regeneration a Mystery that is wholly Inward and Spiritual in its Operation who is sufficient for these things what Doctor what Philosopher what sort of Divine surely none but one of God's making alone that has past through the Degrees of Regeneration which is the Experimental Operative Revelation of the Spirit of God in Man And this Revelation is a Fruit of his Omnipresence He is ever Present his Eye beholds the Evil and the Good Prov. 15.3 Psal. 33.18 1 Chr. 28.9 Psal. 7.9.139.1 9. Pro. 17.10 Ch. 20.12 Psal. 139.7 but in a particular manner is over them that fear him and trust in his Mercy Yea his Eyes are upon the Righteous he searches the Heart and Tryes the Reins and sets Man's Thoughts in Order before him This David knew when he Cried out Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy Presence And why but because he is present as a Reprover an Helper a Comforter and Saviour Which also made the same Royal Penitent and Prophet in his Fifty first Psalm pray Cast me not away from thy Presence Psal. 51.11 12 13. and take not thy Holy Spirit from me This also made him a Preacher to others For if God would but hear his Prayer and Restore to him the Joy of his Salvation and uphold him by his Free Spirit he would teach Transgressors his Ways and Sinners should be Converted unto God Which comes up to all I have said upon this Head that the way to be a Child of God and Minister of his Truth is the Inward Experience of the Revelation of the Spirit and Power of God in the Soul without which David could not open his Mouth for God He else-where tells us how Near God is to his People The Meek will he Guide The Secrets of the Lord are with them that Fear him The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as are of a Contrite Spirit Psal. 25.9 14. Ps. 34.9 18 Ps. 34.8 Ps. 27.10 11. He calls them to Taste and See how good the Lord is to them that fear him This was Revelation with a Witness no less than Two of the Spiritual Senses of the Soul at once And though Father and Mother forsake him God would take him up whom he prayed to Teach him and Lead him in a plain Path And in the Sense of God's Inward Goodness to his Soul in this way of Revelation and Omnipresency he Triumphs thus Yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death I will fear no Evil for thou art with me Ps. 23.4 thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Indeed his whole Book of Psalms is a continued Evidence of that Revelation we plead for and he cried he waited for and he Enjoyed who grew so well Acquainted with the Presence of God that he could tell us that in his Presence was Life Ps. 16.11 and at his right hand were pleasures for ever Nor is this to be wondered at by the Professors of Christianity since it is the Covenant God made of Old To which the Prophet Jeremiah gives Testimony That he would put his Law in their Inward Parts Jer. 31.31 34. and write it in their Hearts and he would be their God and they should be his People and know him from the least to the greatest To which the Apostle refers in his Epistle to the Hebrews as fulfilled in the Christian Dispensation then on foot Heb. 8.9 10 Joel 2.28 29. Act. 2.16 18. 2 Cor. 6.16 17. So Joel of the pouring out of the Spirit on all Flesh applied by Peter on the Day of Pentecost And Paul to the Corinthians goes yet further and tells them That God in these latter Days will dwell in them and walk in them and therefore Commands them not to touch the Unclean Thing Now if all this can be without Revelation Inspiration Divine Vision and Sensation in the Soul we may Conclude we do not hear see feel taste and smell what we do hear see feel taste and smell every Day I forbear many Scriptures as I in them and they in me He that is with you shall be in you I am with you to the end of the World and that notable Saying of the Apostle When it pleased God to Reveal his son in me Gal. 1.16 I consulted not with Flesh and Blood He grounds his Call Conversion and Ministry upon it and can we now hope for a True and Saving Knowledge or Ministry without it By no means But our Author in this as much as in any of his Tracts acts the Scholar and has not Chosen this Way of Arguing having to do with a Learned Man that he Esteemed and would be Entertained in a more Abstract Way of Arguing Which made me the Freer to express my self in this manner for their sakes that easily submit their Arguments to Scripture-Authority and that Hunger and Thirst after an Inward Enjoyment of that of which so many glorious things are said by the Holy Men of God in Scripture that they may be freed of Objections and savour the Clear and Divine Truth of this Doctrine That they may know Jo. 7.37 39. the Wells are opened now as well as formerly and that Rivers of living Water flow out of the Bellies of true Believers now as well as then which Christ spake of meaning the Spirit that should flow in and out of those that believed in him And Reader if thou wilt be a Witness hereof despise not the Day of small things Embrace the Talent that is given thee Zach. 4.10 follow the Reproofs and Teachings of it Wait upon it for Power to Enable thee to Overcome what it Condemns And if thou wilt Abstract thy self from the World and the Distracting Impressions and Idea's of it into a true Silence or Inactivity and Quietness of Mind believe me thou wilt find the Heavenly Potter will Mould and Form his Clay and work in thee mightily to Will and to Do For before Life is Death and before an Active a Passive Life Remember these things and Almighty God give thee an Experimental Understanding of them to his Glory and thy Comfort here and for Ever Thus Reader am I come to the End of this Preface and thou to the Begining of this Author's Volume Read with Consideration be not hasty to Judge what at first may not please thee but be Ready to Practise what thou likest That Knowledge through Obedience may Increase and GOD the great Author of all Good through his poor Instruments may have his Glory who is Worthy for ever Amen ACCORDING to that True and
Sincere Love in the Lord which we had to our Dear Brother Robert Barclay and Christian Respect which lives in us to his Blessed Memory and our Real Esteem and Value of his Faithful Testimony great Industry and Labour of Love for promoting the Ever-living Truth as it is in Christ in his Day and Time We whose Names are underwritten do sincerely Own and have Satisfaction and Vnity in Truth with this fore-going Preface and Relation in the behalf of him the said Robert Barclay and his Great and Memorable Service Labours and Travels in the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To whom be the Glory and Dominion for ever London the 15. of the 7th Month 1691. George Whitehead Patrick Livingston Alexander Seton Benjamin Antrobus Francis Stamper Iohn Vaughton and Iohn Field GEORGE FOX HIS TESTIMONY CONCERNING Robert Barclay A Testimony concerning our Dear Brother in the Lord Robert Barclay who was a Wise and Faithful Minister of Christ and Writ many Precious Books in the Defence of the Truth in English and Latine and after Translated into French and Dutch He was a Scholar and a Man of Great Parts and underwent many Calumnies Slanders and Reproaches and Sufferings for the Name of Christ but the Lord gave him Power over them all He Travelled often up and down Scotland and in England and in Holland and Germany and did good Service for the Lord and was a Man of Repute among Men and Preacht the Everlasting Gospel of Christ Freely turning People from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to God And his Father was a Noble Man for the Lord and his Truth and died in the Lord And after when his Son Robert had fulfilled his Ministry and finished his Testimony he also died in the Lord and is Blessed and at Rest and Ceased from his Labours and his Works follow him Much more might be Written concerning this Faithful Brother in the Lord and Pillar in the Church of Christ who was a Man I very much loved for his Labour in the Truth but I shall leave the Rest to his Country-men And the Lord Raise up more Faithful Labourers in Christ Jesus to stand in his Place and preserve his Tender Wife and Children in the Truth Amen! The 13th 9th Mo. 1690. G. F. A TESTIMONY to the Memory of ROBERT BARCLAY By his Faithful Friend William Penn. SUrprizing was the News of the Death of Dear Robert Barclay to me particularly from the Share I claimed in him and the Esteem I had for him But that which gave Weight to my Sorrow was the Loss that thereby comes to the Church of God and especially in Scotland For his Many and Excellent Gifts by Nature Acquisition and Grace his Zeal and Integrity his Labour and Love so effectually shewn in the time he lived both in his Ministry Writings and other Services and that he lived no longer who was so well fitted to live for the Service and Honour of the Truth and the good of God's People must render his Death more Afflicting to all those that desire to be reckoned of that Number It was a Complaint of Old that the Righteous were taken away and none layed it to heart I pray God that the Taking away of this Accomplished Minister of Christ in the Prime of his Age with other Precious and Honourable Brethren of late may be laid close to heart by the Friends of God especially where his and their Service lay and he and they have been most Conversant The Overcasting of so many bright Stars almost together and of the First Magnitude in our Horizon from our Bodily View is not the least Simptome or Token to me of an Approaching Storm and perhaps so dreadful that we may have fresh cause to think them Happy that are delivered from the Evils and Miseries that may ensue But this also calls every one home to his own Dwelling and Tent to find and feel him that Repairs all Losses and Supplys all Wants and is All to a Faithful People that they can need or desire This Worthy Young Man of God whose Character I write as well for their Example and Encouragement that have or hereafter may receive the Eternal Truth in which he lived and died and lives forever as for a Testimony to the Power and Goodness of God in raising him up to his Church and to his lasting Memorial in the Churches of Christ which is blessed for ever was the Son of Collonel David Barclay descended of the Barclays of Mathers in the Kingdom of Scotland an Ancient and Honourable Family among Men and of Katherine Gourdon from the Gourdons of the House of the Duke of Gourdon He was born at Edinburgh in the year 1648. Educated in France had the advantage of that Tongue as well as the Latine He returned to Scotland about 1664 being 16 years of Age where by the Example and Instruction of his Honest and Worthy Father that in his Absence had Received the Everlasting Truth and his Converse with other Servants of God he came to See and Tast an Excellency in it and was Convinced about the year 1667. and Publickly owned the Testimony of the true Light enlightning every Man and came Early forth a Zealous and Fervent Witness for it enduring the Cross and despising the Shame that attended his Discipleship and received the Gift of the Ministry as his greatest Honour in which he laboured to bring others to God and his Labour was not in vain in the Lord. He was much exercised in Controversy from the many Contradictions that fell upon the Truth and upon him for its sake in his own Country chiefly in which he ever acquitted himself with Honour to the Truth particularly by his Apology for the Christian Divinity Professed by the People called Quakers which contains a Collection of our Principles our Enemies Objections and our Answers Augmented and Illustrated closely and amply with many Authorities for Confirmation Also his Book of Church-Government distinguishing between Tyranny and Anarchy Imposition and Lawlessness occasioned by the Scruples of some and Partialities of others that had a tendency to a Division among us They are standing Books of sound Judgment and good Service to the Truth and Church of God Nor must his Scripture-Catechism be forgotten in that it opens the Mind of Truth upon points of Doctrine in the words of the Holy Ghost excluding all Humane Glosses or Interpretation which is an easie safe and peaceable Method the tendency of it being to Silence and Commend the Curiosity of Man to the Text which all own and there leave Controversy as the best Method to Vnity and Peace next that of the Spirit it self And indeed it was exactly suitable to his own Disposition that preferred Truth before Victory and Peace and Vnity before Nicities and a good Life before Worldly Learning We sometimes Travelled together both in this Kingdom and in Holland and some parts of Germany and were Inward in divers Services from first to last
and the Apprehension and Sense I had of him was this He loved the Truth and Way of God as Revealed among us above all the World and was not ashamed of it before Men but Bold and Able in Maintaining it Sound in Judgment Strong in Argument Chearful in Travails and Sufferings of a pleasant Disposition yet Solid Plain and Exemplary in his Conversation He was a Learned Man a good Christian an Able Minister a Dutiful Son a Loving Husband a Tender and Careful Father an Easie Master and a good and kind Neighbour and Friend These Eminent Qualities in one that had Imployed them so serviceably and that had not lived much above half the life of a Man having outlived his Father but four years and died at least Thirty years short of his Age aggravates the Loss of him especially in that Nation where he lived O Friends if Precious in the Eyes of the Lord be the Death of his Saints ought not their Labours and Death to be Precious to the Lord's People Therefore I exhort those that have survived this and other Worthy and Honourable Brethren to take Care that their Minds are not over-charged and that they do not suffer their first Love on any score to Cool to those that Travail and Labour in the Word and Doctrine for their good but that through their Faithfulness they may come to partake of like Precious Ministry as well as of like Precious Faith that so the great Harvest that is at the door may be supplied with Able and Diligent Labourers But more especially you of the Scotch Nation and most of all you his Near Tender and Affectionate Relations Wait to feel your Loss made up in and by him that giveth Liberally and upbraideth not who is the best Teacher Husband Father and Master who Repairs our Losses with Advantage for in him we Loose nothing that we Loose because we have it again with Advantage even in this Life and Fellowship that outlives time and endures and abides forever In which the Lord preserve us all to the end of our Race that we may run it with Stedfastness and finish it with Everlasting Joy William Penn. Patrick Livingstone his TESTIMONY CONCERNING ROBERT BARCLAY THERE is something that rests upon my Spirit to say concerning my Dearly Beloved Friend and Kinsman Robert Barclay Who was not only my Kinsman after the Flesh but of a nearer and dearer Kindred and Relation of a more Noble Seed and Offspring which is not Corruptible but Incorruptible and my Dear Fellow-Labourer in the Service of the Gospel as also my Fellow-Sufferer for the Truth in Aberdeen-Prison And I have more in my heart concerning him than I can Express nor do I find it meet to say all I can truly Testify of him For I had some small Knowledge of him before he came to Profess the Truth and ever since he came forth amongst us I have had many Opportunities to be Refreshed with him in his Doctrine after he came to have a Publick Testimony amongst us and also in his Conversation both before and since He was all-along a Man for Peace and an Enemy to Strife and Dissension but was a Peace-maker I never knew him at any time to be in Passion or Anger He was a Man of a sweet pleasant and chearful Temper and above many for Evenness of Spirit a Man of deep Reach in his Judgment and Vnderstanding of heavenly things and also of the things that concerned him to know of this Life amongst Men. He was Quick and Ready in his Understanding of matters of Difference or Controversy and had a notable Way of Deciding and Composing of them He was a Man of a publick Spirit and laboured for the publick Good of all but especially of those he was in Fellowship with Both as to the Inward and Outward he was a blameless Man in his Conversation and he was both Solid Sound and Comprehensive in his Writings And as for his Doctrine he was Plain and Clear to the meanest Capacity Discreet and Oblidging therein And he was a Man generally Beloved of all both of great and small unless it were those that hated him for the Truth 's sake and his Vindicating of it both in Word and Writing against those that Opposed it as his Writings will plainly demonstrate to all Impartial Readers of them And Courteous Reader I being now satisfied with many more that he is at his Rest with the Lord and Reaps the Reward of his Trials Travails and Sufferings for the Truth 's sake both inwardly and outwardly and now is out of the Reach of what Envy and Malice can do against him his Writings are Recommended to thy Serious and Impartial Perusal wherein thou may'st see more of him than at present I can say And so I remain A Lover of Truth and Righteousness Patrick Livingstone Aberdeen the 16th day of the 1st month 1691. THE TESTIMONY OF Andrew Jaffray CONCERNING ROBERT BARCLAY THIS Testimony I have in my Heart to give forth concerning my Dear Brother who was one of the Lord's Worthies and hath obtained the Crown of Victory over all the Rage of the Enemy and his Instruments who still seek to make War with the Remnant of the Woman's Seed who keep the Commandments of God But they and their Rage and Enmity is Limited blessed be the Lord our God for ever And the Hairs of the Heads of the Faithful are numbred and the Angels of God pitch their Tents about them that fear him in all their Troubles and amidst all the Rage and Slanderous Tongues of this World that are set on Fire as this Faithful and Worthy Servant of the Lord and his Everlasting Truth was a Living Witness of God's Faithfulness and Power in his Preservation who being Dead as to the Body yet speaketh and liveth and walketh with him for ever in whom his Delight and Joy was while in the Body beyond all the Honours Vain Pleasures and Enjoyments from below And though the Lord had Endued him with many large Gifts and Abilities even as a Man beyond many as was well known so as to be able to Converse with the Greatest yet known it is to many of the Upright that his chief Desire and Delight was to lay out all these Parts and Qualifications for doing good unto all but especially to the Houshold of Faith as the many great Services for Truth and Deliverances of Suffering Friends which the Lord made him an Instrument of both in his own Native Country and in other Nations can bear Witness So that I may truly say in all his great Endowments it was his Delight to make them serviceable to the true Israel of God and his Sweet Savour and Memorial shall live in many of their Hearts and among all Sober Discreet and Moderate People who knew him to Generations to come And I am very bold to say his Death could not but be matter of Exercise and Sorrow to all He was a Man that laid out himself in the
As to the first We are justified by Christ Jesus both as he appeared and was made manifest in the Flesh at Jerusalem and also as he is made manifest and Revealed in us And thus we do not divide Christ nor his Righteousness without from his Righteousness within but we do receive and embrace him wholly and undivided THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESS Jeremiah 23.6.1.30 By which we are both made and accounted Righteous in the sight of God and which ought not nor cannot be divided Christ's Righteousness ours And the manner and way whereby his Righteousness and Obedience Death and Sufferings without become profitable unto us and is made ours is by receiving him and becoming one with him in our hearts embracing and entertaining that holy Seed which as it is embraced and entertained becometh a holy Birth in us which in Scripture is called Christ formed within Christ within the hope of glory Gal. 4.19 Coloss. 1.27 By which the Body of Sin and Death is done away and we cleansed and washed and purged from our sins not imaginarily but really and we really and truly made righteous and holy and pure in the sight of God which Righteousness is properly enough said to be the Righteousness of Christ for it is immediately from him and stands in him and is as unseparable from him as the Beams are from the Sun and it is through the Vnion betwixt him and us his righteous Life and Nature brought forth in us and we made one with it as the Branches are with the Vine that we have a true Title and Right to what he hath done and suffered for us for being so closely united to Christ his Righteousness becometh ours his Obedience ours his Death and Sufferings ours Thus we know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death Philip. 3 10. By which Nearness and Fellowship we come to know an Vnity with the suffering Seed both in our selves and others and therein to travel for its raising and deliverance which yet no ways derogates from the Worth of the Sacrifice he offered up unto God without the Gates of Jerusalem while he humbled himself unto Death even unto the Death of the Cross tasting Death for every man This is an honest and plain and true Account of our Belief in this matter and is in Substance one and the same with that which at sundry times thou and thy Brethren hast received from us notwithstanding the bare scanty and dis-ingenuous Account thou givest of us in this matter Secondly As to the Vast Difference that lyeth betwixt us and the Papists any who are not wilfully blind may see it who know their Doctrine and ours in this thing It is not the Works of Christ wrought in us nor the works which we work in his Spirit and Power that we rest and rely upon as the Ground and Foundation of our Justification How Christ is our Justification but it is Christ himself the Worker revealed in us in-dwelling in us his Life and Spirit covering us that is the Ground of our Justification and we feeling our selves in him feeling him in us and his Spirit his Life covering us we feel our Justification and Peace with God in him and through him the alone Mediator betwixt God and Man Now this manner of Justification by the indwelling of Christ in the Saints and of his Spirit is not held by the Papists but is expresly denied by them and disputed against particularly by Bellarmine And Christ Jesus himself is both first and last our Justification and Foundation of it And as to being Justified by Works the Scripture is plain for it and so we may not deny it but plead for it according to the true sence and mind of the Spirit as we are taught of him But to be Justified by him is more than to be Justified by Works Works wrought in Christ. and therefore are we justified in our Works which we work in him and because the Lord accepteth and justifieth us in him therefore he accepteth and justifieth our Works wrought in him and accepteth and justifieth us in relation to these Works And though it hath been said by us that Good Works which are wrought in Christ and are rather his than ours are Meritorious yet we understand it not any other ways than thus That all their Merit or Worth is from Christ. And seeing they are said in Scripture to have their Reward and Reward and Merit are Relative Terms inferring one another in that sence wherein they are said to be Rewarded they may also be said to be Meritorious which yet hinders not the freedom of God's Grace in Justification For we do verily believe and confess that both the Works and the Reward are of the Free-grace of God and that the Lord giveth us all things not of Debt or as being in our Debt but of Free-gift and his infinite Goodness and Wisdom hath seen it meet to promise a Reward to Good Works and so he doth Reward them because of his Goodness and Faithfulness and not because he is addebted unto any of us otherwise then as he hath bound himself by his promise And this is contrary to that false Popish Doctrine which affirms That men deserve a Reward from God for Good Works upon the account of strict Justice without respect to the Promise And if it be answered That all Papists do not say so but are more moderate Well then I say If some of them be moderate and pass from the erroneous Opinion of Popery and speak that which is true if others speak what is true also in that particular should the Truth be accused and condemned for Rank Popery because some Papists at times confess to it You your selves know that Papists contradict one another in divers things and where men directly contradict one another one of the sides must speak true But as to that wherein the Justification stands and on which it is grounded to wit Christ himself as in-dwelling in the Saints none of all the Papists for ought we ever heard or read do own it but are against it Again As to the Works by which the Papists seek to be justified The Papists justifying Works pretended they are such as we believe none can be justified by viz. their outward Observations their Invocation of Saints bowing to Images saying Ave Maries telling their Beads their Pilgrimages their whipping themselves their keeping Lent and many other such like Works of voluntary Humility by which they seek to be justified though they are evil Works as not done in the Faith and Power of God Nor does it serve thy turn to say That Papists think not that Works considered as evil and sinful are sufficient to justify them for that is not the question Whether the Papists think to be justified by Works sinful and evil but this is the Question Whether the Papists think to be justified by Works which are really
and frequenting the Ale-house and decking themselves with vain Apparel 10. They love well to hear that they may be Members of the Church though they have no infallible of Evidence Holiness 11. They love to hear of your Doctrine of Election and Reprobation 12. And of your Doctrine Once in grace and ever in grace whereby they feed themselves in presumption and carelesness Many other particulars could be mentioned but these may serve enough to shew Quakers Principles not acceptable to Hypocrites that your Principles are pleasing to the wicked and hypocrites and ours displeasing Next to come to experience where are the Drunkards the Swearers the Whore-mongers the envious licentious Persons the Scorners the Mockers whether are they yours or ours If our Principles be so acceptable unto them why do they not inroll themselves among us why do they oppose us at our Meetings at Aberdeen and else-where and curse and rant and use all manner of filthy Communication and are ready to stone us in the streets And none more found so doing than that young Fry and Spawn of the Priesthood who are bread at your Nurseries of Learning Now whose Church-Members are those yours or ours Is not the Proverb verified of you Fowls of one Feather fly together Thou closest with addressing thy self to God with a notorious lye saying Follow with thy blessing that which WE have been about meaning the Quaker and thy self but it was none of the Quakers work the Dialogue not being any real Conference Is not this to deride and take the Name of God in vain Some Things of Weighty Concernment proposed in Meekness and Love by way of QUERIES to the Serious Consideration of the Inhabitants of Aberdeen which also may be of Vse to such as are of the same Mind with them elsewhere in this Nation Added by way of APPENDIX to Truth Clear'd of Calumnies Question 1. WHether it be a thing any-wise warrantable in Common Equity or true Christianity for any Person or Persons to take â—iberty both in Pulpit and Print to speak against a People as Dangerous and Heretical and yet wholly to debar that People from Vindicating themselves in either of these ways so far as they can Or whether it can be supposed that any Persons except they wholly give up themselves Implicitly to believe the Accusers can make a true Judgment in that Case upon the Accused especially considering the Maxim of Law Quicunque inauditâ alterâ parte c. i. e. He that without hearing both Parties pronounceth Judgment though he decide the Right upon the matter hath not done the part of a Just Judge To which add the Consideration of these Passages of Scripture 1 Thess. 5.21 Prov. 18.13 Isai. 40.2 Quest. 2. Whether then it was not contrary to the Laws both Divine and Humane for the Priests in Aberdeen to importune the Magistrates to make search for that Book lately published in Vindication of the People called Quakers Or whether such a Practice hath any Warrant except what flows originally from the Spanish Inquisition as being directly contrary to Equity and to the Scriptures above-mentioned Quest. 3. Whether also it was not both Anti-scriptural and Popish in G. M. to prohibit his Hearers from reading of that Book by comparing it with Poison Whether that was not to keep People in Darkness and Dependance upon him or with how little Reason could he desire such a thing considering he asserted it to contain an ample Confession of all those Errors he had charged them with And if so whether it be likely that it could prove dangerous the Errors being so gross and monstrous which by him and his Brethren are charged upon that People that their confessing them would rather scare People than engage any to like them Quest. 4. And whether G. M. his bidding People abstain from that Book as Poison without trial of what is in it be not like unto the Papists way who bid their Neighbours abstain from the Protestants Books as Poison And whether may not even Poison be tried though not by eating it in a way that is not hazzardous to the Tryer especially seeing that which some may call Poison may be afterward found by sound Trial to be good and wholesom Food yea Medicine to expel such poisonable Doctrines as your Priests infuse into People Quest. 5. And seeing G. M. bids his Hearers abstain from the Quakers words as Poison doth he not endanger such to be poisoned whom he sends or allows to come to our Meetings to hear what is spoke And what knoweth G. M. but his Spies may be touched so that it may be said as it was then Is Saul also among the Prophets Quest. 6. And seeing G. M. counts our Words as Poison why doth he bring them forth so much among his Hearers if he thinks he gives strong Antidotes against them I have heard some of his own Hearers say That that which he calls the Poison wrought more effectually to perswade even out of his Mouth than all his Antidotes could do to disswade Quest. 7. Whether the latter part of that Allegance of G. M. viz. That all they had charged on the Quakers was confessed to in that Book be not a manifest untruth in respect the greatest Charges alledged by him against the Quakers are therein utterly denied As for instance the matter of Pelagianism in page 25. the matter of Popery in page 34. and of Arminianism page 65 c. Quest. 8. Whether the said G. M. hath not manifested very much deceit in saying also publickly That the said Book asserts it not only to be a thing easie but pleasant for wicked people to keep holy the Sabbath-day and to perform the spiritual duties commanded to be performed thereon unless he understands them to be simply the disposing to hear a man talk an hour or to and to have all the rest of the day to spend in Idleness vain Communication and frequenting the Ale-house c. which are the words mentioned page 72. Quest. 9. Whether it be any way unsutable to the Law of Charity or to the meek Spirit of Christ to use plain and downright dealing calling a Lye a Lye Or whether any be to be blamed for so doing considering the practice of all the Prophets and of Christ's and of his Apostles how sharply they dealt with false Teachers as may appear by the Scriptures Isai. 56.11 Lev. 23. to verse 33. Ezek. 34. Hos. 4. from 6. to 10. Ibid. 5.1 Mich. 3.5 Matth. 3.7 John 8. Quest. 10. Whether then they be not prejudiced who Accuse the Quakers for using the same terms seeing they are willing to make the Application manifest by comparing the fruits of the present pretended Preachers with those that were of old As for instance whether it be a breach either of Moral Civility or Christian Meekness to say John Menzies lied in asserting Robert Barclay to have been educated in a Jesuites-Colledge seeing it is utterly false Quest. 11. And whether David Lyall
occasion to be witnesses to our practice in this thing which says just nothing Why might not W. M. his Intelligencers fail him in this as well as his Brother 's David Lyall did in telling him That there was not one word spoken among the Quakers at their Meeting the 3 d of the 11 th Month 1670. Which though a manifest untruth in matter of Fact he spared not to bring forth in his Chair of Verity upbraiding the Magistrates as if God had miraculously sent an Officer to stop or impede our Worship though they had refused to do it J. Nailor's sincere Repentance The Story of J. Nailor which he subjoins any may observe to be meerly brought in to render us Odious and fill up the paper though indeed it tends no ways to our disadvantage he being in that thing and at that time altogether denied by us and hath since in print freely acknowledged his fall in that hour of Temptation of whose sincere Repentance and true return to the fellowship of the Truth we have had many evident tokens whereas were we to retort we could find a Thousand to one among your Church-members many whereof are daily knit up for Thieving Murder c. and some burnt for Witchcraft without the least sense of true Repentance For to vindicate their manner of singing with a mixt Multitude he alledgeth That all men yea all the Earth are called to praise God And though all be called to do so Singing by whar Instrument it is acceptable yet there are things absolutely needful previous to this duty And granting their want of praising to be sinful yet the way to prevent this evil is to come first to that wherein they may be in a capacity to do it acceptably Therefore saith the Apostle I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also 1 Cor. 14.15 Where he speaks of singing he always subjoins the Instrument wherewith it is altogether needful that we take it And that the same may be urged in the case of Praying without any absurdity in its place shall be shewn He says It is no more a lie to use words in singing which sute not our condition such as I water my Couch with tears My heart is not haughty than to read them But there is a great difference betwixt Reading and Singing in Reading we but relate the Conditions and Actions of others as wholly distinct and extrinsick from our selves but in Singing we do really address our selves to God as in Prayer and it is no less a lie to sing to God words that sute not our Condition than to pray with them The Saints in Scripture used such expressions as did sute the present posture of their hearts in their Spiritual Songs see Luke 1.46 and 2.29 He shall not find me in the whole Bible where they borrowed or sealed the Expressions of others Experience which no ways suted their own Condition this is a meer human Invention which has its original from the Romish Vespers and Mattins and from no other foundation Head 10. Concerning Baptism page 81. he alledgeth That John distinguisheth not the matter of his Baptism from Christ but only his work But his proof for this overthrows himself For since as he says truly John could only administer Baptism with water John's Baptism and Christ's differ in the Matter and End but Christ with the Spirit this sheweth them to have differed in the matter for without doubt John could administer the matter of his own Baptism And whereas I told him they differed in the End because the one pointed to the other even as the shadow pointed to the substance Instead of replying to this he tells me That the Scripture speaking of John 's Baptism calls it the Baptism of Repentance intimating its End was to signifie and seal Remission of Sins which likewise is the End of Christ's Baptism As this no ways answers my Argument so it makes nothing to the purpose for it is one thing to signifie Repentance and Remission of Sins and far another to know and possess it which is the End and constant fruit of Christ's Baptism Gal. 3.27 As many of you saith the Apostle as have been baptized unto Christ have put on Christ. And therefore it may be observed that without any proof he concludes that John's Baptism and Christ's agree both in the Matter and End Page 82. As a Reply to Acts 19.2 cited by me to shew And Substance that they differed in substance he saith The meaning is not that they were ignorant of the Person of the Holy Ghost Contrary to the very express Scripture-words viz. We have not so much as heard if there be any Holy Ghost He saith further That the Apostles did not a-new baptize such Persons that had been baptized with the Baptism of John In direct Contradiction to the Scripture-words verse 5. When they heard this they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus W. M. contradicts the Scriptures And when Paul had laid his hands upon them the Holy Ghost came upon them Now verse 3. sheweth That they were baptized unto John's Baptism before so let him clear himself here of giving the Scripture the Lie if he can Section 2. page 83. To prove the perpetuity of Water-Baptism he begins with that often answered Argument of the Apostle's practice adding That though Christ Matth. 28. doth not mention Baptism with Water so neither with the Spirit alledging That thus the one may be excluded as well as the other Answ. Seeing Christ commanded them to baptize it cannot be denied but it was with his own Baptism which is that of the Spirit He adds That if Baptism of the Spirit were intended it would infer a needless Tautology in the Command of Christ as being all one with these words Go Teach Answ. Teaching and making men holy and righteous are different things Water-Baptism not commanded by Christ. For he will grant that he and his Brethren have been Teaching People these several years and yet he will have much ado to prove all their Church-members are really made Righteous and Holy Why then doth he account these two one reckoning it a Tautology to express them severally A little after he insinuates and that most falsly That I deny Peter's commanding Cornelius to be baptized Concealing my express words page 31. which are these And though it be said ver 48. that he commanded them to be baptized in the Name of Christ yet it holds forth no Command from Christ only the thing being agreed upon that it might be done he bid do it This he hath left un answered And whereas he adds That doing things in the Name of Christ is as much as his Command He bringeth no proof for giving but not granting it did hold so Matth. 18.20 in the case of Meeting that will not prove it is always so taken To evict my Objection against any determinate Commission the Apostles had of Baptizing
the Love of God because He laid down his Life for us Hebr. 9.15 And for this Cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of the Redemption of Transgressions that were under the first Testament They which are called might receive the Promise of the Eternal Inheritance Q. Is Christ then the Mediator 1 Tim. 2.5 A For there is One God and One Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Q. Was not Christ the Mediator until he appeared and was Crucified in the Flesh Rev. 5.12 and 13.8 A He is the Lamb that was slain from the Foundation of the World Q. Is it then needful to believe that the Saints of old did partake of Christ as then present with and nourishing them 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. A. Moreover Brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same spiritual Meat and did all drink the same spiritual Drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. Q. But whereas most of these Scriptures before-mentioned do hold forth that the Death and Sufferings of Christ were appointed for the destroying removing and remitting of Sin Did he so do it while he was outwardly upon Earth as not to leave any thing for himself to do in us nor for us to do in and by his Strength A. For even hereunto were ye called 1 Pet. 2.21 because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that ye should follow his Steps Whereof I Paul am made a Minister Col. 1.23 24. who now rejoice in my Sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ in my Flesh for his Body's sake which is the Church Always bearing about in the Body the Dying of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 11. that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our Body For we which live are alway delivered unto Death for Jesus 's sake that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our Mortal Flesh. And that he died for all that they which live 2 Cor. 5.15 should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and also rose again That I may know him and the Power of his Resurrection Phil. 3.10 and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death CHAP. IV. Of the New Birth the Inward Appearance of Christ in Spirit and the Vnity of the Saints with him Question DOth Christ promise then to Come again to his Disciples Answer I will not leave you Comfortless I Come unto you John 14.18 Q. Was this only a Special Promise to these Disciples Or is it not the Common Priviledge of the Saints A. For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabits Eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the High and Holy Place Isa. 57.15 with him also that is of a Contrite and Humble Spirit c. For ye are the Temple of the Living God as God hath said 2 Cor. 6.16 I will dwell in them and walk in them Behold I stand at the Door and knock if any man hear my voice Rev. 3.20 and open the Door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me Q Doth the Apostle Paul speak of the Son of God's being Revealed in him A. But when it pleased God Gal. 1.15 16. who separated me from my Mother's Womb and called me by his Grace To Reveal his Son in me that I might preach him among the Heathen Q. Is it needful then to know Christ within A. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith 2 Cor. 13.5 prove your own selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Q. Was the Apostle Earnest that this Inward Birth of Christ should be brought forth in any A. * Gal. 41.9 My little Children of whom I travel in Birth again until Christ be formed in you Q What saith the same Apostle of the Necessity of this Inward Knowledge of Christ and of the New Creature beyond the Outward A. Wherefore henceforth know we no Man after the Flesh yea though we have known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more 2 Cor. 5.16 17 Therefore if any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature Old things are passed away behold all things are become New But ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him Ephes. 4.21 22 23 24. and have been taught by him as the Truth is in Jesus That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and to be Renewed in the Spirit of your Mind and that ye Put on the New Man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness Q. Is this Christ-within the Mystery of God and Hope of Glory which the Apostle Preached Col. 1.27 28. A. To whom God would make known what are the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the Hope of Glory whom ye preach Q. Doth the Apostle any where else press the putting on of this New Birth A. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 Q. Doth he write to any of the Saints as having put off the Old and on the New Man A. For as many of you as have been Baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Gal. 3 27. Seeing that ye have put off the Old Man with his Deeds and have put on the New Man Col. 3.9 10. which is renew'd in Knowledge after the Image of him that created him Q. What speaketh Christ himself of the Necessity of this New Birth John 3.3 A. Jesus answered and said unto him Verily verily I say unto thee Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Q Of what Seed cometh this Birth 1 Pet. 1.23 A. Being born again not of Corruptible Seed but of Incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Q. What doth the Apostle Paul witness of himself concerning this New Life A. I am Crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 Q. What is the Preaching of the Cross of Christ 1 Cor. 1.18 A. For the Preaching of the Cross is to them that perish Foolishness but unto us that are saved it is the Power of God Q. What Effect had this Cross in the Apostle and how much preferreth he the New Creature to all outward and visible Ordinances
Flesh is not the same Flesh but there is one kind of Flesh of Men another Flesh of Beasts another of Fishes and another of Birds there are also Celestial Bodies and Bodies Terrestrial but the Glory of the Celestial is one and the Glory of the Terrestrial is another There is one Glory of the Sun and another Glory of the Moon and another Glory of the Stars for one Star differs from another Star in Glory so also is the Resurrection of the Dead it is sown in Corruption it is raised in Incorruption it is sown in Dishonour it is raised in Glory it is sown in Weakness it is raised in Power it is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body There is a Natural Body and there is a Spiritual Body Q. The Apostle seems to be very positive that it is not that Natural Body which we now have that shall rise but a Spiritual Body A. * 1 Cor. 15.50 51 52 53 54 55. Now this I say Brethren That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption Behold I shew you a Mystery We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eye at the last Trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the Dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed For this Corruptible must put on Incorruption and this Mortal must put on Immortality So when this Corruptible shall have put on Incorruption and this Mortal shall have put on Immortality then shall be brought to pass the Saying that is written Death is swallowed up in Victory O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory CHAP. XV. A Short Introduction to the CONFESSION of FAITH HAving thus largely and evidently performed the chief Part of that which I promised in this Treatise in giving a full account of our Principles in plain Scripture-words and also answering by the Scriptures the chief and main Objections made against us I come to a Confession of Faith in which I shall not be so large for that I judge it not Convenient to make an Interpretation of all the Scriptures before-mentioned which if needful the Reader may easily observe were not very difficult to do But whereas a Confession of Faith called rather for an Affirmative Account of ones own Faith than for the Solution of Objections or any thing of Debate in a Discursive Way which is both more properly and pertinently performed in a Catechism therefore I have here only done so I am necessitated sometimes to intermix some words for Coherence of the Matter as sometimes And and sometimes Therefore and the like but not such as any Ingenuous Person can affirm do add to the Matter or that may any wise justly be reckoned a Comment or Meaning and therefore to avoid the Censure of the most Curious Carping Criticks these are marked with a different Character Likewise unless I should have ridiculously offered to publish incongruous Grammar there was a true need sometimes to change the Mood and Person of a Verb in all which places whosoever will look to the words shall find it is done upon no Design to alter any whit the naked Import of them As for Instance where Christ says I am the Light of the World were it proper for me to write thus I am the Light c. Or can it be reckoned any whit Contradicting of my Purpose and Promise to write Christ is the Light where the first Person is changed to the third Also sometimes I express things which are necessarily understood as when any of the Apostles say We there instead of We I write Apostles and where they say You speaking of the Saints there I mention Saints instead of it for the Connexion of the Sentence sometimes requires it As in the first Article in mentioning that of 1 John 1.5 concerning God's being Light and in such like Cases which I know no impartial Reader would have quarrelled though wanting this Apology which I judged meet to premise knowing there is a Generation who when they cannot find any real or substantial Ground against Truth and its Followers will be Cavilling at such little Niceties therefore such may see this Objection is obviated CHAP. XVI A CONFESSION of FAITH concerning Twenty Three Articles ARTICLE I. Concerning God and the True and Saving Knowledge of him THere is one God a Eph. 4.6 1 Cor. 8.4 6. who is a Spirit b John 4.24 And This is the Message which the Apostles heard of him and declared unto the Saints That he is Light and in him is no Darkness at all c 1 John 1.5 There are Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and these Three are One d 1 John 1.7 The Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father e John 10.38 and 14.10 11. and 5.26 No Man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will Reveal him f Matth. 11.27 Luke 10.22 The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God g 1 Cor. 2.10 For the Things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now the Saints have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that they might know the things which are freely given them of God h 1 Cor. 2.11 12. For the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father sends in Christ's Name he teacheth them all things and bringeth all things to their Remembrance i John 14.26 ARTICLE II. Concerning the Guide and Rule of Christians CHrist prayed to the Father and he gave the Saints another Comforter that was to abide with them for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not nor knoweth him But the Saints know him for he dwelleth with them and is to be in them k John 14.16 17. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God l Rom. 8.9 14. For this is the Covenant that God hath made with the House of Israel He hath put his Laws in their Mind and writ them in their Hearts and they are all taught of God m Hebr. 8.10 11. And the Anointing which they have received of him abideth in them and they need not that any man teach them but as the same Anointing teacheth them of all things and is Truth and is no Lie n 1 John 2.27 ARTICLE III. Concerning the Scriptures WHatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope o Rom. 15.4 which are able to make wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture being given by Inspiration of God and
find none save the Dispensation of Truth now again revealed but such as in most of their substantial Principles differ greatly and in many Contradict grosly the plain Text and Tenour of the Scripture I confess there be certain Men in this Age who with some plausible Appearance of Reality undertake this Task These are they that join with and own not wholly any Imbodied People but while they pretend a general Love to all yet find fault with some part of every Sort while in the mean time they scarce can give any Account of their own Religion and most of them prove at bottom to have none at all These Men I say may perhaps acknowledge some general Truths and also hold to the Letter of the Scripture in some other things so as thereby to take Occasion largely to judge others while themselves offer not to bring these good things to practice they blame others for the Want or Neglect of But such an Enterprize from these Men will not when weighed prove a fulfilling of this Matter Seeing it is not enough to acknowledge many Truths but also to deny and witness against all Error and likewise not to fall short of any Truth which ought to be acknowledged Whereas these sort of Men for the most part cannot give account of their Faith in many things needful to be believed and whatever things they may acknowledge to be true they Err most grievously and Contradict a Truth most needful to be minded and answered as is proved hereto in that they stand not forth to appear for any of these Discoveries they pretend they have but make a shift to hide their Heads in Times of Trial Pretenders hide their Heads in time of Trial. so as not to suffer for nor with any And through these fine Pretences above-mentioned through their Scruples of joining with any they can cunningly shun the Difficulties of Persecutions that attend the particular Sects of Christians yet by their general Charity and Love to all claim a share in any Benefits or Advantages that accrew to one and all Such then cannot honestly lay claim to justifie their Principles and Practices from the Scriptures But I leave these Straglers in Religion and come again to the divers Sects To begin with these that are most numerous I think I need not say much to the Papists in this Case for they do not so much as pretend to prove all their Dogma's by the Scriptures sith it is one of their chief Doctrines That Tradition may Authorize Doctrines without any Authority of Scriptures Papistical Dogma's Traditions and Councils Yea the Council of Constance hath made bold to Command things to be believed Non obstante Scripturâ i. e. Though the Scriptures say the contrary And indeed it were their great Folly to pretend to prove their Doctrines by Scripture seeing the Adoration of Saints and Images Purgatory and Prayer for the Dead the Precedency of the Bishop of Rome the Matter of Indulgencies with much more Stuff of that kind hath not the least Shadow of Scripture for it Socinians Pretences contrary to Scriptures Among Protestants I know the Socinians are great Pretenders to the Scriptures and in Words as much exalt them as any other People and yet its strange to see how that not only in many things they are not agreeable to them but in some of their chief Principles quite contrary unto it as in their Denying the Divinity of Christ which is as expresly mentioned as any thing can be And the Word was God John 1. As also in Denying his Being from the Beginning against the very Tenour of that of John 1. and divers others as at large is shewn in the Third Chapter of this Treatise Divers other things as to them might be mentioned but this may suffice to stop their Boasting in this Matter The Arminians are not more successful in their Denying the Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation Arminians Denials do center amiss and in Asserting the Vniversal Extent of Christ's Death for all than they are short in not placing this Salvation in that Spiritual Light wherewith Man is enlightned by Christ but wrongously ascribing a part of that to the Natural Will and Capacity which is due alone to the Grace and Power of God by which the Work is both begun carried on and accomplished And herein they Pelagians the like as well as both the Socinians and Pelagians though they do well in Condemning their Errors yet they miss in setting up another and not the Truth in place thereof and in that respect are justly proved by such Scriptures as their Adversaries who otherwise are as far wrong as they bring against them in shewing the Depravity of Man's Will by Nature and his Incapacity to do any Good but as assisted by the Grace of God so to do On the other hand its strange to observe how many Protestants the first Article of whose Confession of Faith is to assert the Scripture to be the Only Rule should deny the Vniversal Extent of Christ's Death contrary to the express words of Scripture which saith He tasted Death for every man or the Vniversality of Grace and a sufficient Principle which the Scriptures assert in as many positive Words as except we may suppose the Pen-men intended another thing than they spake it was possible to do viz A Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared unto all men and many more before-mentioned The like may be said of their denying the Perfection of the Saints and asserting the Impossibility of any falling away from real Beginnings of true and saving Grace contrary to so many express Scriptures as are heretofore adduced in their proper place But to give all that desire to be undeceived a more full Opportunity to observe how the Devil has abused many pretending to be Wise in making them cloak with a Pretence of Scripture false and pernicious Doctrines I shall take a few of many Instances out of the Confession of Faith and Catechism made by the Divines at Westminster so called because the same is not only most universally received and believed by the People of Britain and Ireland but also containeth upon the Matter the Faith of the French Churches and of most others both in the Nether-lands and elsewhere that it may appear what wild Consequences these Men have sought both contrary to the naked Import of the Words and to all Common Sense and Reason to cover some of their Erroneous Principles CHAP. XVIII A Short Examination of some of the Scripture-Proofs alledged by the Divines at Westminster to prove divers Articles in their Confession of Faith and Catechism IT is not in the least my Design in this Chapter to offer so large and Examination of any of their Articles as might be done nor yet of so many as are very obvious but only of two or three to give the Reader a Taste of them
also appear to the Unbiassed Reader Advertisement to the Reader NOTE Reader That I have here throughout made use of the last Common Translation of the Bible And if I would have made use of the Hebrew and Greek I could have produced divers other very clear Scriptures which in the Common Translation are corrupted and perverted But I choosed rather to do thus that our Opposers might see I took no Advantage that way and also that all that can but read may find the places Cited in their own Bibles THE ANARCHY OF THE RANTERS AND OTHER LIBERTINES THE HIERARCHY OF THE ROMANISTS AND OTHER Pretended CHURCHES equally Refused and Refuted in a Two-fold APOLOGY for the Church and People of God called in Derision QUAKERS WHEREIN They are Vindicated from those that Accuse them of Disorder and Confusion on the one hand and from such as Calumniate them with Tyranny and IMPOSITION on the other shewing that as the True and Pure Principles of the Gospel are Restored by their Testimony so is also the Ancient Apostolick ORDER of the Church of Christ Re-established among them and setled upon its Right Basis and Foundation By ROBERT BARCLAY PHIL. 2.3 Let nothing be done through Strife or Vain-glory but in Lowliness of Mind let each esteem another Better than themselves HEBR. 13.7 Remember them that have the Rule over you who spoke unto you the Word of God whose Faith follow LONDON Printed for Thomas Northcott in George-Yard in Lumbard-Street 1691. THE PREFACE TO THE READER SVCH is the Malignity of Man's Nature in his fallen State and so averse is he from walking in the Straight and Even Path of TRVTH that at every turn he is inclinable to lean either to the Right Hand or to the Left yea such as by the Work of God's Grace in their Hearts and powerful Operation of his Spirit have obtained an Entrance in this Way are daily Molested and set upon on all Hands some striving to draw them the one way some the other And if through the Power of God they be kept faithful and stable then are they Calumniated on both sides each Likening or Comparing them to the Worst of their Enemies Those that are acquainted with the Holy Scriptures may observe this to have been the Lot of the Saints in all Ages but especially those whose place it hath been to Reform and Restore the Ruins of the House of God when decayed or any considerable time have been liable to such Censures hence those that set about Repairing of the Walls of Jerusalem were necessitated to Work with the one Hand and Defend with the other Christ is accused of the Jews as a Samaritan and by the Samaritans quarrelled for being a Jew The Apostle Paul is whipped and imprisoned by the Gentiles and upbraided with being a Jew and teaching their Customs the same Paul is haled and ready to be killed by the Jews for breaking the Law and defiling the Temple with the Gentiles The like hath also befallen these faithful Witnesses and Messengers whom God has raised up in this day to witness for his Truth which hath long been in a great Measure Hid but now is again Revealed and many brought to be Witnesses of it who thereby are come to Walk in the Light of the Lord. This People thus gathered have not wanted those Trials that usually accompany the Church of Christ both on the right hand and on the left each Characterizing them in such Terms as they have judged would prove most to their Disadvantage From whence as the Testimony of the false Witnesses against their Lord did not agree neither do these against us some will have us to be Foolish Mad Creatures others to be deep subtil Polititians * John Owen charges us with so much Ignorance that though he writes against us in Latin he fears we will not understand it And Thomas Danson about the same time accuses us of being Jesuites sent from abroad under this Vizzard some to be Illiterate Ignorant Fellows others to be Learned Cunning Jesuites under a meer Vizzard divers Professors will have us to be only Pensioners of the Pope undoubtedly Papists but the Papists abhor us as Hereticks Sometimes we are a Disorderly Confused Rabble leaving every one to do as they list against all Good Order and Government at other times we are so much for Order as we admit not men to exercise the Liberty of their own Judgments Thus are our Reputations tossed by the Envy of our Adversaries which yet cannot but have this Effect upon sober-minded People as to see what MALICE works against us and how these men by their Contradictory Assertions concerning us save us the Pains while they Refute one another True it is we have laboured to Walk amidst these Extremities and upon our appearing for the Truth we have found things good in themselves abused upon both hands for such hath always been the Work of an Apostacy to keep up the Shadow of certain Truths that there-through they might shelter other Evils Thus the Jews made use of the Law and the Prophets to vindicate their Abuses yea and to Crucifie Christ And how much many Christians abuse the Scriptures and the Traditions of the Apostles to uphold Things quite Contrary to it will in the general be readily acknowledged by most But to descend more particularly There be Two Things especially both of which in their Primitive Use were appointed and did very much contribute towards the Edification of the Church The one is The Power and Authority which the Apostles had given them of Christ for the Gathering Building up and Governing of his Church by Vertue of which Power and Authority they also wrote the Holy Scriptures The other is That Priviledge given to every Christian under the Gospel to be led and guided by the Spirit of Christ and to be taught thereof in all things Now both these in the Primitive Church wrought effectually towards the same End of Edification and did as in their Nature they may and in their Use they ought to do in a good Harmony very well Consist together but by the Workings of Satan and Perversness of Men they are made to fight against and destroy one another For on the one hand the Authority and Power that resided in the Apostles while it is annexed and entailed to an Outward Ordination and Succession of Teachers is made use of to cloak and cover all manner of Abuses even the height of Idolatry and Superstition For by Virtue of this Succession these Men claiming the like Infallibility that was in the Apostles though they be Strangers to any inward Work or Manifestation of the Spirit in their Hearts will needs oblige all others to acquiesce and agree to their Conclusions however different from or contrary to the Truths of the Gospel and yet for any to call such Conclusions in Question or Examine them is no less than a Hainous Heresy deserving Death c. Or while the Revelation of God's Mind is
as is hoped solidly Refuted THESES THEOLOGICAE year 1675 To the CLERGY of what Sort soever unto whose hands these may come but more particularly to the Doctors Professors and Students of Divinity in the Vniversities and Schools of Great Britain whether Prelatical Presbyterian or any other Robert Barclay a Servant of the Lord God and one of those who in Derision are called Quakers Wisheth Vnfeigned Repentance unto the Acknowledgment of the Truth FRIENDS UNto You these following PROPOSITIONS are Offered in which they being Read and Considered in the Fear of the Lord you may perceive that Simple Naked Truth which Man by his Wisdom hath rendred so Obscure and Mysterious that the World is even Burthened with the great and Voluminous Tractates which are made about it and by their Vain 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 Man's 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 the Clergy hath Clouded it that the People might Admire and Maintain them And among several others whom God hath Chosen to make known these things seeing 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 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. The First Proposition Concerning the true Foundation of Knowledge SEeing the Height of all Happiness is placed in the true Knowledge of God This is Life Eternal to know the true God and Jesus Christ John 17.3 whom thou hast sent 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 The Second Proposition Concerning Immediate Revelation Seeing no Man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son Revealeth him Matth. 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 Manifested 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 Appearances Dreams or inward Objective Manifestations in the Heart were 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 of 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 these 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 certain Rule and Touch-stone 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 irresistibly moving the same thereunto even as the Common Principles of Natural Truths move and incline the mind to a Natural Assent such as are these That the Whole is greater than the Part That two Contradictory Sayings cannot be both true or false Which is also manifest according to our Adversaries Principle who supposing the possibility of inward Divine Revelations will nevertheless Confess with us that neither Scripture nor sound Reason will Contradict it and yet it will not follow according to them that the Scripture or sound Reason should be subjected to the Examination of the Divine Revelations in the heart The Third Proposition Concerning the Scriptures From these Revelations of the Spirit of God to the Saints have proceeded the Scriptures of Truth which contain 1. A faithful Historical Account of the Actings of God's 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 God's 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 Excellency and Certainty For as by the Inward Testimony of the Spirit we do alone truly know them so they testify that the Spirit is that Guide John 16.13 Rom. 8.14 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 Maxim in the Schools Propter quod unumquodque est tale illud ipsum est magis tale Englished thus That for which a thing is such that thing it self is more such The Fourth Proposition Concerning the Condition of Man in the Fall All Adam's Posterity or Mankind both Jews and Gentiles Rom. 5.12 15. as to the first Adam or Earthly Man is fallen degenerated and dead deprived of the sensation or feeling of this inward Testimony or Seed of God and is subject unto the Power Nature and Seed of the Serpent which he sows in mens hearts while they abide in this Natural and Corrupted State from whence it comes that not their words and deeds only but all their
from it and turn it to wantonness making shipwrack of Faith and after having tasted of the Heavenly Gift and being made partakers of the Holy Ghost again fall away Yet such an increase and stability in the Truth may in this life be attained from which there cannot be any Apostacy The Tenth Proposition Concerning the Ministry As by this Gift or Light of God all true Knowledge in things Spiritual is Received and Revealed so by the same as it is manifested and received in the heart by the strength and power thereof every true Minister of the Gospel is Ordained prepared and supplied in the Work of the Ministry and by the leading moving and drawing hereof ought every Evangelist and Christian Pastor to be led and ordered in his labour and work of the Gospel both as to the Place where as to the Person to whom and as to the Times when he is to Minister Moreover who have this Authority may and ought to Preach the Gospel though without humane Commission or Literature as on the other hand who want the Authority of this Divine Gift however Learned or Authorized by the Commissions of 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 without Hire or Bargaining far less to use it as a Trade to get Money by it Matth. 10. 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 Cloathing as are freely given them by those to whom they have Communicated Spirituals The Eleventh Proposition Concerning Worship 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 Extemporarily 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 Ezek. 13. Matth. 10.20 Acts 2.4 18 5. 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 John 3.6 4.21 and of his own Innocent Seed which lay as it were buried in the hearts of men under the Mass of Superstition To blow upon the dead and dry bones Jude 19. Acts 17.23 and to raise some Breathings and Answer them and that until the Day should more clearly dawn and break forth The Twelfth Proposition Concerning Baptism As there is one Lord and one Faith so there is one Baptism Eph. 4.5 1 Pet. 3.21 Rom. 6.4 Gal. 3.27 Col. 2.12 John 3.30 which is not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the Answer of a good Conscience before God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. And this Baptism is a Pure and Spiritual thing to wit the Baptism of the Spirit and Fire by which we are buried with him that being washed and purged from our sins we may walk in Newness of Life 1 Cor. 1.17 Of which the Baptism of John 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 human Tradition for which neither Precept nor Practice is to be found in all the Scripture The Thirteenth Proposition Concerning the Communion or Participation of the body and blood of Christ. The Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ is Inward and Spiritual which is the participation of this flesh and Blood 1 Cor. 10.16 17. John 6.32 33 55. 1 Cor. 5.8 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 feet and the Anointing of the Sick with Oil all which are Commanded with no less Authority and Solemnity than the former John 13.14 yet seeing they are but the shadows of better things James 5.14 they Cease in such as have obtained the Substance The Fourteenth Proposition Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate in Matters purely Religious and pertaining to the Conscience 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 Luke 9.55 56. Matth. 7.12 29. Tit. 3.10 by virtue 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 Human Society in which Case the Law is for the Transgressor and Justice is to be administred upon all without Respect of Persons The Fifteenth Proposition Concerning Salutations and Recreations c. 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 Eph. 5.11 1 Pet. 1.14 John 5.44 Jer. 10.3 Acts 10.26 Matth. 15.13 Col. 2.8 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 other such Salutations of that kind with all the foolish and superstitious
we make absolutely necessary for the building up of 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 Test either of the outward Testimony of the Scriptures or of the Natural Reason of man as to a more-noble or certain Rule and Touch-stone 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 irresistibly moving the same thereunto even as the common principles of natural Truths do move and incline the mind to a natural Assent As That the whole is greater than its part That two Contradictories can neither be both true nor both false § I. IT is very probable that many Carnal and Natural Christians will oppose this Proposition who being wholly unacquainted with the Movings and Actings of God's Spirit upon their hearts Revelations by Apostate Christians Rejected judge the same nothing Necessary and some are apt to flout at it as Ridiculous Yea to that Heighth are the generality of all Christians Apostatized and degenerated that though there be not any thing more plainly Asserted more seriously Recommended nor more certainly Attested to in all the writings of the Holy Scriptures yet nothing is less minded and more rejected by all sorts of Christians than Immediate and Divine Revelation in so much that once to lay Claime to it is matter of Reproach Whereas of old none were ever judged Christians but such As had the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 But now many do boldly call themselves Christians who make no difficulty of confessing They are without it and laugh at such as say they have it Of old they were accounted the Sons of God who were led by the Spirit of God ibid. vers 14. but now many aver themselves Sons of God who know nothing of this Leader and he that affirms himself so led is by the pretended Orthodox of this Age presently proclaimed a Heretick The Reason hereof is very manifest viz. Because many in these days under the name of Christians do experimentally find that they are not acted nor led by God's Spirit yea many great Doctors Divines Teachers and Bishops of Christianity commonly so called have wholly shut their Ears from hearing and their Eyes from seeing this inward Guide and so are become strangers unto it whence they are by their own Experience brought to this Strait either to Confess that they are as yet Ignorant of God and have only the shadow of knowledge and not the true knowledge of him or that this knowledge is acquired without Immediate Revelation For the better understanding then of this Proposition we do distinguish betwixt the Certain Knowledge of God Knowledge Spiritual and Literal distinguished and the Vncertain betwixt the Spiritual Knowledge and the Literal the Saving heart-Knowledge and soaring airy head-Knowledge The last we Confess may be divers ways obtained but the first by no other way than the Inward Immediate Manifestation and Revelation of God's Spirit shining in and upon the heart inlightning and opening the understanding § II. Having then proposed to my self in these Propositions to Affirm those things which relate to the True and Effectual Knowledge which brings Life Eternal with it therefore I have Affirmed and that truly That this Knowledge is no otherways attained and that none have any true ground to believe they have attained it who have it not by this Revelation of God's Spirit The Certainty of which Truth is such that it hath been acknowledged by some of the most Refined and Famous of all sorts of Professors of Christianity in all ages who being truly Vpright-hearted and Earnest Seekers of the Lord however stated under the disadvantages and Epidemical Errors of their several Sects or Ages the true Seed in them hath been answered by God's Love who hath had regard to the Good and hath had of his Elect ones among all who finding a distast and disgust in all other outward Means even in the very Principles and Precepts more particularly relative to their own Forms and Societies have at last concluded with one Voice That there was no true Knowledge of God but that which is Revealed inwardly by his own Spirit Whereof take these following Testimonies of the Ancients 1. It is the inward Master saith Augustin that teacheth it is Christ that teacheth Aug. ex Tract Epist. Joh. 3. it is Inspiration that teacheth where this Inspiration and Unction is wanting it is in vain that Words from without are beaten in And thereafter For he that Created us and Redeemed us and called us by Faith and dwelleth in us by his Spirit unless he speaketh unto you inwardly it is needless for us to Cry out 2. There is a difference saith Clemens Alexandrinus betwixt that which any one saith of the Truth and that which the Truth it self Interpreting it self saith A Conjecture of Truth differeth from the Truth it self a Similitude of a thing differeth from the thing it self It is one thing Clem. Alex. Lib. 1. Strom. that is acquired by Exercise and Discipline and another thing which by Power and Faith Lastly the same Clemens saith Truth is neither hard to be arrived at nor is it impossible to apprehend it Paedag. for it is most nigh unto us even in our houses as the most Wise Moses hath insinuated 3. How is it Tertullianus Lib. de Veland Virginibus Cap. 1. saith Tertullian that since the Devil always worketh and stirreth up the mind to Iniquity that the work of God should either cease or desist to act Since for this end the Lord did send the Comforter that because human Weakness could not at once bear all things Knowledg might be by little and little directed formed and brought to perfection by the holy Spirit that Vicar of the Lord. I have many things yet saith he to speak unto you but ye cannot as yet bear them but when that Spirit of Truth shall come he shall lead you into all Truth and shall teach you these things that are to come But of his work we have spoken above What is then the Administration of the Comforter but that Discipline be derived and the Scriptures Revealed c. 4. The Law saith Hierom is spiritual Hieron Epist Paulin. 103. and there is need of a Revelation to understand it And in his Epistle 150. to Hedibia Quest. 11. he saith The whole Epistle to the Romans needs an Interpretation it being involved in so great Obscurities that for the understanding thereof we need the help of the holy Spirit who through the Apostle dictated it 5. So great things saith Athanasius doth our Saviour daily Athanasius de Incarnatione Verbi Dei he Draws unto Piety Perswades unto Vertue Teaches Immortality Excites to the desire of Heavenly things Reveals Knowledge from the Father
the Letter of the Scripture the Traditions of Churches the Works of Creation and Providence whence they are able to Deduce strong and undeniable Arguments which may be true in themselves are yet not to be Esteemed Christians according to the certain and infallible Definition above-mentioned And if the Inward and Immediate Revelation of God's Spirit in the heart in such as have been altogether Ignorant of some and but very little skill'd in others of these Means of attaining Knowledge hath brought them to Salvation Then it will necessarily and evidently follow By Revelation is the true Knowledge of God that Inward and Immediate Revelation is the only sure and certain Way to attain the true and saving Knowledge of God But the First is true Therefore the Last Now as this Argument doth very strongly Conclude for this way of Knowledge and against such as deny it so herein it is the more considerable because the Propositions from which it is Deduced are so Clear that our very Adversaries cannot deny them For as to the first it is acknowledged that many Learned men may be and have been damned And as to the second who will deny but many Illiterate men may be and are saved Nor dare any Affirm that none come to the Knowledge of God and Salvation by the Inward Revelation of the Spirit without these other outward Means unless they be also so bold as to exclude Abel Seth Noah Abraham Job Abel Seth Noah c. Instanced and all the holy Patriarchs from true Knowledge and Salvation § IV. I would however not be understood as if hereby I excluded those other means of Knowledge from any use or service to man it is far from me so to Judge as in the Next Proposition concerning the Scriptures shall more plainly appear The Question is not What may be profitable or helpful but What is absolute Necessary Many things may contribute to further a Work which yet are not that main thing that makes the Work go on The sum then of what is said amounts to this that where the true inward Knowledge of God is through the Revelation of his Spirit there is all neither is there any absolute necessity of any other But where the best highest and most profound Knowledge is without this there is nothing as to the obtaining of the great End of Salvation This Truth is very effectually Confirmed by the first part of the Proposition it self which in few words comprehendeth divers unquestionable Arguments which I shall in brief Subsume First That there is no Knowledge of the Father but by the Son Secondly That there is no Knowledge of the Son but by the Spirit Thirdly That by the Spirit God hath always Revealed himself to his Children Fourthly That these Revelations were the formal Object of the Saints Faith And lastly That the same continueth to be the Object of the Saints Faith to this day Of each of these I shall speak a little particularly and then proceed to the latter part § V. As to the first viz. That there is no knowledg of the Father but Assert I by the Son It will not need much probation being founded upon the plain words of Scripture Proved and is therefore a fit Medium to draw the rest of our Assertions from For the Infinite and most Wise God who is the Foundation Root and Spring of all Operation hath wrought all things by his Eternal Word and Son This is that WORD that was in the beginning with God and was God John 1.1 2 3. by whom all things were made and without whom was not any thing made that was made Eph. 3.9 This is that Jesus Christ by whom God created all things by whom and for whom all things were created that are in heaven and in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalitys or powers Col. 1.16 Who therefore is called The First-born of every Creature Col. 1.15 As then that Infinite and Incomprehensible Fountain of Life and Motion operateth in the Creatures by his own Eternal Word and Power so no Creature has Access again unto him but in and by the Son according to his own express words No man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will Reveal him Matth. 11.27 Luk. 10.22 And again he himself saith I am the Way the Truth and the Life no man cometh unto the Father but by me Joh. 14.6 Hence he is fitly called The Mediator betwixt God and Man For having been with God from all Eternity being himself God and also in Time partaking of the Nature of man through him is the goodness and love of God conveyed to mankind and by him again man receiveth and partaketh of these Mercies Hence is easily deduced the Probation of this first Assertion thus If no man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will Reveal him then there is no Knowledge of the Father but by the Son But No man knoweth the Father but the Son Therefore There is no knowledge of the Father but by the Son The first part of the Antecedent are the plain words of Scripture The Consequence thereof is undeniable except one would say that he hath the knowledge of the Father while yet he knows him not which were an Absurd Repugnance Again If the Son be the Way the Truth and the Life and that no man cometh unto the Father but by him then there is no Knowledge of the Father but by the Son But the First is true Therefore the Last The Antecedent are the very Scripture-words The Consequence is very Evident For how can any know a thing who useth not the Way without which it is not Knowable But it is already proved that there is no other Way but by the Son so that whoso uses not that Way cannot Know him neither Come unto him § VI. Having then laid down this First Principle I come to the Second viz. That there is no Knowledge of the Son but by the Spirit or Assert II that the Revelation of the Son of God is by the Spirit Where it is to be noted that I always speak of the saving Proved certain and necessary Knowledge of God which that it cannot be acquired otherways than by the Spirit doth also appear from many clear Scriptures For Jesus Christ in and by whom the Father is Revealed doth also Reveal himself to his Disciples and Friends in and by his Spirit as his Manifestation was sometimes outward when he testified and witnessed for the Truth in this World and approved himself Faithful throughout So being now withdrawn as to the outward man he doth teach and instruct mankind inwardly by his own Spirit He standeth at the door and knocketh and whoso heareth his Voice and openeth he comes in to such Rev. 3.20 Of this Revelation of Christ in him Paul speaketh Gal. 1.16 in which he placeth the Excellency of his Ministry and the Certainty of his Calling And
the Promise of Christ to his Disciples Lo I am with you to the end of the World Confirmeth this same thing for this is an Inward Presence and Spiritual as all acknowledge But what relates hereto will again occur I shall deduce the Proof of this Proposition from Two manifest places of Scripture The first is 1 Cor. 2.11 12. What man knoweth the Proof I things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given us of God The Things of God are known by the Spirit of God The Apostle in the verses before speaking of the wonderful things which are prepar'd for the Saints after he hath declared that the Natural man cannot reach them adds That they are Revealed by the Spirit of God vers 9 10. giving this Reason For the Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God And then he bringeth in the Comparison in the verses above-mention'd very apt and answerable to our purpose and Doctrine That as the things of a man are only known by the spirit of man so the things of God are only known by the Spirit of God that is that as nothing below the Spirit of man as the spirit of Brutes or any other Creatures can properly reach unto nor comprehend the Things of a man as being of a more noble and higher nature so neither can the spirit of man or the natural man as the Apostle in v. 14. subsumes receive nor discern the things of God or the things that are spiritual as being also of a higher nature which the Apostle himself gives for the Reason saying Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned So that the Apostle's words being reduced to an Argument do very well prove the matter under Debate thus If that which appertaineth properly to man cannot be discerned by any lower or baser Principle than the spirit of man then cannot these things that properly relate unto God and Christ be known or discern'd by any lower or baser thing than the Spirit of God and Christ But The First is true therefore also the Second The whole strength of the Argument is contained in the Apostle's words before-mentioned which therefore being Granted I shall proceed to Deduce a Second Argument thus That which is Spiritual can only be known and discerned by the Spirit of God But The Revelation of Jesus Christ and the true and saving Knowledge of him is Spiritual Therefore The Revelation of Jesus Christ and the true and saving Knowledge of him can only be known and discerned by the Spirit of God Proof II The other Scripture is also a saying of the same Apostle 1 Cor. 12.3 No man can say No man can call Jesus Lord c. that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost The Scripture which is full of Truth and answereth full well to the Inlightened Understanding of the Spiritual and Real Christian may perhaps prove very strange to the Carnal and pretended follower of Christ by whom perhaps it hath not been so diligently remarked Here the Apostle doth so much require the holy Spirit in the things that relate to a Christian that he positively avers we cannot so much as affirm Jesus to be the Lord without it Spiritual Truths are Lies spoken by Carnal men which insinuates no less than that the Spiritual Truths of the Gospel are as Lies in the mouths of Carnal and Vnspiritual men For though in themselves they be True yet are they not True as to them because not known nor uttered forth in and by that Principle and Spirit that ought to direct the Mind and actuate it in such things they are no better than the Counterfeit Representations of things in a Comedy neither can it be more truly and properly called a Real and True Knowledge of God and Christ than the Actings of Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar c. if now Transacted upon a Stage might be called truly and really Their Doings or the Persons Representing them might be said truly and really to have Conquered Asia and overcome Pompey c. This Knowledge then of Christ which is not by the Revelation of his own Spirit in the heart is no more properly the Knowledge of Christ than the pratling of a Parret Like the pratling of a Parret which has been taught a few words may be said to be the Voice of a man for as that or some other Bird may be taught to sound and utter forth a rational Sentence as it hath Learned it by the outward ear and not from any living Principle of Reason actuating it so just such is that Knowledge of the things of God which the natural and carnal man hath gathered from the words or writings of Spiritual men which are not true to him because conceived in the natural spirit and so brought forth by the wrong Organ and not proceeding from the Spiritual Principle no more than the words of a man acquired by Art and brought forth by the mouth of a Bird not proceeding from a rational principle are True with respect to the Bird that utters them Wherefore from this Scripture I shall further add this Argument If no man can say Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost then no man can know Jesus to be the Lord but by the Holy Ghost But The First is true Therefore the Second From this Argument there may be another Deduced Concluding in the very Terms of this Assertion thus If no man can know Jesus to be the Lord but by the Holy Ghost then can there be no Certain Knowledge or Revelation of him but by the Spirit But The First is true Therefore the Second Assert III § VII The Third thing Affirmed is That by the Spirit God always Revealed himself to his Children Proved For the making appear the Truth of this Assertion it will be but needful to consider God's Manifesting himself towards and in relation to his Creatures from the Beginning which Resolves it self always herein The First Step of all is Ascribed hereunto by Moses Gen. 1.2 And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters I think it will not be denied that God's Converse with man all along from Adam to Moses was by the Immediate Manifestation of his Spirit and afterwards through the whole Tract of the Law he spake to his Children no otherways which as it naturally followeth from the Principles above proved That Revelation is by the Spirit of God so it cannot be denied by such as acknowledge the Scriptures of Truth to have been written by the Inspiration of the holy Ghost For these Writings from Moses to Malachy do declare that during all that time God Revealed himself to his Children by his Spirit But if any will Object
then that the Saints Faith should be founded upon so fallacious a Foundation as man's outward and fallible Senses What made them then give credit to these Visions Certainly nothing else but the secret Testimony of God's Spirit in their hearts assuring them that the Voices Dreams and Visions were of and from God Abraham believed the Angels but who told him that these Men were Angels we must not think his Faith then was built upon his outward Senses but proceeded from the secret Perswasion of God's Spirit in his heart This then must needs be acknowledged to be originally and principally the Object of the Saints Faith without which there is no true and certain Faith and by which many times Faith is begotten and strengthened without any of these outward or visible Helps As we may observe in many passages of the Holy Scripture where it is only mentioned And God said c. And the word of the Lord came unto such and such saying c. But if any one should pertinaciously affirm Object That this did Import an Outward Audible Voice to the Carnal Ear. I would gladly know what other Argument such a one could bring for this his Affirmation saving his own simple Conjecture It is said indeed Answ. The Spirit witnesseth with our Spirit but not to our outward Ears Rom. 8.16 And seeing the Spirit of God is within us The Spirit speaks to the Spiritual Ear not to the Outward and not without us only it speaks to our Spiritual and not to our Bodily Ear. Therefore I see no Reason where it 's so often said in Scripture The Spirit said moved hindered called such or such a one to do or forbear such or such a thing That any have to Conclude that this was not an Inward Voice to the Ear of the Soul rather than an outward Voice to the bodily Ear. If any be otherwise minded let them if they can produce their Arguments and we may further Consider of them From all then which is above-declared I shall deduce an Argument to conclude the Probation of this Assertion thus That which any one firmly believes as the Ground and Foundation of his hope in God and Life Eternal is the formal Object of his Faith But The Inward and Immediate Revelation of God's Spirit speaking in and unto the Saints was by them believed as the Ground and Foundation of their hope in God and Life Eternal Therefore These Inward and Immediate Revelations were the formal Object of their Faith § IX That which now cometh under Debate is what we have Asserted Assert V in the last place to wit That the same continueth to be the Object of the Saints Faith unto this day Many will Agree Proved to what we said before who Differ from us herein There is nevertheless a very firm Argument Confirming the Truth of this Assertion included in the Proposition it self to wit That the Object of the Saints Faith is the same in all Ages though held forth under divers Administrations Which I shall reduce to an Argument and prove thus First Where the Faith is one the Object of the Faith is one But The Faith is one Therefore c. That the Faith is one is the express words of the Apostle Eph. 4.5 who placeth the One Faith with the One God importing no less than that to Affirm Two Faiths is as Absurd as to Affirm Two Gods Moreover If the Faith of the Ancients were one and the same with ours i. e. agreeing in Substance therewith and receiving the same Definition it had been impertinent for the Apostle Hebr. 11. to have illustrated the Definition of our Faith by the Examples of that of the Ancients or to go about to move us by the Example of Abraham if Abraham's Faith were different in nature from ours Nor doth hence any Difference arise because they believed in Christ with respect to his Appearance outwardly The Faith of the Saints of old the same with ours as future and we as already Appeared For nor did they then so believe in him to come as not to feel him present with them and witness him near seeing the Apostle saith They all drank of that spiritual Rock which followed them which Rock was Christ Nor do we so believe concerning his Appearance past as not also to feel and know him present with us and to feed upon him Except Christ saith the Apostle be in you ye are Reprobates so that both our Faith is one terminating in one and the same thing And as to the other Part or Consequence of the Antecedent to wit That the Object is one where the Faith is one the Apostle also proveth it in the fore-cited Chapter where he makes all the Worthies of old Examples to us Now wherein are they Imitable but because they believed in God and what was the Object of their Faith but inward and immediate Revelation as we have before proved Their Example can be no ways applicable to us except we believe in God as they did that is by the same Object The Apostle clears this yet further by his own Example Gal. 1.16 where he saith So soon as Christ was revealed in him he consulted not with flesh and blood but forthwith believed and obeyed The same Apostle Hebr. 13. vers 7 8. where he exhorteth the Hebrews to follow the Faith of the Elders adds this Reason Considering the end of their Conversation Jesus Christ the same to day yesterday and for ever hereby notably insinuating that in the Object there is no Alteration Object If any now Object The diversity of Administration Answ. I Answer That altereth not at all the Object for the same Apostle mentioneth this Diversity three times 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. centred always in the same Object the same Spirit the same Lord the same God But further If the Object of Faith were not one and the same both to us and to them then it would follow that we were to know God some other way than by the Spirit But this were Absurd Therefore c. Lastly This is most firmly proved from a Common and Received Maxim of the School-men to wit Omnis actus specificatur ab Objecto Every Act is specified from its Object from which if it be true as they acknowledge though for the sake of many I shall not recur to this Argument as being too nice and Scholastick neither lay I much stress upon those kind of things as being that which commends not the Simplicity of the Gospel If the Object were different then the Faith would be different also Such as deny this Proposition now adays use here a Distinction granting That God is to be known by his Spirit but again denying That it is Immediate or Inward but in and by the Scriptures in which the mind of the Spirit as they say being fully and amply expressed we are thereby to know God and be led in all things As to the Negative of this Assertion That the Scriptures are
not sufficient neither were ever appointed to be the adequate and only Rule nor yet can guide or direct a Christian in all those things that are needful for him to know We shall leave that to the next Proposition to be Examined What is proper in this place to be proved is That Christians now are to be led inwardly and immediately by the Spirit of God even in the same manner though it befall not to many to be led in the same measure as the Saints were of old § X. I shall prove this by divers Arguments and first from the Promise of Christ in these words Joh. 14.16 And I will pray the Father and he will give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Vers. 17 Even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him Christians are now to be led by the Spirit in the same manner as the Saints of old for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Again vers 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance And 16.13 But when that Spirit of Truth shall come he shall lead you into all Truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear he shall speak and shall declare unto you things to come We have here first Who this is and that is divers ways expressed to wit The Comforter the Spirit of Truth the Holy Ghost the Sent of the Father in the Name of Christ. And hereby is sufficiently proved the Sottishness of those Socinians and other Carnal Christians who neither know nor acknowledge any internal Spirit or Power but that which is meerly Natural by which they sufficiently declare themselves to be of the World who cannot receive the Spirit because they neither see him nor know him Secondly Where this Spirit is to be He dwelleth with you and shall be in you And Thirdly What his Work is He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance and guide you into all Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As to the first Most do acknowledge that there is nothing else understood than what the plain words signify Who is this Comforter Which is also Evident by many Query I other places of Scripture that will hereafter occur neither do I see how such as Affirm otherways can avoid Blasphemy For if the Comforter the Holy Ghost and Spirit of Truth be all one with the Scriptures then it would follow that the Scriptures is God seeing it is true that the Holy Ghost is God If these mens Reasoning might take place wherever the Spirit is mentioned in relation to the Saints thereby might be truly and properly understood the Scriptures Nonsensical Consequences from the Socinians belief of the Scriptures being the Spirit Which what a Non-sensical Monster it would make of the Christian Religion will easily appear to all men As where it is said A manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal it might be rendred thus A manifestation of the Scriptures is given to every man to profit withal What notable Sense this would make and what a Curious Interpretation let us consider by the Sequel of the same Chapter 1 Cor. 12.9 10 11. To another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit to another the working of miracles c. but all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will What would now these great Masters of Reason the Socinians Judge if we should place the Scriptures here instead of the Spirit Would it answer their Reason which is the great guide of their Faith Would it be good and sound Reason in their Logical Schools to affirm That the Scripture divideth severally as it will and giveth to some the gift of healing to others the working of miracles If then this Spirit a Manifestation whereof is given to every man to profit withal be no other than that Spirit of Truth before-mentioned which guideth into all Truth this Spirit of Truth cannot be the Scripture I could infer an hundred more Absurdities of this kind upon this sottish Opinion but what is said may suffice For even some of themselves being at times forgetful or ashamed of their own Doctrine do acknowledge That the Spirit of God is another thing and distinct from the Scriptures to guide and influence the Saints Secondly That this Spirit is inward in my opinion needs no Interpretation nor Commentary He dwelleth with you and shall be in you This indwelling of the Spirit in the Saints as it is a thing most needful to be known and believed so it is as positively asserted in the Scripture as any thing else can be If so be the Spirit of God dwell in you saith the Apostle Query II to the Romans 8.9 and again Know ye not that ye are the Temple of the Holy Ghost Where is his place and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you 1 Cor. 6.19 without this the Apostle reckoneth no man a Christian. If any man saith he have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his These words immediately follow those above-mentioned out of the Epistle to the Romans But ye are not in the flesh if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you The Context of which sheweth The Spirit within the main Token of a Christian. that the Apostle reckoneth it the main Token of a Christian both positively and negatively For in the former verses he sheweth how the Carnal mind is enmity against God and that such as are in the flesh cannot please him Where subsuming he adds concerning the Romans That they are not in the flesh if the Spirit of God dwell in them What is this but to Affirm that they in whom the Spirit dwells are no longer in the flesh nor of those who please not God but are become Christians indeed Again in the next verse he Concludes Negatively That if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his that is he is no Christian. He then that acknowledges himself Ignorant and a Stranger to the Inward In-being of the Spirit of Christ in his heart doth thereby acknowledge himself to be yet in the Carnal mind which is Enmity to God to be yet in the flesh where God cannot be pleased and in short whatever he may otherways know or believe of Christ or however much skill'd or acquainted with the letter of the Holy Scripture not yet to be notwithstanding all that Attained to the least desire of a Christian yea not once to have embraced the Christian Religion For take but away the Spirit and Christianity remains no more Christianity than the dead Carcase of a man when the Soul and Spirit is departed remains a Man which the living can no more abide but do
follow that that Measuring is so Certain as the Demonstration it self or that the Demonstration would be Vncertain without it § XVI But to make an end I shall add one Argument to prove That this Inward Immediate Objective Revelation which we have pleaded for all along is the only sure certain and unmoveable Foundation of all Christian Faith which Argument when well weighed I hope will have weight with all sorts of Christians and it is this That which all Professors of Christianity of whatsoever kind are forced ultimately to recur unto Immediate Revelation of all Christian Faith the Immoveable Foundation when pressed to the last That for and because of which all other Foundations are Recommended and Accounted worthy to be believed and without which they are granted to be of no weight at all must needs be the only most true certain and unmoveable Foundation of all Christian Faith But Inward Immediate Objective Revelation by the Spirit is that which all Professors of Christianity of whatsoever kind are forced ultimately to recur unto c. Therefore c. The Proposition is so Evident that it will not be denied The Assumption shall be proved by parts Papists Foundation their Church and Tradition Why And first As to the Papists They place their Foundation in the Judgment of the Church and Tradition If we press them to say Why they believe as the Church doth Their Answer is Because the Church is always led by the Infallible Spirit So here the Leading of the Spirit is the utmost Foundation Again If we ask them Why we ought to trust Tradition They Answer Because those Traditions were delivered us by the Doctors and Fathers of the Church which Doctors and Fathers by the Revelation of the Holy Ghost Commanded the Church to observe them Here again all lands in the Revelation of the Spirit And for the Protestants and Socinians both which acknowledge the Scriptures to be the Foundation and Rule of their Faith Protestants and Socinians make the Scriptures their Ground and Foundation Why the one as subjectively influenced by the Spirit of God to use them the other as managing them with and by their own Reason Ask both or either of them Why they trust the Scriptures and take them to be their Rule Their Answer is Because we have in them the Mind of God delivered unto us by those to whom these things were inwardly immediately and objectively Revealed by the Spirit of God And not because this or that man wrote them but because the Spirit of God dictated them Christians by Name and not by Nature hold Revelations ceased contrary to Scripture It is strange then that men should render that so Vncertain and Dangerous to follow upon which alone the Certain Ground and Foundation of their own Faith is built Or that they should shut themselves out from that holy fellowship with God which only is enjoyed in the Spirit in which we are commanded both to walk and live If any reading these things find themselves moved by the strength of these Scripture-Arguments to Assent and Believe such Revelations necessary and yet find themselves Strangers to them which as I observed in the beginning is the Cause that this is so much gainsaid and contradicted Let them know that it is not because it is Ceased to become the Priviledge of every Christian that they do not feel it but rather because they are not so much Christians by Nature as by Name And let such know that the Secret Light which shines in the heart and reproves Vnrighteousness is the small beginnings of the Revelations of God's Spirit which was first sent into the World to Reprove it of sin Joh 16.8 And as by forsaking Iniquity thou com'st to be acquainted with that Heavenly Voice in thy heart thou shalt feel as the Old Man the Natural Man that savoureth not the things of God's Kingdom is put off with his evil and corrupt Affections and Lusts I say thou shalt feel the New Man the Spiritual Birth and Babe Raised which hath its Spiritual Senses and can Prop. 3 see feel taste handle and smell the things of the Spirit but till then the Knowledge of things Spiritual is but as an Historical Faith Who wants his Sight sees not the Light But as the Description of the Light of the Sun or of curious Colours to a blind Man who though of the largest Capacity cannot so well understand it by the most acute and lively Description as a Child can by Seeing them So neither can the Natural man of the largest Capacity by the best words even Scripture words so well understand the Mysteries of God's Kingdom as the least and weakest Child who tasteth them by having them Revealed inwardly and objectively by the Spirit Wait then for this in the small Revelation of that pure Light which first Reveals things more known and as thou becom'st fitted for it thou shalt Receive more and more and by a living Experience easily Refute their Ignorance who ask How dost thou know that thou art acted by the Spirit of God which will appear to thee a Question no less Riculous than to ask one whose Eyes are open How he knows the Sun shines at Noon-day And though this be the surest and certainest way to answer all Objections yet by what is above-written it may appear that the mouths of all such Opposers as deny this Doctrine may be shut by Vnquestionable and Vnanswerable Reasons PROPOSITION III. Concerning the Scriptures From these Revelations of the Spirit of God to the Saints have proceeded the SCRIPTURES of TRUTH which contain I. A faithful Historical Account of the Actings of God's People in divers Ages with many singular and remarkable Providences attending them II. A Prophetical Account of several things whereof some are already past and some yet to come III. 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 God's 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 Yet because they give 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 Excellency and Certainty For as by the Inward Testimony of the Spirit we do alone truly know them so they Testify that the Spirit is that Guide John 16.13 Rom. 8.14 by which the Saints are led into all Truth Therefore according to the Scriptures the Spirit is the First and Principal Leader Seeing then that we do therefore receive and believe the Scriptures because they proceeded from the Spirit for the very
hereunto we stand there for this Word always proceedeth and doth Eternally proceed from God in and by which the Vnsearchable Wisdom of God and Vnsearchable Counsel and Will Conceived in the Heart of God is Revealed unto us That then the Scripture is not the Principal Ground of Faith and Knowledge as it appears by what is above spoken so it is provided in the latter part of the Proposition which being Reduced to an Argument runs thus That the Certainty and Authority whereof depends upon another and which is received as Truth because of its proceeding from another is not to be accounted the Principal Ground and Origin of all Truth and Knowledge But The Scriptures Authority and Certainty depends upon the Spirit by which they were dictated and the Reason why they were received as Truth is because they proceeded from the Spirit Therefore They are not the Principal Ground of Truth To Confirm this Argument I added the School-Maxime Propter quod unumquodque est tale illud ipsum est magis tale Which Maxime though I Confess it doth not hold Vniversally in all things yet in this it both doth and will very well hold as by Applying it as we have above Intimated will appear Neither are they the Primary Rule of Faith and Manners The same Argument will hold as to the other Branch of the Proposition That it is not the Primary Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners thus That which is not the Rule of my Faith in believing the Scriptures themselves is not the Primary Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners But The Scripture is not nor can it be the Rule of that Faith by which I believe them c. Therefore c. But as to this part we shall produce divers Arguments hereafter As to what is Affirmed That the Spirit and not the Scriptures is the Rule it is largely handled in the former Proposition the Sum whereof I shall Subsume in one Argument thus That the Spirit is the Rule If by the Spirit we can only come to the True Knowledge of God If by the Spirit we be to be led into all Truth and so be Taught of all things Then the Spirit and not the Scriptures is the Foundation and Ground of all Truth and Knowledge and the Primary Rule of Faith and Manners But the First is True Therefore also the Last Next The very Nature of the Gospel it self declareth that the Scriptures cannot be the Only and Chief Rule of Christians else there should be no Difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel As from the Nature of the New Covenant by divers Scriptures described in the former Proposition is proved Wherein the Law and Gospel differ But besides these which are before-mentioned herein doth the Law and the Gospel differ In that the Law being outwardly written brings under Condemnation but hath not Life in it to save whereas the Gospel as it declares and makes manifest the Evil so it being an Inward Powerful thing also gives Power to Obey and delivers from the Evil Hence it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Glad Tidings The Law or Letter which is without us kills but the Gospel which is the Inward Spiritual Law gives Life for it consists not so much in Words as in Vertue Wherefore such as come to know it and be acquainted with it come to feel greater Power over their Iniquities than all Outward Laws or Rules can give them Hence the Apostle concludes Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace This Grace then that is inward and not an outward Law is to be the Rule of Christians Hereunto the Apostle Commends the Elders of the Church saying Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all those that are sanctified He doth not commend them here to Outward Laws or Writings but to the Word of Grace which is Inward even the Spiritual Law which makes free as he elsewhere Affirms Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death This Spiritual Law is that which the Apostle declares he preached and directed People unto which was not Outward as Rom. 10.8 is manifest where distinguishing it from the Law he saith The Word is nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth and this is the Word of Faith which we preach From what is above said I argue thus The Principal Rule of Christians under the Gospel is not an Outward Letter nor Law outwardly written and delivered but an Inward Spiritual Law ingraven in the heart the Law of the Spirit of Life the Word that is nigh in the heart and in the mouth But The Letter of the Scripture is Outward of it self a dead thing a meer Declaration of good things but not the Things themselves Therefore it nor is nor can be the Chief or Principal Rule of Christians § III. Thirdly That which is given to Christians for a Rule and Guide The Scripture not the Rule must needs be so full as it may clearly and distinctly Guide and Order them in all things and occurrences that may fall out But in that there are many hundred of things with a regard to their Circumstances particular Christians may be concerned in for which there can be no particular Rule had in the Scriptures Therefore the Scriptures cannot be a Rule to them I shall give an Instance in two or three Particulars for to prove this Proposition It is not to be doubted but some men are particularly called to some particular services their being not found in which though the Act be no general positive Duty yet in so far as it may be Required of them is a great Sin to Omit forasmuch as God is zealous of his Glory and every Act of Disobedience to his Will Manifested is enough not only to hinder one greatly from that Comfort and Inward Grace which otherwise they might have but also bringeth Condemnation As for Instance Some are Called to the Ministry of the Word Paul saith There was a Necessity upon him to preach the Gospel Wo unto me if I preach not If it be Necessary that there be now Ministers of the Church as well as then then there is the same Necessity upon some more than upon others to occupy this place which Necessity as it may be Incumbent upon particular persons the Scripture neither doth nor can declare If it be said Object That the Qualifications of a Minister are found in the Scripture and by applying these Qualifications to my self I may know whether I be fit for such a place or no. I Answer The Qualifications of a Bishop or Minister Answ. as they are mentioned both in the Epistle to Timothy and Titus are such as may be found in a private Christian yea which ought in
of God to his Children in these latter days For I have known some of my Friends who profess the same Faith with me faithful Servants of the most-High God and full of the Divine Knowledge of his Truth as it was immediately and inwardly Revealed to them by the Spirit from a true and living Experience who not only were ignorant of the Greek and Hebrew Wrong Translations of Scriptures discerned in the Spirit by the Unlearned in Letters but even some of them could not Read their own Vulgar Language who being pressed by the Adversaries with some Citations out of the English Translation and finding them to disagree with the Manifestation of Truth in their hearts have boldly Affirmed The Spirit of God never said so and that it was certainly wrong for they did not believe that any of the Holy Prophets or Apostles had ever written so Which when I on this Account seriously Examined I really found to be Errors and Corruptions of the Translators who as in most Translations do not so much give us the genuine Significations of the words as strain them to express that which comes nearest with that Opinion and Notion they have of Truth And this seemed to me to sute very well with that saying of Augustine Epist. 19. ad Hen. Tom. 2. fol. 14. after he has said that he gives only that honour to those Books which are called Canonical as to believe that the Authors thereof did in writing not Err. He adds And if I shall meet with any thing in these Writings that seemeth Repugnant to Truth I shall not doubt to say that either the Volume is Faulty or Erroneous that the Expounder hath not reached what was said or that I have in no wise Vnderstood it So that he supposes that in the Transcription and Translation there may be Errors § V. If it be then asked me Whether I think hereby to render the Scripture altogether uncertain Object or useless I Answer Not at all The Proposition it self declares what Esteem Answ. 1 I have for them And provided that to the Spirit from which they came be but granted that place the Scriptures themselves give it I do freely Concede to the Scripture the Second Place even whatsoever they say of themselves Which the Apostle Paul chiefly mentions in Two places Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were Written aforetime were Written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. The Holy Scriptures are able to make wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture given by Inspiration from God is profitable for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto every good Work For though God do principally and chiefly lead us by his Spirit yet he sometimes conveys his Comfort and Consolation to us through his Children whom he raises up and Inspires to Speak or Write a Word in Season whereby the Saints are made Instruments in the hand of the Lord to strengthen and encourage one another which do also tend to perfect and make them wise unto Salvation And such as are led by the Spirit cannot neglect The Saints Mutual Comfort is the same Spirit in all but do naturally love and are wonderfully cherished by that which proceedeth from the same Spirit in another because such mutual Emanations of the heavenly Life tend to quicken the mind when at any time it is overtaken with Heaviness Peter himself declares this to have been the End of his Writing 2 Pet. 1.12 13. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in Remembrance of those things though ye know them and be Established in the present Truth Yea I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in Remembrance God is Teacher of his People himself and there is nothing more Express than that such as are under the New Covenant They need no man to Teach them yet it was a Fruit of Christ's Ascension to send Teachers and Pastors for perfecting of the Saints So that the same Work is ascribed to the Scriptures as to Teachers the one to make the Man of God perfect the other for the perfection of the Saints As then Teachers are not to go before the Teaching of God himself under the New Covenant but to follow after it neither are they to Rob us of that great Priviledge which Christ hath purchased unto us by his Blood so neither is the Scripture to go before the Teaching of the Spirit or to Rob us of it Answ. 2 Secondly God hath seen meet that herein we should as in a Looking-glass see the Conditions and Experiences of the Saints of old that finding our Experience Answer to theirs The Scriptures a Looking-glass we might thereby be the more Confirmed and Comforted and our Hope Strengthened of obtaining the same End that observing the Providences attending them seeing the Snares they were liable to and beholding their Deliverances we may thereby be made Wise unto Salvation and seasonably Reproved and Instructed in Righteousness This is the Great Work of the Scriptures and their Service to us that we may witness them fulfilled in us and so discern the Stamp of God's Spirit and Ways upon them by the inward Acquaintance we have with the same Spirit and Work in our hearts The Scriptures Work and Service The Prophecies of the Scripture are also very comfortable and profitable unto us as the same Spirit Inlightens us to observe them fulfilled and to be fulfilled For in all this it is to be observed that it is only the Spiritual man that can make a right use of them they are able to make the Man of God perfect so it is not the Natural Man and whatsoever was written aforetime was written for Our Comfort Our that are the Believers our that are the Saints concerning such the Apostle speaks For as for the other the Apostle Peter plainly declares that the Vnstable and Vnlearned wrest them to their own destruction These were they that were Vnlearned in the Divine and Heavenly Learning of the Spirit not in Humane and School-literature of which we may safely presume that Peter himself being a Fisher-man had no great skill for it may be with great probability yea certainly be affirmed that he had no knowledge of Aristotle's Logick Logick which both Papists and Protestants now degenerating from the Simplicity of Truth make Hand-maid of Divinity as they call it and a necessary Introduction to their Carnal Natural and Humane Ministry By the infinite obscure Labours of which kind of men mixing-in their heathenish stuff the Scripture is rendered at this day of so little service to the simple people whereof if Jerom complained in his time now twelve hundred years ago saying Hierom. Ep. 134. ad Cypr. Tom. 3. It is wont to befall the most part of Learned men that it is
all unto Salvation and able to save Clemens Alexandrinus saith lib. 2. Stromat Clem. Alex. The Divine Word hath cried calling all knowing well those that will not obey And yet because it is in our power either to obey or not to obey that none may have a pretext of Ignorance it hath made a righteous Call and requireth but that which is according to the ability and strength of every one The self-same in his Warning to the Gentiles For as saith he that Heavenly Ambassadour of the Lord the Grace of God that brings Salvation hath Appeared unto all c. This is the New Song Coming and Manifestation of the Word which now shews it self in us which was in the beginning and was first of all And again Hear therefore ye who are afar off hear ye who are near the Word is hid from none the Light is common to all and shineth to all There is no darkness in the Word The Gathering unto the One and alone Love let us hasten to Salvation to the New birth that we being many may be gathered unto the One alone Love Ibid. he saith That there is Infused into all but principally into those that are trained up in Doctrine a certain Divine Influence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And again he speaketh concerning the Innate Witness worthy of belief which of it self doth plainly chuse that which is most honest And again he saith That It is not Impossible to come unto the Truth and lay hold of it seeing it is most near to us in our own Houses as the most wise Moses declareth living in three parts of us viz. in our Hands in our Mouth and in our Heart this saith he is a most true badge of the Truth which is also fulfilled in three things namely in Counsel in Action in Speaking And again he saith also unto the Unbelieving Nations Receive Christ receive Light receive Sight to the end thou may'st rightly know both God and Man The Inlightning Word The Word that hath inlightned us is more pleasant than Gold and the Stone of great value And again he saith Let us receive the Light that we may receive God let us receive the Light that we may be the Scholars of the Lord. And again he saith to those Infidel Nations The Heavenly Spirit helpeth thee Resist and Flee Pleasure Again Lib. Strom. 5. he saith God forbid that man be not a partaker of Divine Acquaintance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who in Genesis is said to be a partaker of Inspiration And Paed. lib. 1 cap 3. There is saith he some lovely and some desirable thing in man which is called the In-breathing of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same man lib. 10. Strom. directeth men unto the Light and Water in themselves who have the Eye of the Soul darkned or dimmed through Evil up-bringing and Learning let them Enter-in unto their own domestick Light or unto the Light which is in their own house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the Truth which manifests accurately and clearly these things that have been written Just. Martyr Justin Martyr in his First Apology saith That the Word which was and is is in all even that very same Word which through the Prophets foretold things to come The Writer of the Calling of the Gentiles saith lib. 1. cap. 2. We Believe according to the same viz. Scripture and most religiously Confess Auth. de Voc. Gent. that God was never wanting in care to the generality of men who although he did lead by particular Lessons a people gathered to himself unto Godliness yet he withdrew from no Nation of men the Gifts of his own Goodness that they might be Convinced that they had received the Words of the Prophets and Legal Commands in services and testimonies of the First Principles Cap. 7. he saith That he believes that the help of Grace hath been wholly withdrawn from no man Lib. 2. cap. 1. Because albeit Salvation is far from sinners yet there is nothing void of the presence and virtue of his Salvation Cap. 2. But seeing none of that people over whom was set both the Doctrines were justified but through Grace by the Spirit of Faith who can question but that they who of whatsoever Nation in whatsoever Times could please God were ordered by the Spirit of the Grace of God which albeit in fore-time it was more sparing and hid yet denied it self to no Ages being in Virtue one in Quantity different in Counsel unchangeable in Operation multifarious Prop. III § XXIV The Third Proposition which ought to be proved is That it is by this Light Proved Seed or Grace that God works the Salvation of all men and many come to partake of the benefit of Christ's Death and Salvation purchased by him God's Salvation wrought by the Light in all By the Inward and Effectual Operations of which as many Heathens have come to be partakers of the Promises who were not of the Seed of Abraham after the flesh so may some now to whom God hath rendred the Knowledge of the History Impossible come to be saved by Christ. Having already proved that Christ hath died for all that there is a Day of Visitation given to all during which Salvation is possible unto them and that God hath actually given a measure of Saving Grace and Light unto all preached the Gospel to and in them and placed the Word of Faith in their hearts the matter of this Proposition may seem to be proved Yet shall I a little for the further satisfaction of all who desire to know the Truth and hold it as it is Jesus prove this from two or three clear Scripture-Testimonies and Remove the most-Common as well as the more-strong Objections usually brought against it Our Theam then hath two parts First That those that have the Part 1 Gospel and Christ outwardly preached unto them are not saved but by the working of the Grace and Light in their hearts Secondly That by the working and operations of this many have been Part 2 and some may be saved to whom the Gospel hath never been outwardly preached and who are utterly ignorant of the outward History of Christ. As to the First though it be granted by most yet because it 's more Part 1 in words Proved than deeds the more full discussing of which will fall-in in the next Proposition concerning Justification I shall prove it in few words And first from the words of Christ to Nicodemus Joh. 3.3 Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Now this Birth cometh not by the outward preaching of the Gospel The New Birth or Regeneration cometh not by the Outward Knowledge of Christ or knowledge of Christ or historical Faith in him seeing many have that and firmly believe it who are never thus Renewed The Apostle Paul also goes so far while he Commends the Necessity and Excellency of this New Creation as
he hath not Can ungodly men that are not gracious themselves be good stewards of the manifold Grace of God Good stewardship of what of God's abounding Grace which is the Ability and Stewardship received And therefore in the following verses he makes an Exclusive limitation of such as are not thus furnished saying If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God and if any man Minister let him do it as of the Ability that God giveth which is as much as if he had said They that cannot thus speak and thus Minister ought not to do it for this If denotes a necessary Condition Now what this Ability is is manifest by the former words to wit the Gift received and the Grace whereof they are Stewards as by the immediate Context and dependency of the words doth appear neither can it be understood of a meer Natural Ability because man in this condition is said not to know the things of God and so he cannot Minister them to others And the following words shew this also in that he immediately subjoineth That God in all things may be glorified but surely God is not glorified but greatly dishonoured when Natural Men from their meer natural Ability meddle in Spiritual things which they neither know nor understand Fourthly That Grace is a most Necessary Qualification for a Minister Proof IV appears by these Qualifications which the Apostle expresly requires 1 Tim 3.2 Tit. 1. c. where he saith A Bishop must be blameless vigilant sober of good behaviour apt to teach patient a lover of good men just holy temperate as the steward of God holding fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught Upon the other hand He must neither be given to wine nor a striker nor covetous nor proud nor self-willed nor soon angry Now I ask If it be not Impossible that a man can have all these above-named Vertues How can a Bishop have these Vertues without the Grace of God and be free of all these Evils without the Grace of God If then these Vertues for the producing of which in a man Grace is absolutely necessary be necessary to make a true Minister of the Church of Christ according to the Apostles judgment surely Grace must be necessary also Concerning this thing a Learned Man and well-skilled in Antiquity about the time of the Reformation writeth thus * Whatsoever is done in the Church without the Ministry of God's Spirit is vain and wicked Whatsoever is done in the Church either for Ornament or Edification of Religion whether in chusing Magistrates or instituting Ministers of the Church except it be done by the Ministry of God's Spirit which is as it were the Soul of the Church it is vain and wicked For whoever hath not been called by the Spirit of God to the great Office of God and Dignity of Apostleship as Aaron was and hath not entred in by the door which is Christ but hath otherways risen in the Church by the Window by the favours of men c. truly such a one is not the Vicar of Christ and the Apostles but a Thief and a Robber and the Vicar of Judas Iscariot †Who is Judas Iscariot's Vicar and Simon the Samaritan Hence it was so strictly appointed concerning the Election of Prelates which holy Dionysius calls the Sacrament of Nomination that the Bishops and Apostles who should Oversee the service of the Church should be men of most intire manners and life powerful in sound doctrine to give a reason for all things So also * Franciscus Lambertus Avenionensis in his Book concerning Prophecy Learning Tongues and the Spirit of Prophecy Argentorat excus anno 1516 de prov cap 24. another about the same time writeth thus Therefore it can never be that by the Tongues or Learning any can give a sound Judgment concerning the Holy Scriptures and the Truth of God Lastly saith he the sheep of Christ seek nothing but the voice of Christ which he knoweth by the holy Spirit wherewith he is filled he regards not Learning Tongues or any outward thing so as therefore to believe this or that to be the Voice of Christ his true shepherd he knoweth that there is need of no other thing but the Testimony of the Spirit of God Object 1 § XVII Against this Absolute Necessity of Grace they Object That if all Ministers had the Saving Grace of God then all Ministers should be Saved seeing none can fall away from or lose Saving Grace Answ. But this Objection is built upon a false Hypothesis purely denied by us and we have in the former Proposition concerning Perseverance already Refuted it Object 2 Secondly It may be objected to us That since we affirm that every man hath a measure of True and Saving Grace there needs no singular Qualification neither to a Christian nor Minister for seeing every man hath this Grace then no man needs forbear to be a Minister for want of Grace Answ. I answer We have above shewn that there is Necessary to the making a Minister a special and particular Call from the Spirit of God which is something besides the Vniversal Dispensation of Grace to all according to that of the Apostle Hebr. 5.4 No man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is Called of God as was Aaron Moreover we understand by Grace as a Qualification to a Minister All have God's Grace which calls to Righteousness but all are not so leaven'd in its Nature to bring forth fruits a blameless holy life not the meer measure of Light as it is given to Reprove and Call him to Righteousness but we understand Grace as it hath Converted the Soul and Operateth powerfully in it as hereafter concerning the Work of Ministers will further appear So we understand not men simply as having Grace in them as a Seed which we indeed affirm all have in a measure but we understand men that are gracious leavened by it into the Nature thereof so as thereby to bring forth these good fruits of a blameless Conversation and of Justice holiness patience and temperance which the Apostle requires as Necessary in a true Christian Bishop and Minister Object 3 Secondly They ‖ So Nic. Arnoldus sect 32. upon These 4. object the Example of the false Prophets of the Pharisees and of Judas But first As to the false Prophets there can nothing be more foolish and ridiculous as if because there were false Prophets truly false without the Grace of God therefore Grace is not necessary to a true Christian Minister Answ. Indeed if they had proved that true Prophets wanted this Grace The false not the true Prophets want the Grace of God they had said something but what have false Prophets common with true Ministers but that they pretend falsly that which they have not And because false Prophets want true Grace will it therefore follow that true Prophets ought not to have it that they may be true
and Converted to the Christian Faith And being Inquired how he came to yield to that Ignorant Old Man and not to the Bishops he said That they contended with him in his own way and he could still give words for words but there came from the Old Man that vertue which he was not able to Resist This secret Virtue and Power ought to be the Logick and Philosophy wherewith a true Christian Minister ought to be furnished and for which they need not be beholden to Aristotle As to Natural Logick ‖ Natural Logick useful by which Rational men without that Art and Rules or Sophistical Learning deduce a certain Conclusion out of true Propositions which scarce any man of Reason wants we deny not the Vse of it and I have sometimes used it in this Treatise which also may serve without that Dialectical Art As for the other part of Philosophy which is called Moral 3. Ethicks or the Manner-Rules to Christians not needful or Ethicks it is not so necessary to Christians who have the Rules of the Holy Scriptures and the Gift of the Holy Spirit by which they can be much better Instructed The * 4. Physicks and the Metaphysicks make no Preachers of the Truth Physical and Metaphysical part may be reduced to the Arts of Medicine and the Mathematicks which have nothing to do with the Essence of a Christian Minister And therefore the Apostle Paul who well understood what was good for Christian Ministers and what hurtful thus exhorted the Colossians Col. 2.8 Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit And to his beloved Disciple Timothy he writes also thus 1 Tim. 6.20 O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust avoiding profane and vain babblings and oppositions of Science falsly so called III. The Learned School-Divinity obnoxious a Monster A Letter-Knowledge Heatheniz'd § XXI The Third and main part of their Literature is School-Divinity a Monster made up betwixt some Scriptural Notions of Truth and the Heathenish Terms and Maxims being as it were the Heathenish Philosophy Christianized or rather the Literal External Knowledge of Christ Heathenized It is man in his first fall'n natural State with his Devilish Wisdom pleasing himself with some Notions of Truth and adorning them with his own Serpentine and Worldly Wisdom because he thinks the simplicity of the Truth too low and mean a thing for him and so despiseth that simplicity wheresoever it is found that he may set up and Exalt himself puffed up with this his monstrous Birth It is the Devil darkning obscureing and vailing the Knowledge of God with his sensual and carnal Wisdom that so he may the more securely deceive the hearts of the simple and make the Truth as it is in it self despicable and hard to be known and understood by multiplying a Thousand hard and needless Questions and Endless Contentions and Debates All which whoso perfectly knoweth he is not a whit less the Servant of Sin than he was but ten times more in that he is Exalted and Proud of Iniquity and so much the further from Receiving understanding or learning the Truth as it is in its own naked Simplicity because he is full learned rich and wise in his own Conceit And so those that are most skill'd in it wear out their Day and spend their precious Time about the Infinite and Innumerable Questions they have feigned and invented concerning it A certain Learned Man called it a Two-fold Discipline as of the Race of the Centaurs partly proceeding from Divine Sayings partly from Philosophical Reasons A Thousand of their Questions they confess themselves to be no ways necessary to Salvation and yet many more of them they could never Agree upon It s needless Questions and endless Janglings but are and still will be in endless Janglings about them The Volumes that have been written about it a man in his whole Age though he lived very Old could scarce Read and when he has Read them all he has but wrought himself a great deal more Vexation and Trouble of Spirit than he had before These certainly are the Words multiplied without knowledge by which Counsel hath been darkned Job 38.2 They make the Scripture the Text of all this Mass and it 's concerning the Sense of it that their Voluminous Debates arise But a man of a good upright heart may learn more in half an hour and be more certain of it by Waiting upon God and his Spirit in the heart than by reading a Thousand of their Volumes which by filling his Head with many needless Imaginations may well stagger his Faith but never Confirm it and indeed those that give themselves most to it are most capable to fall into Error as appeareth by the Example of Origen who by his Learning was one of the first that falling into this way of Interpreting the Scriptures wrote so many Volumes and in them so many Errors as very much troubled the Church Whereby Arrius fell into Error and Schism Also Arrius led by this Curiosity and Humane Scrutiny despising the Simplicity of the Gospel fell into his Error which was the Cause of that horrible Heresy which so much troubled the Church Methinks the Simplicity Plainness and Brevity of the Scriptures themselves should be a sufficient Reproof for such a Science and the Apostles being honest plain illiterate men may be better understood by such kind of men now than with all that Mass of Scholastick Stuff which neither Peter nor Paul nor John ever thought of § XXII But this Invention of Satan wherewith he began the Apostasy The Apostasy and its dangerous Consequence hath been of dangerous Consequence For thereby he at first spoiled the simplicity of Truth by keeping up the Heathenish Learning which occasioned such Vncertainty even among those called Fathers Many of the Fathers not only Contradict each other but themselves also and why and such Debate that there are few of them to be found who by reason of this Mixture do not only frequently Contradict one another but themselves also And therefore when the Apostasy grew greater he as it were buried the Truth with this Vail of Darkness wholly shutting out people from true Knowledge and making the Learned so accounted busie themselves with idle and needless Questions while the weighty Truths of God were neglected and as it were went into desuetude Now though the grossest of these Abuses be swept away by Protestants yet the evil Root still remains and is nourished and upheld and upon the growing hand that this Science is still kept up and deemed Necessary for a Minister for while the pure Learning of the Spirit of Truth is despised and neglected and made Ineffectual man 's fall'n Earthly Wisdom is upheld and so in that he labours and works with the Scriptures being out of the Life and Spirit those that wrote them were in by which they are only rightly understood and made use of And so
smitten without words and that one will be as a Midwife through the secret Travel of his Soul to bring forth the Life in them just as a little Water thrown into a Pump brings up the rest whereby Life will come to be raised in all and the vain Imaginations brought down and such a one is felt by the rest to Minister Life unto them without words Yea sometimes when there is not a word in the Meeting but all are silently Waiting if one come in that is Rude and Wicked and in whom the power of darkness prevaileth much perhaps with an intention to Mock or do Mischief if the whole Meeting be gathered into the Life and it be raised in a good measure The Mocker struck with Terror when no word is spoken it will strike Terror into such an one and he will feel himself unable to resist but by the secret strength and vertue thereof the power of darkness in him will be chained down and if the day of his Visitation be not expired it will reach to the measure of Grace in him and raise it up to the Redeeming of his Soul And this we often bear witness of so as we had hereby frequent occasion in this respect since God hath gathered us to be a people to renew this old saying of many Is Saul also among the Prophets 1 Sam. 10.12 For not a few have come to be Convinced of the Truth after this manner of which I my self in a part am a true Witness who not by strength of Arguments or by a particular Disquisition of each Doctrine The true Convincement and Convincement of my Vnderstanding thereby came to receive and bear witness of the Truth but by being secretly reached by this Life For when I came into the Silent Assemblies of God's people I felt a secret power among them which touched my heart and as I gave way unto it I found the Evil weakning in me and the Good raised up and so I became thus knit and united unto them hungering more and more after the Increase of this Power and Life whereby I might feel my self perfectly redeemed And indeed this is the surest Way to become a Christian to whom afterwards the knowledge and understanding of principles will not be wanting but will grow up so much as is needful as the natural Fruit of this good Root and such a knowledge will not be barren nor unfruitful After this manner therefore we desire all that come among us to be proselyted knowing that though Thousands should be Convinced in their understandings of all the Truths we maintain yet if they were not sensible of this inward Life and their Souls not Changed from Vnrighteousness to Righteousness they could add nothing to us for this is that Cement whereby we are Joined as to the Lord so to one another and without this none can Worship with us Yea 1 Cor. 6. ver 17. if such should come among us The Life of Righteousness doth join us to the Lord. and from that Vnderstanding and Convincement they have of the Truth speak ever so true things and utter them forth with ever so much Excellency of Speech if this Life were wanting it would not Edify us at all but be as sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal 1 Cor. 13.1 § VIII Our Work then and Worship is when we Meet together Our Work and Worship in our Meetings for every one to Watch and Wait upon God in themselves and to be gathered from all Visibles thereinto And as every one is thus stated they come to find the Good arise over the Evil and the Pure over the Impure in which God reveals himself and draweth near to every Individual and so he in the midst in the general Whereby each not only partakes of the particular Refreshment and Strength which comes from the good in himself but is a sharer of the whole Body as being a living Member of the Body having a joint Fellowship and Communion with all And as this Worship is stedfastly preached and kept to it becomes Easie though it be very hard at first to the Natural Man whose roving Imaginations and running worldly Desires are not so easily brought to silence And therefore the Lord often-times when any turn towards him and have true desires thus to Wait upon him and find great difficulty through the unstayedness of their minds doth in Condescension and Compassion cause his Power to break forth in a more strong and powerful manner And when the Mind sinks down and waits for the appearance of Life and that the power of darkness in the Soul wrestles and works against it then the good Seed as it ariseth will be found to work as Physick in the Soul especially if such a Weak one be in the Assembly of divers others in whom the Life is arisen in greater dominion and through the contrary Workings of the power of darkness there will be found an inward striving in the Soul as really in the Mystery as ever Esau and Jacob strove in Rebekkah's Womb. And from this Inward Travel while the Darkness seeks to obscure the Light Esau and Jacob strove in Rebeccah's Womb. and the Light break through the Darkness which always it will do if the Soul give not its strength to the Darkness there will be such a painful Travel found in the Soul that will even work upon the outward man so that often-times through the working thereof the Body will be greatly shaken and many Groans and Sighs and Tears even as the Pangs of a Woman in Travail will lay hold upon it Yea and this not only as to one but when the Enemy who when the Children of God Assemble together is not wanting to be present to see if he can let their Comfort hath prevailed in any measure in a whole Meeting and strongly worketh against it by spreading and propagating his dark Power and by drawing out the minds of such as are Met from the Life in them as they come to be sensible of this power of his that Works against them and to wrestle with it by the armour of Light sometimes the Power of God will break forth into a whole Meeting The Travel crown'd with a victorious song and there will be such an Inward Travel while each is seeking to Overcome the Evil in themselves that by the strong contrary Workings of these opposite Powers like the going of two contrary Tides every Individual will be strongly exercised as in a Day of Battel and thereby Trembling and a Motion of Body will be upon most if not upon all which as the Power of Truth prevails will from pangs and groans end with a sweet Sound of Thanksgiving and Praise The name of Quakers whence it sprung And from this the name of Quakers i. e. Tremblers was first reproachfully cast upon us which though it be none of our Choosing yet in this respect we are not Ashamed of it but have rather reason
Truth intimating that this Spiritual Worship thus acted is only and properly a true Worship as being that which for the Reasons above observed cannot be Counterfeited by the Enemy nor yet Performed by the Hypocrite § XVI And though this Worship be indeed very different from the divers established Invented Worships among Christians and therefore may seem strange to many yet hath it been testified of commended and practised by the most pious of all sorts in all Ages as by many evident Testimonies might be proved So that from the professing and practising thereof the Name of Mysticks hath arisen as of a Certain Sect generally commended by all A certain Sect of Mysticks among the Papists their Inward Exercise See Sancta Sophia Printed Ad. Dom. 1657. whose Writings are full both of the Explanation and of the Commendation of this sort of Worship where they plentifully assert this Inward Introversion and Abstraction of the Mind as they call it from all Images and Thoughts and the Prayer of the Will Yea they look upon this as the heighth of Christian Perfection so that some of them though professed Papists do not doubt to affirm that such as have attained this Method of Worship or are aiming at it as in a Book called Sancta Sophia put out by the English Benedictines printed at Dovay Anno 1657. Tract 1. Sect. 2. cap. 5. need not The English Benedictines Testimony for the Spiritual Worship against their Masses and set Devotions nor ought to trouble or busie themselves with frequent and unnecessary Confessions with exercising Corporal Labours and Austerities the using of Vocal Voluntary Prayers the hearing of a Number of Masses or set Devotions or Exercises to Saints or Prayers for the Dead or having solicitous and distracting Cares to gain Indulgences by going to such and such Churches or adjoining ones self to Confraternities or entangling ones self with Vows and Promises because such kind of things hinder the Soul from observing the Operations of the Divine Spirit in it and from having liberty to follow the Spirit whither it would draw her And yet who knows not but that in such kind of Observations the very Substance of the Popish Religion consisteth Yet nevertheless it appears by this and many other passages which out of their Mystick Writers might be mentioned how they look upon this Worship as Excelling all other and that such as arrived hereunto had no absolute Need of the others yea see the Life of Balthazar Alvares in the same Sancta Sophia Tract 3. Sect. 1. cap. 7. such as tasted of this quickly Confessed that the other Forms and Ceremonies of Worship were useless as to them neither did they perform them as things necessary but meerly for Order or Example's sake And therefore though some of them were so Over-clouded with the common darkness of their Profession yet could they affirm that this Spiritual Worship was still to be retained and sought for though there be a necessity of omitting their outward Ceremonies Hence Bernard Bernard preferring the Spirit above Popish Orders as in many other places so in his Epistle to one William Abbot of the same Order saith Take heed to the Rule of God the Kingdom of God is within you and afterwards saying That their outward Orders and Rules should be observed he adds But otherwise when it shall happen that one of these two must be omitted in such a Case these are much rather to be omitted than those former For by how much the Spirit is more excellent and noble than the Body by so much Spiritual Exercises are more profitable than Corporal Is not that then the best of Worships which the best of Men in all Ages and of all Sects have commended and which is most suitable to the Doctrine of Christ I say is not that Worship to be followed and performed And so much the rather as God hath raised a People to Testify for it and Preach it to their great Refreshment and Strengthening in the very Face of the World and notwithstanding much Opposition who do not as these Mysticks Those Mysticks did confine that Mystery to Cloisters make of it a Mystery only to be attained by a few Men or Women in a Cloister or as their Mistake was after wearying themselves with many Outward Ceremonies and Observations as if it were the Consequence of such a Labour but who in the free Love of God who respects not Persons and was near to hear and reveal himself as well to Cornelius a Centurion and a Roman as to Simeon and Anna and who discovered his Glory to Mary a poor Handmaid and to the poor Shepherds rather than to the High-Priests and devout Proselytes among the Jews in and according to his free Love finding that God is revealing and establishing this Worship and making many poor Tradesmen yea young Boys and Girls Witnesses of it Do Intreat and beseech all to lay aside all their own Will-Worships and voluntary Acts performed in their own Wills and by their own meer natural Strength and Power without retiring out of their own vain Imaginations and Thoughts or feeling the pure Spirit of God to move and stir in them that they may come to practise this acceptable Worship which is in Spirit and in Truth But against this Worship they Object § XVII First It seems to be an unprofitable Exercise for a Man to be Object 1 doing or thinking nothing and that one might be much better imployed either in meditating upon some good Subject or otherwise praying to or praising God I Answer That is not Vnprofitable which is of absolute Necessity before any other Duty can be acceptably performed Answ. as we have shewen this Waiting to be Moreover those have but a carnal and gross Apprehension of God and of the things of his Kingdom that imagine that Men please him by their own Workings and Actings whereas as hath been shewn the first step for Man to fear God is To cease from his own thoughts and imaginations Isa. 1.16 17. and suffer God's Spirit to work in him For we must Cease to do evil ere we learn to do well and this medling in things Spiritual by man's own natural Vnderstanding is one of the greatest and most dangerous Evils We must Cease to do ill ere we learn to do well that man is incident to being that which occasioned our first Parents Fall to wit a Forwardness to desire to know things and a medling with them both without and contrary to the Lord's Command Object 2 Secondly some Object If your Worship meerly consist in inwardly retiring to the Lord and feeling of his Spirit arise in you and then to do outward Acts Set times and places for Meetings as ye are led by it what need ye have publick Meetings at set times and places since every one may enjoy this at home Or should not every one stay at home until they be particularly moved to go to such a place at such a
necessary which as Protestants we affirm and have proved is false else we must confess that Water is not here understood of outward Water For to say that when Water and the Spirit are placed here just together and in the same manner thô there be not any difference or ground for it visible in the Text or deduceable from it That the necessity of Water is here Praecepti but not Medii but the necessity of the Spirit is both Medii and Praecepti is indeed confidently to affirm but not to prove * Obj. VI. Sixthly and lastly they Object That the Baptism of Water is a visible Sign or Badge to distinguish Christians from Infidels even as Circumcision did the Jews †Answ. I Answer This saith nothing at all unless it be proved to be a necessary Precept or part of the New Covenant-Dispensation it not being lawful to us to impose outward Ceremonies and Rites and say they will distinguish us from Infidels Circumcision was positively commanded and said to be a Seal of the first Covenant Circumcision a Seal of the first Covenant Water-baptism falsly called a Badge of Christianity Which is the Badge of Christianity but as we have already proved that there is no such Command for Baptism so there is not any Word in all the New Testament calling it a Badge of Christianity or Seal of the New Covenant and therefore to conclude it is so because Circumcision was so unless some better Proof be alledged for it is miserably to beg the Question The professing of Faith in Christ and a holy Life answering thereunto is a far better Badge of Christianity than any outward Washing which yet answers not to that of Circumcision since that affixed a Character in the flesh which this doth not so that a Christian is not known to be a Christian by his being baptized especially when he was a Child unless he tell them so much And may not the Professing Faith in Christ signify that as well I know there are divers of those called Fathers that speak much of Water-baptism What the Fathers say of Water-baptism and of the Sign of the Cross. calling it Character Christianitatis But so did they also of the Sign of the Cross and other such things justly rejected by Protestants For the Mystery of Iniquity which began to work even in the Apostles days soon spoiled the Simplicity and Purity of the Christian Worship so that not only many Jewish Rites were retained but many Heathenish Customs and Ceremonies introduced into the Christian Worship Heathenish Ceremonies introduc'd into the Christian Worship as particularly that word Sacrament So that it is great folly especially for Protestants to plead any thing of this from Tradition or Antiquity for we find that neither Papists nor Protestants use these Rites exactly as the Ancients did who in such things not walking by the most certain Rule of God's Spirit but doting too much upon Outwards were very Vncertain For most of them all in the Primitive Time did wholly plunge and dip those they Baptized which neither Papists nor Protestants do yea several of the Fathers accused some as Hereticks in their Days for holding some Principles common with Protestants concerning it as particularly Augustin doth the Pelagians for saying That Infants dying Vnbaptized may be saved And the Manichees were Condemned for denying that Grace is universally given by Baptism and Julian the Pelagian by Augustin for denying Exorcism and Insufflation in the use of Baptism All which things Protestants deny also Exorcism or Adjuration So that Protestants do but foolishly to upbraid us as if we could not shew any among the Ancients that denied Water-baptism seeing they cannot shew any whom they acknowledge not to have been Heretical in several things to have used it nor yet who using it did not use also the Sign of the Cross and other things with it which they deny There were some nevertheless in the darkest Times of Popery The Sign of the Cross. who testified against Water-baptism For one Alanus pag. 103 104 107. speaks of some in his Time Many in former Ages testified against Water-baptism that were burnt for the denying of it for they said that Baptism had no Efficacy either in Children or Adult Persons and therefore Men were not obliged to take Baptism Particularly Ten Canonicks so called were burnt for that Crime by the Order of King Robert of France as P. Pithaeus tells in his Fragments of the History of Guienne Which is also confirmed by one Johannes Floracensis a Monk who was famous at that Time in his Epistle to Oliva Abbot of the Ausonian Church I will saith he give you to understand concerning the Heresy that was in the City of Orleans on Childer-mass-day for it was true if ye have heard any thing that King Robert caused to be burnt alive nigh Fourteen of that City of the Chief of their Clergy and the more Noble of their Laicks who were hateful to God and abominable to Heaven and Earth Ten Canonicks burnt at Orleans and why for they did stiffly deny the Grace of Holy Baptism and also the Consecration of our Lord's Body and Blood The time of this Deed is noted in these words by Papir Masson in his Annals of France lib. 3. in Hugh and Robert Actum Aureliae public◠Anno Incarnationis Domini 1022. Regni Roberti Regis 28. Indictione 5. quando Stephanus Haeresiarcha Complices ejus damnati sunt exusti Aureliae Now for their calling them Hereticks and Manichees we have nothing but the Testimony of their Accusers which will no more invalidate their Testimony for this Truth against the use of Water-baptism or give more ground to charge us as being one with Manichees than because some called by them Manichees do agree with Protestants in some things that therefore Protestants are Manichees or Hereticks which Protestants can no ways shun For the Question is Whether in what they did they walked according to the Truth testified of by the Spirit in the Holy Scriptures So that the Controversy is brought back again to the Scriptures according to which I suppose I have formerly discussed it As for the latter part of the Thesis The Baptism of Infants an Humane Tradition denying the Vse of Infant-Baptism it necessarily follows from what is above-said For if Water-Baptism be Ceased then surely Baptising of Infants is not warrantable But those that take upon them to Oppose us in this matter will have more to do as to this latter part for after they have done what they can to prove Water-Baptism it remains for them to prove that Infants ought to be Baptized For he that proves Water-Baptism Ceased proves that Infant-Baptism is vain But he that should prove that Water-Baptism continues has not thence proved that Infant-Baptism is necessary That needs something further And therefore it was a pitiful Subterfuge of Nic. Arnoldus against this to say That the denying of
burned for denying the Divinity of Christ if Calvin's Report of him be to be credited Which Opinion though it was indeed to be abominated yet no less was Calvin's Practice in causing him to be burned and afterwards defending that it was lawful to burn Hereticks by which he encouraged the Papists to lead his Followers the more confidently to the Stake as having for their Warrant the Doctrine of their own Sect-master which they omitted not frequently to twit them with and indeed it was to them unanswerable Hence upon this occasion the judicious Author of the History of the Council of Trent in his fifth Book where giving an account of several Protestants that were burned for their Religion well and wisely observeth it as a Matter of Astonishment that those of the new Reformation did offer to punish in the case of Religion And afterwards taking notice That Calvin justifies the punishing of Hereticks he adds But since the Name of Heresy may be more or less restricted yea or diversly taken this Doctrine may be likewise taken in divers Senses and may at one time hurt those whom at another Time it may have benefited So that this Doctrine of Persecution cannot be mentioned by Protestants without strengthening the Hands of Popish Inquisitors Protestant Persecution strengthens the Popish Inquisition and indeed in the end lands in direct Popery Seeing if I may not profess and preach that Religion which I am perswaded of in my Conscience is true it is to no purpose to search the Scriptures or to seek to chuse my own Faith by Convictions thence derived since whatever I there observe or am perswaded of I must either subject to the Judgment of the Magistrate and Church of that Place I am in or else resolve to remove or dye Yea doth not this Heretical and Anti-Christian Doctrine both of Papists and Protestants at last resolve into that cursed Policy of Mahomet Who prohibited all Reason or Discourse about Religion as occasioning Factions and Divisions And indeed those that press Persecution and deny Liberty of Conscience do thereby shew themselves more the Disciples of Mahomet than of Christ and that they are no ways followers of the Apostle's Doctrine who desired the Thessalonians 1 Thess. 5.21 To prove all things and hold fast that which is good And also saith Vnto such as are otherwise minded God shall Reveal it Phil. 3.15 not that by Beatings and Banishments it must be knocked into them § VI. Now the Ground of Persecution as hath above been shewn is an unwillingness to suffer for no Man that will persecute another for his Conscience would suffer for his own if he could avoid it seeing his Principle obliges him if he had Power by Force to establish that which he judges is the Truth and so to force others to it Therefore I judge it meet for the Information of the Nations briefly to add something in this Place concerning the Nature of true Christian Sufferings whereunto a very faithful Testimony has been born by God's Witnesses which he hath raised up in this Age beyond what hath been generally known or practised for these many Generations yea since the Apostacy took place Yet 't is not my Design here in any wise to derogate from the Sufferings of the Protestant Martyrs whom I believe to have walked in Faithfulness towards God according to the Dispensation of Light in that Day appearing and of which many were utter Enemies to Persecution as by their Testimonies against it might be made appear But the true faithful and Christian Suffering is For Men to profess what they are perswaded is right and so practise and perform their Worship towards God as being their true Right so to do and neither to do more in that because of outward Encouragement from Men nor any whit less because of the Fear of their Laws and Acts against it Thus for a Christian Man to vindicate his just Liberty with so much boldness and yet Innocency will in due time though through Blood purchase Peace as this Age has in some Measure experienced and many are Witnesses of it which yet shall be more apparent to the World as Truth takes Place in the Earth But they greatly sin against this excellent Rule that in Time of Persecution do not profess their own Way so much as they would if it were other ways and yet when they can get the Magistrate upon their Side not only stretch their own Liberty to the utmost but seek to establish the same by denying it to others The Innocent Sufferings of the People called Quakers But of this excellent Patience and Sufferings the Witnesses of God in scorn called Quakers have given a manifest Proof for so soon as God revealed his Truth among them without regard to all Opposition or what they might meet with they went up and down as they were moved of the Lord preaching and propagating the Truth in Market-places High-ways Streets and publick Temples though daily beaten whipped bruised haled and imprisoned therefore And when there was any where a Church or Assembly gathered they taught them to keep their Meetings openly and not to shut the door nor do it by Stealth that all might know it and who would might enter And as hereby all just occasion of Fear of plotting against the Government was fully removed so this their Courage and Faithfulness in not giving over their Meeting together but more especially the Presence and Glory of God manifested in the Meeting being terrible to the Consciences of the Persecutors did so weary out the Malice of their Adversaries that often-times they were forced to leave their Work undone For when they came to break up a Meeting they were forc'd to take every individual out by Force they not being free to give up their Liberty by dissolving at their Command And when they were haled out unless they were kept forth by Violence they presently returned peaceably to their Place Yea when sometimes the Magistrates have pulled down their Meeting-houses they have met the next Day openly upon the Rubbish and so by Innocency kept their Possession and Ground being properly their own and their Right to Meet and Worship God being not forfeited to any So that when armed Men have come to dissolve them it was impossible for them to do it unless they had killed every one for they stood so close together that no Force could move any one to stir until violently pulled down So that when the Malice of their Opposers stirred them to take shovels and throw the Rubbish upon them there they stood unmoved being willing if the Lord should so permit to have been there buried alive witnessing for him As this Patient but yet couragious way of Suffering made the Persecutors Work very heavy and wearisom unto them so the Courage and Patience of the Sufferers using no Resistance nor bringing any Weapons to defend themselves nor seeking any ways Revenge upon such Occasions did secretly smite the Hearts of
all Evil hence they say We vilify the Scriptures and set up our own Imaginations above them Because we tell them That it is not their Talking or believing of Christ's outward Life Sufferings Death and Resurrection no more than the Jews crying the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord that will serve their Turn or justify them in the Sight of God but that they must know Christ in them whom they have crucified to be raised and to justify them and redeem them from their Iniquities Hence they say we deny the Life Death and Sufferings of Christ Justification by his Blood and Remission of Sins through him Because we tell them while they are talking and determining about the Resurrection That they have more need to know the Just one whom they have slain Raised in themselves and to be sure they are partakers of the first Resurrection and that if this be they will be the more capable to judge of the Second hence they say that we deny the Resurrection of the Body Because when we hear them talk foolishly of Heaven and Hell and the last Judgment we exhort them to come out of that Hellish Condition they are in and come down to the Judgment of Christ in their own Hearts and believe in the Light and follow it that so they may come to sit in the Heavenly places that are in Christ Jesus hence they malitiously say That we deny any Heaven or Hell but that which is within us and that we deny any General Judgment Which Slanders the Lord knows are foully cast upon us whom God hath raised for this End and gathered us that by us he might confound the Wisdom of the Wise and bring to nought the Vnderstanding of the Prudent and might in and by his own Spirit and Power in a despised People that no Flesh might glory in his Presence pull down that dead dark corrupt Image and meer Shadow and Shell of Christianity wherewith Antichrist hath deceived the Nations For which end he hath called us to be a First-Fruits of those that serve him and Worship him no more in the Oldness of the Letter but in the Newness of the Spirit And though we be few in number in respect of others and weak as to outward strength which we also altogether reject and foolish if compared with the wise ones of this World Yet as God hath prospered us notwithstanding much Opposition so will he yet do that neither the Art Wisdom nor Violence of Men or Devils shall be able to quench that little Spark that hath appeared but it shall grow to the Consuming of whatsoever shall stand up to Oppose it The Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Yea he that hath arisen in a small Remnant shall arise and go on by the same Arm of Power in his Spiritual Manifestation until he hath Conquered all his Enemies until all the Kingdoms of the Earth become the Kingdom of Christ Jesus Unto Him that hath begun this Work not among the Rich or Great Ones but among the Poor and Small and hath Revealed it not to the Wise and Learned but unto the Poor unto Babes and Sucklings even to him the Only-Wise and Omnipotent GOD be Honour Glory Thanksgiving and Renown from henceforth and for ever Amen Hallelujah A True and Faithful Accompt of the Most Material Passages OF A DISPUTE Betwixt some Students of Divinity so called of the University of ABERDEEN AND THE PEOPLE called QUAKERS Held in Aberdeen 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 Thomson Advocate And by the Quakers Alexander Skein sometime a Magistrate of the City Published for preventing Mis-reports by Alexander Skein John Skein Alexander Harper Thomas Merser and John Cowie To which is added Robert Barclay's Offer to the Preachers of Aberdeen Renewed and Re-inforced Acts 4.27 For of a truth against thy holy Child Jesus whom thou hast Anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the People of Israel were gathered together London Printed for Tho. Northcott 1691. The Epistle year 1675 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 Truth 's sake and to undeceive those 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 sometimes confusedly Two or Three of our Opposers speaking often at once and also some others that were not concerned as particularly one Brown the Bishop's Chaplain who though he refused to Subscribe the Articles and so was excluded from speaking did often most impertinently interrupt and intrude himself But these being only transient and no Arguments insisted on we have not inserted them studying 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 An Accompt of a DISPUTE at ABERDEEN In the first Place the Articles were read which are as followeth I. IT is hereby declared That this is to be a Private Conference betwixt the Students of Divinity so called of the Colledges of Aberdeen 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 in 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 mis-represented II. 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 III. 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 IV. 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
Testimony of Moses and the Prophets even than John who was the greatest But when we produce the Testimony of Moses and 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 Aberdeen 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 wherewith 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 Inspired 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 God's Fear That the Scriptures-Testimony is to me as 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 Vs 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 Vniversal Illumination or Inspiration of the Spirit of God in Men. But this brings the Matter of the Debate from being Personal to be Doctrinal and so puts us upon equal Terms at least with all our Adversaries especially Prelatical Anabaptist and Presbyterian and 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 than 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 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 are Fallacious and can beguile 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 taught and allowed them so to Affirm G. K. Quakerism Confirmed OR A VINDICATION Of the Chief DOCTRINES and PRINCIPLES Of the PEOPLE called QUAKERS FROM THE Arguments and Objections of the Students of Divinity so called of Aberdeen in their Book entituled QVAKERISM CANVASED BY ROBERT BARCLAY AND GEORGE KEITH 2 Tim. 3.9 But they shall proceed no further for their Folly shall be manifest to all Men c. London Printed for Tho. Northcott 1691. Friendly Reader 1676. HAD we not more Regarded the Interest of the Truth for whose sake we can shun no Abasement than the Significancy of those with whom we have this Rencountre we should have rather chused to be silent than Answer them they being of so small Reputation among their own that neither Teachers nor People will hold themselves Accomptable for any of their Positions and seem zealous to have it believed they would not bestow Time to Read it nor yet hold themselves obliged to Approve it However since we certainly know That in the Second Part of their Book to which this Reply is they have scraped together most of the Chief Arguments used against us and borrowed not a little from G. M's Manuscripts with whose Work that yet appears not we have been these seven Years menaced Which like the Materials of a Building managed by Unskilful Workmen though they be by them very confusedly put together yet being the chief Things can be said against us we have throughly handled for the Reader 's Satisfaction which may be Serviceable to the Truth without Respect to the Insignificancy of those against whom it is written As for the first Part of their Book we have also Answered it but distinct from this it consisting of many Particularities of Matters of Fact which perhaps might have proved tedious to many Readers that may by This be Edified and think it of no great Consequence that the Students are proved Liars which even many
of their own Party think is not any Spot in their Religion so little are they looked upon among their own Yet those that are Curious may also have that first Part. As for this second Part wherein our Principles are handled we judge we deal with the Clergy in General however they seek to shift it and hide themselves since their Book is Licensed by the Bishop of Edinburgh and he being challenged said He did it not without a Recommendation from Aberdeen So that no Man of Reason can deny but they are accountable for the Errours and Impertinencies which we have herein observed which we leave Reader to thy serious Examination remaining Thy Friends R. B. G. K. THE CONTENTS SECTION I. COncerning Immediate Revelation SECT II. The Students Argument against the Spirit 's being the Rule proved one with the Jesuit Dempster's SECT III. Concerning the Supper Perfection and Womens Speaking SECT IV. Concerning the Necessity of Immediate Revelations to the Building up of True Faith SECT V. Concerning Worship SECT VI. Concerning Baptism SECT VII Concerning the Ministry SECT VIII Concerning Liberty of Conscience The CONCLUSION Wherein their Observations upon R. B. his Offer and their last Section of the Q. Revilings as they term them are Examined Quakerism Confirmed year 1675 SECTION I. Concerning Immediate Revelation Wherein the Second Part of the Students Book from pag. 44. to pag. 66. is Answered IN their first Section they alledge We do wickedly put many Indignities upon the Holy Scriptures and that we monopolize the Spirit to our selves Which are gross Lies But that they are against the Spirit is no malicious Accusation but a Truth as will appear to any true Discerner Their comparing us when we plead for the Spirit to them who cried The Temple The Temple is Unequal and Profane They that cried The Temple The Temple rejected the Spirit of God and relied too much on the Temple and outward Priviledges but dare they blame any for relying too much on the Spirit of God Again in their first Sub-section they commit a gross Deceit in which they follow G. M. their Master who useth the same in his Manuscript to us in alledging They are more for the Spirit than we because they affirm That the Efficacy of the Spirit is Insuperable For we do affirm Operations of the Spirit may be Resisted That the Efficacy of the Spirit is in a true Sense Insuperable as namely where the Mind is well disposed See R. B. his Thesis where he useth the Word Insuperably But that the Spirit doth Insuperably move or irresistibly force the ill-disposed Minds of all in whom it operates is False and contrary to Scripture which saith That Some Resist the Spirit yea and is contrary to the Experience of all who are acquainted with the Spirit 's Workings that know that the Spirit many Times worketh so gently that his Operation may be resisted Therefore said the Apostle Quench not the Spirit Now that Doctrine which is contrary both to Scripture and Experience is not for the Spirit but against it Again how are they more for the Spirit than we seeing they affirm The Spirit 's Influence is but only Effective as having no Evidence in it self sufficiently to demonstrate that it is of God We say it hath as being both Effective and Objective 2. They say The Influence of the Spirit is only given to some We say To all 3. They say It is so weak that it can bring none to a perfect Freedom from Sin in this Life though never so much improved We say it can Yea. 4. They say commonly year 1676 The Influence of the Spirit cannot keep the best Saint one Moment from Sin We say It can keep them for whole Days yea always if they improve it as well as they can 5. They say A Man may and ought to pray without the Spirit Which we deny And so we leave it to the Judicious if here they do not commit a gross Deceit Lastly in their stating the Question they accuse us falsly As if we did hold that all Men ought to judge and examine all the material Objects of Faith and Articles of Religion by Inward Revelations As if all Men were bound to an Impossibility All Men have not all the Material Objects of Faith propounded unto them Accidental Objects of Faith for some of the Material Objects of Faith are meerly Accidental unto all Mens Salvation As to believe that Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac Jacob c. Others although not Accidental yet are but Integral Parts and not Essential of Christian Religion such as the Outward History of Christ c. and so by this Distinction divers of thefe Arguments are answered without more ado especially the first two where they spend much Paper fighting with their own Shadow telling us That the Heathens have no Revelations shewing the Birth Passion Resurrection c. of Jesus Christ Which we do grant For the Belief of such Things is only necessary to them to whom they are propounded and the Scriptures alledged by them at most prove no more It were a needless Labour and not worth the Pains to answer particularly to all their Impertinencies Follies and Blasphemies which they obtrude upon us as Arguments and in the Issue their last Probations resolve into meer Assertions as much denied by us as the things they undertake to Refute Therefore upon each Section or Sub-section we shall but take notice what their Arguments resolve into at last and as there is occasion set down some Propositions that may serve as a Key to open the Reader 's way through all these Heaps of Confusion and Blasphemy wherewith they fill their Pages As for the Scriptures brought by them Arg. 1. as Isa. 9.2 Matth. 4.16 Psal. 147.19 20. These prove not that they had no Light for the Light shineth in Darkness Joh. 1. And Prov. 29.18 doth not import That People have wanted Vision from the beginning but that for some Time they may want it to wit when their Day of Visitation is over which we deny not And whereas they tell us That the Greek Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often to be translated among and therefore so to be Col. 1.26 and other Places alledged by us we deny this Consequence And that they say The Apostle is speaking of the outward Preaching of Christ Col. 1.26 is their bare Assertion without any Proof Also in their first Argument they alledge a gross Vntruth upon G. K. as if he did hold in his Book of Immediate Revelation pag. 11. That the Jews generally under the Law had no Immediate Revelation in the Seed Let the Place be read and it will clear G. K. where he distinguisheth a Two-fold sort of Revelation in the Seed according to a Two-fold Condition of the Seed The first sort of Revelation is more hid and obscure Revelation universal and particular the Seed not being compleatly formed but as under Ground The second is more manifest and clear
bring them down to it also For seeing it is a Truth acknowledged both by them and us The Spiriâ— 's working in us as an efficient Cause That all true Christians and Children of God have the Spirit of God working in them at least as an Efficient Cause from this we urge them thus Either they have the Spirit of God working in them as an Efficient Cause or they have not If they say they have not they confess They are not true Christians or Children of God which we suppose they will be loth to say If they say They have the Spirit of God as an Efficient Cause of Faith working in them and subjectively inlightening them let them prove it or give us an Evidence of it Who doth not see that Poor Men they are taken in their own Snare We know all Rational and Sober Men will acknowledge that we are not bound tb receive their Affirmations without Proof more than they are bound to receive ours nor indeed so much we being as the Case stands but Defendents As touching their Answer to R. B. his Retortions about an Evidence it shall be examined in the Next Section In pag. 60. they tell That we assign them at last some Shadows of Evidence namely 1. our own Declaration 2. The Scriptures 3. The immediate Testimony of the Spirit But that these are not Shadows will appear to the Judicious and well-disposed if they consider these two things 1. That by our Declaration we mean not a bare verbal Declaration having no Vertue or Manifestation of Life in it for we confess such might be as good a Ground for an Heretick in way of Evidence A Declaration proceeding from the Spirit no Heretick has it but by our Declaration we mean such a Declaration as doth really proceed from the Spirit of God in us and is therefore a living Declaration having a Manifestation of Life in it and with it and which is not only in Words of Life or Living Words uttered through us from the Spirit of Life but also in Works of Life or Living Works which are the Fruits of the Spirit as said Christ By their fruits shall ye know them Now such a Declaration can no Heretick have however he may pretend to it If our Adversaries say That we only pretend to such a thing We answer them with their own Rule Affirmanti incumbit probatio i. e. The Affirmer ought to prove Let them prove us only to be Pretenders which yet they have not done nor can do And indeed such a Declaration from the Spirit of God in the Apostles as when John said We are of God c. was an Evidence That no Heretick could justly pretend to 2. It is a most Unjust and Unreasonable thing to require of us any other Evidence of our having the Spirit than that which every true Christian may and ought to give seeing we pretend to no other Spirit but that which every true Christian hath nor to any Revelations but these which are the Priviledges of all true Christians nor to any Doctrines which are not conform to the Scriptures of Truth As we are ready to prove and as G. K. hath already shewed in his Book of Immediate Revelation which neither the Students nor their Masters have given us any Refutation of Now have not all Good Christians these three Evidences for them year 1675 And we can prove by the help of the Lord that they are as applicable to us as to any upon Earth And here note that when we say The Scripture is the best outward Evidence that can be given We mean it not as a particular Evidence but as a general Common to all good Christians The Scripture an Evidence For we grant That the Scripture cannot prove that any particular Man hath the Spirit of God in such a way as true Christians have it but it proves in general that all true Christians have it yea and all Men to Convince them at least In pag. 61 62. They reject the Scriptures-Testimony as an Evidence to us Because according to us the Scriptures Testimony hath no Evidence without the Spirit In answer to which we say But it hath an Evidence with the Spirit his Inward Evidence going along with it which Inward Evidence we say doth go along with it sufficiently to Convince every well-disposed Intellect And this we can prove from the Scriptures-Testimony Nor is this to commit an Unlawful Circle as they foolishly alledge which is but an old thread-bare alledgance of Papists against the Protestants as Turnbull alledged on Paraeus That he proved the Spirit by the Scripture and the Scripture by the Spirit Some Protestants in our Days do miserably seek to extricate themselves of that Circle that they know the Spirit by the Scriptures Objectively and they know the Scriptures by the Spirit Effectively and so indeed they get free of the Circle as not being in eodem genere i. e. in the same kind But they affirm a gross Untruth That the Spirit 's Influence is only Effective and ex parte subjecti whereas we know it is Objective and can prove both from Scripture and Primitive Protestants see G. K. his Book of Immediate Revelation and Quakerism no Popery where the same is at length proved But we have a most clear way to extricate our selves of that Circle imposed on us by Papists and these Students The Scriptures Testimony known by the Spirit c. to wit That we know the Scriptures Testimony by the Spirit tanquam a priori as we know the Effect by the Cause and we know the Spirit 's Testimony by the Scriptures tanquam a posteriori as we know the Cause by the Effect and so both are Objective and yet in a divers kind because the Objective Evidence of the Spirit is a self-Evidence and primary the Objective Evidence of the Scripture is but derived and secondary In their answer to G. K. his Retortion from the Practice of Christ who though his own immediate Testimony was to be received referred them unto the Testimony of the Scriptures They most miserably betake themselves to their Old Trade of Affirming Things without any Proof and yet on the Proof of these Things the whole Stress of their Answer lieth As 1. they say The Jews rejected only the outward immediate Testimony of Christ However dare they say but that the Outward Immediate Testimony of Christ was to be believed and yet he referred them unto the Testimony of the Scriptures 2. They say They have no such Testimony themselves as the Inward Objective Testimony of the Spirit 3. They say According to Christ the Scriptures were the Rule meaning the Primary Rule and so they set the Scripture above Christ his own immediate outward Testimony a most gross Disorder year 1676 All which we reject as meer Affirmations without any Proof Their Insinuation That G. K. acted the Part of a cunning Sophist when he spake these Words repeated by them pag. 4. Is no less
are Men that solemnly profess they have abstained from Personal Criminations but seeing they have belied the Apostle Paul as is above observed G. K. may take it patiently to be treated at this Rate by Men of such Circumstances But if they think to infer it because G. K. doth plead for the Liberty and Priviledge of Women they might as well plead That G. K. is too much addicted to a Perfect Holiness because he doth plead for it or that the Students are too much addicted to sin since they plead for the Continuance of it for Term of Life They are little less than inraged that G. K. should have alledged the Testimony of Augustine and Bernard interpreting this Place of the Flesh and therefore they labour like Men in a Sweat for a whole Page against this to no purpose the only Reason of G. K's citing them being because some of their Preachers cried out against this Allegory as a horrid abusive thing in some Quakers to shew them it is none of the Quakers Coining but already used by Men by themselves applauded and commended Upon this they ask Have not some of our Antagonists been observed to make a Welchman's hose of the first Chapter of Genesis If they mean us let them prove we have so done as we have already proved they have again they ask Have not some Quakers been bold to aver that there was never any such real Tree as the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil If they have let them instance and prove by whom it was spoken and writ and then they shall have an Answer As they proceed they give an egregious Specimen of their Folly alledging That if it did hold Womens Speaking in the Church Lawful as G. K. affirms that Women are not allowed to speak by Permission then a fortiori it is unlawful for them to speak by Commandment Who but the Students would talk at this rate As if a Commandment might not authorise a Man to do that which a bare Permission will not G. K's Arguments drawn from their own allowing Whores to speak and Women to sing they call Quibbles because they cannot answer which they Reply to only by Questions Do they allow Whores Authoritative Preaching affirming Women may sing Very well whether it be Authoritative or not whatsoever way they speak they keep not Silence and so the Apostle's Words are not taken strictly and literally which gains us the Cause and shews our Doctrine is no more directly against the Apostle's Words than their own Besides from this it followeth by the Students Confession that Women may as lawfully speak in the Church as the Licentiate Students whom the Presbytery permits to speak in the Church before they are Ordained They pass our chief Objection very overly drawn from 1 Cor. 11.5 where the Apostle gives direct Rules how Women should behave themselves in their publick Praying and Preaching alledging There are Rules given in Scripture concerning things that were never lawful but only permitted c. as of Polygamy under the Law But they should have remembred that these are Rules given by the Apostle to the Christian Church of Corinth And seeing the Students suppose That the Apostle gave directions to the Church of Corinth not only of things that belong not to them now but which are not lawful for them a Doctrine we question if their Masters will approve of or of the Consequence of which themselves are aware it remains for them to prove That these Two Rules forbidding Womens Speaking belong to us or is not of the number of these useless Rules more than that other concerning the manner of their Preaching So we hope this Solution it Impugned and desire they may be sure not to forget to bring us this Reason when they write next SECTION IV. Concerning the Necessity of Immediate Revelations to the Building up of True Faith containing an Answer to the Students second Section from pag. 78. to pag. 92. IN their stating the Controversy they say These Inward Revelations are not subjective Revelations or Divine Illuminations This is false for as we have above shewed one and the same Illumination that is Effective or Subjective is also Objective and the Objective is Effective Again they say The Question is not if Immediate Objective Revelations be possible or be sometimes made to some de facto This Concession will overthrow much of all their own Work For if they admit that any Person in our Time hath Immediate Objective Revelations admit Peter or John their former Argument will as much militate against this Real Immediate Immediate Objective Revelation asserted Objective Revelation granted by them as against those which they do not grant Seeing pag. 7. at the Letter A they say Suppose that the Spirit Reveal the Objects of Faith immediately none will deny that he is a Rule or rather Ruler to them who have him so A good Concession but which quite undoes their own Cause For now let us apply their former Argument against this Real Objective Revelation granted by them as thus We ought to believe That as the Rule of Faith of which there can be no Evidence given But There can be no Evidence in the World given of the Spirit that is in Peter and John Therefore c. Again if Peter and John say they can give an Evidence of the Spirit of God in them to wit their own Declaration in Life and Power as also the Immediate Testimony of the Spirit or the Scriptures-Testimony let us Apply in the last place their Argument used against us and see if it will not be as good against Peter and John whom they grant de facto according to their Hypothesis to have Immediate Objective Revelation The Argument is this That which as really agrees to Enthusiast Hereticks as to them can be no Evidence But That Evidence to wit their own Declaration and Saying that both they and their Adversaries have the Immediate Testimony of the Spirit witnessing to the Truth of it would as really agree to Enthusiast Hereticks Therefore c. Yea not only might they thus Argue against any Mens having Immediate Objective Revelation in our days but against the Prophets and Apostles having it seeing the Argument might every way be as strong against their having it as against our having it especially at such times as they wrought no outward Miracles in the sight of the People to whom they were sent as oft they did not When the Lord sent Jonas to preach to the Ninivites he wrought no Miracle in their sight Now let us put the Students in the Ninivites place and we shall find they could Argue as stoutly and hardily against Jonas as now they do against any Quaker They could tell him He could give no Evidence of the Spirit of God in him giving any such Message as for his Declaration it would not suffice because his saying he had the Spirit would be as good a ground for any other Enthusiast Heretick
to that Scripture cited by them The Plowing of the Wicked is Sin The plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21.4 they do not prove that it is meant of outward Plowing The Margin of our English hath it The light of the wicked and Arius Montanus rendereth it on the Margin Cogitatio the Thought That the Plowing of the Wicked is Sin in respect of the Manner and last End we grant but that the Action materially considered is Sin we altogether deny even in a Wicked Man For the outward Mechanick and Bodily Act is good in its Nature and profitable as also in so far as it may be for the Maintenance of his Family it is good So that in respect of the Matter and subordinate End there is no Difference betwixt the Plowing of a Good Man and a Wicked whereas the Prayer of a Good Man by the Spirit and the Prayer of a Wicked Man without the Spirit differ materially in their very Nature and Substance The Good Man's Prayer by the Spirit is true and real Prayer but the Wicked Man's Prayer The true Worshipper distinguished from the False is no true Prayer at all but a dead Image of it Nor is the Wicked Man a true Worshipper for he only is True Worshipper according unto the express Doctrine of Christ Who worships the Father in Spirit and in Truth whereas a Wicked Man's Plowing is as Real and true and good as to the Matter and Nature of the Outward Action as that of the Good It doth not therefore follow That according to the Quakers Principle because a Man is not to pray without the Spirit that therefore he is not to Plow without the Spirit in respect of the Matter although in respect of the Defect in the Manner and last End which should be the Glory of God he sins when he Plows as when he Prays but yet not so much in the one as in the other for in the one both Matter and Manner are wrong in the other not the Matter but Manner But if a Man be faithful to God he may as certainly expect the Divine Assistance of the Spirit to help him to Plow as to Pray although that Assistance to pray is greater and of another manner than that to Plow As is obvious to any that hath Spiritual Experience And whereas A. Sk. inferreth upon them Their going about the Spiritual Duties in a Carnal Manner c. This they call an Impudent Calumny But in this the Impudent Calumny is their own not his For dare they deny but they are for going about Prayer and Praise which are Spiritual Duties without the Motion of the Spirit which is as much as to say in a Carnal manner for what is not done by the Spirit is done but in a Carnal manner And whereas they call his Second Answer A Clear Confession c. yet they tell us nothing of it pag. 96. They are no less disingenuous in alledging That G. K. dissenteth from R. B. and A. Sk. whom in their airy and frothy Minds they call his pretended Infallible Brethren for as G. K. requireth Inspirations to the Acceptable Performance of other Actions so doth A. Sk. and R. B. Yet we all say Wicked Men may very lawfully go about Natural and Civil Performances as to Plow to Eat to pay Debts as they are materially considered without Inspiration and in so doing although they fall short of Acceptable Performance for Defect of the right manner and the End they sin less than to omit those Actions and indeed sin not at all as to the Nature and Substance of them as they do who pray without Inspiration As for G. K. his Distinction of Mandatory and Permissory Inspirations it holds good notwithstanding all their Idle Inspirations mandatory and permissory Foolish and Impertinent Cavilling at it From the Words of Paul that he essayed to go to Bithynia but the Spirit permitted him not G. K. inferred by the Rule of Contraries That the Spirit sometimes permitted him To evade this they are sorely pinched In their Account of the Dispute pag. 30. they grant his Consequence That Paul at sometimes had a Permission but they deny it to be an Inspiration But here in this new Assault they deny That any Permission followeth by the Rule of Contraries from Paul 's Words alledging That he permitted him and he permitted him not are not Contraries But G. K. did not alledge these to be Contraries for they are flat Contradictory Propositions Contrary and Contradictory distinguished But these we say are Contraries The Spirit permitted not Paul to go to Bithynia therefore he permitted him to go sometimes to some Places This is a plain Inference from the Rule of Contraries by Contraries We mean not Contraries in the strict Logical Sense as when the Contrariety is betwixt two Vniversals but Opposites which in the common way of Speech are called Contraries and in the Logical Sense may be called Sub-Contraries Which do infer one another not to be true always simul semel at one Time and Place but at divers Times and Places c. As for Example If there be a South there must be a North if a Time to come there is a Time to be past If some things be Hot and not Cold other things must be Cold and not Hot. And to use a more near Example to the Matter in Hand If when a River is not permitted to Run by reason of an excessive Freezing that bindeth it up at one Time it followeth That it is permitted to Run at another Time when there cometh a Thaw Or yet to come nearer If the Wind do not permit a Ship to sail Southward at one Time it doth permit her at another Time to sail Southward We would not have insisted on such Rudiments had not the great Ignorance of the Students occasioned it Pag. 97. They close their § 9. most pitifully After having failed to refute G. K's Distinction of Permissory and Mandatory Inspirations they say They leave it to be proved by G. K. That the simple permitting of him meaning Permission not joined with a Command hath been by Inspiration The Students Evasions and preposterous Demands Here they shamefully desert their Undertaking which was to Refute permissive Inspirations but when they fail to do this they put G. K. to prove them Whereas they ought to remember that G. K. is not bound by the Law of Dispute to prove any thing being a meer Defendent yea when he offered ex abundanti to prove something in the Dispute they blamed him for so doing being but a Defendent And now they would have him leave Defendent and become Opponent This is a pitiful Confutation of the Quakers Principles that when they fall short in their Proofs against us put us to prove our own Principles But seeing they are so beggarly as to beg from G. K. a Proof of this he shall give it unto them and it is this Admit then that according to the
Worship God according as we Preached And therefore they said that He to wit God had wholly neglected the Salvation of all their Predecessors in permitting that these Miserable Souls should altogether be destitute to their utter Ruin of the Knowledge of Saving Truth This most odious Thought did much draw them back from the Worship of the True God but by the help of God this Error and Scruple was taken from them For we first did demonstrate unto them that the Divine Law was the Oldest of all yea before any Law was made by the Ancients Taught by Nature not to Kill c. The Japans knew by the Teaching of Nature that it was unlawful to Kill Steal Forswear and other things contained in the Ten Divine Laws as was evident in that when any of them Committed these Crimes they were tormented by the Pricks of their Consciences That hence Reason it self doth teach to flee the Evil and follow the Good and therefore was Implanted in the minds of all Men by Nature So that all have the Knowledge of the Divine Law from Nature and of God the Author of Nature before Discipline be added Of which were it doubted Trial might be made in some body altogether Void of Discipline who has been Educated in some Mountain or Wilderness without any Knowledge of the Laws of his Country For if such an one thus altogether Ignorant and Unacquainted with Humane Discipline were asked Whether to Kill a Man to Steal and these other things which the Law of God forbids were Sinful or not Or if it were not right to forbear these things Truly I say such an one utterly Ignorant of Humane Discipline would so answer that it would easily appear that he were not Void of the Law of God From whence then shall we judge he has drawn his Notion unless from God himself the Author of Nature If then this be manifest in Barbarous Men how much more in Men Civiliz'd and well-Educated Which being so it necessarily follows that the Divine Law was Implanted in Man's Heart before all Laws made by Man This Reason was so manifest to them that they were fully satisfied and so being delivered from these Snares did easily subject themselves to the sweet Yoak of Christ. Thus far Xaverius Thus it may seem that to satisfy these Japonians that their Fore-fathers were not all necessarily Damned and to shew that the Vniversal Love of God reached unto them to put them in a Capacity of Salvation This Cunning Jesuite could not find another way than by Asserting this Principle Albeit it be no ways Congruous to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome For these Antient Japonians could not be esteemed Members of the Church of Rome and as not being such according to the Romish Principle who say There is no Salvation without the Church that is without the Church of Rome must needs have been Damned II. That by vertue of that Light Men may be Converted and become Members of the Church without which is no Salvation Secondly That Notion and Definition of a Church which naturally arises from this Principle and is accordingly believed by the Assertors of it doth also both very well Agree to and Establish this Doctrine of Vniversal Love For by vertue of this Seed and Light Extended by Christ unto the Hearts of all it being supposed That Men may thereby be truly Converted and consequentially Vnited to Christ it naturally follows That such may become Members of the Church Else none of Old but the Families of the Patriarchs and of the Jews could have been judged to be Saved nor yet any during all the Time of the Apostacy Which as it is false in it self will be hardly affirmed by any And therefore since such might be Saved they must be esteemed Members of the Church without which in this large Sense there can be no Salvation as including the whole Body of Christ Of which Body who are not are certainly Excluded And therefore it is that the Church Catholick or Vniversal is not so confined to any Sect Form or External Profession as that those that are not Initiated in those Forms are Excluded absolutely from being Members of the Church unless it be upon Refusal or Resistance of the Will of God really manifest to them as drawing them to the Practice of particular Things For it hath pleased God at several Times to Require several things both of particular Churches and Persons which he has not of others As to the Jewish Converts To Abstain from things Strangled and Blood and to the Churches of the Gentiles Not to Circumcise which was permitted to the Christian Jews for a Time And from particular Persons many particular things have been Required Which albeit they were not general Obligations upon all Christians yet in so far as Manifested to and Required of them were sufficiently Obligatory And their Disobedience to them should have been in them a Breach of their General Obligation of Obedience which we owe to God in all things He Requires and consequently pernicious however others to whom they have never been Revealed nor Required might have been Saved without them III. That God by his Spirit Reveals his Will Immediately in the hearts of all true Christians Thirdly As the Asserting of Principles which commend the Love of God and shew the Great Extent of it to Mankind do most agree with Vniversal Love so this People in another Chief Principle of theirs do greatly shew it For as by the Preaching of this Vniversal Principle of the Light they shew the Extension of God's Love to all so by Preaching that God both doth and is willing to Reveal his Will Immediately by his own Spirit in the Hearts of all those that Receive his Light that so they may be guided acted and led thereby and know the Mind of God thus Inwardly Immediately in themselves they hold forth the Intension of God's Love to all those that follow and obey him so that they neither bind up this being led by the Spirit of God only to themselves nor stint it to singular and Extraordinary Occasions but hold it forth as a Common and Vniversal Priviledge to all true Christians and Members of the Church Now this Doctrine greatly Commends the Love of God and Establisheth the Principle of Vniversal Love in that it shews how Vniversally God hath offered this Blessed Priviledge to all in that He hath given his Light unto all upon the receiving of which this Immediate Guidance of the Spirit followeth as a necessary Concomitant For such as deny this Immediate Revelation of God's Will by his Spirit in the Hearts of his Children to be a Common and Vniversal Priviledge to all true Christians and Members of the Church must needs suppose the Knowledge of his Will Necessary for them to be Communicated to them by some other External Means as by outward Writings and Precepts insomuch that all such as are robbed of this Benefit are necessarily Excluded from
bring about the Peace of Christendom But this cannot be accomplished in you until you have first believed in the Light of Jesus Christ wherewithal you as well as all Men are Inlightned and which is given you as a sufficient Guide and Leader to lead out of Darkness to lead out Strife to lead out of the Lusts Jam. 4.1 from which the Wars come unto the Ways of Righteousness and Peace which leads not to destroy but to Love and forgive Enemies It is the minding of this and being led and guided by it that only can fit you for so great and good a Work for this is the Fruit of the Father's Love to Mankind and the Gift of God Isa. 49.6 Luc. 2.32 even Christ Jesus who was given for a Light to enlighten the Gentiles and for his Salvation unto the Ends of the Earth So it is by turning to this and following it and obeying it in which is sufficiency and which gives Power to the Receivers of it to become the Sons of God that the true Nature of Christianity can be brought forth and Restored and by which Kings and Princes Rulers and People may be brought out of Lust Envy Warring and Strife to true Peace with God and one with another And therefore the Cause of all the Mischief that is in Christendom is because this Light has not been minded nor regarded in the Heart but has been hated and overlooked as a low and insufficient thing and therefore the Seed of the Kingdom this Gift of the Father's Love this little Leaven this Pearl of great Prize and this Talent being hid in the Ground Condemned and Despised and the World and Worldly Mind being set over it notwithstanding all the Preaching and Praying and Professing of Christ in Words that has been only one outward Shew and Appearance by which Men might the more easily be deceived and live more securely in their Wickedness the Innocent Life of Christ hath not been known and all Christendom has brought forth bitter and sower Grapes under all their Talk and Forms of Worship and not the sweet and peaceable Fruits of Righteousness Which can never be brought until all come to him to the Light of Christ in their Consciences to follow and obey it and acknowledge it The Light of Christ leads to Life and to Truth and Peace as that which is given them of God and sufficient to lead them to Life and Salvation For as this is thus received and entertained the true Nature of Christ will be begotten and brought forth in People and then the Contrary Nature in which the Enmity and Strife is will die and pass away And so Truth and Peace will come to be settled and firmly established And for this End the Lord God Almighty is arisen and arising in his own Power and Glory who out of his Infinite Compassion having regard to the present distracted and desolate Condition of Christendom as seeing them Strangers to his Life and Power and led and guided at Will to the utter Ruine and Destruction both of Body and Soul by the Adversary of Mankind's true Happiness that he might Reveal the Light of his Truth even of True Christianity to those who have the Name only hath turned many who are Strangers and Enemies thereunto in their Minds by wicked Works to this precious Light by which Judgment has been laid to the Line Esa. 28.17 Mat. 12.20 and Righteousness to the Plummet in them and the evil Works and Nature in them have been Judged and Condemned and they have willingly abode under it until it hath been brought forth to Victory in them And many of them who have been Wise according to the Wisdom of the World have learned to lay it down at the Feet of Jesus that they might receive from him of his Pure and Heavenly Wisdom being contented in the Enjoyment of that by the World to be accounted Fools And also many of them who were Fighters and even Renowned for their Skill and Valour in Warring have come by the Influence of this Pure Light to Beat their Swords in Plough-shares Esa. 2.4 and their Spears in pruning-hooks and not learn Carnal War any more being Redeemed from the Lusts from which the Fighting comes And there are Thousands whom God hath brought here already who see to the End of all Contention and Strife and that for which the World Contends And albeit the Devil be Angry at them The Rage of the Devil against the Lord's Chosen and Rage against them in the meer Nominal and Literal Christians because he knows they strike at the very Root and Foundation of his Kingdom in Mens Hearts and therefore he prevails in his Followers to wit in these Literal Nominal Christians to Persecute Kill Beat Banish and Imprison and many ways vex them Yet because the Lord has Chosen them to be a First Fruit of that Glorious Work which he is bringing about in the Nations therefore they hitherto have notwithstanding of all that Opposition and yet shall Prosper By a Patient Enduring in the Spirit of Jesus they do and shall OVERCOME And therefore there is nothing can so much tend to the Good and Vniversal Peace of Christendom than for all and every one to mind this Gift of God in themselves and not only to suffer but to rejoyce at the Preaching and Promulgating of the Vniversality of this glorious Light whereunto God is now calling many For as the Resisting and Slaying of this in themselves as well as in those who come in the Name of God to declare it is the Cause of all the Mischief that Christendom labours under so also it s being received and taking Place would remove and do it away Be not therefore easily Engaged by the Enemy to slight and reject those things as foolish and weak and too low for you to Consider or give Place unto for thereby the Enemy always laboured to vail and darken the Counsel of God and hindred it from being received by Men. 1 King 2.8 Luc. 21.2 Mat. 27.20 Job 18.40 Thus the King of Israel despised the Counsel of Micah at the Instigation of his Mocking Prophets but Remember that you profess to be Followers of Jesus who was loaden with many Reproaches accounted a Disturber and to whom Barrabas a Murderer was preferred by the Counsel and Advice of the wise Rabbies and great Professors among the Jews and Remember that you profess your selves to be Owners of that Gospel whose First and Chief Ministers and Preachers were accounted Foolish and Illiterate Men Act. 2 7. ch 4 13. ch 17 18 19 20. ch 21 28. ch 24 5 6. ch 25 7. Movers of Sedition Idle Bablers and Turners of the World upside Down And therefore be not easily frighted by these and such like Reports and Reproaches from hearing those whom God hath Called and Chosen that in and amongst them he may be glorified and by them may Restore that in reality in the so called Christian
to a Dispute as if a man for removing of Mistakes and Mis-representations could not give an Account of his Faith without it be Esteemed a Provocation to Dispute If he really believes I intended so I must tell him he is greatly Mistaken and I Apprehend I should know my own Intentions large as well as he He is offended that our Doctrines should be thought as different from Papists as Protestants but with how little ground will after appear And he also refers it to a fitter Probation Then after he has knocked as hard as he can upon me for my Confidence he tells me That there is little said by me but what was Refuted ere I was Born by the Orthodox Writing against Pelagians Socinians Arminians Enthusiasts Anabaptists and Papists But methinks then there was the less need of troubling the World with his Volume Yet he has for that a ready Salvo He must Answer a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own Conceit Some other Reasons he adds for Ingaging in this his Work which the Reader may judge of whether they be of any Weight ¶ 3. As he goes on he is greatly Offended I should Style my self a Servant of the Lord and will have it to be upon no better ground than Thomas Muncer and the Annabaptists of Munster But because all this is founded upon the Supposition of my being a false Prophet and Preaching another Gospel than the true we must leave it to the Reader 's Judgment after he has taken time to Consider of the Whole Debate But because he speaks here of the producing Credentials Which are the Priest's Credentials for his Ministry pretended I would willingly have him producing his Credentials for being a Minister of the Gospel and it may be then seen if I cannot produce as valid for any thing I Style my self only he must remember That as his must have something more than his own Affirmation or those of his party so he must overturn mine with some stronger Arguments than meer Railing ¶ 4. He needs not Apprehend as he would Insinuate That the Omission of any words in the Theses perfixed to the Apology proceeds from my being Ashamed of the name QVAKER since himself bears witness in the very same page that I fully Acknowledg it in the Explanation of the Eleventh Thesis Here he has a Descant upon Trembling and seems to strange that any Quaker should bring the Example of Moses and Habbakkuk to shew that such a thing was not so much to be wondred at in the Saints but why this should be Esteemed Impertinent by him he doth not tell us As for the foaming at the mouth he talks of both here and elsewhere it is Returned upon him as a Calumny and he is desired to prove it but it must be by some more Credible and Impartial Testimony than his Mr. Stalham for Parties use not to be Admitted as Witnesses For his denominating us by that Name of Distinction I shall not quarrel But as for his Insinuation in the beginning of page 5. where he saith It is like J. B.'s malitious Insinuation against our owning the H. Scriptures and Schools of Learning we would gladly have them casting away their Bibles as no more to be regarded than the Turks Alcoran it bespeaketh the Height of Malice as to which I shall only say The Lord forgive him for so gross a Calumny which he that is the Searcher of Hearts knows to be a most horrible Lie He goes on after his usual manner saying I inveigh against all Humane Learning that hath been any ways made use of in Theology but where he finds this Asserted by me I know not Whether the Words he would deduce it from to wit That Man has rendred the plain and naked Truth obscure and mysterious by his Wisdom will bear such a Consequence is left to the Reader 's Judgment But he thinks he has found out our Secret Design of being against Learning and Schools of Learning which is neither our Affirmation nor Principle but his own false Supposition We would saith he have all those Banished that we might the more easily prevail with our Errors But methinks the Man should be more wary in venting his own false Imaginations unless he could bring some ground for them For his Assertion is so far Vntrue that if he had been rightly Informed he might have known that we have set up Schools of Learning for Teaching of the Languages and other needful Arts and Sciences and that we never denied its Vsefulness Only we denied it to be a Qualification absolutely necessary for a Minister in which Case alone we have Opposed its Necessity ¶ 5. He Confesseth I speak not amiss in saying The World is overburthened with Books but thinks that my Apology of Fifty Sheets adds some Considerable Weight But methinks he of all Men should have here been Silent who has troubled the World with an Examination of it a great deal Larger albeit he Confesseth All that is in it hath been Refuted by the Orthodox long ago And not only so but since that he has Written a Book near Twice as Large upon one Point to prove the First Day of the Week to be the Christian Sabbath and yet is but the First Time and seems but to be the Porch of what he intends upon that Subject With his Vsual Candor he saith I am against Disputes and Debates or Books written of that Nature Solid Controversy for clearing the Truth useful But to infer simply That I am against all such because I Reprove the vain Jangling that hath been and is among the School-Men is an ill Consequence He shall not find me any where speaking against useful and solid Controversies for clearing and maintaining of Truth He seemeth not to disapprove what I speak against School-Divinity Confessing the Abuse of it albeit he thinks it hath been of Vse And as for this Imagination of my being Acquainted with it we will place it among his other Mistakes He proceedeth page 8. to say I am against the Labours of those that have writ Commentaries but his Conclusion here is like others of this Nature When I mention Commentaries it is with Relation to what goes before He will not deny but Many Books are written under the Notion of Commentaries on the Scripture by which the Truth has been more Darkened than Cleared will it therefore follow that he Condemns Commentaries indefinitly As for such Writings tending to the Opening of the Scripture in which the Authors are Acted and Influenced by the same Spirit from which the Scriptures came and which alone can give the True Meaning of them I am so far from Condemning them that I highly Approve them as very Beneficial to the Church of Christ. As for his Talk here of our Disrespect to the Scriptures I shall have occasion to take Notice of it where they are particularly treated of But he is Apt to think that the real ground of my
Prejudice against such Books is because so much is to be found in them against my Old Errors for I cannot but know saith he that whoever reads these must see my Nakedness and Folly without much Study As for this Imagination we must take it with much more upon Trust but this helps to prove the Needlesness of his large Examination ¶ 6. At his usual rate of Perverting he goes on to say That the Account I make of all the Learned Men of the World is that they are Scribes and Disputers of the World c. But for proof of this we have nothing He Confesseth the Words to be those of the Apostle and how he proveth that I have a different Meaning from the Apostle I know not After he hath Commended his Learned Men and loaded the Quakers with Reproaches he concludes this Paragraph page 8. with another Falshood and yet he will have it Remarked to wit That according to my Judgment the Pure and Naked Truth of God was never unfolded nor Declared until the Generation of the Quakers arose But where he finds me saying so he tells not and indeed cannot since such a thing was never Asserted by me For Answer to my saying That God has laid aside the Wise and Learned and made use of Illiterate Men as to Letter-Learning after he saith It is Affirmed without Proof not considering how Improper it was not to Expect any formal Probation upon the Occasion and manner it was delivered he gives us divers Citations out of the Apostle Paul warning against Seducers All which I acknowledge to be True but the Question lieth in the right Application And yet since albeit he believes they very Appositly agree to us he thinks it not his present Business to Demonstrate it it will need no Reply After he has proceeded in his Tenth page according to his usual sort of Railing affirming the great Difference betwixt our Doctrine and that of the Apostles he brings forth a mighty Charge That I usurp the Throne of God and Judge of Men's Hearts and Intentions but how Guilty himself is of that Crime hath been in part already shewn and will hereafter more appear But why do I so because I say The Clergy have Clouded the Truth The Clergy Clouding the Truth that the People might Admire and Maintain them that the Common People might Maintain and Admire them But have not Protestants and that truly Asserted this of the Popish Clergy and is not the Thesis directed to such Will it not then hold True according to his own Judgment of a great yea the greatest Part of those to whom it is directed what then will become of his Clamours Yea if it were needful I could give Instances of very Mean Thoughts he and his Party have of many of the Protestant Clergy yea and Reflections not much if any thing inferiour to this to verify with how little Ground he quarrelleth me here As for his Malitious Aspersion That there are shrewd Presumptions our Stock lies at Rome he should have produced some of them if he could We could never yet Obtain for this Old Calumny from our Adversaries the least Probation and it will be found as hard for him to prove it as he may think it for such who strongly Affirm Their great IDOL the COVENANT was Contrived at Rome and came from thence As for his Reflections upon our Church as being All Eyes and Ears it will be proper to speak of it in its own Place Next to prove the Positions of the Quakers to be such as overturn and destroy the Gospel he bringeth page 11. divers Citations out of Mr. Norton and Mr. Stalham as he terms them adding More may be had out of Mr. Hicks J. B.'s False witnesses contributing to his bulky Book But such Witnesses will have small Credit with Impartial Readers If he himself had dealt Impartially he should have first read our Answers to them ere he had given them such Authority It were Easie for me by way of Reply to Transcribe what our Friends have written particularly by way of Answer to them did I as much Affect to have my Writings bulky as it seems he doth He closeth up this with a Fit of Railing and after he has quarrelled me pag. 12. for having an high Conceit as he imagines of my Theses he falls fresh to that Work again telling They have Weight to sink into the bottomless Pit the poor Soul that embraces them I never sought any should Receive Doctrines as Truth upon my Bare Testimony and therefore he needs not Vpbraid me with so doing And whereas on the Contrary as himself immediately Observes I leave what I say to the LIGHT in every Man's Conscience it shews with how little Reason he made his former Alledgance After he has pleased himself with making an Impertinent Conjecture of the Import of these Words that so he might if he could render them Ridiculous he cometh at last to the True Vnderstanding of them And truly he needed not fear at my being offended that he should make a Judgment of what I writ according to his Conscience but he went the wrong way to Work when his Labour is to pervert and wrest and make them speak what they do not This apparently proceeds from Malice and Prejudice and the Light of his Conscience if he had minded it would never have prompted him so to do Thus I am come to the End of the First Chapter ¶ 7. In the Second Chapter Intituled Of the true Ground of Knowledge I find he cannot Contradict what is Asserted by me only because he must be Carping he makes a Noise that Joh. 17.3 cited by me So much of the Sentence was not set down in the First as Second Edition What a pitiful Cavil this is the Reader may easily judge since the Place was noted it was enough though never a Word had been set down but this with him is a bad Omen Let the Judicious judge of this Man's Judgment in the Matter But because he cannot Quarrel at what is said he will quarrel That so much is not said as he judged meet But he may be pleased to understand that I judged my self under no Necessity to Advise with him what was Needful for me to Write But saith he since I take upon me to Teach the whole World it is strange it should be so Natural for this Man to write Vntruths since I direct my Theses only to the Christian World But if it may render me odious such Peccadillo's pass with him it seems but for Piae Fraudes I intended never to write of those things concerning which we do not differ from others But let us see wherein he accounts me Defective I have Written nothing saith he of the Nature and Attributes of God I write not to Atheists but Christians who already acknowledge and I judge it not my Work to write Books to perswade Men of that they already profess to believe But I write not Expresly and
Arnoldus pag. 18 19. to which I refer For I believe All Men in a Day have by the gracious Visitation of God's Love an Vnderstanding well disposed to some Divine Revelations which becomes Disposed for others as these are Received which will after in its place be discussed And some Divine Revelations which are Prophetick of things to come may so far manifest themselves by their Self-Evidence even to Men not Regenerate as to force an Assent as in the Case of Balaam mentioned by him did apper What he saith further pag. 36 and 37. inquiring How and after what manner these Revelations were the Object of the Saints Faith of Old is easily answered by applying it to what is before mentioned in Answer to his Queries and Conjectures of the Formal Object For those of Old that had these Revelations Immediately the Formal Object of their Faith was God manifesting himself and his Will in them to them by such Revelations And those who received and obeyed the things delivered by the Patriarchs and Prophets those things so delivered as he confesseth were not the Formal The Material and Formal Object of FAITH but Material Object of their Faith but the Formal Object was GOD by the secret and inward Testimony of his Spirit perswading them in their Hearts that these things declared to them were really his Command and thence inclining and bowing their Minds to an Assent and Obedience to them And albeit pag. 38. he terms this a Wild Assertion yet he hath but said and not proved it to be so and till he prove he needs no further Refutation Neither is it Non-sense nor yet a destroying of the Cause as with the like proofless Confidence he affirms p. 37. That where Revelations are made by outward Voices or in a manner objected to the outward Senses the Cause or Motive of Credibility is not so much because of what the outward Senses perceive as because of the Inward Testimony of the Spirit assuring the Soul that it is GOD so manifesting himself Which Testimony to answer his Question is distinguishable from what is objected to the outward Senses albeit it go always along with it simul semel as they use to say since he with me accounts it a Serious Truth to say The Devil may delude the External Senses and he can far more easily deceive them than the True Inward and Spiritual Senses of the Soul by Counterfeiting the Inward Testimony of the Spirit Since by that the Apostle saith We know and partake of that which neither Eye hath seen nor Ear heard ¶ 9. Pag. 39. He confesseth with me That the Formal Object of the Saints Faith is always the same But yet that he may say something he spendeth the Paragraph in Railing accusing me As writing Non-sense and being an Ignoramus because I bring Instances which relate to the Material Object which himself Confesseth also to be the same in Substance But by his good Leave for all he is so positive in his Judgment I must shew the Reader his Mistake The Formal Object of Abraham's Faith For those Examples of Abraham and others are adduced by me to shew the one-ness of the Formal Object neither has he shewn that they are Impertinent for that End Since as the Formal Object of Abraham's Faith was God's speaking to him by Divine Revelations so is the same the Formal Object of the Saints now and therein stands the Vnity or Oneness of our Faith with him and not in the Material Object which often differs For to offer up his Son was a part of the Material Object of his Faith which is none of ours now And so for as much as he desires to know of me What was the Material Object of Adam 's Faith before the Fall a Question not to the purpose he must first tell me why he so Magisterially and positively denies Christ to have been the Object of his Faith And then he may have an Answer And whereas he flouts at that Reason That Actions are specified from their objects as Non-sensical he should have proved and shewn Wherein And then I might have Answer'd him He might have Wit enough to know that no man of Reason will be moved by his bare Railing Assertions pag. 40. besides a deal of Railing wherein he accuseth me of Confusion and Darkness He accounts my Arguing for Immediate Revelation from the Revelations the Patriarchs and Prophets had Impertinent to which I Answered before The sum of which is that since these Immediate Revelations were so frequent under the Law Revelations frequent under the Law it must be very absurd to say They are Ceased under the Gospel He himself proveth pag. 41. that under the New there is a more clear Discovery according to that of Paul 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord c. which being brought by him albeit against himself I leave him to Answer In this page and the next 42 he alledgeth the sayings of Christ and his Apostles brought by me and my Arguments thence do prove no more than he Confesseth But whether they prove not all I plead for from thence is left to the Reader 's Judgment Here according to his Custom tho I Condemn the Socinians he will be insinuating that I Agree with them to whose Notions of the Spirit albeit I Assent not yet I desire to know of him That the Spirit is a distinct Person of the Trinity no Proof in Scripture for it in what Scripture he finds these words That the Spirit is a distinct Person of the Trinity For I freely acknowledge according to the Scripture That the Spirit of God proceedeth from the Father and the Son and is God And by what Authority he seeks to obtrude upon others Expressions of the Chief Articles of Faith not to be found in Scripture or to accuse such as will not Accept of them and Assent to them or whether any has reason to think he truly makes the Scripture the Rule of his Faith notwithstanding his pretence when he either will not or can not find words in it to Express the Chief Articles of his Creed ¶ 10. Pag. 43. By a strange Mistake he would have me prove since I make use of these promises of Christ relating to the Spirit I would prove that all have Warrant to write Scripture As if no man could have Immediate Revelation without he write Scripture Whereas himself Confesseth that many of the Patriarchr had it before Moses who yet wrote no Scripture yea and Cain whom I suppose he judgeth to have been no Writer of Scripturs And by the like Mistake pag. 55. He Confesseth all I plead for J. B's Self-Contradiction in granting Revelation and Contradicts all he has been fighting for in affirming That Believers now have free Access to Christ the great Teacher of his People always to get his mind known and Written in their Hearts but not to get Prophetick Revelations
every Reader The Apostle's Saying I am Carnal c. made a Plea for Sin by J.B. with his Meaning put without Proof To whom we will then leave it To my affirming That the Apostle is not Rom. 7.14 speaking of himself but personating others in that State after he has told me that Socinians and Arminians say so he tells me The Circumstances of the Text evince the contrary and then gives a kind of a Preachment upon the Place which I shall accept as a Declaration of his Sense but must wait the next time to have him prove it He saith The Apostle doth not Contradict this Chap. 6.2 That the Apostle doth not Contradict himself is without doubt to me but he must endeavour to Reconcile the Meaning he gives to the Apostle's Words when he has leisure He saith Paul in a respect was a Carnal Man but unless he prove him to have been so in respect of sinning at that time he saith nothing To my urging Rom. 8.35 where the Apostle saith Nothing shall separate him because where Sin is Continued there is a Separation He denieth that where Sin is striven and wrestled against it maketh a Separation but the matter is How he proveth that those who strive and wrestle aganst Sin do daily commit Sin And until he do this he but begs the Question To prove the Impossibility of being free from sinning daily from the Examples of Noah's and David's Sins he useth this Argument J. B ' s. Argument for sinning daily in Thought Word and Deed If these Men whom the Spirit of God stileth Perfect and Men according to God's Heart have had their Failings and these Failings are Registrated for our use Then we have no Scripture-Warrant for such a Pefection here as is not attended with Sin he should have said as doth not admit a sinning daily in Thought Word and Deed if he would have concluded according to the State of the Question But the former is true Therefore c. Refuted But I deny the Consequence of this Proposition or the Connexion of the Major Besides the Argument is defective divers ways if he had stated and then proved it That if such whom the Scripture call Perfect did break the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed then he had argued to the purpose And for their Failings being recorded to our use it cannot infer the Necessity of our sinning daily unless he will be so absurd as to say that they are therefore Recorded that we may Imitate their Failings and not avoid them In fine let him cause his Argument conclude in the Term of the Question to wit That every Man notwithstanding any Grace received must sin daily in Thought Word and Deed and prove his Propositions and he shall not want either an Acknowledgment or an Answer And lastly to conclude this Chapter he saith I should rather have cited the old Begardi than the Fathers and the old Alumbrados who had the same Opinion and Practices suitible But if their Opinion was That Men may be free from Sin The old Begardi and Alumbrados mentioned by J. B. to have the same Opinion of Perfection and their Practices suitable sure then they were perfect and if so deserve more to be followed than J. B. or his Brethren whose Principle and Practice as himself confesseth is for Sin and daily continuing in it against any Perfection except such as can admit of Sin For To be Breaking the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed is Essential to his Christianity SECT X. Wherein his Fifteenth Chapter Of Perseverance is Considered ¶ 1. IN this Chapter of Perseverance it would seem the Man fancieth he hat got into the Pulpit for he Affirms as if all that read him were bound to believe without further Inquiry For after he has Introduced himself with his old Accusation of Pelagianism he Concludeth This Doctrine of the possibility of Falling from Grace to depend upon Free will and ushereth in a long Invective against this as maintained by me upon the Supposition of his old reiterated Calumny That I asserted All the Regeneration of the Saints to proceed only from the Light of Nature without the effectual Operation of the Spirit of Grace which how false it is hath above been shewn He giveth us a large Citation out of their Confession of Faith with an Account thence deduced or Explanation thereupon In what respect they hold Perseverance Wherein if he will hold to the first Asserted by him to wit That they assert not the Perseverance of any that are not truly Regenerated we are Agreed for in that Sense I never did deny it And then he gives Eight Considerations for their Doctrine all which conclude nothing but upon the Supposition of the Truth of their former Principles especially of Election and Absolute Reprobation so that it is but a begging of the Question as his very Eighth Consideration shews pag. 356. N. 14. to wit That the affirming this Doctrine to wit That there may be a falling away from beginnings of true and saving Grace will give a Blow unto many Articles of their Faith But can this have any Weight to Convince such as do not believe these Articles of their Faith It seems then it is not for me or any Quaker that this is written so we are the less concerned to trouble our selves with it ¶ 2. At last he comes pag. 357. N. 15. to Examin my Arguments And first to what I urge from Jud. vers 4. where it is spoken of some That turned the Grace of God into Wantonness he saith This is not understood of the true Grace of God but External Grace such as is that Tit. 2.12 which teacheth to deny Vngodliness But for this he gives no Proof Next it seems to him The Grace of God that teacheth to deny ungodliness mentioned Tit. 2. v. 12. is not the true Grace of God Where learned he this or how proveth he it He saith To understand the Faith which some are said to have made shipwrack of 1 Tim. 1.19 to be true and saving Faith is contrary to 2 Tim. 2.17 and other Places J. B. Asserts That the Grace of God that teaches to deny Vngodliness is not the True Grace and the falling from Faith a falling only from the Doctrine of Faith where the Doctrine of Faith is spoken of thence he concludes It was only the Doctrine of Faith they fell from But this is a Conclusion fit only for Credulous Persons and proveth nothing unless he will argue because in some Places the Doctrine of Faith is spoken of therefore where ever Faith is spoken of it must be understood of the Doctrine of Faith and not of true and saving Faith which were most Absurd He saith to Heb. 6.4 5. The Words are not Absolute but Conditional if they fall away but such a Condition importeth the thing supposed to be possible being given for a Caution He adds There is nothing there that is necessarily to be
Durham as he calls him and giving the Example of Judas J B.'s Gospel-Ministers Call and Qualification may agree to the Devil himself whom yet they will not turn away from of which hereafter However we see according to him That not only one who wanteth Holiness but even a Devil may and ought to be esteemed heard and obeyed as a Minister of Christ and that all they judge needful in the Call and Qualification of a Gospel-Minister may agree to the Devil himself nor can they be sure but their Ministers may be all Devils for ought they know It is false that he addeth in this page 370. That I agree with Socinians and Arminians in affirming That whoever understands the Truth of the Gospel and are able to instruct others may and have Right to Teach This I no-where affirmed and do wholly deny whatever Knowledge or Ability a Man have to Instruct by reason of his Gifts either natural or acquired that he ought to take upon him to Teach without being particularly Called thereunto and therefore the Scriptures he brings against such as say so are not to the purpose against me To my first Argument he confesseth That it proveth the necessity I speak of to make a Man a real upright and sincere Minister before God but that any that are not real and upright are to be esteemed Ministers at all or heard as such I deny and remains for him to prove Why are we so often forbidden to hear false Teachers And that this is not only with respect to Teaching false Doctrine the Apostle shews 2 Tim. 3. v. 5. where he exhorts to Turn away from such as have the form of Godliness only which cannot consist with false Doctrine To my Second Argument mentioned pag. 372 he Confesseth what he saith further in that Paragraph is above answered To my Argument shewing That if the Inward Testimony of the Spirit be not thought needful the Gospel-Ministry should be postponed to the Legal he most ridiculously answers Then the Jews needed to doubt of the Priests and Levites whereas my Argument was If they were certain and we should be uncertain it would make the Evangelical worse than the Legal and therefore to this he returneth nothing further but Railing Pag. 373. n. 10. he asketh How I will prove That all such as want the Call of the Spirit come not in by the door but are Thieves and Robbers affirming Here a Man may come in the Way appointed by Christ though they want this whereas before pag. 369. and in the end of this page he affirms the Necessity of an Inward Call saying They must have an Inward Call I run not out as he alledgeth upon a Mistake in saying The Succession of the Church is objected against this Doctrine albeit J. B. and his We may not do so since I write to others than he will perhaps include in his We. He bestoweth his n. 12. pag. 374. in Railing and referring to what is formerly said by him pag. 375. n. 13. To my Answer to that Objection That who pretend to an Immediate Call should prove it by Miracles shewing It was the same Objected by Papists against the Primitive Protestants he in a frothy manner desires me to take it thus and it will be too hot for my Fingers That they J. B. pleads for Miracles c. to evidence a Call who had Immediate Calls from God were able to give evidence of the same by Miracles or some other evident Testimony of the Spirit which to contradict had been Iniquity and utterly Vnreasonable I grant the whole and therefore desire him to shew me and prove it What way the first Reformers did thus evidence their Call which is not done by those called Quakers But his Probation must be somewhat solider than the Railing with which he filleth up the rest of this Paragraph Pag. 376. n. 14. as it should be marked he argueth against my saying That such as receive and believe the Call of true Ministers verify it and become the Signs of their Apostleship 2 Cor. 13.3 albeit this was the very Answer given by Beza to Claudius Espenseus at the Conference of Poissy by Papists against Protestants and let him urge this if he can any way against us which may not be as well urged by Protestants against Papists and if he cannot he doth but work for his great Father the Pope to whom to their great Shame the Protestant Clergy begin to Recur to Justify their Calling Having ended this Paragraph with Railing he begins the next with a silly groundless Perversion and Inference The Inward Life is their true Call and Title viz. That because I say that this to wit the Inward Life and Vertue which is in true Ministers is that which giveth to the Minister the true and substantial Call and Title it follows That the Extraordinary Call was no true and substantial Title As if any Extraordinary Call wanted this Life and Vertue and that albeit it prove an Evidence to such as receive them yet some may have it who are Rejected of Rebellious Men. To prove the necessity of Laying on of Hands he asketh Why then were Hands laid upon Paul and Barnabas Act. 13.3 citing other places Answ. Because there was then a Spiritual Vertue Communicated by that Action which they ascribe not to theirs yea the places cited by him prove it as Mark 16.18 Luk. 13.13 where the Laying on of hands is said to Cure the Sick I said not The Apostles and their laying on of Hands do differ from J. B.'s c. that the laying-on of hands always was the giving of the Holy Ghost it is enough if it was a Communicating of some spiritual Vertue which by their own Confession theirs is not Af◠he has ended this Paragraph with Railing he ends this Chapter with observing the Infallibility pleaded for in Ministers by some Quakers but if he judgeth them to Err in this he should have applied himself to them answering the Arguments by which they vindicate what they say in that matter ¶ 3. I come now to his Eighteenth Chapter of Ministerial Qualifications Where after he has begun and repeated some Words of mine The Grace of God doth Qualify the Minister or Preacher he will have the Grace of God to respect not the esse or being but bene esse or well-being of a Minister albeit elswhere he would be mincing this and eating it up yet it appears to be his Belief To prove which he asketh pag. 380. What I think of Balaam who is called a Prophet not a false Prophet But he hath not proved That no more is Required in a Gospel-Minister than in a Prophet meerly to fore-tell things to come God's speaking to him urgeth nothing For God spake also to Cain as himself confesseth Chap. 3. yet it will not follow that Cain had all the Qualifications requisite to a Gospel-Minister To my answer of Judas that they had not proved he wanted Grace when
it is not he that speaketh but the Spirit in him for this savoureth not of a Christian Spirit to seek to draw an Absurdity or make a Mock of that which is no other than Christ's Express Words Matth. 10.20 Mark 13.3 And indeed what he saith in this page N. 9. in answer to these Scriptures seemeth rather a Mock at Christ and his Apostles than any Answer asking me If I know not that Christ gave them their Preaching with them telling them what they should say And as ye go preach saying The Kingdom of God is at Hand And a little after he saith They had their Sermon taught them before-hand But dare he say That Christ's Words before-mentioned were therefore false This he must say or else prove nothing Or will he say that the Apostles in all that Progress said nothing but these seven Words The Kingdom of God is at Hand For according to him this was all they said which they had learned afore-hand and not as the Holy Ghost taught them in that Hour what to say albeit it be Christ's Express Words Luke 12.12 Pag. 447. to my Argument that according to their Doctrine the Devil himself ought to be heard seeing he knoweth the Notion of Truth and excelleth many of them in Learning and Eloquence he answers Why doth the Man thus speak Vntruth Do we say that every one though he were the Devil if he speak Truth should be heard Do they not say That Men ought to be heard and accounted as Ministers albeit void of the true Grace of God if having the formality of the outward Call And to prove this do not they bring the Example of Judas whom Christ called a Devil And they suppose him to have been such even when sent by Christ and deserved to be heard as his Apostle Let him consider then how he can shun what I have affirmed And albeit the Devil may speak without Study J. B. argues for acquiring the Gift of Preaching by outward Study of the Letter yet he cannot be said to Speak by the Spirit of God which is the thing we affirm needful to Gospel-Preaching And for his last Argument pag. 448. That since extraordinary Gifts Ceased there hath been no ordinary way of Preaching but by ordinary Gifts studied and acquired It is but a bare begging of the Question and the same upon the Matter with his new-enforced Objection which I answered towards the beginning of my Third Section of Immediate Revelation ¶ 4. I come now to his Twenty fourth Chapter of Prayer And as to his first Paragraph there needs no Debate for except some Railing intermixed I own what is asserted in it as to the Necessity of Prayer and its being through Christ as Mediator In the next he alledgeth I speak untruly in saying That the Acts of their Religion are produced by the Strength of the Natural Will for they can pray when they please But how truly this is affirmed concerning them will after appear Albeit in opposition to it after citing a passage out of the Larger Catechism J. B. owns the Spirit necessary to Prayer he saith They own the Influences of the Spirit as alsolutely necessary to this Duty Which if he would hold to there needed no further Debate I should agree to it For he doth untruly state the Question when he saith a little after That the Motions and Inspirations I plead for are extraordinary which is false and never said by me And therefore his building on it is in vain as well here as pag. 452-457-459 461. where he insinuates That I judge not the gracious and ordinary Influences of the Spirit a sufficient Warrant to pray which is false What he saith pag. 451. of the Necessity of Prayer at some times and of the Scriptures mentioning Prayers being made three times a day I deny not nor is it to the purpose The Question is Whether any can pray acceptably without the Spirit We see he hath granted they cannot then the thing to be proved is Whether the general Command authorized any to set about it albeit in a manner which is granted will not avail and is unacceptable So the matter resolves in Examining what he can say from Scripture or other ways to prove this And that there may be no Mistake let it be considered that I deny not the General Obligation to pray upon all so that they Who do not pray do sin who do not pray sin albeit they be not sensible of the Spirit 's Help enabling them to do it But that the way to avoid this Sin is not to Commit another to pray without the Spirit but to Wait for the Spirit that they may pray acceeptably seeing without it though they should use words of Prayer it would be no fulfilling of the Command And first then to what he argueth pag. 452. from the Reiterated Commands of God to pray I answer That God's Command lays upon Man an Obligation to pray I deny not but God commands no Man to pray unacceptably God Commands the right Performance of Prayer and this he has confessed cannot be without the Spirit therefore God commands no Prayer without the Spirit God Commands no Prayer without the Spirit neither is the Command answered or fulfilled by such as pray without it To this he Objecteth pag. 453 and 458. That the same Moral Duties might be shifted until the Spirit lead to them and also Natural Acts of Sleeping Eating c. which are Abomination in the Wicked And yet to go round he accuseth me p. 454 albeit falsly of saying Men may pray without the Grace of God Which by this Objection is his own Faith since he will not deny but Men may Sleep and Eat without the Grace of God But to this Objection I answered in my Apology shewing the difference betwixt these Acts and Acts of Worship which he grants pag. 461. And albeit I confess which he urgeth here that these profit not the Man at all as with respect to God's Favour when done without the Spirit yet they really fulfil the Matter of the thing Commanded in relation to our Neighbours and to our selves in Eating Drinking Sleeping else it would be Self-Murder But in Prayer the matter is not fulfilled without the Spirit which relateth only to God to whom every Prayer without the Spirit is an Evil Savour and not in any true and proper Sense a Prayer for Prayer as to the material Part cannot be performed without the Spirit He confesseth according to their Catechism That the Spirit is needful to know what to pray for which is the material part but the necessity of the Spirit as to these other things is only as to the formal part The formal part of Nature's Acts directed by the Spirit or right manner And this pleading for Praying from these Natural Acts shews how he Contradicts himself in saying It is untrue that they are for Prayer without the Spirit for if they be not this Argument were
be Administred upon all without respect of Persons Who will but open their Eyes may see here the Man so desperately Resolved to Calumniate that he neither seems to Regard his Conscience towards God nor his Reputation among Men that he may fulfil his Envy in this particular but such gross Abuses will not hurt but help the Quakers Yea in the very next Page he taketh notice That I grant to the Magistrate only Liberty to judge in matters touching the Life and Goods of others c. So here is some lawful power As for the malitious Insinuation that follows it needs no other Refutation with Men of Sobriety but to Repeat it to wit But probably not of Quakers for they are perfect and so cannot do wrong Is not this solidly and learnedly and Christianly argued Reader Thinkest thou that to say That this Restriction is destroyed because Men may pretend Conscience in wronging their Neighbours as some have done in committing Villanies saith nothing since the Proposition expresly allows the Magistrate to punish Acts that are materially injurious to Civil Society albeit Conscience be pretended After according to his usual manner he has given us a large Citation out of the Confession of Faith and some Quibbles about the word Conscience which as not directly concerned in this Debate for brevity's sake I omit Secondly he comes pag. 504. n. 5. to say That I most perversly state the question in saying The Magistate has not power to Compel Men against their Consciences in matters of Region and why J. B. Asserts that for Magistrates to force an Outward Conformity is not a Compelling Men contrary to their Consciences Because I distinguish not betwixt Elicit and Imperate Acts of Conscience that is as himself explains Inward and Outward for as to the firts he confesseth The Magistrate is not to Compel Men so as to hinder-them to think judge understand and conclude in their mind as they will but only in speaking writing and open professing which are visible and audible yea he thinks the Magistrates Power doth not only extend on this side to Prohibition but that he may also force them to Hear and to the Vse of Publick Means that is in plain terms to an Outward Conformity and yet he saith This is no Force upon Conscience Well! then Popish Magistrates according to him used no Force upon the Consciences of Protestants in forcing them to hear Mass nor yet the Pagans upon Christians in forcing them to go to Idol-worships and to come near home the present Magistrates in Scotland use no Force upon the Consciences of his Brethren the Presbyterians in the West-country in Constraining them to go to hear the Bishops Curates as they term them where they cannot pretend there is any thing of Idolatry As for his distinction of the Magistrates having Power of Outward but not Inward Acts it were enough for me to Reject it as not being proved by him to be founded on Scripture as indeed it is most deceitful For if the Magistrate Restrain me from doing that Outward Action either of Confessing to Truth or Denying Error Abstaining from Idolatry or False Worship and practising the True which my Inward Perswasion convinceth me of he Incroacheth upon and takes upon him to Rule over my Inward Perswasion as well as the Outward Christ requires an outtoward Confession which follows naturally from the Inward And without doing whereof my Inward could add nothing to me save Condemnation seeing Christ requires an Outward Confession And if the Magistrates Power as to Outward Acts even in Matters of Religion be limited then he of right may Decide and Judge of all outward Matters relating to Religion which John Brown may remember his Brethren have strongly denied reserving that only for the Kirk For to say as he addeth That the Magistrate has Power to punish Hereticks but not the Orthodox is as I observed miserably to beg the Question since never any Magistrate was so mad as to persecute Truth as Truth but still under the Notion of Error The sum of what he saith further upon this Matter pag. 505-507 508 509. in answer to me resolves in these two Objections ¶ 3. First That my Arguments do no less take away the Magistrates Power in Civils Secondly That by the same Arguments may be denied and taken away all Church-Censures which I grant and in so doing contradict my self or must answer my own Arguments For proof of the First he tells That many Magistrates have been or may be uncapable to judge in Civil Matters as well as Religion as also have done Injustice in their Judgment Answ. True but all this will no ways infer his Conclusion The being of the Civil Magistrate is to judge of Civil not Religious Matters because they still had that which was needful to the being of Magistracy that is being duly Constitute for of Vsurpers we do not here speak however they may want these Qualities which might more accomplish them in their Employment or that they may Err in the Administration of it But Christianity and consequently to judge in Matters of Religion doth not so much as pertain to the Esse or being of a Magistrate For if it did no Man could ever have been or yet could be a true Magistrate or ought to be so owned unless a Christian which I suppose John Brown will not adventure to affirm or if he do he will manifestly Contradict the Doctrine as well as Practice of Christ and his Apostles who preached Subjection and were themselves Subject to such Magistrates as were Enemies to Christianity If then a Magistrate may be truly a Magistrate and ought by Christians to be acknowledged and submitted to as such who is not a Christian to deny to Magistrates that Power of Judgment which they can only have as being Christians will not necessarily take away any of their Power as Magistrates For Christian Subjects especally being private Persons may and ought to submit and obey their lawful Magistrates albeit committing Errors in the Government and commanding things hurtful to the State and if they do other ways may be justly punished where the Nature of the Government giveth them not Allowance so to do Magistrates Commiting Errors in Government But if the Magistrate shall Command any thing contrary to the Law of God or Impose in Matters of Conscience contrary to Truth J. B. will with me confess unless he Condemn himself that every private Christian may without being justly accused of Contempt refuse to Obey Magistrates Commands ought not to be contrary to the Law of God nor forcing Conscience As many of John Brown's Friends do in not going to the Parish-Kirks where the same Faith and Doctrine they hold is preached Contrary to Acts of Parliament For he hath not proved That a Magistrate by being a Christian acquires more Power than he had before or is more a Magistrate though he may be a better For albeit as he observes Fathers be
them hungry and hardly bestead for many years feeling after Life and Immortality but could not find that somewhat was raised in me that Words and Reports could not feed Names and Notions I minded little but Christ to dwell in me was that and is that more and more I press after And now I must for the Truth 's sake say somewhat which I humbly mention with a fresh Remembrance of the Love L. S. his first Convincement Power and tender Mercy of God who enabled me I know the Lord will not impute it to be boasting in that season wherein the Lord Revealed the true way to Life and Immortality to me by his Inward Appearance in my Soul it was a time wherein he had mercifully turned me from all that ever his Light inwardly and Law outwardly had Condemned me for my heart also did bear witness for me that whatsoever I had known would please him I was chusing to do that not that thereby I was seeking Justification in my own Righteousness but a sure Evidence of my Interest in him who was made unto us Righteousness Justification c This blessed Glimps of my begun Freedom was given me in a seasonable time that I might thereby be enabled to speak with mine Enemy in the Gate and be encouraged to believe in the Light and wait upon the Lord to feel his vertue perfectly to Cleanse me from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit Neither was I an Vnder-valuer of the Scriptures they were my Rule then and I hope for ever my Life shall answer them I think To whom and how the Scriptures are a Rule they honour the Scriptures most who live most according to them and not they who call them the Only Rule yet do not make them their Pattern The Scriptures of Truth were precious to me and by them was I taught not to walk nor worship in the Way of the People the Spirit shewing me his mind in them and then I saw in his Light that it is not the Scriptures many Adore so much as their own Corrupt Glosses upon them Neither can my Experience go along with what thou affirmest of the hazzard of Converse with that People It is very well known to all that lived in the place where I sojourned I was none who Conversed with them I was never at one of their Meetings I never read one of their Books unless accidentally I had found them where I came and lookt to them and laid them by again So now it remains with me to tell thee what was the Occasion I joined with them The occasion of L. S. 〈◊〉 joining with the Quakers since it was none of those thou mention'st which I will very singly and can very comfortably do It was that thing ye School-men call Immediate Objective Revelation which my desire is ye were more particularly and feelingly acquainted with whereby the Lord raising in my Soul his feeling Life I could not sit down satisfied with hearing of what the Son of God had done outwardly though I believe thereby he purchased all that Grace and Mercy which is inwardly wrought in the hearts of his Children until I should be a partaker of the Vertue and Efficacy thereof whereby I might possess the Substance of things hoped for I saw an Historical Faith would neither Cleanse me nor Save me if that could save any the Devils were not without a Door of Hope I felt I needed the Revelation of the Son of God in me all that ever I read or heard without this could not give me the Saving Knowledge of God None knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son Revealeth him through the Vertue whereof mine Eyes were more and more by degrees opened For the tender-hearted Samaritan had pity upon my wounded Soul when both Priest and Levite passed by and the Watch-men rent my Vail and when there was no Eye to pity nor Hand to help me he drew near and poured in Wine and Oil as he saw needful and fulfilled the Promise in measure wherein he had long caused me to hope He that follows me The Scriptures made Comfortable by the Spirit of Truth shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life and that sweet saying whereby I am confirmed and comforted If evil Parents know how to give their Children good things how much more will the Lord give his holy Spirit to those who ask him When your Children ask bread will ye give them a stone or when they ask a fish will ye give them a serpent These precious Scriptures and many such like being opened up and applied by the Spirit of Truth powerfully and seasonably in saying Be not faithless but believing times above number before and since hath made me set to my seal to these words of Christ The words that I speak are Spirit and Life and as I walk with him and abide in him watching at the posts of Wisdom's gates travelling in Spirit more and more to bring forth Fruit unto him and walk worthy of him unto all well-pleasing daily to die unto self that Christ may live in me I becoming a passive Creature and he an active Christ in the Increase of his Government I feel the Increase of my Peace And so My Friend thou hast here by some Touches at things occasion to see how far thou art mistaken concerning us and how far contrary to the Truth as it is in Jesus thou represent'st many things to the world speaking evil of things which thou knowest not and if thou dost the greater is thy sin Two Particulars indeed I cannot strain Charity so far as to believe Christ owned and the Scriptures thou thinkest Do we deny Jesus Christ and Justification through his Righteousness because we make the Sufficiency thereof of a more universal Extent than ye or because we love whole Christ so much and his seamless Coat that we will not have it divided Nay we dare not divide Justification and Sanctification neither confound them we have felt the Blood and the Spirit distinct things yet inseparable Neither canst thou think We make void the Scriptures because we honour the Spirit that was before the Scriptures were written and bear Testimony against all who deny the Spirit 's Immediate Teachings to be the Vniversal Priviledge of his People whereby ye take away the key of Knowledge and neither enter the Kingdom nor suffer others who would but monopolize Knowledge to your selves Monopolized Knowledge by Professors and intrude your Meanings upon the Consciences of men as the Rule which Meanings indeed I do not own either as the only or any Rule but as the Spirit of Christ in my Conscience answers it The Testimony of the Spirit of Truth in Thousands with me will stand and rise up against thee in the presence of the Lord when all thy Vnjust Reproaches and Malitious Accusations shall melt away before the presence of the Glory of the heart-searching God before whose
he ought not But as to these which are indeed owned by us thou wilt find them at large vindicated by Scripture and Reason either in my Apology or in this Treatise I could have made a further Remark in this his Index to shew thee how many of them he sets down as our Assertions are not nor ever were Asserted by any of us nor by him Affirmed to be so where he has them in his Book but only his own meer Conjectures and Consequences but I am loth to detain thee any longer in this by looking the Pages to which he referreth thou mayest easily observe it year 1686 THE POSSIBILITY NECESSITY Of the Inward and Immediate REVELATION OF The Spirit of God Towards the Foundation and Ground of True FAITH proved in a Letter writ in Latine to a Person of Quality in Holland and now also put into English by R. B. Advertisement to the Reader THIS serves to Inform thee That it is above seven Years since this Epistle was Printed in Latine The Person to whom it was writ the Heer Paets is a Man of no mean Accompt both in the Learned and Politick World The Conference I had with him was lately after his Return from Spain where he had been Ambassadour from the United Netherlands I discoursed with him on the same Subject last Year at London where he was one of the Commissioners for the Dutch East-Indian Company but could not find him propose any thing New nor what I could Conceive had any Weight towards a Reply What his Reasons were not to prosecute this Matter further I shall not determine But thus far he readily yielded That he had been mistaken in his Notion of the Quakers for he found they could make a Reasonable Plea for the Foundation of their Religion Vpon my reading it over again I found an Inclination in my self and was perswaded by some Friends to publish it in a Language more obvious to all my Country Men. It is a Question now frequently tossed The Ground of Faith and its Foundation Revelation What is the Ground and Foundation of Faith And when the Matter is sifted to the bottom it resolves in Tradition or Revelation For those who lay claim to the Scripture and would make it the Foundation of their Faith do resolve it but in a Tradition when the Motives of Credibility are Inquired into since the subjective Revelation which they yield comes but in the last place and is by themselves termed Medium Incognitum Assentiendi And such a Revelation those of Rome will not refuse to influence them to Assent to the determination of the Church So those Protestants who say The subjective Operation of the Spirit influences them though they know not how to believe the Scripture presented and conveyed to them by Tradition as the Dictates of GOD's Spirit and so understand them as their Preachers interpret them differ not much or at least have not Reason to differ from the Church of Rome who say The Church of Rome 's Belief concerning Scriptures The Spirit Influences them to believe the Scriptures as proposed by the Church and according as her Doctors and Councils Interpret them And neither has any better Foundation than Tradition And to speak the Truth plainly the Faith of both resolves in the Veneration they have for their Doctors but whereas the one affirms they do it by an Intire Submission they think it decent to say they judge them Infallible And certainly it is most reasonable that such as affirm the first believe the last The other because they pretend they believe the Church but conditionally have denied to her Infallibility though generally they be as Credulous as the other And I find the Doctors of their Church as angry to be Contradicted as the other that is an Ingredient goes to the Composition of all Clergy-men since it became a Trade and went to make a part of the outward Policy of the World from whence has flowed that Monster PERSECUTION In short the matter is easily driven into this narrow Compass We believe either because of an outward or inward Testimony that is because it is outwardly delivered to us or inwardly Revealed to us For my part I think the Papists do wisely in pleading for Infallibility for certainly the true Church never was nor can be without it And the Protestants do honestly in not claiming it because they are sensible they want it I should therefore desire the one to prove That they are Infallible and advise the other to believe They may and seek after it But I am sure neither the one is nor the other cannot without Immediate Divine Revelation Therefore as to deny Revelation is a bad way to prove Infallibility so to deny Infallibility is a bad way to make a Reformation Since they who do Reform had need to be certain they are doing so The asserting of Infallibility in the Church of Christ is not the Errour of the Church of Rome but the pretending to it when they have it not and placing it where they should not But since those who oppose Immediate Revelation do it on the accompt that they reckon it either Impossible or Unnecessary I hope there will be as much found in this Epistle as will evince the Contrary I have now Exceeded the Limits of an Advertisement but being known not to be a Man of Form I hope my Reader will Excuse me to whom I wish true Certainty of Faith and so bid him heartily Farewel The 9. of Octob. 1686. Robert Barclay My Friend ALBEIT I Judge I did fully Answer to all thy Arguments in that Conference we had concerning the Necessity and Possibility of Inward Immediate Revelation and of the Certainty of True Faith from thence proceeding nevertheless because after we had made an end and were parting thou would'st needs Remit to my further Consideration the strength of thy Argument as that in which thou supposedst the very Hing of the Question to lye That I might satisfy thy Desire and that the Truth might more appear I did further Consider of it but the more I weighed it I found it the Weaker And therefore that thou thy self may'st make the truer Judgment of it I thought meet to send thee my Further Considerations thereon which I had done ere now had not I both at London and elsewhere been diverted by other necessary Occasions wherein I doubt not but thou wilt perceive a full and distinct Answer to thy Argument But if thou canst not as yet yield to the Truth or thinkest mine Answer in any part to be defective so that there yet remains with thee any Matter of Doubt or Scruple I do earnestly desire thee that as I for thy sake and out of Love to the Truth have not been wanting to Examine thy Argument and to Transmit to thee my Considerations thereon so thou mayst give thy self the Trouble to Write and Send me what thou haft further to say Which my Friend N. N. who delivers
thee this will at what Time thou shalt appoint Receive from thee and Transmit to me thy Letter that at last the Truth may appear where it is And that the whole matter may the more clearly be understood it will be fit in the first Place To propose thy Argument whereby thou Opposest the Immediate Revelation of GOD in the Saints thence concluding thou hast fully overturned the Foundation of the People called Quakers Which Argument of thine is H. P's Objection against Immediate Revelation stated by way of Argument That since as thou Judgest the Being and Substance of the Christian Religion consisteth in the Knowledge of and Faith concerning the Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ Jesus thou considerest the Substance of the Christian Religion as a Contingent Truth which Contingent Truth is matter of Fact Whence thou reasonest That Matter of Fact cannot be known but by the Relation of another or by the perception of the outward Senses because there are naturally in our Souls no Idea's of Contingent Truths such as are concerning Necessary Truths To wit That GOD is and that the Whole is greater than the Part. And since it may without absurdity be said That GOD cannot make a Contingent Truth to become a Necessary Truth neither can GOD reveal Contingent Truths or Matters of Fact but as Contingent Truths are Revealed But Matters of Fact are not revealed but by the outward Senses From whence thou Concludest That Men are not even obliged to believe GOD producing any Revelation in the Soul concerning Matter of Fact whether of a thing done or to be done unless there be added some Miracles obvious to the outward senses by which the Soul may be Ascertained that that Revelation cometh from G0D And this thou endeavourest also to prove from the Scripture The Proofs of the Argument Rom. 10. where the Apostle saith Faith cometh by Hearing And because the Apostle speaketh afterwards of those who were sent in the Plural Number thence thou concludest That to be spoken of outward Preaching by the Ministry of Men And since the Apostle uses a Question saying How shall they believe unless they hear Thou gatherest from the Induction and Connexion of the Text that the Apostle treats only of outward Hearing thence Concluding That without outward Hearing Faith cannot be produced And therefore that there can be no Immediate Revelation by the simple operation of the Spirit in the Mind unless there be somewhat proposed to the Outward Senses Before I proceed to a direct Answer to this Argument some things are necessary to be premised First then That is falsly supposed The Christian Religion consists not in the Historical Knowledg of Christ. That the Essence of the Christian Religion consists in the Historical Faith and Knowledge of the Birth Death Life Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. That Faith and Historical Knowledge is indeed a part of the Christian Religion but not such an Essential Part as that without which the Christian Religion cannot consist but an Integral Part which goes to the Compleating of the Christian Religion as the Hands or Feet of a Man are Integral Parts of a Man without which nevertheless a Man may exist but not an Intire and Compleat Man Secondly The Historical Knowledg of Christ is not commonly manifested to us but by the Holy Scripture If by Immediate Revelation be understood such a Revelation of GOD as begets in our Souls an Historical Faith and Knowledge of the Birth of Christ in the Flesh without the Means of the Holy Scripture we do not contend for such a Revelation as commonly given or to be expected by us or any other Christians For albeit many other Evangelical Truths be manifested to us by the Immediate Manifestation of God not using the Scripture as the Means yet the Historical Knowledge of Christ is not commonly manifested to us nor to any others but by the Holy Scripture as the Means and that by way of a Material Object Even as when we see the Person of Peter or Paul to our visive Faculty Immediately yet not without the Medium of that Person concurring as a Material Object to produce that Sight while the Light of the Sun concurs as the formal Object of that Vision or Sight So that when we Livingly and Spiritually know the History of the Birth of Christ in the Flesh the Inward Revelation or Illumination of GOD which is like the Sun 's Light proceeding from the Divine Sun doth shine into the Eye of the Mind and by Its Influence moves the Mind to Assent unto the Historical Truth of CHRIST's Birth Life c. in the Reading or Hearing the Scripture or Meditating therein Thirdly * God can manifest the Historical Truth of Christ to our Minds without the Scripture Nevertheless we do firmly Assert That GOD can most easily clearly and certainly manifest to our Minds the Historical Truths of CHRIST's Birth c. when it so pleaseth Him even without the Scripture or any other outward Mean And because this Argument seems to be formed against the possibility of such a Revelation therefore I shall proceed to discuss it But first thou may'st mind that the Prophets who foretold CHRIST's Coming in the Flesh and being to be born of a Virgin and afterwards to suffer Death did know these Truths of Fact by the Inward Inspiration of GOD without Outward Means For which see 1 Pet. 1.10 11. Now that which hath been may be Fourthly This Argument doth at most Conclude that we cannot know Naturally any Truth of Fact A Contingent Truth may be known by a Supernatural Knowledge but by the Relation of another without us or by the perception of the outward Senses because there are naturally in our Minds no Idea's concerning Contingent Truths and every Truth of Fact is a Contingent Truth as there are of necessary Truths This then proveth that we cannot naturally know any Contingent Truth but by the Relation of another or perception of the outward Senses But that hindereth not but we may know a Contingent Truth by a Supernatural Knowledge GOD supplying the place of an outward Relator who is so true that he may and ought to be believed sith GOD is the Fountain of Truth The Form of Revelation is the voice of God inwardly speaking to the Mind of Man Fifthly When GOD doth make known unto Men any Matter of Fact by Divine Immediate Revelation or Inspiration GOD speaking as to the Ear of the Heart of the Inward Man or as by his Finger writing it therein two things are to be considered in such an Immediate Revelation 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Materiale The Matter of Fact or thing Revealed which is Contingent 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Formale The Form or Mode how the Revelation is made which Form is an Inward Divine and Supernatural Revelation which is the Voice or Speech of GOD inwardly speaking to the Ear of the Inward Man or Mind of Man
carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong Holds casting down Imaginations and every High Thing that exalteth itself against the Knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ y 2 Cor. 10 3.4 5. For Wars and Fightings come of the Lusts that war in the Members z Jam. 4.1 2. Therefore Christ commands not to resist Evil but whosoever will smite on the right Cheek to turn the other also a Mat. 5.39 Because Christians are Lambs among Wolves b Luke 10.3 Therefore are they hated of all Men for Christ's sake c Mat. 10.22 And all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution d 2 Tim. 3.12 Such are Blessed for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven e Mat. 5 10. For though they have lost their Lives yet shall they save them f Mat. 16.25 And because they have confessed Christ before Men he will also confess them before the Angels of God g Luke 12.8 9. We ought not then to fear them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather him which is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell h Mat. 10.28 ARTICLE XXII Concerning Magistracy LEt every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers for there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resists the Power resists the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation For Rulers are not a Terror to Good Works but to the Evil wilt thou then not be afraid of the Power do that which is good and thou shalt have Praise of the same for he is the Minister of God to thee for good But if thou do that which is Evil be afraid for he beareth not the Sword in vain for he is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that doth Evil. Wherefore we must needs be subject not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake For for this Cause pay we also Tribute for they are God's Ministers attending continually upon this very thing Render therefore to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour i Rom. 13.1 2 7. Therefore are we to submit ourselves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the Punishment of Evil-Doers and for the Praise of them that do Well for so is the Will of God that with well-doing we may put to Silence the Ignorance of Foolish Men k 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. Yet it is right in the Spirit of God to hearken unto him more than unto them l Acts 4.19 And though they straightly Command us not to teach in Christ's Name we ought to obey God rather than Men m Acts 5.28 29. ARTICLE XXIII Concerning the Resurrection THere shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Vnjust n Acts 24.15 They that have done Good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done Evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation o John 5.29 Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption p 1 Cor. 15.50 Nor is that Body sown that shall be but God gives it a Body as it has pleased him and to every Seed his own Body It is sown in Corruption it is raised in Incorruption It is sown in Dishonour it is raised in Glory It is sown in Weakness it is raised in Power It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body q 1 Cor. 15.37 38 42 43 44. CHAP. XVII A short Expostulation with and APPEAL to all other Professors COme let us reason with you all ye Professors of Christianity of what sort or kind soever and bring forth your Catechisms and Confessions of FAITH to that which by most of your selves is accounted the Touch-Stone or Rule And suffer your selves no more to be blinded and to Err through your Ignorance of the Scriptures and of the Power of God but freely acknowledge and confess to that Glorious Gospel and Light which the Scriptures so clearly witness to and your Experience must needs answer as also to these other Doctrines The Noble Principle of Truth all are Invited unto which consequentially depend upon the behalf of that Noble and truly Catholick Principle wherein the Love of God is so mercifully exhibited to all Men and his Justice and Mercy do like Twins so Harmoniously Concord his Mercy in the oft tendering of his Love through the Strivings and Wrestlings of his Light during the day of every man's Visitation and his Justice both in the destroying and cutting away of the Wicked Nature and Spirit in those that suffer themselves to be Redeemed through his Judgments and in the utter Overthrow of such who rebelling against the Light and doing Despight to the Spirit of Grace hate to be Reformed Now not only this Fundamental Principle is clearly held forth in this Treatise but all these that depend upon it as the real and inward Justification of the Saints through the Power and Life of Jesus Revealed in them their full and perfect Redemption from the Body of Death and Sin as they grow up by the Workings and Prevalency of his Grace And yet lest Security should enter there is great need of Watchfulness in that they may even depart after they have really witnessed a good Condition and make Ship-wrack of the Faith and of a good Conscience with all the parts of the Doctrine of Christ as they lie linked together like a Golden Chain which doth very much evidence the Certainty and Vertue of Truth above all Heresies Error and Deceit however so cunningly gilded with the specious Pretences thereof For Truth is intire in all its parts and consonant to it self without the least Jar having a wonderful Coherence and notable Harmony The Harmony of Truth as of a well-tuned Instrument answering together like the Strings of a well-tuned Instrument whereas the Principles of all other Professors though in some things most of them come near and divers acknowledge that which is Truth yet in most things they stray from it so that their Principles greatly contradict and Jar one against another And though they may alledge Scriptures for some of their Principles yet they are put strangely to wrest it and to deny it for others My Appeal then to and Expostulation with all sorts of Professors is not to prove some one or two Points by the Scriptures for there be some general Notions of Truth which most if not all agree to but the whole Body of our Principles as they stand in relation to each other which none of them all is able to do For among the many Professors their Catechisms and Confessions of Faith I