when it shines upon him that is ignorant of it or assents not to it since as R.H. told him then it was so so I tell him here over again in R.H. his words with the addition of the long tract of time wherein t was wont to be so The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God which was effectual two thousand years before the Letter was And this I the rather assert against T.D. here in this place because he is so ignorant as to tax R.H. there for usual speaking non-sense and for understâ—nding non-sense as well or better then good sense in that when T.D. said The Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter R H. repeats him saying thus The Sword of the Spirit is ineffectual without the Letter which in effect is all one if T.Ds. eyes were well open to see clearly what the Spirit is and what the Letter and then replies thus The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God which was effectual before the Letter was Now I demand of thee T.D. 1. where is any non-sense R.H. spake whose words I here speak after him that I may clear them from thy unjust cenâ—â—re of non-sense And if R.H. understood any non-sense as thou sayest he did then that must import that thy self with whom he was then in discourse hadst spoken some for he could not understand that non-sense from thee which thou never speakest Out of thy own mouth then at least thou art condemned for speaking some non-sense if a man were minded to prosecute thee for it for habemus Retâ—â— conficentem we have it from thy self if it were so but though thou tacitly taxest thy self with non-sense yet I shall do thee that Right this once as to clear and exuse thee from thy own false self-accusation for in truth both what thou spakest and what R.H. spake was all good sense as to the intelligibleness of the phrases unless thou account every sentence to be non-sense that is false as to the matter propounded in it as in a sense thou mayest there being no sense nor reason for it that any man should affirm and tell an untruth and then I confess thou spakest non-sense and R.H. good sense Sith his saying was true and thine was false For the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and the Spirit it self and not the Letter as thou who art somewhat low and implicite not very loud me thinks nor express as if thou durst not for shame speak out thy minde about it seemest to make it was wont to be effectual without and was effectual before the Letter was But here 's indeed the very knot of the business thou deemest R.H. to utter non-sense in not being so non-sensical as with T.D. I.O. and their Chronies to interpret the Sword of the Spirit there called the Word of God of the outward Letter or Scripture that is the thing will not down with T.D. without straining at it as a peece of non-sense to assert the Sword of the Spirit not to be the Letter witness T.Ds. words of R H. T.D. As for what he says that the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God if he meant like a man in his oppositions he must mean Christ who but once is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 And Christ cannot be intended Eph. 6.17 because he is not the Sword of the Spirit but the Spirit his Sword rather for by the Spirit he works in the hearts of men and therefore Gen. 6.3 he sayes My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man which is meant of the Holy Ghost as will appear by comparing it with Act. 7.51 where Stephen tells the Jews Ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Christ by the common operations of his Spirit strives with men and by the special operations thereof preâ—ails with them Rep. In this parcel is more truth granted to the Qua. then T.D. himself understands so to be or will ever stand under the force of when made use of by them against himself for he sayes the Spirit is Christs Sword by which according to Gâ—n 6.3 Act. 7.51 he works operates in men mark his words and is said to strive with them that alwayes resist him even in themselves I could never yet get it granted from T.D. or any other contenders against the truth in this point that Christ had a Spirit of his in men by the operations of which he is said in those two Texts to strive with them n themselves for howbeit its the common Doctrine laid down positively by themselves unawares many times yet when they meet with Qua. in verbal discourses who urge these two self same Texts and that in 1 Pet. 3.18 19 20. By the which Spirit Christ preached to Spirits in prison which were disobedient in the dayes of Noah c. And that Ioh. 16.8 9 10 11. concerning the Spirits convincing the world of sin c. in themselves and that Ioh. 3.19 20 21. of Christ the light coming into the world i.e. the word which is in mens hearts there condemning the evil deeds even in the dark cells of wicked mens own consciences which Light is sent not to condemn but unless men love the darkness more then it in order to their salvation and that they might be saved by beleeving in it vers 17 18. And that Text also Ioh. 1.9 concerning the truâ— Light which is Christ enlightning every man in the world all which places and many more are parallel together in this point among all the several sorts of shifts whereby to shuffle of the sound Doctrine of the Qua. this is most commonly made use of viz. that the strivings and shinings of Christ by his Light and Spirit with and unto the Sons of men which they dare not deny neither to be universal and yet do own ten parts to one of the world too to be at this day without any true outward Gospel Ministry or Traditions by by men or Letter of Scripture O Rotas where 's the beginning and end of these mens Rounds are not by any Light or Spirit of his that is in them for that measure of his Light and Spirit within wee call men to they name natural imaginary figment Fanaticisme Enthusiasme and ironically that infallible Doctor Qualitas nescio quae divina seu anima mundi omnibus mista 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 merae tenebrae caecitas nesâ—io quid niâ—il nothing and much more as I.O. pleases but by a Letter and Ministers of the Letter without them only he strives and shines by his Spirit say they and reproves and conviâ—ces the world that resist but t was of old by the outward Ministry of Noah only a Preacher of Righteousness t is since by the Scripture and Ministers of it that preach outwardly out of it though perhaps not one of an hundred in the world ever read it or heard it preacht on but not by any measure of his Spirit or immediate workings of any Light or
Spirit also by himself as saying one thing and meaning another and so would set the Spirits words and the Spirits meanings at odds and together by the eares against themselves Christ enlightens only such men as are spiritually inlightned Nor secondly if he had said so would it have followed that every individual man is not enlightned for of a truth every individuall man is not only enlightned but also spiritually enlightned for he that is enlightned to discern spiritual things good or bad spiritual wickednesses or spiritual righteousness many sins and duties and divine attributes which are all spirituall objects and some of them some of those things of the Spirit which the meer natural man without the Spirits revealing cannot know because they are spiritually discerned that man must be spiritually enlightned so out of a better Bow then the Devils even that of Iosephs which abides in strength I shoot back T Ds second Arrow again thus against himself as that which hath done us no harm howbeit he meant it otherwise it being in his mind to have mischief'd the Truth viz. Christ enlightens every man that is spiritually enlightned witness T D p 36 but every individuall man is more or lesse even spiritually inlightned i. e. to discern spiritual objects which by the Spirits revealing them only and not naturally but spiritually only or by the Spirit are to be discerned witness T D again p 1 therefore Christ inlightens every individuall man 3 T D who hath mostly two hath here a third string to his Bow left the two first should not hold from which he shoots thus viz. He enlightens some of every Nation Kindred Tongue and People as the phrase is Rev. 5.9 Repl. And this however he meanes pinchingly yet is true too in terminis that Christ enlightens some every where a number in all Nations as he expresses it over again p. 36. for the termes all and every one are conclusive continually of some but that Arrow reaches not far enough to wound our universal construction so long as the termes some a number many without a but put to them whereby to bolt out othersome which is wanting here though elsewhere added and by and by to be talkt with is not exclusive of all men of every man nor of any man and so his bow and bolts shoots too short to hit the Butt still Nor is the Phrase Rev. 5 9 which T D in his fancy fellows and Identifies with this in Iohn 1 9 like it in any wise for one is enlightens every man in the world the other Redeemed us out of every Nation c. were it Redeemed every man in every Nation and made every man in every Nation and Kindred c. a King a Priest to God c. then it had been somewhat neeâ— a Kin to it indeed Thus T D by his single self with all his sharpest shafts or sorry shifts can make nothing stick to the gaining of any ground against us nor so much as to stirre us a hairs breadth from our interest in it much lesse to storm us out of the strong Hold we have in that high place of Scripture wherein the Qua. stand over the head of the Serpent to the bruising of it Let us see sith vis unita fortior what the joyned forces of him and I. O. together can do for they two who fight as under from that Text in some of their several senses against the Qua. fall in together in one of their four or five senses even that which hath the least sense and reason in it of all the rest and so of two make one most senselesse head against the Qua. and the Text and the Truth or true sense of the Spirit no lesse plainly imported and implyed to any but that darkness which comprehends not the true light when it shines in it then it is plainly end evidently exprest therein That sense I shall joyn issue in against them both at last but there lies on single sense of I O wherein T. D. joyns not with him wherewith I. O. shoots out of the same Bow as hard as he can against us though too short to hit or hurt us the which must be shot back again upon himself first in the service of the Qua. and the Truth which it serves perfectly while not at all themselves nor their own false doctrine and then I shall have the more Field-Room to fight them both in about the other The sense of I. O. which is not only his own neither though T. D. appears not to own it with him for I have seen others besides as himself seeking to shuffle off the Truth with it is this viz. Christ coming into the world inlightens every man and this sense seems to be ushered in with a deal of pâ—mp and ceremony as if I O was confident of carrying the cause by it when it first Center'd within his conciet and so intended to act his Triumph over the Qua. before his effecting of the victory I shall set down some of his triumphant matter wherein he marches on towards the Text where he meets us and make some occasionall notes on some crosse whets to himself and halts and inter-feeres he makes by the way I. O Videanâ—us porro quid contra garriunt Fanatici ut que operam dent quacum ratione aliqua insanire videantur c. Ex. 4. S. 23 24. Le ts see quoth he what the Quakers prate to the contrary and how they do their best to shew that they are not mad without some Reason but they bring no new thing they are old worn out Arminian matters they bring a thousand times confuted already they have nothing more frequently in their mouth then those words concerning Christ John I. 2 They never make a more horrid out-cry then when they come upon this place here they fain wonderfull triumphs to themselves and not a little cast ignominy on their adversaries Repl. No otherwise I say still do we reproach then as the Virgin of Sion Isai. 37.21 22. Despised laughed to scorn shook her head at the insolent filliness of the haughty Assyrian that reproached blasphemed exalted his voice and lifted up his eyes on high against the Holy One of Israel in his Truth and People o're whom he looked so superciliously as if he would pluck them out of Sion by the eareâ— when he was not so much as to shoot an Arrow that should reach to do any execution there No otherwise then as plain Ephraim the people and the honest hearted Sons of Sion are at this day in the Spirit and Power of the Lord to be raised against thy silly-seemingly-wise Sons O Greece and to be made against you Greekish Scribes and Disputers of this world as the Sword of a mighty man and a polished Shaft and his Bow and Arrows and Battel-Axe in his hand to beat down aud break in pieces the Horse and his Rider and as the Potters Clay the works of them that turn Gods things
of an Hour This is the manner of not a Few in their Writings I am therefore minded quoth â—he to Abstain from such Engagements Upon such Considerations was I enticed on the Enter â— and Trace further and farther After Him so that This may satisfie such as would haue had it shorter But to be short with such If the Authors Pains and Pay in Fenning and Printing be not worth the Readers Patience in Perusing and Purchasing who will may let it wholly alone for me He that likâ—s not the length of it hath enough of the same to make it shorter to himself however and may look upon as little of it as he lists Thirdly Now O ye Priests and Universally Erring University Leaders of All other People in Things of the Soul and its Salvation I shall say the lesse to you here by how much the whole following Fabrick Relates to you more Particularly then to any Though it harâ— noâ— only a General Respect to you All in Regard of your Brotherly Relation to those more Specially spoken to but a General Respect in some sort also unto All men Whether I am in more Opposition to your Principles or Pitty to your Persons I â—an scarcely say since I seek the Destruction of Nothing but what Destroyes you whose Souls I am sure I Love as much as I Loath those Light-lesse Laborinths of your Learning falsly so called in which you Loose you selves and Perish Marvel not that My Self and other man of more mean as count then your selves Meddle so much with the Maâ—ty Matters of your Ministry who have so long Excluded all Mechanicks and Plain Country Creatures from the Close Conclave of your Clerical and Collegian Counsells But know assuredly that the Day of God is Dawned upon the Earth Wherein from his Own Light which ye Labour against in the Firâ— of your Furious Minds Wearying your selves for very Vanity to Blow it Out It shall be Fill'd with the Knowledge of his Own Image and Glory as the Waters Cover the Sea Wherein as ye have Fought his Fear after your Own Precepts Traditions whereby ye have Turned his â—â—uth upside down so he is as he Threatned in that kind Isa. 29. bringing the Wisdom of you Wise Men and the Understanding of you Prudent Ones to nought so that your Turning of Things upside down shall be Esteemed as the Potters Clay Wherein as ye have Divided Jacob from his God and Scattered Gods Israel from their Dwelling which is the Light itself in the hearts of men in which God is and Dwells with Those who there Dwell with him which Light Christ and his Ministers seek to Draw All to and by it unto God and which it 's the Devils Work from the beginning to Seperate men from in your Anger which is Fierce and in your Wrath which is Cruel like that of Levi after whom you are called So he will â—iâ—iâ—e you in Jacob and scatter you in Israel Wherein as ye are become Bruitish Pastor's and have not Sought the Lord so ye shall not Prosper but All your Flocks shall be Scattered from you Wherein the Lord of Hosts is coming Down to Fight for Mount Sion to fetch his Flock froâ— between your 〈◊〉 and like as a Lyon Peâ—â—ring on his Prey when a Multitude of Shepheards is called forth against him he will not be affraid of your Voice nor Abase himself in the â—ost of his Holy Ones wherein he appears against you for the Noyses ye make against his Holy Truth But as ye have Provoked him to Wrath by your own Inventions and False Worships so he will Provoke you to Iealousy by a Foolish Nation and Weary you by such as are no People in your eyes and by 〈◊〉 Mean Weak Foolish Nothings Confound your Mighty Things that Are So that it shall be 〈◊〉 of the Learned Linguists and Greeks that seeâ— after Wisdom whereâ— the Scribe where 's the Disputer of this World◠〈◊〉 not God made Foolish the Wisdom of this World who by â—s Wisdom knew not God this by that Foolishnesse of Preaching whereby he Saves thâ—â— that believeâ— How are the hidden things of Esau searched 〈…〉 no more in Tema◠〈…〉 is 〈◊〉 up Thy sonâ— O Sion against Thy Sons O Grâ—â—â—d and â—aking them against thee O Greece as the Sword of a Mighty Man in his Hand and 〈◊〉 the Foundations of thy Faâ—ed Faith and Shaking all thy Supertitious 〈◊〉 iâ— the Ground And as to the Eâ—postulations that are hold hereafter with you O Scholasticks Boâ—be iâ— iâ—â— in pave about the Body yet it s Principally about the preâ—ended Bottom of all your Babyloniâ—â— Buildings in which if your Basis were not so Brittle as it is and must be being by your own Confession but the outward Teâ—â— of that â—â—ward Truth which you Teâ—â— meâ— while you talk of it 〈◊〉 Toâ—â—ly out of must needs be by so much an Unstable Standard by how much by your selves by the Pens of your University Doctors in their Choicest Divinity Disputes undertakings and fencing for the Fumâ—ess of it it 's yielded to be as Alterable in the very Greek and Hebrew Copies of it as the Letters Vowells Accents and lotaes of it are Lyable to be Chang'd in Sound or Shape at the wills of Criticks Witnesse the Acknowledgements of J.O. that Lately Choice Oxoâ—ian Champion and Latine Labourer Pro Scripturis against the Quakers whose Scribling so much on behalf of the Scriptures and the Integrity of the outward Text and the Word of God against us who are Truer Friends to Both then himself which was the first Occasion of this Rescription and is very largly Replyed to in the 2d and 3d. of these 4. Ensuing Exercitations Concerning whose Work tosâ— many of you Rabbies whom he Reasons for and Represents I shall here Subject onely these Three things which Consideratis Considerandis will shew that by your own Concessions to Vs about the Outward Transcripts or Texts of the Scripture if they â—â— they are Pâ—ofess'd to be beâ—t â—e Onely Rule and Rooâ— of All that ye call your Religion ye grant your Rule to be not Infallibly Right and your Root which is but a Mouldring and Mouldred Writing to be but Rottenesse and so Consesequently that at last your Blossom must go up as the Dust. 1. Let it be â—eeded how J. O. as is aforesaid and hereafter 〈◊〉 at large Pleads the Absolute Necessity of the Integrity of the present Text to be in the Hebrew and Greek Transcriptions though Translations which are the Peoples Scriptural Rule himself proves to be most exceedingly Corrupted Entire to every Tittle as at 〈◊〉 giving out without any losse so Strictly that if it be not so but it appear to have been Altered by Ablation or Addition of the Points by the Tiberians 〈◊〉 Cessarum â—eft he utterly gives up for Gone All Gospel-Godliness Cryes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where shall we Stand. And sees no way to be Delivered from utter Uncertainty in and about all
Title of the Quakers Folly under a meer empty seeming shew of manifesting whereof to all men thou hast more truly in the eyes of wise men and more fully manifested thy own and that so egregiously that Petulanti splene Cachinno some man of a light spirit and ticklish spleen so much concern'd in the all manner of ridiculosities thereof as I and my two Friends of Truth Rich. Hubberthorn and Geo. Whitehead who together with me who am very much are not a little belyed therein would have sent them home to their Author long since with no other Rod at their backs then some loud laughter thereat before the world they being worthy of little better Reply Howbeit I have answered them hitherto with no other then sober silence partly because the first is captivated already from doing so much mischief as it was designed to and both before and behind too well besieged to do any great Execution against the Truth being a Priori beset by a Book of R. Hubberthorns which it gives as it faith it self p. 34. a short Answer to a Posteriori by a Book of G. Whiteheads in which it is as soberly and â—ufficiently replayed to and partly if not principally because as I.Os. three Treatises have one with another as he saith Arctissimum materiae seu Doctrinae consortium so thy two books have with his as to the Doctrinal parts such an affinity in subject and co-incidence of matter being both di putatory more or less against the self-same truths the Qua. tell that in answering the one the other remains not unanswered and as to the Narrative parts of both which are full of false Narrations if two false tongues of two lying Linguists be like one another haud Linguae dissidium scarce more difference in Language then thus that as I.Os. book tells tales in some so both thine do in some other particulars against the Qua. insomuch that I saw I might as also I accordingly do though the bulk hereof thereby become bigger and the time of its coming out to publike view a little later then was once intended in replying to I.O. in many places wherein he and thou T. Danson who eodem horrendo â—ercussi scotomate dance the Râ—unds often together in the dark do meet in one easily interpose such a general Answer and render such a round Reply to thee and thine together with him and his as by which the Truth I singly seek to vindicate may be truly served though what I do is scarce so smarting a Rod as by thy two abusive businesses is truly deserved and that what is fit to be said by way of Answer to thee that is so over-p'us that it can conveniently come in neither directe nor collateraliter as miscellaneous among the matter that mainly relates to I.O. might as it is here and as it is but meet be clapped on as additional at the beginning I shall begin with the Wings of thy two Pamphlets each of which hath two waxen ones a piece viz. an Epistle and a Narrative which by the help of those lyes and false tales they are as with so many Peacocks tails behung with they fly so high at the face of the Sun itself even the Light and Truth of the living God that they melt of themselves before the heat thereof and must at last lye as low though they sore aloft for a while as the very Pit of Perdition the smoak of which together with their Fellow Locusts they first came out from These their two respective wings whereof I know not which to call the left and which the right so sinister are they all and so little dexterity is therein any of them being a little cropt or closely clipt the barebodies of both T.Ds. Divinity books as they will never soundly recover of those wounds that each of them hath had already from the hands of of G.W. and L.H. respectively replying to them so of the further bruises which they together with I.Os. Academical Ousets and hasty Assaults of the same Generation of Just ones are like to meet with in this ensuing encounter they will be disinabled from flying abroad so fast as to do any mischief where the night spends and the day dawns though they may possibly live so as to crawl and creep about a while in some Collegian Cells and other such like dark corners of the earth My Entrance shall be at thy Epistles in the first of which thou T.D. sayest Perhaps the Reader will wonder that thou shouldst meddle with such a Generation as the Quakers and think thy time hangs on the lug and will not off at any considerable rate Rep. I confeâ—s I am one of those Readers that more then think thou mightst have spent thy time far more considerably and to better purpose to have fully fell on with the Qua. in that good work then to fall upon them for it so fouly as thou dost of calling thy rude people to repentance from all sin into perfect purity and holiness the very thing thou pretendest to have thy wages for But when I consider the old Proverb that all Trades must live and that thine as well as that of the Lawyers is no longer liv'd then while people live and die in trespasses and sins I wonder no more then at Demetrius and his fellow Silver-Smiths of like occupation who by that cast of keeping men in sinful blindness having their wealth throw dust into the ayr against the Light that would lead them out that thou and thy muddy Generation meddle so much as ye do to muddle mens minds against such an Enlightening and Purifying a Generation as the Qua. are and besides Prov. 20.3 Every fool will be medling as Iannes and Iambres were as thou and I.O. are to manifest the Qua. notorious folly in these daies till they most notoriously manifest their own T. D. Thou tellest 'T was never thy ambitiÌ„on to appear so publikely as in print Rep. It had not need unless thou hadst better ware then thou hast the darkness which vents it in thee is the likeliest place to put it off in it being not vendible in the light T. D. That hadst thou consider'd the likelihood of the Qua. printing which would necessitate thine thou shouldst likely have waved any discourse with them Rep. Insipient is est dicere non puraâ—om It s as much Innocencies ambition to appear openly in the service of Truth as 't is the guise of Guilt to hide its head Thou mayst well think the Qua. who are in the truth it self which thou art not yet so much as truly in the words of will not be out-weigh'd by the wind of one that as thou sayst thou didst chuses rather to out-word them and whether thou appear any more publikely for thy lyes and doctrines of vanities yea or nay yet the truth which may be a while opprest never sapprest will now lye no more hidden under the black dawb of darkning School-distinctions but will appear
Papists are far enough as ye are from the belief of that upon the non-belief of which in this life they build that piece of Baggage viz. a Purgatory in the life to come which though ye cry out of as Popish yet while you hold with them against us no perfect purging from sin in this world and say worse then they do in defiance of that holy truth which we stand in defence of for so ye do while ye call it a doctrine of Devils yee unavoidably usher in that of Purgatory in the world to come unless ye will fain another world wherein the perfect Purgation must be which is neither this world nor that to come which were a Chimera as bad as Purgatory or say there 's no perfect purging at all which were worse you must by your denyal of the perfection of it here establish a Basis for that Baggage to abide firm upon and open a door so wide for its entrance and entertainment as to let in the Popes Purgatory whether ye will or no. 2. Our Doctrine of Freely yee have received Freely give and of Preaching the Gospel without mony and without price and going forth for Christs names sake taking nothing of the Nations our crying out as the true Pastors and Prophets did against the Hireling Shepheards that like greedy dumb dogs that cannot bark unless it be against the truth but bite shrewdly when they are not fed and yet never have enough but are ever seeking every one his gain from his quarter and our talking against Tithes and the pay of Parish Priests which is originally of the Pope and not after Christ and such like this is no fair In-let to the Popish Priesthoods Bag nor yet any of his Baggage but much rather a shutting out of them both for sure enough no more wages no more work for a Masse Priest here nor any where else no means none of the Popes Ministries nor Ministrations no money no men that will preach without it no Popish Parish pay no more Popish Parish Pasture nor Parish Formal Prayer no reaping the clear Tenth of Corn without a farthing charge more then it costs to carry in which is the sixth of the Nations grain at that rate and the Cream and Quintessence of all other Carnal things no Seminary seeds men of that Sort to sow such Earthen Heavenly things such meer fleshly Spirituallities as the Spirits of that Spiritually are fully fraught with No Room for the rest of Romes Religion where taking of Tithes and Raking in the Revennue may not be a prime part thereof keep out the wide mouth'd Bag of all the lord Beggers and they 'l never Burden England so much as these have done with their far fetcht dear bought Baggage But the English Priesthood Preaching for hire and Divining for money and taking of Tithes as aforesaid and talking for them and gaping after the gain thereof and Augmenting their Arguments and hideous outcryes for Augmentations out of the Antichristian Treasury of Deans and Chapters Lands and powerfull pleadings for the Popish Pensions of Parsonages Vicaradges and Curat-ships c. and seeking and suing for such Superstitious emoluments and uncessant and unfatiable callings out more maintenance more maintenance this is not onely a fair In-let to the Popes Bag but also no small part of his Baggage whereby his Bag is upheld which receiprocally upholds his Baggage for these two are the mutual In-lets and upholders of each other and as 't was said of old two good livings which some mongril Presbyterian-Independants can digest yet are a good step toward a Lord Bishop which is not far from an Arch-Prelate so how an Arch-Bishop at Canterbury is next to the Arch Bishop at Rome may be seen by such as have read how that Heavenly Pope Calestine set Anselm Arch Bishop of Canterbury at his right foot in a General Councel saying Includamus hunc in orbe nostro tanquam alter us Orbis Papam we must in our world count upon him as a certain Pope of another world 3 Our Doctrine against Infant Sprinkling is no fair In-let thereto for that is another part of his Baggage that supports several other parts of it which together with it support his Bag which take away and his National and Parochial Churches fall in the fall of which much more Rubbish and Baggage of his fals with it which wont to fill the Bag yea and much mony fails and goes beside the mouth of it which was paid for mortuaries dirgis deprofundis c. in the dismal dayes of his darkest Dominion here besides the refuse of the Cross and the Gossips with whom at their Gossippings the Priests had many good Sippings their wonted Fees for Christnings Churchings c. in the late time of the font and Canonicall Coat the white Surplice and not a little might be better spared then so ill spent as it hath been since the Bason began and the white Surplices are left off among the men that are yet too much for their black Superfluities whose Vniversity Superstitious Snapsacks bear a great portion of and not a little proportion to the forenamed Baggage But such a practice as pleading for sprinkling of Babes which is a tradition little better than their Sprinkling of Bells in their works gives a fair In-let or at least forbids the Out-let of not a little of the Antichristian Bag and Baggage though in their words they would fain seem wholly to Renounce it 4. Our doctrine against persecution is no In-let thereto for the Bloody Tenets of Inquisitions Burnings Headings Hangings Quarterings c. In that case of Conscience are as Iachin and Boaz were before the True Temple of God that is by interpretation establishment and strength the most proper props of the Popes Temple and all its Trumpery the' most Principal Pillars that all his stuff stands on the Bottome of his Babilonish building by which poor people are so frightned into a blind obedience and conformity thereunto that whatever appears of truth to them within they dare not appear to obey nor so much as peep forth into any prosession thereof without but before there is any thing born up to suffer for it they are quickly cut off and as Hernicks soon handled to dust and ashes which most Beastly part of it all the rest of his Babilonish Baggage when ever it shall happen to be removed all the rest runs immediately to Ruine But the doctrine and practice of hating and hunting the Saints to and fro as Harmless Hares hauking after them as Saul after David as Partridges about the mountains from Court to Court from Commitee to Commitee for their flesh and their egges that the Tithe or else the price of the Tith of their egges and geese and hens and piggs and lambs and calves and their other commodities also viz. corn and hemp and hey and hops and pears and plums and apples and other fruits of their lands in which their Ministers labour not may take a
truth but must needs condemn it as delusion and deceit for none of Pauls meer own righteousnesse no dung and losse no imperfectly good works nor imperfect obedience nor such as that of the Iews establishing nor any nor all our righteousnesses which T.D. and I together with our unrighteousnesse dare denominate no otherwise then as filthy Rags doth so much as fit for that pure possession neithe can such as this entitle as a Cause thereunto yea if the righteousnesse of Christ within us wrought by him and received from him were indeed no better then T.D. makes it who makes it no better then mans own I should then acknowledge the who'e sentence to be true which T.D. once utterd and sincâ— acknowledges the truth of p. 38. which seeing he intends it of that true righteousnesse of Christ in his Saints which we testifie to that it s not that which Paul calls his own and dung but Christs own indeed who is the only Author of it is somewhat more then a meer lye and little lesse then bâ—astly blasphemy as T.D. affirms it viz. that any man that holds that principle of being justified by a righteousnesse within us living and dying in that principle caâ—nâ—t be saved But indeed Christs righteousnesse within us only is that by which souls can be saved as I shall shew anon for that without which is in kind the same never iustifies makes just righteous holy cleane nor saves from the sin till some of the same be in us every measure of the gift of which though but a part of the whole is as perfect as the 1 st fruit and the meer earnest of the spirit is a perfect gift and as perfectly good in its kind according to its meaâ—ure as the whole lump and fulnesse out of which it is given and is that which is by T.D. though but a part but improperly called imperfectly good and imperfect obedience p. 45. For no obedience nor good that 's of Christ noâ— gift of the heavenly Father in him is any other in nature then they both are i. perfect as they are peâ—fect and as the fulnesse of good that dwels in and flows from them is perfect without any imperfection And 't is only perfect obedience as only that of Christ whether in the head or in the mâ—mbers of his body is not any mans own upon or for which the Gospell gives life and justification Yet Oh the Rounds that T.D. runs in which there 's no way out of but by the Dore that is the Light which all Theâ—ves and Robbers are climbing above T.D. tells us another untrue tale p. 45. which overturns that untrue tale he told before for p. 38. He said no salvation is of any by a righteousnesse within for any that bâ—leive it must come that way for what 's within us though recâ—ved from and wrought by Christ is but imperfâ—ctly good p. 14.15 and Rags But p. 54. he sayes the Gospell gives life mark upon impâ—fect obedience So according to T.D. who sometimes rejects all righteousnesse within us as imperfect as refuse and as uselesse as filthy Rags which are good for noâ—hing sometimes again allowes that which Paul calls his own and dung to be called Christs and good for sâ—mthing viz. though not to justifie and entitle as a Cause or that upon which which term upon though T D would in p. 21 of his 2 Pamphlet shuffle into a more moderate sense then its properly taken in which is as much as to say for as the Cause of he therein doth but more manifest his folly to all men the Gospell gives the inheritance of life yet at least to sanctify and make meet for p. 14.15.22 but then this righteousnesse within whether Christs or our own which is dung and Christs also by gift to him must take heed however of creeping too high for if it aspire so as to assume to it selfe to be own'd us advantagious to justifie and entitle as that upon which the life is given it must be huâ—l'd down again to â—ary Hell for T.D. p. 28. Do 〈◊〉 all them to Damnation by whole â—ale below all possibility of Salvation that dare so much as hold that principle of being saved by it but for fear his damnation should be damned again as too damnable a Doctrine if he should not moderate it as to the legall rigidity thereof seeing he sayes the Law gives life upon perfect obedience and not without it and can't beleive any obedience that Christ can work in his Saints in this life can be perfect but all that he here works within men imperfect and none perfect but that he wrought without them as far off as Ierusalem as long as 1600. years since and hath now inherent in himself no neerer to them then heaven is to the earth he bethinks himselfe or else forgets himself again so far its not matter which as to cut off the entail of eternall life which the Law gives upon no other then absolutely perfect obedience and â—ntaâ—lâ—s the promise of it under the Gospell whether Christs or ours or both I know not which and I think he knows not well himselfe unto an imperfect obedience as that upon which mark life is given under the Gospell and contrary to Christ who tells us Math. 5. That the Gospell righteousnesse which reaches to the thoughts must exceed and be more perfect if more perfect can be but more then perfect cannot be then that of the Pharisees whereof Paul was one that as to the righteousnesse of the Law was blamelesse yet came not neer that of the Gospel there 's in no case any entrance into the Kingdome T.D. sayes p. 45. the Law gives not life without perfect obedience the Gospell gives it upon imperfect obedience thus posito uno absurdo sequuntur milâ— error minimus in principio fit major in mâ—diâ— maximus in fine When our men call'd Ministers erre by one absurdity rather then return they multiply it into a 1000. and rather loose themselves in the Laborinth of their own learned thoughts then learn of Christ and stoop to the simplicity and plainnesse of the truth as it is in Iesus for but that they love that smoother and smoake of the pit Rev. 9. They came out of in aperto et facili posita est salus The grace of God which brings the salvation appeares to all men teaching such as are willing to learn at it to deny ungodlynesse and worldly lusts and to live godly righteously and sâ—berly in this present world which life they hope not to live till the world to come where unlesse the Pope Purgatoâ—y be a truth and their own true doctrine when they say as the Tree faâ—ls so it lyes be a lye 't is too late to begin it And in such a Wood and Wooden Wheele as to and fro in and out up and down round about here and there no way out doth T.D. wander about this matter of our justification by the righteousnes good works and
Adversaries and Avenge thee on thine Enemies the Quakers whom thou art afraid of though they are Friends to thee and to the best thats in thee which is not of thee more then thou art or to it or to thy self And being in a tumultuous hurry in hideous haste in the heat of Iealousie which makes all look yellow in the height of Anguish and such like mistiness together thou runnest over hedge and ditch not minding so much as the Path of common Reason Equity Honesty or Truth not regarding any guide or Rule to direct thy Course by whether the Light or the Letter or as to thy Disputation the line of Logick it self which two last thou pretendest at least to be led by but in reality art led in a certain muddiness of minde Reapse besides them all till as Canis Festinans caecos parit catulos thou hast brought forth not only a bundle of Lyes and Abuses of the Quakers but also a business as full of learned blindness as most that ever I have read of no bigger bulk Howbeit thou grantest thy self a Dispensation to over come all thou Disputest with in thy Disputation sith be it never so full of groapable darkness even to thy friends and fellows who will see and say nothing yet it s laid up close and safe from the sight of thy Antagonists the Quakers within the linnen shrowd of a dark Language so that the Quakers cannot know any of all this for poor deluded Fanatical silly souls they quoth I.O. no more understand that Language which we here make use of then we Naturalists can comprehend that hidden nonsensical alias Spiritual sound of words in which they seem to gape it out not only to all others but each to other 〈◊〉 in their Discourses Thus like the Woodcock which having hid his head in a hole so that he seeth nobody thereby gathers that nobody seeth him thou judgest of such whose lives are hid from thee with Christ in God that thy life and Lyes likewise are hid from them yet there are some and for ought thou knowest not a few among the Quakers who have been where thou art though where they now are thou canst never come but thorow a true death to thy own will and present foolish wisdom even that shameful death of the Cross by whom not only with that Eye where with thou seest thou are seen but also in that Light in which spiritual men discern both theirs and them by whom themselves are not discerned thou art both seen and comprehended and though thou givest thy self leave to win all thou Playest for while thou Playest alone by thy single self yet when the Game begins again as here it doth between thee and the Quakers as it hath between thee and some of thy own Fellows who have already entered the Lists and taken thee to do viz. Henry Stubbs of thy own society thou mayest possibly prove no such Gainer as yet thou goest for among such as side with thee hook or crook in thy crooked carriage of thy crooked Cause by then both ends of thy Discourses for it be brought together by which time it may likely appear to any save such whose interest compels them to chuse rather to be ignorant and let the Quakers Books alone then to be taught by them how thou and thy Tracts and Tractatles trace it to and fro out of the Track of all manner of Truth in the clouds of confusion up and down in and out and sometimes Round about in not more illogical then Atheological shifts yet not more blindly then boldly sith unseen as is supposed by those who are most neerly concerned in the Cause and Controversy that 's carryed on by them But as Crooked a Serpent as Leviathan is yet his deceits are discryed notwithstanding all his Twinings and Turnings now this way now that again to secure himself yea the least of the little flock which he despiseth is made in the Light and Power of God to Spie and draw him out with a hook yea if it be but by a Sling-stone Zach. 9. rather then his proud Reproaches shall go Unreproved the Lord will subdue and bring down the Uncircumcised Philistine that Devotes himself to defie both the Arme and Armies of the Living God Thou tryest I.O. to loose thy self and thy malitious hissing at the light from the observation of its Children in thy Latine Laborinth but herein thou hast lost thy self too too wofully in another sense in their open view thy language is savoured to be unsavoury and to be at best but that of the mongril seed that speak half in that of Canaan and half in the Language of Ashdod thy Voice is sounded to be that of the Stranger whom none of Christs Sheep will ever follow and as smooth as it is like that of Iacob now and then yet thy hands are felt to be the Rough hands of Cain and Esau wherewith thou coursly handlest thy innocent plain honest-hearted Brother whose Sacrifice is accepted with God as thine can never be while thy sin lyeth at the door Thou lyest hunting abroad for Blessings and Benefices in the Earth and yet what thou gainest even that way by thy greedy gaping after it at one time justly enough as from the Lords Hands for thy fighting against his Israel thou loosest at another but what ere thou gettest or loosest here on earth that seed of Iacob against which thou bandest will carry away from thee both the Birth-right and the Blessing of Heaven and if thou turn not to the light thou hast been hitherto in the vanity of thy mind a scoffer at and lay not hold on the Eternal Inheritance and life it leads to in a very little while as in love to thy soul I here advise thee to do thou shalt never inherit it but Death Darknesse and the Curse for ever in its stead though thou seek it carefully with thy tears Finally I.O. iu aurem tibi dicam let me tell thee this one thing in thy Ear which yet as the case stands can hardly be Whispered so secretly to thee here but that an hundred to one one or other will happen to know it and it matters not much who doth or if all the world know it besides our selves for t is a Truth told in love to the Truth first and then to thee Tractatu'us hic Tuus aut illorum tractatuum pars this thy third little treatise or last Latine piece call thou it what thou wilt is a very Lake of Lyes and both it self and Thou who art the Author of it and whatsoever and and whosever holds union so as to run along or fall into fellowship with it in any more then that little Truth that here and there may happily be uttered in it run all down together with it in the Four Channels or Exercitations of it as it were under ground that the Quakers may not see it who yet do see both whence it comes and whither it goes throw the
even in this present Contest with Thee for all thy perking up into a proud pretensive Prate against us Pro Scripturis as if we stood in some deep Defiance and thou against us in some eminent and more then ordinary Defence of the Scriptures to be in no enmity but in true unity with the Scriptures and to be more real Friends thereunto then either thy self who wilt be found in as real enmity to them as thou art in seeming friendship or any of those aforesaid with whom thou Rankest us as if we were the Rankest Enemies thereof that ever appeared in any Age since the Scripture had a being to this present day Be it therefore fore-known unto thy self and all men who will believe and can receive it for truth and who so will not let the mischief of his mis-belief in this matter be upon him that though we own not thee I.O. and side not with but mostly against thee in that very Book wherein thou standest up so stiffly against Atheists and Papists and all Anti-Scripturists as well as against the men called Quakers whom thou but supposest to be such And though we may possibly be found saying some things soberly which Atheists and Papists say scornfully of the Scriptures which are gain-said by thee and gain-saying at least twenty things that are asserted by thee of the Scriptures in thy zealous Pleadings for them yet we are no Atheists as thou supposest neither are we Papists or Iesuites neither are we Anti-scripturists in any wise nor do we so much as take the part or serve the Interest of nor side or comply with any of them any more then we do with thy self whose Antagonist and T. D's too I am in this present Reply to thy Reproaches of the Quakers in Vindication of whose Interest alone abstract from that of the Papists as much as from thy own and thy Party of Protestants and singly and solely on behalf of the Truth professed by the Quakers and opposed by thee and all the other whom thou opposest And finally for the Scriptures which are truly owned valued used known and Practised only among the Quakers I herein stand up more or lesse against you all as against such who none of you excepted no not those among you Protestant Pretenders to it who would sain seem to others as you do to your selves to be most fervent for it any more then those Decryers and Denyers of it with whom thou slanderously sayest the Quakers side will every one of you be found Foes to denyers of and fiery fighters against the Scripture And this that we are no Atheists nor yet Associates or Assistants to any such as are without God in the World but that People who know God and are known of him above all other People upon Earth the best of which in words professe to know God whom in Truth they know not but in works deny being abominably in their Lives disobedient to his Light and to every good Work void of Judgement will as easily as evidently appear to every Patient and Impartial Reader that can suspend his Censuring till he hath Read these present Animadversions of Thy mad Subversions of the things of God unto the end And that we are neither Papists nor yet Assenting or Adhering to that Synagogue of Rome in any of their abusive defamations depravations depressions decryings disparagements or abominable attempts for the abolition of the Scriptures which they as thou sayest truly would if they were able deprive all others of or of their lives I give the world here to understand as far as they will understand it or take it for truth form me who for Truths sake meerly am of lesse credit and repute in it then else I should be by a present Protesting in the Name and behalf of that People called Quakers against the Papists sordid sottish sinful shameful seeking wholly to suppresse the Scriptures from being seen at all by the Vulgar and scoring out of it what makes most against their bruttish and worse then heathenish Idolatries and wresting those Holy Writings and turning them as they list to their own turns by their most false far off Translations and as utterly untrue Interpretations of them besides both the plain sense of the Words in the Original Languages they were wrote in and mind of the Spirit of God which Originally moved Holy Men to write them and many more such Juggles some of which 't were better for it then it is if the Clergy so called of the Protestant part of Christendom who are too too full of the like were cleare of and fully free from as they are not for all their Protesting so much against the Popedom for its adulterating of the Scripture Which Protestation of mine against the Romish Clergy I the rather and the more largely enter here again not only because I am so generally misreported that by many even thereupon I am also mis-believed to be too great a Favourite and by some flatly a Iesuite and so more then an ordinary Friend to that false Fraternity but also because it may fall out that that slender and senslesse suspition of me if not timely supprest by reason of Three things may in time though groundlesse grow so great in more as it does already in some that for the sake thereof very Truth it self when â—old by me shall not tast well from me nor take place in the hearts of men with whom commonly Damnati Lingua Vocem habet Vim non habet Those Three Things above briefly hinted are more fully Replyed to as followeth 1. In regard that not only T. D. in his Two Toyes puts us and the Popish Party together as Brethren for jumping into one Judgement about the Scriptures but also thou I O. who art a man more beleeved and beloved by the World which heeds and loves its own then I who am not so much heeded as hated by it because I am not of it dost often in thy unquiet Quarrel with the Quakers so called which I who am one of them am now answering so unequally yoak us and the Pontifical Clergy together as Co-conspirators against the Scriptures that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the younger sort for whose instruction thou devotest those thy Latine Labours and more then a good many of those Iunior Novices both in University and Countrey as are ever ready as Rawly as Rashly Iurare in Sententiam Seniorum to drink down desperately all that and digest it by implicit Faith that is imposed and handed out to them for Truth from the Tongues and Pens of their Grand Gamaliels sith thou I. O. DD. sayest it will unquestionably more then think it to be all Truth that thou sayest of our Co-Partnership with the Papists in their basenesse towards the Scriptures in those false sayings of thine that are fore-cited wherein thou injuriously avouchest us to be Approvers of all their Tauntings and joynt Blasphemers with them of the Scriptures 2. In regard that howbeit it is not
thou liftedest up thy self as thou dost in so vain a way of lifting up and advancing the Letter over all that which is to be preferred before it and was before it as that it came out from and points men to even the living Word and inward Light and spirit which as held out by the Quakers not in any way of that Devilish disparagement of as thou intimatest Ex. 1. S. 3. or spiteful disrespect to the Scripture thou settest at nought with all the Calumny thou canst likely cast on them yea as thou sayest of the Pope Ex. 2. S. 8. Papae Tempus erit c. So say I to thee Non Papae solum sed tibi tempus erit cum magno optaveris emptam intactam Scripturam And that I am no Iesuite nor sider with them about the Scripture so as to agree with them in upholding their seigned infallible Chaire besides what many can witnesse who have been Eye and Ear witnesses of my opposing them in other Nations I adde this as my Final Defence of my self as to that Aspersion of T. D. He that will give heed to it let him if otherwise let him chuse Non cum Jesu Itis qui Itis cum Jesuitis So then as to Evince it that I am none of those Idiots that Idolize any meer mens Writings as many do the un kilful scriblings of their Scribes for the Scriptures little lesse then Israel did the Golden Calves after which they dotingly ran from God himself saying of these Imuges in their own Imaginations These are thy Gods c. Nor yet any meer Writings of those holy men that wrote the Holy Scripture it self as most of our misty-Ministers and their people do because they were written by Divine Inspiration little lesse then Israel did the Brazen Serpent because it was hung up by Divine Institution I shall First take occasion to thrust down that enthroned Calf of thy Anti-scriptural Triobulary Treatises Theses and Atheological Thoughts upon the Scripture from that high place it hath in the Thoughts of such as fall down before it as Moses threw down that Molten Image which the High Priest made and ignorant people made a God of and stamped it to powder And Secondly As Hezekiah not without Gods own approbation took down the Brazen Serpent which had its being as the Holy Scripture it self had not without Gods own appointment when once men began to do Homage to it and called it no more then Nehushtan that is a piece of Brasse that they might know it was no God So shall I take down the dead Corps and bare Carcase of the best Copy of the Scripture since men begin to go a Whoring after it from God and Christ and the Word of Life it self out of that high and stately Throne wherein thou I. O. statest it and from those surpassing and lofty Titles of the Living Word of God the most glorious spiritual Light in the World above the Sun the most perfect Rule and many more such like with which thou as hereafter appears dost invest and exalt it over all even over the Light it came from which is by thee unjustly put behind it and dehased below it though both in time and worth 't is far before it and stile it by its own true Name of Writings of Truth or Holy Scripture that so men that seek to it more then to God himself for Salvation and search it and therein think to have eternal Life at the old Scribes did that never came to Christ the Light above whom they prefered it may recollect themselves and see that the Letter gives not the Life but doth only testifie outwardly of another whom being lost from him by looking to the Letter which bids look to him they never look to nor never yet came to that they might have Life So withal to evince it that I am none of those Popish Ignoramus's that deal so ignobly with the holy Scriptures as to set them at nought and pluck them down as they do not only below themselves which have as Real and Great an Excellency as any such thing as is no more then an External Writing of an External Truth can possibly have but also below that which is worse then naught viz. their leaden Legend of Lyes their trashy Traditions their mouldy Massora their invented Oral Law their vain verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that meer imagined Moon calf the unerring breast of their most erroneous holy Father and such like I shall in this Work before all the world prefer the bare body and letter of the Scripture which is legible to mens bodily Eyes far before that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as thou truly callest it for all their Abominations before that whole Body of Fools bawbles that bottomlesse pit of Paultrinesse that boundlesse bundle of Baby clouts that endlesse Ocean of Omnigatherums that dirty puddle and deep dunghil of Devility rather then Divinity which the more it s dived and raked into the more rotten it renders it self like some for did sink that stinkes the more the more 't is stirred in for such is the Traditionary Treasury of that saltlesse unsavoury Sea upon which therefore the plagues of the Vials which must be filled upon you also are fallen falling and to fall which Sea of Rome is as the blood of a dead man lifelesse putrid and corrupt so that every living Soul dies that lives therein Yea Consider the naked literal Aspect of the holy Scriptures nor in its highest not in its primitive best and purest as at first given forth but in its meer derivative in its lowest meanest and most altered and adulterated capacity wherein it stands at this day wrested and torn and like a Nose of Wax twisted and twined into more then twice if not ten or twenty times twenty several shapes by mens untrue and tottered Transcripts and Translations for Oh that vast variety of Lections besides the Infinity of Senses throw mens misrenderings corrupt copyings correctings of and commentings on it c. that the World is now loaded with and led out into yet as meer a graven Image as that is with Ink and Pen on Paper or skin of parchment for 't is so though I reject their jeers as improper and impious by whom it is scoffed at as Chartacea Membranae c. for 't is not so and as dead a Letter as it is bear with me in that Expression I. O. till I come to shew where thou so callest it as well as Papists and Quakers whom thou quarrellest with for so calling it and as very a Nose of Wax and Lesbian Rule and no certain stable standard as it is for I know not why what they wickedly because Tauntingly we may not honestly sith truly seriously and soberly so call which may so easily so endlesly be altered by the wills of men as they self I.O. shewest us in the 20 21 22 23 24. pages of they Preface the Scripture may and made to stand which way
by Inspiration is preserved without Corruption i.e. variety from the first Original Manuscripts in the Copies we have Pag. 137. The whole Scriptâ—re entire as given out from God without any losse is preserved in the Copies of the Originals in â—hâ—m all we say is every Letter and Tittle Pag. 10. Tâ—e Word i.e. Scripture with thee still for thou denyest the words coming any other-way to your selves or any now is come forth unto us from God without the least mixture or intervenience of any medium obnoxious to fallibility as is the Wisdom Truth Integrity Knowledge and Memory of the best of all men Pag. 13. We have not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Mo es and the Prophets the Apostles and Evangelists but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have or Coâ—iâ—s contain every Iota that was in them Hebraeâ— Volumina nec in unica dictione corrupta intenies S. Pag. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 5. 18. To which Answers that Pag. 316 317. Doth not our Saviour affirm of the Word that was among the Jewes i.e. Scripture Secundum te still That not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it should passe away or perish where let the Consonants themselves with their Apices be intended or alluded to in that expression c. And Epist pag. 27. None are able to shew out of any Copies yet extant in the World and that they can make appear ever to have been extant that ever there were any such various Lections in the Old Testament And pag. 319. Neither the Care oâ— God over his Truth nor the Fidelity of the Judaical Church will permit us to entertain the least suspition that there was ever in the world any Copy of the Bible differing in tâ—e least from that we enjoy or that those we have are corrupted And pag. 317. Let the Authors of this Insinuation prove that there ever was in the World any Copy of the Bible Differing in any one word from those that we now enjoy let them produce one Testimony ne Author of C edâ— Jâ—w or Christian that can or doth or ever did speak one word to this purpâ—se let them direct us to any Relick any Monument any kind of Remembrance of them and it shall b of weâ—ght to us c. Many more exceeding and extraordinary high strict streins thou deliverest thyself in in other places about the non-corruption non alteration of the Text of Scripture in one Letter Tittle Iota or Syllable since the first giving it out so but that in the Copies extant to this day there 's an exact Unity and entire Identity with the first Originals a kind of Summary Collection and Câ—pitulation of which thou makest pag. 153. speaking to this purpose thus viz. I O. The Sum of what I am Pleading for as to the particular Head to be vindicated is That as the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were immediately and entirely given out by God himself his Mind being in them represented unto us without the least interveniency of such mediums and wayes as were capable of giving Change or Alteration to the least Iota or Syllable So by his good and merciful Providential Dispensation in his love to his Word and Church his whole Word alias the Scripture with thee as at first given out by him is preserved unto us entire in the Original Languages where shining in its own beauty and lustre as also in all Translations as far as they faithfully represent the Originals it manifests and evidences unto the Consciences of men without other forreign help or Assistance its divine Original and Authority Reply This is the Capital Cardinal General Assertion or Position which branches it selâ— into several Particulars or petty Propositions viz. The immediate coming forth of the Scripture from God to us its self evidencing power to evince it self by it self alone to be of God and his Word it s descending to us at this day entire to a Tittle without corruption by alteration in the least Letter Iota Vowel Point or Syllable its uncapablenesse of such Change and Alteration in its coming to us so are thy words here and pag. 10. to the least Iota or Syllable Unto which General Head and its branches the Ramuâ—culi lesser twigs or little Sentences scattered here and there throwout thy Book are Reducible and each to its own suitable Branch respectively That which I am here under Consideration of thy piâ—tiful Plea for is both its non-Alteration de facto as it s handed down by Transcribers from the fiâ—st Scribes of it to us in these dayes and its Unalterablenesse or Uncapablenesse of Alteration which if thou mean as thou sayest thou here Assertest to the least Iota or Syllable These are to thee as thou sayest such important Truths that thou shalt not be blamed in the least by thy own Spirit nor thou hopest by any others in contending for them judging them Fundamental parts of the Faith once but say I thou knowest not when delivered to the Saints Reply Though I who cannot hold thee because I cannot find thee guiltlesse in either thy hasty holding or thy heedlesse unhandy handling thy weak vindicatory piece of Probation of them at so high a rate do advise thee to praise a fair day at night assuring thee that if ever thou come to learn the Truth in the plainnesse and power of it as it is in Iesus the Light of whom the Letter testifies thou wilt find these no Fundamental parts of that One Faith which Paul and Iude speak of Eph. 4. Iude 3 which was One even of old from Abraham Enoch Noah and downwards from the beginning before the Letter was delivered to and earnestly to be contended for by the Saints and wilt find thy own Spirit also however it now seems not to blame thee in the least blaming thee nor a little for thy ignorance in due time and howbeit being bolstered up for a while above it by the Aery Academical Applauses Gratulatory Euge's J O's Hic est's and such like blessings of thy blind Brother literatists that are as the rich mans wealth to him Prov. 10.15 thy strong City thy Murus Abaeneus a high Brazen Wall to thee in thy own conceit thou feel'st no Check and seemest Nil Conscire tibi nullâ Pallescere Cultâ Yet let others and thy own heart also Clear Chear and Cheat thee as it will thou wilt once know that as to every work there is a time to do it in and a Judgment after it so thy whole lame Anti-Scriptural work about the Scriptures as well as thy other part of it against the Quakers though fenced in the Frontispice with the fair formal pretence of A Vindication of the Purity and Integrity of the Hebrew and Greek Texts and Pro Scripturis and such like must come to another account then that I am here taking of it before the world even to a Judgment from God within thy own now blinded Bosome and closed Conscience as the Book thereof comes to be
did to the Thessalonians 2. Thes 2. by word or Epistle and if I. O. will have it so that t was by a former Epistle then he serves me against T. D. and himself more than himself against me acknowledging the first Epistle of Paul to Corinth which he wrote before the first of the two we have and mentions 1. Cor. 5. to be Authentick and Canonical and so that a whole Canonical Epistle of that holy Apostle and that 's more than a Tittle or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is utterly lost The Fifth viz. Math. 28.20 Teaching them to observe whatever I command you and so I am with you alway even to the end of the world which way I. O. can from thence conclude a promise for every Tittle of inspired Scripture to be preserved for ever entire without losse or alteration I see not but I see one thing that if I. O. hobble but upon a Text of Scripture he thinks at a venture it must serve his Turn about the entirenesse and integrity of the Text and its Tittles though there be no mention of Scripture made at all in it for here 's none in this in which Christ bids them Teach the Nations to observe what he commanded them and that they did he promised then to be with them alway to the end of the world as he was and is ever with his people by his light word they being turned to it themselves but what 's all this to the Tittles of Hebrew and Greek Texts unlesse I. O. say they are the Christ that he meant when he laid I will be with you never did I see men in two Books so miserably wrest and mis-interpret Scripture on pretence of vindicating Scripture as T. D. and I. O. do Yea I. O. there is scarce any or but very few of all the Scriptures thou quotest in all thy Books but thou pervertest them more or lesse as T. D. does the most if not all he meddles with whether about the Scripture or the word or foundation or Rule or what ever else And as for these five last examined if thou hadst not sent me to them to that end I should as soon of my self have gone to seek a Dolphin in the woods as lookt into any one of them to find God promising in his love to his Church and Word and in order to the preserving of them both to be carefull to set his providence so on work as to lay the Transcribers of the Scriptures in the Hebrew and Greek Tongues but not the Translaâ—ors of them into other tongues in which yet his care and Love to his Church though not to the Clergy that trade out of their Original Texts would as much appear and his Truth and most mens souls are as much concerned and more too then in Hebrew and Greek Texts if the Scripture were the onely way to life under his loving aspect so as to see they should not misse nor falsifie in a Tittle though he would leave Translators out of the lists of that loving aspect to erre and corrupt as much as they would for howbeit I ken not the mystery of I. O's mind in this nor any Reason why if God love his Church and Word he should not in his care to preserve both oversee with a loving Aspect that Translators should not mis-translate as well as Transcribers not mis-transcribe yet I. O. allowes the loving Aspect of God to Transcribers but whether God himself do so or no I dare not say denying that great favour as in which his Church is much concerned as in the other to Translators for p. 334. speaking of the Chaldee Paraphrase he sayes thus viz. Seeing it hath not lain under any peculiar care and mercifull providence of God whether innumerable other faults be not get into it and errours not to be discovered by any varieties of Copies as it is happened with the Sepmagint who can tell No promise nor providence nor mercy nor loving aspect to the poor peoples Scripture still which is that of Translation onely for they cannot read Hebrew and Greek their part may go whither it will God looks not after it but such darlings do our Doctors and Clergy men deem themselves to be with God that his love care oversight promise providence and all is towards every Tittle of their Transcripts that they may trade with their Text and mete out what they will to men for money from it should any Qua. make such mad conclusions their Books would be good enough to be burned and thou I. O wouldst Iudge them no better Egregiam vero laudem spolia ampla refertis Tuque liberque tuus magnum memorabile nomen Having foild the Front-Guard of that Ragged Rout the Rest that have far lesse Reason in them if lesse can be are soon Routed Arg. the Second is the Religious care of the Church not of the Romish Synagogue sayst thou to whom these Oracles of God were committed Rep. What Church then if not the Remish Synagogue hath had that Commission of the Scriptures to her and that Religious care thou here talkst on to keep every Tittle of the Text entire without losse or change I do not say that the now Romane Harlot hath now or ever had in her Apostatical slate such a Commission of the Scripture to her as she pretends to as if they were the onely Trustees to whose care and custody the Text was committed of God for as to their proud prate and peculiar claim to such a preheminent power to be keepers and preservers of the Scripture I deny it nay with thy self in the 2.3.4.5 pages of thy Epistle I disown and damn their deceitfull pretence to such a trust reposed in them and if they had enjoy'd any such they have as thou sayest truly manifested a treacherous mind and falsified their Trust egregiously and so cannot stand in Judgement if called to account upon their own principles having indeed so far as they have had to do with the Scriptures altered added detracted depraved vitiated interpolated and done what not to corrupt them during the long time of their Dominus fac-totum-ship in whole Christendom about Scripture and every thing else ad extra that had any pretence toward the Truth and while the Scripture of the Old but the New Testament more specially seeing the Iewes reject it lay lockt up from all the Laity within the lines of her conclavical clerical Conemunication for though de jure they ought not so to have impropriated it but were Arrogant usurpers in so doing yet that de facto they had the grand Custody of that ye call your Canon and changed it as they pleased I should judge thee more silly then I am willing to do if thou shouldst deny it there being no visibly constituted Christian Church as to outward Order in all Europe that was other then a member of that blind Babylonish Body for at least a thousand years together But if that Church had not as I say
his Expressions over all bounds and limits of sobriety rather then deny himself downrighthly so as to expose himself Obvious to all as one that hath been ignorant and that he may render the ridiculousnesse of his lost Labours as remote as may be from the observation of the many let the fruit and Issue be what it will he will seem to own and stand to them to the utmost Apex as long as possible he can that he doth not Resign up the Truth of his Arch Assertion but upon Honourable Terms and with certain Limitations Restrictions Distinctions Reserves to himself and upon Articles and Grants back again to him from his Antagonists as though they help not much to heal and cure his Cause from sinking yet shall serve at least as Drums beating Trumpets sounding Colours flying Bullet i' th Mouth Bag and Baggage use to do to keep up the half-crack'd Credit of Conquered Fort-Keepers to salve the Credit and Reputation of the wrestling Rabbi The said Grants are on this wife viz. Though the Point at first propounded positively and treated and insisted on very earnestly to be proved was that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Copies which we have do contain every Iota that was in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first Writing both of Moses and the Prophets and also of the Apostles and Evangelists pag. 13. Yea every Letter and Tittle of the Old Testament without Corruption and entire without various Lections pag. 14 16 18 19. and what is spoken thus of the Old Testament must be affirmed also quoth I.O. of the New p. 27. And pag 153. The Scripture of the Old and New Testament are preserved unto us entire to the least Iota or Syllable in the Original Languages And pag. 173. That the whole Scripture entire as given out without any losse is preserved in the Copies yet remaining Yet pag. 167. he sayes It is known it is granted that failings have been among Transcribers and that various Lections are from thence risen and we are ready to own all their failings that can be proved p. 169. so notwithstanding what hath been spoken we grant quoth I.O. p. 178 that there are and have been various Lections in the Old Testament and the New As for the Old among the many other he instances in which I have also spoken a little to above he sayes of these of Ben Asher and Ben Nepthali thus pag. 179. viz in their exact Consideration of every Letter Point and Accent of the Bible wherein they spent their lives it seems they found out some varieties Reply 1. An unprofitable improvement of mens whole Lives that live no more according to the Scripture then I.O. sayes the IEWES do as honourably as he seems to speak here of it for his own ends 2. There are some Varities then it seems though thou canst find none or else they could not have found them I.O. sayes Of those Various Readings of the East and Western Jewes that he is Ignorant of them and can't a while to look much after them to inform himseâ—f of their Original and all that he knowes of them is that such there are and appear in Bombergius his Bible pag. 180. Reply Whereby I.O. Confesses himself to be no competent Person to make any Creditable Censure of them so that save that he Credits Capellus whom he credits little when he speaks Truths that make against I.O. that they are not so they may be very momentary for ought I.O. knowes As to the New Testament besides what I.O. sayes Epist. pag. 27. viz. That he evidently finds various Lections in the Greek Copies which we enjoy and so Grants that which Ocular Inspection evinces to be true His whole Third Chapter of his Second Treatise is Totally taken up with Treating of them in which he grants ore and ore again That there are various Lections yea he is sain to Confesse pag. 188 189 That of the various Lections in the Copies of the New Testament Protestants for the most part have been the chiefest Collectors of them and that though at first very few were observed yet now they are swell'd into such a Bulk that the very Collection of them makes up a Book bigger then the New Testament it self And pag. 190. That there are in some Copies of the New Testament and those some of them of some good Antiquity diverse Readings in things and words of lesse Importance is acknowledâ—ed And pag. 191. That so many Transcriptions as there are of the New Testament should be made without some variations is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. impossible Repâ—y All which if it be not a point blank giving of the Point and Position at first Propounded to be proved viz. That there is no Change or Alteration in the least Iota or Syllable from what they were at first in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament pag. 153. The proof whereof also was for a while more frivously and fiercely then forcibly followed and prosecuted and if contrary to the said Assertion it be not an yielding that there is much Change Alteration and various Lection then I know not what a Resignation or Rendring up of a Cause is or else understand not well what I.O. means but mistake him to be one that means as he sayes while he sayes one thing and means another matter Notwithstanding by one means or other but fair or fowl hook or crook right or wrong effectual or weak concurring or self-contradicting is much at one with I.O. he lifts up himself again but alittle too late having perforce once yielded so far to look after his lost Assertion again to recover it and if possible to try one touch more to see if he can make it stand up in its former strictnesse wherein at first he laid it down And so in one of his wonted fits of dangerlesse fear least his giving way so much should create a Temptation to his Reader that nothing is left sound and entire in the Letter which he falsly calls the Word of God and his only perfect Rule stable Bottom true and sure Foundation pag. 193. He Summons his Sentence back into its first Rigidity saying and that not out of Hopes but that some may be so foolish as to believe him that with them that rightly ponder things all his own Confessions and other Protestants professions notwithstanding there ariseth nothing at all to the prejudice of his Assertion Yea all that yet appears impairs not in the least the Truth of our Assertion That every Tittle and Letter quoth he remaines in the Copies preserved pag. 181. The Grounds which he judges his Assertion viz. That there 's no Alterations or various Lections in Tittles and Letters to stand firm upoâ— notwithstanding all his Grants that there are many various Lections in the present Copies of the Oâ—iginal are the small Number the small Time of standing in the World and the small importance of those various Lections and Alterations that are On these small
Syllable or Tittle in any Book that varieth from the common received Copy though manifestly a mistake superfluous deficient consistent or inconsistent with the sense of the place yea Barbarous be imposed on us as such it being not every variety or difference in a Copy that should presently be cryed up for a various Reading p. 19â— 194. for that were to create a Temptation that nothing is left sound and entire in the word of God and so overthrow our Assertion which we stand so strictly to maintain and so to them tha rightly ponder things there will arise nothing at all to the prejudice of our Assertion p. 193. yea then 't will quickly appear p. 181. 201. 202. how small the number is of those varieties which may pretend unto any consideration under the state and Title of various Lections and of how very little Importance they are to weaken in any measure or impaire in the least the Truth of my former Assertion quoth he concerning the Care and Providence of God in the preservation of his Word that is the Scripture with I. O. and every Tittle and Letter thereof In all which sayings collectively considered I.O. had as good have said in short do but yield it that all the varieties mistakes corruptions barbarisms of what sort or notion soever fewer or more greater or lesser hurting or not hurting the sense of the place old or new by superfluity or defect of words crept in from Heriticks or however are not varieties c. and then our Assertion holds good and true viz that there is none at all or thus count not such as are of more and lesse importance prejudicing or not prejudicing the sense for corruptions and then there will be found few or no corruptions in our Copies at all or thus forasmuch as they onely deserve to be considered as various Lections where no mistake can be discovered as their cause and these not to be admitted as such which are occasioned but by mistakes take away all that were but mistakes from that Title of various Lections and all such too as were not mistakes but evidently intended as Expository of difficulties or supplyed purposely to make out the sense of the places p. 180. 181. 206. and then there will appear to be few or no various Lections or in a word excepting all those that are there 's none at all As if a man that owes but twenty shillings should say to his Creditor bate me but twenty shillings and I 'le pay you all But we must not let it go so I.O. by whole sale though as Lot pleaded for little Zoar to be spared that his soul might live so thou for sparing the imposition and imputation of little impurities to thy Copies that thy grand Assertion which else must dye may live which is that in the least Syllable Tittle Letter and Iota thy Transcripts are true and entire as the first Manuscripts yet we must not separate from our Anti-Assertion the mentioning of the mistakes in Iods and Vau's and Tittles and Iota's and Syllables and Vowels and single Letters and such like unlesse thou wilt remove from they Arch-Assertion thy strict positive affirmings that your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Copies contain every Iota and Tittle that was in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that Haebraea volumina nec in uâ—â dictione corrupta inâ—enienda sunt and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. not one Iot or Tittle of the Text passed from what ever was written by inspiration under the Law and that ye have all every Tittle without any losse or any change or alteration to the least Iota or Syllable and much more id genus p. 13. 153. 173. 317. and if thou recede from and recant that Reasonlesse Rigidity of thy Position about the truth of thy Text in Tittles we shall supersede from our reasonable Reply to thee concerning the corruption and mistranscription of thy Text in sundry Tittles in which it seems thou art forced to confesse to us that some Tittles are amisse for while thou standest so strictly upon the entirenesse of each Tittle as thou sayest of the Jewes p 240. so I of thee while thou keepest the Scripture we shall never want weapons out of thy own Armory for the destruction of thy haughty Assertion like the Philistine thou carryest the weapon that will serve to cut off thy own head for while I.O. asserts the Text to be entire to every Tittle wee 'l tell I.O. out of his own Book that I.O. tells an untruth in that for if I. O. be to be believed by himself he o're and o're confesses mistakes in Tittles Iots Vowels Syllables and single Letters But if I. O will agree to a cessation of Armes and Arguments about Tittles then we shall Restipulate with him there and because he doth little lesse then cry Peccavi in that and keeps such an imperious Begging and beseeching that all varieties in Tittles that are of no importance at all may not be reckoned on as various Lections I here 〈◊〉 him to wit that we can here also afford well enough to abate him all different places in meer Tittles and Accents that intrench not on the sense and yet have enough left to lay sure siege with against his Assertion if hee 'l hold it about matters of importance onely and such as are inconsistent with and intrench on the sense of the place and that no further off then I.Os. own Book which ever furnishes us wherewith to answer him out of his own Armory for in that p. 193 he writes thus of variety viz. those which are of importance have been already considered by others especially Glassius and thus p. 200. Let those be removed and not counted on that are deficient in words evidently necessary to the sense of their places it evidently imports no lesse then this that I.O. owns some varieties to be of importance and such as do intrench on the sense in their stations and so if we seclude all that are of lesse or no importance with him he stands still where he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned and confounded every way where ever he flyes or followes in the service of his Arch Assertion if he had no man to fight against him besides himself And if he say those of importance and that intrench on the sense are but few I say if any at all they are many enough upon his predicted principles to pluck up all the fabrick of his form of Religion faith about Truth and the very foundation it 's all framed upon by the roots as to any certainty that he hath of his standing while he stands leaning to no more but his naked Letter and can plead their Original no higher then from the ticklish Transcripts of his pretended Original Text. And that this may appear let what followes be serious considered by any who have not utterly lost their understanding 1. That the main Assertion I O. makes so much ado about the
he calls it but also that there are many mistakes in those Books that are out of his own hand writing which is no better then snares and bands a certain piece of contradictory net-work of his own composing to the catching and binding down himself wherein he hangs hampered intangled and tumbled up and down in his own fruitlesse contests fallible perswasions and perplexing self-contradicting conjectures so that there 's scarce a Chapter or so much as a Lection in it fully free from or rather not fully fraught with some or other of his uncertain conceits and certain confusions about the defending of his Assassinated Assertion one while Asserting and striving stiffly to maintain it in the very rigidity universality and utmost strictnesse of it that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. not the Iot or Tittle of the Original Text is added altered lost mis-transcribed sometimes Assenting to the contrary onely begging that all various Lections of what sort soever one or other without exception may be excepted from the account of various Lections and then Asserting that his Assertion on that condition will stand entire concerning the entirenesse and integrity of his Text to a very Tittle Now then since it is so 〈◊〉 at the outward Letter of the Scripture not only in its Translations which I.O. himself Asserts to be so universally altered and corrupted from the Originals but a little also in its Copies of the Original is by I.Os. own confession both so abundantly altered by the addition of the Points since the first writing and the Variations of so many severall kinds as himself enumerates and at best so easily so infinitly alterable as that at the wills of men exercising their critical faculties about the Text it may by Transposition and Transcription of one Letter for another or supposition and subscription of one Vowel for another be turned divers contrary wayes and subverted in its sense so exceedingly that some one word instancing in that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ep. p. 24. may as it may be pointed or printed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afford no lesse then eight severall senses as distant from one another as life and death seeing also that there is no relief against all that huge heap of uncertainty that is found among the founders that are continually confounded within themselves about their sickle foundation unlesse they will be perswaded to come to that firm inâ—allible sure foundation and inalterable Rule of all Truth the light word and spirit of God in the heart but their own vain empty groundlesse confused thoughts imaginations conceits fancies fallible perswasions and opinions taken up by Tradition from each others Tomes Treatises Targums and Talmudical twatlings as if there were neither Light nor Spirit nor word of God throughout the whole world whereby any soul saving Truth can possibly come to be known or entertained at any certainty further then the Text-tâ—ining Text-men tell and teach it forth either by their Oralâ— Talkings for Tythe or manifold Translatings of it out of their falsely supposed entirely Transcribed Copies Shall we then think because I O. to the contradiction of himself so thinks and imposes his own thoughts on us as uncontroulable proofs that there is no variation in the Copies we have from the first Manuscripts of the Scripture but that they are come to us without the least interveniency of any such mediums or wayes as are capable of giving change or aâ—teration or obnoxious to fallibility in the least Syllable or Iota p. 10. 153. or that the some varieties that I. O confesses R. Aaron and R. Moses found in their exact consideration of the Bible were small and of no importance to the sense of any word p. 179 especially since with I.O. if a body might take his Tattle for Truth every Letter Tittle Iota there Transcribed was a part of the word yea no lesse then the Word of the great God wherein the eternall concernment of all soules dothâ—lâ—e p 168. 169 Shall we think because I.O. thinks so p. 17. that there is not any colour or pretence nor any tollerable evidence from all the discrepancies in the Copies themselves that are extant that there ever were any other in the least differing from these extant in the world Shall we think because I. O so thinks p. 181. 193. that all that yet appears impairs not in the least the Truth of his Assertion that every Tittle and Letter that was in the Original Copies remaines in the Copies of the Original to this day without any losse or any alteration or passing away of one iot thereof and that with them that rightly ponder things abovesaid there thence ariseth nothing at all to the prejudice of that his so often o're and oâ—re again affirm'd Assertion And if men must deal by instances in this case as he sayes and not by conjectures though himself gives us no instance of any one Copy of which he can say unlesse he had the Autographa by him that it agrees every Accent and Syllable therewith upon any better ground then his own bare conjectures yet if I had not given him instance enough of whole words verses books prophesies c. lost of inspired mens Scriptures doth not I.O. himself give us instanâ—es enough of variety of Lection to the assuring us of the falsenesse of his first Assertion which instances of his own insisting on are obvious to all Readers of his Book and believed by us to be true rather then his idle talk to the contrary of his Texts integrity to a Tittle And is there any reason as he sayes of himself and his adherents Ep. p. 28 that we should be esteemed Ridiculous because believing our own eyes we will not believe the Testimony of I.O. imagining otherwise then the case is according to his own instances dealing by conjectures against his own instances a man deservedly of no credit with us running in ridiculous rounds and asserting that to be Truth which we know from his own Book to be utterly false Shall we think that the literal Text in the very Transcripts he so talkâ— for is any other then he cals it as to its most ancient Translation a corrupt stream a Lesbian â—ule p. 15. 16 or any other then some call it a nose of wax no certain stable 〈◊〉 or standard to try all Truth by guide throughout in the knowledge of the will of God Shall we think because I.O. thinks so strangely that so corruptible and corrupted a stream as the meer Letter now is since vitiated and interpolated can be judged a fit means to judge the fountain by i. e the Light Word and Spirit it came from and a fit measure to correct and authoritatively to examine and determine those Originals by Shall we think because I.O. hath and uttereth such high and hyperbolical thoughts apprehensions and affirmations of
emananation from God of the letter as the sole foundation of all that Divine Authority as the Word of God thou ascribest to it and as thy Basis as thou sayest p. 2.24.30 thou beginnest thy Building in thy second Chapter and so onward throughout thy book in both Treatises and Theses laying and thwacking Title upon Title Land upon Land Honor upon Honor Exaltation on Exaltation Crown upon Crown on the head of the Copies of the original or Hebrew and Greek Texts of the Bible as they are at this day come down to you from the Generations of old thorough the hands of the sundry successive Transcribers extolling and magnifying it in such an exceeding high unlimited and boundless way of Benediction till like one that being busie in beautifying with Gold his carved Image and blessing his more then ordinarily beloved Idol forgets that it s but a perishing piece of Wood or mouldring matter fashioned into that form and fabrick wherein it appears outwardly and immediately to him by the handywork of meer erring man Thou carriest thy Castle into the clouds with aery applauses till by thy lofty liftings up of the letter and thy windy whiffling to and fro talkings for it and Weathercockly commendations and setting up of every Pinnacle Tittle Point Syllable and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it thou hast trimm'd up thy Tower of Babel with a Top welnigh as high as Heaven and made no less of it even of the letter and Text of thy meer modern Greek and Hebrew Transcripts of the Scripture then appears by thy own words J.O. The only and most perfect Rule of All faith and good manners The truest and most unerring touchstone for the trial of all truth The most immoveable inalterable certain stedfast and stable Standard The only firm and infallible foundation of all that beleef and obedience that God requires at mens hands A stedfast Releef against all that confusion darkness and uncertainty which the vanity fossy and loosness of the minds of men drawn out by the unspeakable alterations that fall out amongst them would certainly have run out into pag. 28. The most effectual means of bringing men to repentance on which all faith and repentance is immediately to be grounded That which alone gives the determination of Doctrines proposed to be beleeved whether they are truths of God or cunningâ—y devised fables Tr. 1. Cap. 3. Sect. 16. That by which we are commanded to examine and prove Tanquam ad lydium lapidem all those things that are to be examined and proved That which pleads its reception not only in comparison with but in opposition unto all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of his minde and will founded thereon p. 58. That which is necessary in such an high degree of necessity in its daily use not only ad ingenerationem fidei to the begetting of faith where it is not bâ—â— in ea edificationem to the edification of the highest Saints in it while they draw breath here that there is not more need to us of food and rayment to uphold our very natural life than there is of the Scriptures that we may be daily instructed in the knowledge and faith of Christ. That which doth not only most exceedingly exceed all others but as to the saving ends thereof is the only and singular means that God uses in order to the revealing the knowledge of himself The light the most glorious light in the world above the Sun c. p. 43. The witness of God the power of God to salvation ipsa doctrina quam à Deo docemur yea no lesse than â—he very powerful living quickning soul-saving Word of God That which challenges to it self that glorious Title of the Word of God as its own proper name That which is so tum in esse reali cognoscibili i.e. so and so known evidently by its own light and power so to be That which manifests and testifies of it self from the beginning to the end of it p. 140. to be the Word of the living God yea abundantly uncontrolably to men p. 3 That which is often even welnigh a thousand times mentioned indigitated Ex. 1. Sect. 5.32 by that name the Word of God That which calls for attendance and submission to it as such with supream uncontroleable Authority p. 58. That which is expected from us and required of us by God himself on penalty of his eternal displeasure if we fail in our duty 2 Thess. 1.8 9 10. That we receive it not as we do other books with a firm opinion only but with divine and supernatural faith omitting all such inductions as serve only to ingenerate a perswasion that it is his Word p. 31.32.34 c. And many more such transcendently glorious Epethites and Compellations thou denominatest the Scripture by as that which as to the integrity of the Text is unaltered in every tittle and also every tittle and iota of which is a part of the Word yea the Word of the great God wherein the eternal concernment of souls lyes for of the Scripture or under that terme of Scripture or of the Word thou restisiest all this yea and very much more dost thou found out and sing of the Transcripts of the Greek and Hebrew Text to the same tune which though they are all true of the true Word of God indeed which is properly so called and in the Scripture it self which never which no where calls it self so is often and only so stiled yet being by thee uttered all concerning the Scripture which is intended by thee when thou praedicarest any thing of it under that Name or Term of the Word of God saying the Word of God is a light powerful glorious above the Sun c. as well as when thou speakest of it under its own true and only proper name of Scripture saying the Scripture is the Rule the foundation c. the Scripture is so or so it is every whit of it utterly false as thou utterest it the falsehood whereof I shall now come to make some Animadversions of more particularly And for as much as I own all those high-flown glorious denominations thou runnest out into to be true to a Tittle if spoken of Gode word indeed but deny utterly the truth of any one of them as they are spoken by thee of the Scripture as the most commodious way that I can take for the disproof of thy untrue talke of the Scriptures whereby thou ignorantly not to say Idolatrously attributest such glorious Titles and Epechites thereunto as are the due and only peculiar properties of the true and living Word of God indeed which is Christ Jesus himself and also for the vindication of the Word of God from that Robbery and Spoil that is done to it by thee who pullest it down from the Throne and statest the meer Texs and Letter of it in its place and also for the further vindication of the poor deluded Fanatical Qua. as thou callest them
their feet are swift to shed blood that wasting and misery are in their wayes and the way to true peace they know not yet this one thing I must say too and of our Vniversity Scriblers pro Scripturis that as there are no men in the world more up to the ears in strife about the Scripture and their own Fancies on it as to matter and letter than the Scribes are so there is no one thing that the Scribes are striving scuffling and scolding at each other more about than about their Scriptures That light or word within and not the letter is the Foundation First I shall take account of what thou falsely assertest concerning the Scriptures being a Foundation Thou affirmest the Scriptures to be the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles spoken of Eph. 2.20 pag 33. saying of them that men may quietly repose their souls upon them in beleeving and obedience and of your selves thus are we built 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. on the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and calling them Page 48. The Foundation of that world which he hath set up in this world as a Wheel within a Wheel his Church And page 154. The Foundation of faith hope and obedience And page 155. The Foundation of all that faith and obedience which he requires at our hands And page 316. The great and blessed Foundation of Truth All this I own to be very true of the Word of God of which the Scripture speaks but it is utterly false as uttered by thee of the Scriptures The falsehood of which appears plainly by this Argument 1. Argument That which is the great and blessed Foundation of all that truth faith hope and obedience that God requires at mens hands and of the Church and of the Apostles and Prophets must be something which was in being before any of these things were for the Foundation on which these are built must have a being before they can be built thereupon every Foundation being before the building can stand upon it But though the Word of God be so yet the Scripture is not before but long after that truth faith hope and obedience which God requires at mens hands and long after the Church and long after the Apostles and Prophets were yea after those Apostles and Prophets were Respectively who were the Respective pen-men thereof Therefore the Scripture the Writing the Letter the Greek and Hebrew Text is not the Foundation of any of these things The first Proposition is so true that it were no less then disparagement to I. O's wisdom to suppose him to be mentis inops to go about to prove it to him sith as he builds Castles in the air as easily thrown down as erected upon no better Foundation then his own fancy thoughts conjectures and imaginations yet he cannot be so senceless as to think that that Foundation be it what it will firm or brittle on which any thing is built must be before the building can stand thereon And as for the minor in every part thereof it 's as undeniably true to any save such as having once turn'd their backs upon the Truth are resolved to render themselves devoid of eithet Sense or Reason in their Reasonings against it then to own it For none else can deny but the Church and the Truth Faith Hope and Obedience of it and the Messengers Apostles Prophets Preachers of Righteousnesse such as were Enoch Noah Abraham Lot and others were in the Truth Faith Hope Obedience of the Gospel and also built upon Christ the Light the Word of God the Rock of Ages before Moses dayes who is unversally supposed at our Vniversities to have been the first Pen-man of the Scriptures The grand Master-place of Scripture that is us'd in proof hereof that the Scriptures are the Foundation is Ephes. 2.20 where it 's said by Paul to the Ephesians Ye are built on the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-Stone Hence it is strenuously stickled for and as confidently as cloudily concluded by our doting Doctors and dreaming Divines that the Church of God as to all her Faith Hope Obedience Knowledge of the Truth is built upon the Apostles and Prophets Writings as that which is there called the Foundaeion whereas were they but at leisure from that lesser and lower literature wherein they are lost from the Lord and the Light and Life of God and the Letter also which issued forth from thence to look into the Light and by it into the Letter it self they more blindly labour for then truly learn by they would soon see that the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets there spoken of is not the Apostles and Prophets themselves much less uncertain transcribed Copies of those few Fragments of their Letters and some other honest mens true stories of what was done in their times good instructions memorandums and litteral recommendations of wholsome Laws and Statutes most of which as laid down in the Letter saving that they remain in the truth and substance whereof they were the types figures and shadows are above 1600-years since cancelled and abolished Promises Prophesies Psalms Proverbs Parables occasional Letters Epistles and other Writings which such as fell into a foolish following and falling down before outward Images and from the infallible Spirit it self that their Scriptures were written to keepe men to found and fardelled together and fram'd in their own fancies into a Foundation of the Faith and of all the whole Fabrick of Religion to be for ever framed and founded upon But Christ Iesus himself who is there also called the chief Corner-stone and 1 Pet. 2.4 that living Stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious on whom the Saints even all together with the Apostles and Prophets and the whole Houshold of God as Fellow-Citizens and lively Stones are built up a spiritual House to offer spiritual sacrifices yea all into one holy Temple or Habitation of God through the spirit This is the true and sole Foundation of all the matters before mentioned Christ Iesus the Rock of Ages on whom whoever believes shall not be ashamed Christ the living Word of God that also quickneth whose words are spirit and life to the hearers of his voice whose words uttered in the heart do good to those that walk uprightly this is the Stone that you Babel-builders refuse which God hath made the very head stone in the Corner Psal. 118.22 Matt 21.42 This verbum lumen internum Christ the eternal internal Word in the heart and Light of the World given a Light to the Nations and as such Gods salvation to the ends of the earth and the precious sanctuary to such as believe in his light is that stone of stumbling and Rock of offence to such as thee I.O. that stumble at the Word in their wrestlings for the Letter being disobedient unto both whereunto also they are appointed and a Gin and a Snare to the
If every mans private light be the Rule of obedience then we have as many Rules as men but the Divine Rule is onely one and that only one quoth he falsely elsewhere is the Scripture Rep. His minor as is said above serves our turn and as for his major its consequence is most false if by the Word private light he means every ones particular measure of light that shines from God into his conscience for that doth not make tot Regulas c. so many men so many Rules for the Light and Spirit which is the only Rule is one and the self-same thing in all distributed to every one as to degrees which never vary the nature of any thing severally as seems good to him And this is but a piece of his own peevish private piece of prate so often as he doth in his Disputes to term the light of God we testifie to as one in all though in different measures lumen privatum the private light for its lumen publicum commune that one publick light that comes and is communicated from God and reproves sin in all men and never did nor doth consent to any iniquity but condemns it in all men and all men as found in sin and were I.O. as well skilled in the Scripture as he is in the way of unskilful scribling for it and would once learn of Paul whom he often prates on he would have learnt ere this time with him to stile the light in all the different measures of it attained to by men to be but one Rule one thing still and not to say that if every man minde the light in himself then so many men so many Rules which Apostle Phil. 3 15 16. saith Whereunto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule let us minde the same thing And as to T.Ds. saying That so much of the matter contained in the Scripture as is written upon the hearts of the Heatbens is a Rule to them I very readily grant that to be the very truth but what will T.D. get by it but 1. The glory of his granting to the Qua. that other Grand Question about which he quarrels with them viz the being of a measure of the same matter and not naâ—â—ral as man is in statu corrupto but supernatural and spiritual light of truth which is contained and testified in the Scripture to be in all men in the world even in the Heathen that have not the Scripture 2. The fuller just censure of a contradicter of himself who by telling the truth herein gainsayes that false Doctrine which he teaches for Truth in another place For here he owns some of the same truth or holy Doctrine declared in the Scripture which himself and I.O. stickle to prove it against such as deny it not for the truth is so though the Text is not that every Tittle and Apex thereof is as equally divine or supernatural and entirely given by God himself and as immediately as the very voice wherewith he spake to and in the Prophets See I.O. p. 27.153 and properly the Word of God 24. and the Gospel and a supernatural and spiritual light and such like See I.O. p. 77. and T.D. p. 1 2. of 1. Pamph. and p. 23. of his 2. Pamph. I say here T.D. owns some of that same Matter Light Truth Law or Gospel the letter declares to be written upon the hearts of the Heathens that never had the letter and to be the Rule from God to them But when we affirm as the Scripture doth and T.D. too that every man in the world is enlightned by Christ the true light 1 Joh. 9. with some measure of that Light the Letter speaks of and hath some of that holy divine supernatural spiritual truth doctrine and Evangelical matter which the whole Scripture either more obscurely or more clearly declares then he denies it asserting the Gentiles or Heathens to have none of those Judgements that God gave to Israel and as T.D. to the contradiction of himself so I O Christus nullâ sub consideratione lumen salutare omnibus stngulis hominibus du sit Ex. 4. s. 17. Christ hath in no kind vouchsafed saving Light to all and every man One ignorant untrue Assertion more of T.D. while my eye is on it I may not here let pass without notifying it to the Reader and then for ought I see I may leave T.D. as to his talk of the Scriptures being in the nature or office or authority of a Rule and see what I.O. sayes as to this T.D. sayes p. 17. of his 2. Pamph. Suppose we had the signs recorded that are not written yet were they not our Rule yet confesses that were they written they might be useful being done for the very same end with those lest us G. W. telling him he contradicts himself in so saying T.D. answers he is not sensible of any contradiction herein but of subordination only between the efficient and instrumental cause That the second creation doth not exclude though the first did instruments or second causes instancing Iam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us by the Word of truth And Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rep. To which say I T.D. is not so little sensible of the contradiction G.W. charges him with as every understanding Reader may be greatly sensible of the flat falshood that is told for truth in this latter clause wherein he asserts the first creation did exclude second causes or instruments though the second doth not whereas if T.D. had not been in a Dream he would have seen that the first Creation is so far from excluding instruments or second causes if that be an instrument or second cause which himself instances to be one in the second Creation viz. The Word of God for as the Scripture sayes that the Saints are begotten to God and faith by the Word of God so it sayes but that our Scriblers for the Scriptures are little skill'd in it and so study it in their dark minds till they cannot see what who is not blinde cannot easily over-look Heb. 11.3 2 Pet. 3.5.7 By faith we understand in plurali the worlds were framed by the Word of God and that by the Word of God the heavens and earth were of old and the heavens and earth that now are by the same Word are kept in store and reserved to fire against the day of Judgement and perdition of ungodly men You had need be ashamed to pretend to be such appearers in publick pro Scripturis that appear so much in your testimony so flatly against them as ye do Now as to J. Os. prosecution of the proof of this matter which he so often over and over again avouches as a truth with divine faith to be imbraced on pain and peril of eternal ruine and damnation viz That the Scriptures are in the Authority of the only and perfect Rule and Canon since the compleating
spoils them Souls and Bodies and nought to be deceived of but deceit and darkness it self yet they are ever noysing it out Deceit Deceit by means of which unanimous out-cryes and simultaneous sounds of these Heterogeneous multaneous multanimous false Prophets drowning the still voice of Wâ—sdome which yet cryes aloud too and uttereth her voice to these simple scorners in their streets Pro. 1. It is not heard nor heeded though the Wisdome of God send them now as of old he did to the like Generation of evil doers Matth. 23.34 Luke 11.49.50 Prophets and Apostles and wise mâ—n and Scribes yet some of them they even kill and some of them they imprison and persecute out of their Synagogues and some they stone dirt and bemire not only with their belying lips and pens but also their merciless hands the dark places of the earth Cathedrals Monasteries Abbeys Academies Colledges being ever full of the habitations of cruelty Ps. and some they sorely whip and scourge supposing they do God service in all this Iohn 16.2 that the righteous blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may come upon them which verily is to be required both of this and in this present evil Generation For the Lord is now in earnest bending Iudah for himself and filling the bow with Ephraim and raising up the Academically-unlearned sons of Sion against those sons of Greek and making them as the Sword of a mighty man in his own hand to do vengeance on those heathenish nursing Mothers and to punish not only all others but more especially their Pope-like Priests and people to bind their Kings in chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute on them the Iudgement written in the Scripture itself they scribble about far more then they are skill'd in it to speak to those Drunkards with the wine of their own wisdome with stammering lips and another Tongue then any they can talk in or understand by precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little that they may go backward and stumble and fall and be broken and snared and taken and to reject those Greeks that seek so much after mans wisdome in the promulgation of the things of God to whom the Cross of Christ is foolishness and to reject those Scribes and Disputers of this world and by that preaching which to them is foolishness itself to make their wisdome foolish and to chuse out foolish weak base things and persons even Laicks Mechanicks Rusticks Russet-Rabbies as they term them even Babes Bablers and such as Are not in their eyes to confound and bring to naught these mighty wise and prudent ones that Are and to draw the night and darkness over those dreaming Diviners that they shall no more divine what things and strange acts are transacting in this time and to cause the Sun to set upon their learned Seers that scoffingly call to the Qua. out of their Mount Seir Watchman What of the night So that the Vision of all both to them and their unlearned people that live upon their lips shall be as a book seaâ—ed and to search out the hidden things of those Lord Esau's that hunt abroad for their learning and to supplant them by his plain honest-hearted Iacobs that dwell and learn truth at home in their own Tents and to cover Aegypt with a Cloud and to mingle a perverse spirit among her Ministers and to manifest the folly of these Iannes and Iambres that resist the truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith as he did theirs that withstood Moses of old and to leave the Princes of Zoan to become fools and the counsel of these wise Councellors of Pharoah to become bruitish so that it shall be said of them as of old Iâ—a 19. Where are they Where are the wise men Let them tell now let them know what the Lord of Hosts hath purposed upon AEgypt yea surely these Princes of Zoan are already become fools the Princes of Nâ—pâ— are deceived They have also seduced AEgypt even they that Tribe that is the stay of the Tribes thereof and to divide in Iacob that Tripâ—Lâ— Tribe of Levi whose anger and wrath is cursed for it hath been cruel and as they have scattered the Israel of God so to scatter them in his Israel and to set these â—oâ—sheards of the earth to drive with each other about their own foundation and to râ—ze their own Babel to the ground and to break themselves to pieces one against another like a Potters Vesselâ— so that in the bursting thereof there shall not be left at last so much as a sheard fit to use to take fire from the hearth or water withall from the piâ— and to render all the works and voluminous Tomes of these Turners of his things upside down of no better esteem among men then the Potters claâ— and to take all these subtil foxes in their own craftiness both the great and the little oneâ— that Spoil his Vine which bath tender Grapes and hurt the cluster or gatherings of the Saints together in which is the New Wine and the Blessing and to unhoâ—se this Tripple-crown'd Harlot that hath so long rode and at upon both Powers and their people her nursing Mothers of lâ—arning true Religion and piety in pretence but in truth of all ignorance superstition and abomination and to call to account the whole Ct Clergy upon which a Consumption is determined throughout the earth and to summon both the Pope and his Cardinals Mount Seigniors Iesuites Monks Fâ—yers and also all Arch-bishops Bishops Arch-deacons Deans and their Officials also all Parsons Vicars Curates and all Spiritual Persons whatsoever also all learned Linguists Scribes Text-men Translators Commentators Tâ—eaters Tythe-Teachers Talkers of Truth for their own turns and Tradâ—râ— out of the Scriptures profit-seeking Prophets and Pastors that for pay have made a prey of his people and to plead with them for his flock and to come down to fight for Mount Sion and for the hill thereof and to Roar through the mouths of his Prophets against these many sorts of Shepherds that are now so loud and full of noyses and clamours to keep their flocks from fleeing from them crying out Heresie beresie Schism Quakeâ—ism Fanaticism c. and to scatter their people from them and to gather his own sheep into his Fold whom they have driven to and fro from mountain to hill in the dark and gloomy day and to take their prey from the midst of them and like a Lion roaring on his prey when a multitude of Shepherds is call'd forth against him he will not be afraid of their â—ice nor abase himself for the noyse of them In a word to stretch out his hand so strongly against them all that those powers and people that helpe them shall fall and those Priests Universities Doctors Schollars and other Students there that are holpen by the earthly powers shall fall and they all
God comes in his righteous Iudgement to take full and finall vengeance upon them Whereupon it is called the riches of Gods Goodness which is never the lesse to them though they perish in their wills even to them that yet despise it by which they are not left without faithful reproof and warning within themselves but are put in fair capacity for Salvation from the wrath for the despising of which Light that will not let them sin themselves to ruine without stopping them till they be obstinate they treasure up wrath to themselves against the day of it Rom. 2.4.5 Despisest thou the riches of his grace c. not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance c. Arg. That which is the riches of Gods goodness and grace to the very wicked that despise it and perish which would else lead them to repentance and Life must needs be a part of the Gospel and its Light but such is that which leaves and is in all men in the very wicked leaving them inexcusable if they repent not by it therefore that Light in all men Iew and Gentile good and bad is a measure of the Light of the Gospel which ye puffers at it would fain shut up from shining in common in al men among a few such unhallowed Elect ones and seeming Saints as your selves for that the Grace of God that brings Salvation where it is to such as put it not far from them should be said by us as it was of Paul Tit. 2.11 12. to appear to all men is as damnable Heresie with you in us as 't is undeniable truth with you as told by Paul Yea this ye are impatient at that Proclamation of Grace and good will from God to all men with true intent that all should have it that are as willing to have it as God is they should or otherwise then pretendedly as you make it should be made And yet the Churl that practises hypocrisie and utters errour against the Lord and howbeit he sayes Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly every one that thirsteth Life as well as death is freely and truly set before you chuse Life that ye may live and welcome Christ is come that ye may have life and that abundantly yet makes empty the soul of the hungry and causes the drink of the thirsty to sail by telling them that God freely proffers this to all but intends it only to a few would be called bountiful and liberal for all this but it must not be in the day that is coming wherein the eyes of such as see shall not be dim and the eye of the old Seer be darkened the tongue of the stammerer tell the plain truth and the mouth of the University Student be stopped and the lips of the Lyar be shut up Isai. 33.3 4 5 6 7 8. This common Salvation Iude 3. ye cannot digest 't was wont to be said Bonum quo câ—mmâ—n us eo Melius But if I should say instead of Peâ—us Bonum quo communius eo Melius it were not more false Latine then the tale of a tender of life from God to all men intended only to a few is the false Doctrine of our undoctor-like Divines which false Doctrine they contradict and confute themselves in also if once they could see wood for trees as fast as another can well confound them while themselves tell us of not only a Special but a Common Grace which is the common distinction of the Schools for if it be Grace though Common Grace it must be a Light a Gift a part of the Gospel of Gods Grace out of which Gospel no Grace is and such a part and gift too as must at least by its sufficiency to save such as improve it put all in a capacity for Salvation and not sufficient only to leave them without excuse and aggravate wrath and condemnation upon them otherwise that Grace is no true Grace or favour or if it be give me none of that Grace take you O ye Graceless Gravers of that Grace whose Graven Image it is that hath a being only in your imaginations that Grace wholly to your selves that is given for no such gracious end or purpose as to put men into possibility of Salvation as upon your principles of personal Repro 〈◊〉 this common Grace does not but only to render them unavoidably lyable to sorer condemnation and fuller wrath then they should ever have known had they never had it But what e're ye carve to your selves in your own conceits God had 〈…〉 to the whole world as well as to you choice sinners and in as fair a capacity â—â—ally to partake of it are the very Heathen who by you are repâ—obated by the lump as your Antichristian selves except ye repeâ—â— â—uâ—â— then Iâ—â—e by your books ye have ever yet done to a â—ound and sinâ—â— acknowledgement of the truth Nor did God send his Son a Light 〈◊〉 the wâ—â—â— that mostly perish in their wills to any such intent that the world it self should be condemned but that the world through him might be saved So then it s no less then a measure of the Light of the Gospel it self a dram at least and degree of Gods Grace and that not natural but spiritual supernatural sufficient for men and saving to such as submit to be taught by it which from God is imparted and by his hand as thou I.O. speakest indelibly implanted in the minds of all men whereby his things and the things of Christ and his Spirit come by such as wait on him in it to be both spiritually and savingly discerned And Ob. If ye object yet further as some do we yield that what is to be known of God his invisible things his Eternal Power and Godhead Divine Attributes and our moral duties to him in declining moral evils and doing much moral good as to our Creator eternally and indispensably due are manifested in measure by that common light but deny that any thing of Christ still and of the mysteries of the Gospel is so and so it s still but a natural nor a spiritual light Answ. Though what I said above from 1 Cor. 2. concerning the things that eye hath not seen c. and the deep things of God which must be of the mysteries of the Gospel might suffice yet I shall add thus much more viz. That it savours of little less then a little of that gross darkness which is to cover the earth and its people when the Light of God arises upon his own to say that God can be known in or by any Light in which Christ first is not known I know this is a Riddle to you Rabbies and may seem to all sottish Seers as a piece of a mad mans Divinity but I dare aver it to be truth though I can't believe many of our English Infidels will believe it till they see it so clearly that they cannot chuse for how many wayes of knowing God ye may
I. O. that those men can appear to him to be wicked men c. In esse cognoscibili who cannot be made to appear at all that they ever were at all in essereali I l'e give them leave to upraid me with O thou of little faith wherefore dost thou doubt it for my beleevable faculty is indeed too narrow to entertain or contain that self gainsaying story for a truth Credat Apella he that can beleeve it let him I am an Infidel as to that foolish figment and if these two contrary Tales can be both true my reason can't reach the reason of these Rabbinical-riddles But among the numerous odd passages that passe from I. O. in this Point about the proof of the Points antiquity that which is yet more observable as to my present purpose is that I. O when he hath roled Sysiphus his stone a great while pervenire ad summum to get up to the top to prove the pedigree of his Punctation as high as Moses if it might be if not from Ezra at least seeing he could not hold it up in the utmost hight nor carry it clearly into a coaevousnesse with the Scripture according to the strictnesse of his position condescends to come down by the Rounds of his Ladder half way first to the dayes of Ezra and in the prosecution of his undertaking to manifest it as at first he makes no doubt to do that they were compleated by Ezra and his Companions finding himself uncapable to carry the matter against such as derive their descent from the Iudaical Rabbins or Tiberian Maslorites clearly up so high as Ezra but only cloudily by foisting flinging and casting out at least but forgery against forgery fable against fable and a heap of uncertainties against the heap of uncertainties of others for so he will needs call the most cogent and more then probable evidences of all his confessedly learned Antagonists Elias Capellus Luther Prideaux c. p. 218.264.267 Though his own pleas considerations repulses and replyes are in the eyes of all impartial ones suppose I should say but as 't were enough ad hominem to impeach his position of utter falshood though I might say more uncertain at last he sinks down by the Rounds as low as the Massorites dayes and so per force by little and little yeilds up as far as is demanded from him assenting with Azarias p. 247. That the Iews generally beleeve these Points to have been from Moses at least from Ezra not denying that the use and knowledge of them received a great reviving by the Gemarists and Massorites when they had been much dissused and p. 271. with the same Azarias ascribing them as to their virtue and force to Moses or God on Mount-Sinai as to their Figure and Character to Ezra as to the Restauration of their use unto the Massorites in which he hath come quite Round with much ado and granted enough to prejudice his own position to the utter overthrow of the truth thereof for as to the virtue and force none can deny them to be coaevous with the Hebrew Language it selfe but 't is the Figure and Character only the question is about and that is yeelded to be but from Ezra and since Ezra to have been much dissused but to have received their great Reviving and Restoration to the use they now stand in which is the thing pleaded for against I. O. from the Massorites and so howbeit I. O. makes no doubt p. 211. but to manifest it that they were as we now enjoy them compleated by Ezra and his companions yet instead thereof he hath confessed in effect that as we now enjoy them since last dissused they were revived restored and compleated by the Massorites whom he disclaims as having any hand in them There remain sundry more â—ontradictions and Rounds I. O. runs in about the Points of which for a tast take one more here though touched on elsewhere and then sar aquod suffocat as more then enough from I. O. so enough from me as to that point of the Hebrew Punctation P. 217. I shall manifest quoth I. O. that its fit they i.e. the Points should be all taken out of the wâ—y if they have the Original assigned to them by the Prolegomena i.e. from the Massorites Yet p. 221. Grant quoth I. O. the Points to have the Original pretended yet to go round again they deserve all regard and are of singular use for the right understanding of the Scripture so that it s not lawfull to depart from them without urgent necessity c. Yet p. 244. to go round again and face quite about as ye were I professe quoth I. O. if I could be throwly convinced that the present Hebrew Punctation were the figment and invention of those men i.e. the Massorites I should labour to the utmost to have it utterly taken away out of the Bible nor should I in its present station make use of it any more to have it placed in the Bible as so great a part of the Word of God is not tolerable Contradictions and Rounds of I. O. about the manner of the first giving out of the Scripture P. 10.153 The Word the Scriptures quoth I. O. come forth mark unto us from God without the least mixture or interveniency of any medium obnoxious to fallibillity as is the wisdome truth integrity knowledge memory of the best of all men or capable of giving change or alteration to the least Iota or Syllable Yet p. 30. to go round again We live quoth I. O. many yeares from the last person who received any part of the Scripture from God have not received it immediately from God So p. 5 speaking of the first Pen men of the Scripture Their tongue quoth I.O. in what they spake or their hand in what they wrote was no more at their own disposall then the pen is in the hand of an expert writer Yet p. 6. to go round againe their mind quoth I. O. and understanding was used in the choyce of words for they did use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words of choyce Yet Ex. 1. S. 29. Verba disposita sunt per spiritum sanctum neqt ad exprimendum sensum quem ipsi de mente et voluntate Den conceperunt ingenio ac arbitrio ipsorum scriptorum sunt permissa aut relicta To go round about as ye were The words were at the disposall of the holy Spirit neither to expresse the sense they conceived of the mind and will of God were they left to the dispose arbitriment will or choyce of the Writers themselves Finally as I. O. so abundantly as is above shewed contradicts and confounds himself in many matters about the Scriptures or outward Text so about the sence and meaning of one Text of the Scripture wherein they all 4 disagree with the Qua I. Oâ—hand like Ishmaels is against all his fellows hands every of his 3 fellow fighters hands whom I have here to do with who from
yet T. D. sayes much of the truth of the Scripture is written on the hearts of the Heathen and that so much of it as is there written is their Rule so by consequence mens Rule can't of it self warrant mens actions to be right that are regulated by it Oh the Rounds of these men yea Tomb. and Baxter blush not in proof of that their lye as boldly as blindly to assert in the same page that Paul in his bloody persecutions and sins followed the light within him and counted it his great sin that he had so done though they confesse as before that all light in all men is from God and Christ and that the light some of which all men have from God and Christ though dim in regard of its small measure gives them to discern sins dutyes and divine Attributes and leads them to much of God and more morallity fidellity chastity temperance righteousness which the Letter sayes are the fruits of the Spirit then most Christians have attained to Yea so blasphemously seeme they to speak in the same page of the light within which the Qua. follow and call to which is no other then that of God in men that convinces them of sin as to intimate that men may as the Quakers say they do follow the light within them and yet their practice be of the Devill The Prince and Ruler only of the darknesse in men and not from Gods Spirit yea say they there if following the dictates of a mans own Conscience i.e. the leadings of the light in it could warrant his actions the most horrid acts of Idolaters Papists Pagans Mahometans Fanaticks i. e. mad men should be free from censure and controul Thus to their own shame confusion and self contradiction who one while speak well of it they speake abominably of the light within as if all the wickednesse that is in the world came to passe by following the light within the conscience the going away from which into mans own vain imaginations and vile inventions into the dark for not taking heed to the â—ouncell of God i. e. his light in the heart is the only cause of all abomination without which light shining and mens loving the darknesse and evill deeds which it condemns more then it there could be neither sin as â—hrist sayes nor condemnation Iohn 3.19 Rom. 8 1. As to go round again to their own confutation themselves intimate in the very next words p. 41 42. which are thus If a man do that which he thinks to be evill that is by the lights dictating it so to be in his own Conscience as they hinted just before though it were good and lawfull in it selfe it would be sin to him yea that man that doth good against his conscience is hut an hypocrite in so doing though the thing in if self be right and good When a man doth evill which his conscience tells him is so he commits a sin of the highest degree as to him that knowes to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Iam. 4.7 That is sin in an high degree hence great horrour of spirit hath attended them that have omitted good which their conscience told them they should do and much more horrour in them that have done evill against their conscience as in the case of Iudas Spira and other instances might be given Without which acting against conscience there 's neither sin nor horrour say we with John and Christ Ioh. 15.24 1 Ioh. 3 20. but peace as themselves hereunder confesse i.e. assurance of Gods acceptance acquittance non-condemnation justification And therefore say they if the Qua intended no more then this by bidding men look to the light within them And no more then that do we intend God knows though the blind Guides who can't see Wood for Trees hating us are minded to make men mistake us as miserably as themselves mistake us that men should take heed that they omitted not the good their own consciences told them they ought to do and that they did not the evill their consciences judged to be so we should accept of their warning Surely it will concern you as to look that your conscience be not erroneus As it ever is when and never is say I but when it erres from the light of God within it for the heart is a dark place of it self but as the true light shines in it 2 Pet. 1. 19. and heeds not that So when your conscience is rightly informed to follow it and when it goes wrong As it never does say I but when it goes from its guide the light yet to suspend the act which it condemns Till by the light it come to approve of what it ignorantly condemned if you desire peace It seemes then by these men as well as the Qua doctrine that peace is no where to be had but in walking according to the light in the Conscience there will say they be no plea to acquit him before God or to quiet his own spirit who proceeds to act according to the light in his own conscience And a sin against the light of nature So they stile that voyce of God in the conscience still is so much the more damnable in that it is against the most irrefragable evidence Mark how they somtimes yield the light in the conscience of all to be a far clearer evidence then that of the letter it self and more dangerous to resist in reference to which they somtimes to go round again call the light within but obscure meer darknesse and blindnesse and not so dangerous nor damnable to resist but rather dangerous yea no lesse then damnable to follow He that doubteth say they with Paul is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatever is not of faith is sin Mark how themselves affirme with Paul and us that faith without which nothing is pleasing to God out of which all that 's done is damning to be a faith in that light of Christ which is in the conscience Wo be to him cry they as we also do who condemns himself in what he allowes and contrariwise say we and Paul and consequently themselves happy is he and he only who is not condemned in himself that is by the light in his own conscience in what he allowes Thus absolutely do these Light-haters somtimes themselves blesse approve and applaud the light which otherwhiles they brawl and bark against when it s own children the Qua appear to justifie it Somtimes to go round again as absurdly do they bolt out bitternesse and blasphemies against that light which forgetting how unawares they confesse the truth to the Qua otherwhiles they so eminently applauded as good and of God c making it somtimes pernitious dangerous yea in the highest degree damnable to neglect it at othertimes to go round again pernitious dangerous and in the highest degree damnable to attend to it As p. 68. Among the Gentile Philosophers there was light but
hollow holes and cavernes throw the several Sections or lesser Rivelets thereof as throw so many dark Cells till driving downward still throw that least and last Head-lesse and Tail-lesse piece of Envy against the inner Light they issue out into the outer darknesse and at last all empty themselves headlong into the bottomlesse pit from whence those Exercitations for the most part were at first exerted and so downward still into the most dismal Lake of all even the Lake of fire that burns with brimstone which is the second death where the strong Warriour who is as â—oe and his work which is as a spark and every Lyar and his Lyes must lye and burn both together for ever and not be quenched And as for thy boasting thy self and glorying over the Quakers as learned no farther then their meer Mother tongue and such as understand not so much as the Latine tongue wherein thou cowardly enough encounterest them nor know how to speak sound sense to your understandings in their seeming bâ—bble to each other and to all others Alas poor man this is no newes to the Quakers to see Sanballats and Tobias's High Priests Scribes and Pharisees Doctors and reverend Rabbies superstitious Athenians University Philosophers Epicureans and Stoicks who worship an unknown God A generation of Arteficial Fools and Scholastick ignorant Ones that of old encountered Paul a better Schollar in Christs School a wiser builder then themselves Acts 17. count Gods Prophets Christ and his Apostles bringers of strange Matters and New Doctrines to their Ears medlers beyond their line measure Rule and Call doers and speakers of bald businesses no newes to hear the Opposers of Truth in their Science falsly so called say of the Quakers What will these feeble folk do Will they fortifie themselves Will they Sacrifice Will they make an end in a day Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the Rubbish that are burnt That which they build if a Fox go up he shall even break down their stone wall Neh. 4.2 3. Oh thou Seer that confessest thou wast neither bred nor born a Prophet but an Herdsman com'st thou to Prophesie at Bethel at the Kings Chappel away hence to thy own Countrey eat Bread and Prophesie there if thou wilt Prophesie but come not here dropping thy word thou art not a fit man to minister here the Land will not bear thy words Amos 7. Whence hath this man these things he pretends too this boldness to teach us having never learn't at our Schooles being never brought up at our Nurseries of Learning and Religion and such like But miserably wretched and deluded men that ye are ye little consider though the old Priests and Scribes as bad as they were took knowledge of such a thing in Peter and Iohn Acts 4. that as outwardly unlearned and ignorant men as the Quakers seem to you to be yet they have been with Iesus from whom they have learned that by looking to him in his own Light which all your meer sublunary literature can never lead you into the knowledge of even that hidden Wisdom of God in a Mystery which the Princes of this world are not acquainted with that Crosse of Christ the Wisdom Power Righteousnesse Image and Glory of God which is foolishnesse to them that pâ—rish Ye glory in your Fencer-like Faculties of Disputing in Form and Mood and Figure over the Quakers as a sort of Rusticks and Russet-Coats disorderly Disputers unruly and vain Talkers because they are not Regulated as your own blinded People are in all things implicitly by the Rules and wordly Rudiments of you Renowned Rabbies but ye forget that the Lord hath rejected the Scribe and Disputer of this World and will confound and make foolish and bring to nought all his strong and wise and mighty Matters that Are by the weak foolish base abject Contemptible things that Are not and by stammerring lips and another Tongue then they wot of and by Precept upon Precept line upon line here a little and there a little make the Drunkard of Ephraim stagger and stumble and go backward and fall and be broken and snared and taken and weary these vain wise wild-Asses out of their Academical Niceties and Punctilio's out of their Accute Astutenesse and Astute Accutenesse out of their witty Wiles and wicked wrestlings against the Truth by a foolish Nation that are even as no People in their eyes Ye tell the World that these People know not the Law and are accursed as your Fore-fathers did saying Do you see any of the Rulers of the Pharisees believe as they do they are un'earned and unstable a giddy headed People that wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction But ye heed not how Christ tells the Scribes that were as well skilled in searching into the Scripture as your selves that they Erred and knew not the Scriptures nor the power of God and how even ignorant and unlearned Peter himself as to that Science of yours falsely so called or Wisdome of the flesh which is ever enmity against God and is never subject to his Law nor can be speaks of another kind of un'earn'd and unstable Ones then those ye count so who are a thousand fold more spiritually discerning then your selves that being out of the Light and spirit in which Paul and holy men gave them forth wrest both Pauls Epistles that are hard to be understood by the learned'st of our Letter-lauders and also other Scriptures to their own ruine The Quakers Preach Christ his Light and Crosse the Power of God the Wisdom of God to the Iew outwardly a stumbling Block and foolishnesse to the Greek the Quakers know not the Originals say they How can they Expound and Open Scriptures They know not the language we here use quoth I.O. whose Lyes are most in Latine against the Quakers who busies himself about the back-side of the Book and tangles and turmoyls himself in tedious Tattle about the External Text about the integrity of the Hebrew the Greek But ye say I know not what is talked of in that Text it self ye so much talk of when it tells of a time wherein the Eyes of all Israel as of one man shall be toward the Lord who will bend Judah for himself and fill the Bow with Ephraim and raise up the sons of Sion against the sons of Greece and make them as the sword of a Mighty man in his hand Yea who so blind about the Scripture it self as well as about the things therein written as the great Scripture searching Scribes and Scholastick Scriblers thereupon who come not at all to Christ himself whom the Scriptures testifie of that they might have Light and Life who never at any time hear either his or the Fathers voice or see his shape so far are they from coming forth into his likenesse or Image which in their own imaginations these Spiritual men of God so called pretend to appear in more then any others Now as to
the many frivoulous flouting phrases and new fangled nick-Names wherewith thou who bearest Christs Name more then his Nature like the old Heathen Enemies to the Truth dost cover its true Christian Friends as it were with wild Beasts-skins that looking on them under that likenesse Name and Notion of Deceivers Destroyers Lyars Hypocrites horrid cursed Diabolical Blasphemers the Dogs of your Flocks may be hereby encouraged and set on to run the more greedily on to tear and worry them These will all Reflect upon thy self the envious Exerter of them and lye with no little load like a Talent of Lead upon thy Conscience and sink thee down among the rest of the uncircumcised in lips into sore Condemnation when thou awakest to behold him who now cometh in Myriads of his Saints to Convince and Iudge all ungodly Sinners for all the hard speeches they have ungodly spoken against him in his Saints and Servants whose Righteousness is of the Lord and whose Heritage it is to condemne every false Blasphemous and unruly Tongue that as thine doth riseth up in Judgement against them And as for us the Reproach of Christ is greater Riches to us then the Treasures of England which ye are glorying in and gaping after Nevertheless I shall here have a few words with thee about some few of them as well as about the Lyes that under them thou rellest of us Thou ventest thy venome against us under those Two now vulgar Names of Quakers and Fanaticks on this wise J. O. The second part of the Question concerning the proper Name of the Scripture relates to our Fanaticks who from that Trembling wherewith they fain themselves to be shaken in their holy Services or rather the power of that evil spirit by which in very deed they are shaken are commonly called Quakers Reply As for that holy duty it self of Quaking and Trembling at the Word of God which as blind a guide and bruit a Beast as thou art in speaking evil of what thou knowest as also of what thou knowest not thou both ownest and acknowledgest the holy men of God were taken with of old when moved to utter his Word as it came to them witness thy own words pag. 8. viz. the coming of the Word to them filled them with dread and reverence of God Hab. 3.16 and also greatly affected even their outward man though we dare not be so desperate as to damne it all for Diabolical as thou dost in these dayes in which God hath his Prophets and his People as well as then yet we own it as thou in word dost and indeed as they did Isa. 66.5 and are as they by their Brethren hated and cast out by you our Brother Christians in Name for so doing which meer fleshly Brotherhood who hate us and cast out our Name as evil for his Names sake shall be ashamed for it before him that appears to our joy and when Ierusalem hath first drunk her part as she is now a doing ye shall drink the dregs of the Cup of Trembling with the Devils whose Portion Trembling is for all ye believe the History as they also do and wring them out together with all the wicked of the Earth And as we own the thing so saving all your Ironical Tauntings of us therewith which we deny as that which ye even of God must be denied for we own the Name when used in his fear as that which is both Arbitrio Iure Divine imposed by God himself as their proper right on his own People whom himself from that holy Qualification of Trembling at his Word even thereby as by a peculiar Character denominates Isa. 66.5 and distinguishes from all other people that are found Quaking and Trembling mostly at the Word of man whom his Saints have ceased from whose breath is in his nostrils so that if the Word of man earthly powers Princes Parliaments go forth for such or such a kind of Christianity Religion Worship Order or Form of Ecclesiastical Doctrine or Discipline they all Priests and People and the Nations that fear not God by whole-sale strait stand stupified Quaking and Trembling and fall down Worshipping for fear of the Furnace the Quakers at Gods Word only excepted whatever Golden Image the King of Babilon pleases to set up and impose on them to how down to As to Name and Thing then we own that of Quaking and Trembling but dare not like thy self who ownest and yet defamest it corrupt our selves in what we know Nec tutum est ludere cum sacris neither is it a safe matter for such a high Professor as thou I.O. goest for to jeast and fleere so as thou dost about such holy matters as Quaking and Trembling at the Word of God which thou must come to know nearer home then ever yet when that Word nigh in the heart thou so sowlely fallest on comes once to be felt in thee as an Hammer breaking thy Rocky heart to pieces and to flame forth in thee as a fire and a spirit of burning under the Pot whose filthy scum boyls in it against the Truth and is not yet purged away When thou comest to know Moses of whom thou pratest so much a little better then yet thou dost thou shalt say I exceedingly Fear and Quake assâ—re they self as well as he with whom thou must Tremble on Mount Sinai Heb. 12.18 21 22 23 24 25 c. at that voice of the Trumpet and that Terrour of the Lord and that Blacknesse and Darknesse and Tempest which attends it before thou come near Mount Sion and to rest in the Hill thereof as much as in an empty sound of Words thou art mounting up thither afore thy time I.O. But this Dread and Terrour which Satan strove to imitate in his filthy Tripodes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was peculiar to the Old Testament and belonged to the Paedogogy thereof the Spirit in the Declaration of the New Testament gave out his mind and will in a way of more liberty and glory the manner of it related more to that glorious liberty in fellowship and Communion with the Father whereunto Believers had then an accesse provided them by Jesus Christ. Rep. That the Devil may and doth strive to imitate the things of God I deny not yea there 's scarse any outward Appearance or Form that the power of God puts it self forth in but the power of the evil One in man strives Apishly to imitate and make the meer likenesse and Image of it but these Images and Imitations are made among the Magicians and Wisemen of Egypt who are gone out from Gods Counsel the Light and Power of God in the Conscience into the meer Imaginations of their own vain minds and foolish hearts leaning to their own benighted understandings but not among these who leaving their own Wisdom learn only at the lips of Christ who leads even fools that love him into the Substance it self and that wisdom which makes wise to Salvation 'T is